D-II Canton Regoinal Semifinals: Top 11 Performances
The Division II Canton Regional Final is set for Friday night at 6:15 with VASJ and Buchtel set to battle for a trip to Columbus. This was without doubt one of the most talented groups of four across Ohio’s regional…
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Continue ReadingThe Division II Canton Regional Final is set for Friday night at 6:15 with VASJ and Buchtel set to battle for a trip to Columbus.
This was without doubt one of the most talented groups of four across Ohio’s regional tournaments, regardless of OHSAA division.
We will reveal how the semifinal games broke throughout the article as we take a deeper look at the individual performances and how they affected each game.
Jaden Hameed (2021), 5’11” PG, VASJ
stats: 19 points, 1 rebound, 7 assists
The VASJ-Bene game had moments where both teams appeared dead in the water. For the Vikings, that time came down 59-51 with about four minutes to play. Davin Zeigler’s elite explosiveness looked like it would be too much for VASJ to contain. The Bengals were stroking triples. VASJ was suddenly blowing high-percentage looks.
Then — just like that — sophomore Jaden Hameed revived VASJ in an instant.
Like something out of the Rocky series.
Offensively, he broke down the fabric of Bene’s defensive with his quickness, creating two on one situations at the basket. Hameed delivered the ball to the opposite block, drew contact, or finished a layup one possession at a time until VASJ emerged victorious, 65-62. He simply wouldn’t be denied. The prospect has a great feel. Efficient play-maker. Knocks down an open shot seemingly every time.
Hameed also cut off a Zeigler drive in the final moments, creating a loose ball and turnover. The instinctual point-of-attack defender gets to his spots tremendously quick.
Jason Priah (2019), 6’3” F, VASJ
stats: 16 points, 9 rebounds
Priah stuffed the stat-sheet coming off the bench as a result of his motor. Made second efforts on the glass. Scored several buckets inside through the chest of a defender. Used the glass on his finishes and would not be denied on second and third chance buckets. Physical player than can switch onto guards and wings. Protected the rim with verticality.
Khalil Mitcham (2019), 6’6” F/C,
stats: 12 points, 7 rebounds
Mitcham is no longer a raw forward recruit that looks like a project. He has added real polish to his game on post-ups. Surveys the floor on the catch and can create a shot with his back to the basket. Another Viking who plays extremely hard. Came up with loose balls time and again. Mitcham struggled to catch the ball cleanly, though.
Jordan Calhoun (2019), 6’2” G, VASJ
stats: 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Calhoun was a play-maker as a secondary ball-handler for VASJ. Really good feel and he made clever bounce passes on the dribble-drive. Calhoun is a threat to shoot the ball when he has space. Good team defender. He was out of control a few times on drives.
BJ Busbee (2021), 6’1” G, Benedictine
stats: 15 points, 1 rebound
We’ve been singing Busbee’s praises since we saw him earlier in the season. Even given the high expectations, Busbee definitely exceeded those with his team-high 15 points off the bench. He scored it from all three levels — two catch-and-shoot triples, a pull-up, and a contested lay-up coming across the lane. Strong body for a sophomore. Shows some wiggle as a slasher.
Davin Zeigler (2019), 6’2” G, Benedictine
stats: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
The future Bowling Green Falcon’s first step, hang-time on contested lay-up attempts, and general explosiveness is something to marvel at. He blows by defenders in just a few dribbles driving hard right or left. Gets to the free throw stripe by hanging in the air. He is also an improved outside shooter, knocking down three 3-pointers from the top of the key.
Jashun Cobb (2020), 5’11” G, Benedictine
stats: 12 points
Cobb actually hung in the high post against VASJ’s 2-3 zone a lot tonight, where he was able to catch and take advantage of his quickness and score it at the rim. Elusive slasher and finisher who avoids shot-blockers very well for his size. Puts a lot of pressure on defenders by changing hands with the ball without losing much speed.
Jonathan King (2019), 6’6” SF, Buchtel
stats: 20 points, 5 rebounds
On a night where Buchtel’s leading scorer and nationally touted freshman Chris Livingston struggled to get going until late, King’s team-high 20 points were remarkably crucial — 19 of which he scored in the first half. The combo forward showed more ball skills than we saw at Flyin’ to the Hoop in January, often slashing from the wing through traffic. Knocked down a pair of spot-up 3-pointers. Faced-up for a jumper in the mid-range.
Tae Perie (2021), 6’1” PG, Buchtel
stats: 18 points, 2 reboudns
Perie’s most crucial stretch was the last four or five minutes of the third quarter with King and Chris Livingston on the bench with four fouls a piece. It was then that Perie flashed his ability to get to the basket with a number of shifty ball-handling maneuvers. The lefty also swished a couple NBA-range 3-pointers in the first half, which were clearly measured by the NBA line at the home of the Canton Charge. Perie also sunk cashed nine free throws down the stretch. He has the chance to become a scholarship-level guard recruit.
Chris Livingston (2022), 6’5” G/W, Buchtel
stats: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
Crazy to think that this will be remembered as an off game for the freshman out of Akron. I mean, look at those numbers. Livingston took a while to get heated up, though. Nonetheless, he made winning plays late in the game, athletically winning rebound battles in traffic for second chance points. Livingston also showed his vision all night, one of the many things that set him apart as a prospect.
Braeden O’Shaughnessy (2019), 6’1” G, Poland Seminary
stats: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
O’Shaughnessy, a Youngstown State baseball commit, paced Poland all night, scoring nearly half of their total points. The multi-sport athlete is a shot-creator. Protects the ball against pressure and has a good feel of when to pull-up for the jumper. Very consistent shooter with a good floater game to go with it. Drew contact at the rim by jumping into shot-blockers. Found open teammates on the drive.