Underrated Inside-Out Duos
Cleveland Central Catholic, Deer Park, Hayes, Rhodes, Walnut Hills, West Geauga, and Willard roster guard-forward tandems capable of leading their squad in 2019-20. Plain and simple, we’re examining one-by-one what each player brings to the table: Note: Programs mentioned in…
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Continue ReadingCleveland Central Catholic, Deer Park, Hayes, Rhodes, Walnut Hills, West Geauga, and Willard roster guard-forward tandems capable of leading their squad in 2019-20. Plain and simple, we’re examining one-by-one what each player brings to the table:
Note: Programs mentioned in our series of Top Duos, Trios, Quartets, and Super Teams aren’t included here.
Cleveland Central Catholic
Tevin Jackson (2020), 5-8 point guard: Jackson is a classic pass-first point guard who sees angles and has the ball-handling prowess to get to his spots. He opens up opportunities for others. Possesses a deep bag of tricks to get the ball where it needs to be, including to bigs.
Deshaun Nettles (2020), 6-7 forward: The size of a post and mobility of a wing, Nettles is a handful to contain at the high school level. Flashes ball skills, outside shooting ability and active rebounding. Although he got away with hanging out on the perimeter when running with CCC’s duo of 2019 forwards, we’re looking for him to dominate the interior in most matchups this season.
Deer Park
Steven Gentry Jr. (2020), 6-0 point guard: The lone remaining starter from that 2018 State Championship team, Gentry will provide both leadership and offense this season. We expect a considerable amount of the shots to be generated through him. He’s quick with the ball along with being a capable shooter. Gentry is also an irritating defender with lateral quickness and good hands. All in all, a lot on his plate!
Ani Elliot (2021), 6-6 center: Elliot is an athletic, light-footed big who impresses around the rim as a rebounder and finisher. Strong body. Lot of untapped potential given his physical tools. In a featured role with Deer Park, though, we will likely see the full repertoire of what this Springfield transfer has to offer.
Delaware Hayes
Nate Griggs (2020), 5-10 point guard: Talented finisher with elusive footwork and an uncanny ability to finish around shot-blockers. Griggs takes care of the ball against pressure and opens up shots for teammates partly because of the scoring threat he is himself.
Paul Burris (2020), 6-5 small forward: Versatile combo forward who can spot-up or catch with his back to the basket in various locations. Shot-maker with a package that doesn’t involve over-dribbling. Now that Terin Kinsway is off to Indiana Tech for college, Burris’s greatest challenge may be on the glass in a physical OCC-Cardinal¹.
Rhodes
Marlon Landingham (2020), 6-2 guard: Physical slasher with a strong spot-up jumper from distance. Landingham makes good decisions but is rightfully aggressive as a scorer. Finds his shots within the offense, though, and is their go-to guy in the halfcourt.
Amarion Dickerson (2021), 6-6 small forward: Versatile defensive juggernaut who blocks shots and defends in space at a very high level. Dickerson also brings the house down in transition — opportunities that are often a direct result of him tipping a pass or shot. Uses long strides and athleticism to rip through and score on a straight-line-drive.
Walnut Hills
Mike Grant (2020), 6-4 shooting guard: Big scoring guard with some athleticism and a nice jump shot. Grant provides defensive versatility and rebounding from the guard spot. Averaged single-digit scoring a year ago but is due to produce more as a senior.
Nic Smith (2020), 6-6 center: Talented rebounder who scores efficiently over the shoulder. Actively pursues the ball and boards outside of his area. One of the best put-back guys in Ohio. Defends the rim, too.
West Geauga
Peyton Bissler (2020), 6-2 shooting guard: Provides floor-spacing and aggressively seeks his elite outside jumper. Bissler’s can play without the ball, making him an ideal fit with Josh Irwin, a talented passer that commands the defense’s attention.
Josh Irwin (2021), 6-5 power forward: Double-double machine. High-IQ decision-maker and defensive communicator. Irwin can score it inside and outside with great skill. He’s unselfish. Causes mismatches. You get it — he’s just an excellent player. And as his physicality advantage widens as an upperclassmen, Irwin will only become more dominate.
Willard
Cooper Parott (2020), 6-3 shooting guard: Efficient scorer with a confident jumper and a strong frame that he uses to finish inside and defend. He fills it up and will be the go-to scorer once again.
Terry Baldridge (2020), 6-8 forward: Versatile, lanky forward with ball skills — a combination that causes mismatches. Baldridge displays athleticism in transition and will provide a rebounding presence.
¹ Hayes will play Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Hilliard Bradley, Hilliard Darby, Thomas Worthington, Worthington Kilbourne, and Olentangy Berlin twice in the regular season.