Swingman Showdown: Bishop O’Dowd v.s. Capitol Christian
Last friday’s regional matchup between the Dragons of Bishop O’Dowd (26-5) and the Cougars of Capitol Christian (22-9) featured electrifying play from the perimeter players all night long. Wether it was lockdown defense, scoring in bunches, or whizzing passes through multiple defenders, the highlight reel remained constant throughout the night. Here’s a look at the swingmen that put on great performances.
Elijah Hardy (Bishop O’dowd), 6’2, 2018
The southpaw speedster’s talents were on full display as he ran by defenders to showcase an excellent change of speed before finishing at the rim with an impressive array of layups. When defenses collapsed on him, he was able to find teammates with bullet-like passes that excited fans and annoyed the defense. His defensive effort was just as strong as he flew around the court being as disruptive as possible. He personifies killer instinct as he refused to allow capitol christians momentum to build too far.
Zachary Chappell (Capitol Christian), 6’4, 2018
An elite scoring machine from the perimeter as well as in the paint, Zachary leverages his size with a strong handle to bully defenders to the rim. When he wasn’t making the team pay by knocking down free throws, he was setting the table for his teammates to score. He has a toughness that allowed him to continue his efforts despite taking multiple hard falls throughout the course of the game.
Naseem Gaskin (Bishop O’Dowd), 6’3, 2018
Monster athlete with an unmatched level of aggression, Naseem absolutely punishes defenders with his ability to slash his way to the basket or crash the glass. He has incredible footwork that gets him to any area on the floor. Contact doesn’t bother him as he relentlessly attacks downhill at all times. When given the opportunity, he will dunk with a high level of ferocity characterized by the best missed dunk of the season that fans won’t soon forget. The most underrated part of his game is his ability to make teammates better as he probes for cutters and shooters.
Rick Barros ||| (Capitol Christian), 6’5, 2018
Sidelined early by injury, Rick wasnt able to display a skill set that would have helped his teammates. He plays with an old man’s pace as he patiently waits for his opportunity to attack. A three point marksmen with very deep range, he uses this skill to get by defenses and show an excellent understanding of the game with his passes. That same IQ for the game allows him to make an impact defensively by getting steals and defensive rebounds. Though he is deceptively athletic with an ability to put defenders in the rim, he has a skillful touch around the rim with an assortment of layups.