D-I Columbus District Finals: Top Senior Performances
For some, dreams were broken, while other took one more crucial step towards the Schott on Saturday at Ohio Dominican. Saturday brought eight quality Central Ohio high school programs under one roof for the battle of District Championship.
Pickerington Central, Dublin Coffman, Reynoldsburg, and Bradley eliminated Westerville North, Upper Arlington, Mount Vernon, and Westerville South respectively.
Meanwhile, in the bleachers, college coaches and scouts studied the action, hoping to find a prospect that could help them on their championship pursuits at the next level. Here are the seniors who made the most memorable impressions throughout the day.
Adrian Nelson, 6’7” W/F, Pickerington Central
The Detroit Mercy commit had eight thunderous points in their win over Westerville North — two full-extension tip slams, a full-body poster, and a fastbreak alley oop. He scored 14 total, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished four assists, making for an all-around performance. While he still needs to develop a half-court offensive repertoire in college, his physical weaponry and open floor ability are extremely impactful.
Julius Brown, 5’11” PG, Westerville North
Brown could add to his offer sheet following this District Final performance. Currently, his offers include Kentucky State, Lourdes, Urbana, Ohio Dominican, and Anderson.
One of the top unsigned point guards in the 2018 class, Brown puts pressure on opponents on both ends. His on-ball defense pressure is reciprocated by his aggressiveness as a shooter off the bounce. With a spread floor, Brown routinely drew a help defender and found open teammates, tallying seven assists to go along with 17 points.
Although he shot just 40 percent, even his misses paid off in keeping the defense honest when he hovered around the arch.
Noah Voorhies, 6’2” G, Westerville North
In limited playing time, we liked what Voorhies brought to the game in terms of offensive rebounding and ball movement. He can shoot it off the catch and flies around for 50-50 balls. Don’t be surprised if a local D-III school picks him up after graduation.
Julian Malone, 6’1” W, Westerville North
At first glance, defending Adrian Nelson in the half-court appeared to be a significant mismatch. However, Malone stayed low and pushed him off spots, forcing Nelson to make his mark in the open court and on the glass exclusively. Malone could be attractive to colleges because of his intensity on both ends of the floor.. Malone ended with 15 points and seven rebounds (three offensive) while making plays for others as an interior passer.
Dane Goodwin, 6’5” G, Upper Arlington
Although Goodwin may not have been rewarded with the ceremonious exit that his high school career warranted, his individual performance was outstanding. Scoring 22 points and only missing two shots all game, Goodwin had exactly 66 percent of UA’s points when he left the game with five fouls early-fourth quarter. The Notre Dame signee battled through hand checks and all sorts of physicality and still was able to free up his jumper and find open teammates.
Tre Williams, 6’6” F/C, Reynoldsburg
Although Williams was sidelined almost the entire first half with foul trouble, he managed to tally eight points and seven rebounds. His post defense was excellent, whether it was resisting back-downs against his man or communicating at the bottom of the zone. Williams took ownership of the block as a screen-and-roller. He also showed off his vertical athleticism on consecutive dunks in the third quarter, which took a strangle-hold of momentum going into the fourth.
Braden Norris, 6’0″ PG, Bradley
The Oakland signee is back and that means ultimate stability and leadership at the helm of Bradley’s offense and defense. He failed to commit a turnover all game long and dished three assists. His movement, communication, screening, is instrumental to Bradley’s State Championship aspirations.