D-I Columbus District Finals: Top Underclassmen Performances
Sophomores and freshmen making an impact this late into the tournament are almost always prospects you’re going to mark down. You’ll be seeing more of them as the years go on. It just so happens that some of the top 2020 guards in Ohio came out and did their thing at Ohio Dominican on Saturday.
It was the Columbus District Finals and Pickerington Central, Dublin Coffman, Reynoldsburg, and Bradley eliminated Westerville North, Upper Arlington, Mount Vernon, and Westerville South respectively. But, let’s focus on the players.
Josiah Fulcher (2020), 6’3” G, Pickerington Central
Fulcher remains a wing scorer for Pick Central at this point in his career. Although his jumper has a semi-sideways rotation, he knocked down a couple triples in the game. Fulcher’s first step is D-I quality. He can finish at the rack with either hand. Fulcher scored 10 points total and continues to show a lot of promise.
Dominiq Penn (2020), 5’11” PG, Coffman
Penn scored 30 points, shot 11/15 from the field and 5/7 from the free throw line. And it’s not like he’s being gifted with open opportunities; in fact, he had to work for every one of those points. Upper Arlington face-guarded Penn at times and, in general, hounded the young lead guard.
It just wasn’t enough. There was nothing UA could throw at him that he wasn’t breaking down off the dribble with his quick handle and pull-up jumper. He’s become a legitimate three-level scorer over the past several months, including an elusive layup package. Other than a couple late mistakes when the game was under wraps, Penn hardly turned the ball over also.
Jack Pugh (2021), 6’5″ W/F, Bradley
Pugh lived up to the hype today as he absolutely bullied upperclassmen in the paint. His positioning demanded the ball in the post. Pugh totaled five points and eight rebounds, several of which came on out-hustling people to the offensive glass. Pugh also has a solid feel for someone with his physical attributes, meaning he sees passes on the drive. Continuing to improve on ball-security is key, but he’s got plenty of time to improve.
Chris Mayfield (2020), 6’3″ hybrid, Bradley
Mayfield did most of his damage on second half rebounds. Westerville South showed persistency and pride down the stretch, making Mayfield’s soaring physical rebounds all the more valuable. Although he struggled with some first half turnovers, his nine points, seven rebounds, and versatility still paid off.
Matt Allocco (2020), 6’3″ PG, Bradley
Allocco gelled nicely next to senior point guard Braden Norris in our first viewing of them together. Collectively, they protected the ball, kept everyone moving for the ball, and everyone informed by communicating on defense. His added height allows him to deal with more contact now, as he can keep the ball further away from the defense and shoot floaters over people.
We must say, Allocco’s jumper was far more unorthodox than usual, as he’s releasing it closer to his waist than his shoulders and has exaggerated the circular motion beforehand.