Scrimmage: Oldham County vs Saint Xavier
Tuesday evening, I attended a scrimmage between the Varsity squads of Oldham County and Saint Xavier. The scrimmage took place at Saint Xavier, although there were a lot of Oldham County fans in attendance. This game was very intense and…
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Continue ReadingTuesday evening, I attended a scrimmage between the Varsity squads of Oldham County and Saint Xavier. The scrimmage took place at Saint Xavier, although there were a lot of Oldham County fans in attendance. This game was very intense and came down to the last few plays of the ball game. Oldham County ended up defeating Saint Xavier, 62-61.
MVP of the Game: Deaton Oak (Oldham County)
Junior shooting guard Deaton Oak can shoot lights out. He made 4 three pointers in this scrimmage, as well as hitting some big time free throws down the stretch of the game. His stroke was pretty. Most of the three’s he made were nothing but net. He made it look easy from behind the arc. Oak ended with a game-high, 23 points.
Difference Maker: Tyler Slone (Oldham County)
Junior forward Tyler Slone came up with some big time defensive rebounds towards the end of the game. His footwork on the block is impressive. Slone standing at 6’4″ has great length and that gives him the ability to rise over the defenders with a sweet baby hook shot. His shooting form at the mid-range or 3-pointer made me think of Duke’s Freshman Matthew Hurt. Slone ended with 15 points.
Leader of the Game: Ben Varga (Saint Xavier)
Although Saint Xavier did not win the scrimmage, Ben Varga was a true leader for this Saint Xavier team. The Junior guard ended with a team-high 22 points. Saint Xavier found themselves down 11 in the 3rd Quarter but that did not stop this Saint X team from making it a dog fight. Their defensive intensity was a big factor in why they came back and almost pulled out the win. Varga was another big reason why this team came back. He is a shot creator. He knows how to finish no matter how well he is guarded. His ability to finish at the rim is really impressive. If the Saint Xavier Tigers are in need a bucket or a facilitator, Varga is their man.
Best Guy Off the Bench: Simon Smith (Saint Xavier)
Simon came off the bench with great intensity. He was a bully down-low. Boxing out kids, blocking shots, and going up aggressively for rebounds. Simon ended with 7 points but his defensive presence is what really caught my eye. He had some emphatic blocks.
Best Defensive Performance: Oldham County in 2Q
After trailing by one at the end of the 1st quarter. Oldham County came out with really aggressive defense. They held Saint Xavier to just 11 points in the 2nd quarter. OC really has some length in their front-court. Saint Xavier was trying to drive the ball a whole lot in the 2Q but OC’s length down-low was too much for them.
Players to keep an eye on moving forward:
Deaton Oak (OC), Tyler Slone (OC), Sam Campbell (OC), Ben Varga (StX), Simon Smith (StX), & Ayden Mudd (StX).
Recap:
All in all, this scrimmage was a great preview of the upcoming high school season. I was impressed with both teams. Came out with intensity on both sides of the ball. Saint Xavier find themselves in a sticky situation when they were down 11 at one point but quickly recovered and made it a close game. Like I said it pretty much came down to the final few possessions. Saint Xavier kept cutting the lead and even tied it up at one point. But Oldham County’s length and rebounding is what ultimately won this game for them.