5 Takeaways: O’Dea vs. Ballard
The Ballard Beavers lost their recent home game against nationally-ranked O’Dea. Junior John Christofilis got the Fighting Irish off to a hot start, hitting 3 threes in the first quarter, two of which came off assists from Paolo Banchero passing…
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Continue ReadingThe Ballard Beavers lost their recent home game against nationally-ranked O’Dea. Junior John Christofilis got the Fighting Irish off to a hot start, hitting 3 threes in the first quarter, two of which came off assists from Paolo Banchero passing out of triple teams. After one quarter, O’Dea had built a sixteen-point lead and maintained that lead through halftime. By the end of the third quarter, they’d extended their lead to thirty-four points with big contributions from Banchero, Christofilis, and fellow Junior Jermaine Davis who would finish the game with 11 points. Paolo Banchero started the fourth quarter with a bang when he grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled coast-to-coast, and threw down a thunderous left-handed jam that put a definitive stamp on the victory. The Irish would go on to win with a score of 84 to 45. Christofilis led all scorers with 24 points and Banchero added 20. Justin Burceag led the Beavers with 13 points.
Pick your Poison with Banchero
Paolo Banchero is the number-one ranked player for the class of 2021 and arguably the best overall player in Washington, regardless of class. This was my first time seeing him play live, and I was blown away by his combination of size and athleticism. He’s 6’9″ and 235 lbs with a complete set of skills, so he can beat you in multiple ways. He’s a great passer, and he’s surrounded by quality shooters, so O’Dea was really successful working the ball in to Paolo, he’d wait for the defense to collapse, and then kick it to his teammates for open looks. Obviously, he can chew up defenses in the post, but he has a solid jumper and great handles, so he puts defenses in a really tough position. Teams will be forced to double and triple-team him to stop him in the post or on drives to the basket, but with his passing ability, teams will have to pick their poison.
Don’t Help off of Christofilis
John Christofilis, PrepHoops’ 8th ranked player for the class of 2021, is a lights-out shooter. Between the attention that Paolo Banchero commands and the shooting of Christofilis, O’Dea has an outstanding one-two punch (and there are more punches where those came from). Christofilis hit 6 threes and missed only 2 or 3 in the win. The majority of his threes were spot-ups, and because Ballard was forced to send multiple defenders at Banchero, he had open looks all night. Don’t be fooled into thinking he’s only a spot-up shooter. Christofilis can get the rim, and he can fill up the stat sheet with assists and rebounds as well. *Featured Image
O’Dea is Greater than the Sum of its Parts
This takeaway might sound crazy considering that the Fighting Irish have four starters who are all ranked 31st or higher in the class of 2021, but when you see them play, it’s immediately obvious that they are more than just a group of talented individual players. Don’t get me wrong, the talent is there, but there is also the chemistry between these athletes that allows them to capitalize on that talent. The team had widespread contributions on offense, but I was even more impressed with their defense. They communicate well, and they have great instincts that help them anticipate screen, cuts, and passes. O’Dea is outstanding at every position, and they have a deep bench of guys ready to come into the game and score. I’ve given a lot of attention to Banchero and Christofilis, but Sophomore Jermaine Davis (above) is a star in his own right. He’s strong, and he has explosive athleticism that he displayed with a big block and a could-have-been poster dunk that drew a foul. Dezjay Perkins, Paul Johnson, Max Debiec, and Jalen Ellis also deserve shoutouts for their contributions.
Justin Burceag Gets Buckets
I was really impressed with what I saw out of the lone Junior in the Beaver’s starting lineup. Justin Burceag is a lanky 6’3″ guard who can score in a variety of ways. He actually led all scorers with 20 points when these teams met last year. I don’t want to take anything away from the rest of Ballard’s squad because they had several athletes who added to their scoring, but Burceag was really the only consistent option for the Beavers. He had two plays that stood out: in the second quarter he scored a really nice reverse with his off-hand, fighting through tough defense, and in the fourth quarter he finished his night with an impressive 3-point-play after drawing a foul and knocking down an off-balance jumper. Burceag might be a sleeper in the 2021 class.
Circle Your Calendars for January 7th
On January 7th, O’Dea will host a Garfield squad that has gotten off to a hot start, beating Cleveland 101 to 26 and Ballard 83 to 24. They’ve got coach Brandon Roy at the helm and two Senior transfers (Tari Eason and Kendall Munson) who are both ranked in the top five of Washington’s 2020 class as well as the top Freshman in the state, Jaylin Stewart. It’s still very early in the season, but this showdown could prove to be a critical game between two of the Metro League’s front runners.