Five Takeaways: Centennial vs. Capitol Hill
These were my five takeaways from Centennial’s 73-48 win over Capitol Hill on Tuesday night. Moun’Tae Edmundson Jr. is coming for heads in 3A Centennial senior point guard Moun’Tae Edmundson Jr. has been mentioned many times this season, but I…
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Continue ReadingThese were my five takeaways from Centennial’s 73-48 win over Capitol Hill on Tuesday night.
Moun’Tae Edmundson Jr. is coming for heads in 3A
Centennial senior point guard Moun’Tae Edmundson Jr. has been mentioned many times this season, but I hadn’t been able to watch him in person since his 2018 summer with GameChangers. Though he played very well in the summer, I feel like he has blossomed into an even more complete point guard through this much of his senior season; and that was evident on Tuesday night in his 32-point performance. He plays spectacular defense, a trait that I can’t recall always being such a blaring point of emphasis in his game; alas, he helped to trap opposing guys all night on and keep the ball from getting much of a chance to get anywhere near the hoop. He has swiper-like quick hands and gets a lot of steals as well. What we have always seen from Edmundson is impressive handles and the ability to press the shift key into the lane and become almost un-guard-able. That much hasn’t changed in the slightest.
Kevion Steele is quickly turning into a formidable sleeper
This is the second time I have been able to watch Kevion Steele (2021 Capitol Hill point guard) play this season, the first being the Edmond Open in December. Seeing his style of play, I am convinced that he may be one of the best kept secrets among young talents in the state. Every time I go to see the 5-foot-10 point guard perform, he shows up big time for his team. Steele is a heady, floor general type of point guard with some of the most developed handles in Oklahoma City. But that doesn’t mean he can’t finish at the rack and have a big impact in the scoring game as well.
Small school, big play
Coming from a small school, I understand this pains of receiving little exposure, being pushed to the side and the reality of delegitimization based on where you come from. Still, 3A Oklahoma Centennial came to play Tuesday night against a touted 5A squad in Capitol Hill. No massive crowd showed up. No media members other than myself, to the best of my knowledge, were present. But despite the lack of TV crews and booming student sections; a heck of a basketball game was played by the Bison in a small gym at Centennial High School on Tuesday night. That much is commendable and even more reason to never count out teams like Centennial.
Shorty Fancher skill set
D’Shanti “Shorty” Fancher (2020 Capitol Hill 6’6″ center) has a very nice skill set that I think translates well on the floor. Fancher is long, but still has the ability to be graceful at the rack and move. He has a natural inclination to move about the paint with urgency, evident in his foot work and lateral speed. He defends well and contests shots. One thing I noticed about his athleticism, in particular, is his foot rotation and fast-twitch muscle development, a trait not typically credited to bigs.
Intro: Salae Woodley 2019 Centennial guard
Salae Woodley is a talented guard who really had an impact on the game drawing fouls, getting to the bucket, and drawing the defense into the paint and allowing his teammates to make play. Woodley is the type of player we would call a “glue guy,” nodding to their tendency to bind the team together with their selfless play. With that description, some folks associate an immediate connotation with B-list talent. But that is rarely, if ever, the case; and that isn’t what I saw from Woodley on Tuesday. Woodley finished in double-digits and was almost unstoppable at the rack, having an impact on the scoring game even with a fellow teammate dropping a 30-ball. Woodley’s tenacity and relentlessness on defense are also commendable and showed up big for the Bison on Tuesday night.