Southwest Ohio Collides at Xavier this Weekend: Prospects to Watch (D-I)
We have reached the district finals here in Ohio, and it couldn’t be a more exciting time for basketball in our state. Most of the college teams are having great seasons, with the obvious top school being the University of…
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Continue ReadingWe have reached the district finals here in Ohio, and it couldn’t be a more exciting time for basketball in our state. Most of the college teams are having great seasons, with the obvious top school being the University of Dayton, and then there are some top-notch prospects competing at those very same arenas for their chances at bringing home a state title. Xavier University will host 4 exciting matches that surely won’t disappoint in Div-I.
Lakota East vs Beavercreek
Did Not meet in the regular season.
Adam Duvall Adam Duvall 6'6" | PF Beavercreek | 2022 State OH is going to be key in this matchup for Beavercreek. The 2022 big man is going to match up well with Alex Mangold Alex Mangold 6'7" | PF Lakota East | 2020 State OH . Both have a similar play style, but Adam can really expand the floor with his deep-ball efficiency. He will need to have a defensive presence on the inside to not only slow Mangold down, but a very good slasher, Kaden Fuhrmann Kaden Fuhrmann 6'3" | SG Lakota East | 2020 State OH , as well. Defensively, the Beavers are going to need to be sound. Lakota simply has too many weapons in Nate Johnson Nate Johnson 6'3" | PG Lakota East | 2021 State OH , Alex Mangold Alex Mangold 6'7" | PF Lakota East | 2020 State OH , Kaden Fuhrmann Kaden Fuhrmann 6'3" | SG Lakota East | 2020 State OH , and Jadon Coles Jadon Coles 6'3" | SF Lakota East | 2022 State OH .
For East, Nate Johnson Nate Johnson 6'3" | PG Lakota East | 2021 State OH has to bounce back from his performance last game. The 2021 guard showed great competitiveness despite struggling offensively against Turpin. If he can heat up and take over like his usual self, East will be able to control the game. They have great depth offensively, and they proved that last week versus Turpin.
Moeller vs Springboro
Did Not meet in the regular season.
Moeller is arguably the best all-around team in the state of Ohio. They have about 4 or 5 prospects with division 1 offers at the moment, and only one of them is a senior. In this matchup, I look for Logan Duncomb Logan Duncomb 6'9" | C Moeller | 2021 State #74 Nation OH to dominate. He will be the biggest guy on the floor, and this is the type of game where he could finish with 20pts and 10reb. Max Land Max Land 6'4" | SG Moeller | 2020 State OH always controls the game and gets his points, but I am looking forward to Moeller feeding the big man and letting him feast. At the end of it all though, Max Land Max Land 6'4" | SG Moeller | 2020 State OH , Alex Williams Alex Williams 6'5" | SF Moeller | 2021 State OH , Logan Duncomb Logan Duncomb 6'9" | C Moeller | 2021 State #74 Nation OH , or Will McCracken Will McCracken 6'4" | SG Hilton Head Island | 2021 State SC can all have monstrous games, and they usually feed whose hot.
Springboro is going to need its best team performance of the year for this matchup. Willieon Yates is going to need to continue to feed his teammates, but taking care of the ball is going to be his priority. I’m also looking for Noah Moser to have a big game. He is 6-10 from downtown in his last three games. We will see if he can catch fire and hit from deep efficiently.
Centerville vs Lakota West
Did Not meet in the regular season.
This is going to be a great matchup. Centerville is a lengthy team with multiple threats. However, we will see how they match up against a much smaller, guard-centered Lakota West. I expect Centerville to keep the game at a moderate pace and use their size to their advantage. Mo Njie Mo Njie 6'9" | C Centerville | 2020 State OH will have almost half a foot on West’s biggest player, and then you add his brother Kebba Njie Kebba Njie 6'8" | PF La Lumiere | 2022 State #152 Nation IN and other forwards Rich Rolf Rich Rolf 6'6" | PF Centerville | 2022 State OH and Tom House Tom House 6'5" | SF Centerville | 2022 State OH to the mix. All of those players are about 6’6″ or taller, which is a couple of inches on West’s 6’4″ tallest player. Defensively, Gabe Cupps Gabe Cupps 6'1" | PG Centerville | 2023 State #80 Nation OH , Jayson Hayes, and Drew Thompson are going to have to be elite.
The reason for needing an elite defense against West? Senior guards Julian Mackey Julian Mackey 6'3" | PG Lakota West | 2020 State OH and Carter Combs Carter Combs 6'2" | SG Lakota West | 2020 State OH are the reason. Both are capable of having break out performances on a consistent basis. Combs is coming off a 27 point game, and Mackey had 34 the game before that. I expect them to want to push the floor and play small ball with Centerville. Lakota could use a dual outburst of scoring from the pair to advance.
La Salle vs St. Xavier
La Salle swept season matchups 50-47 and 51-42.
If you have noticed already, the GCL south is loaded with 3 of its 4 teams playing for a district final. This game is going to have the best atmosphere of the night. The teams have played each other in close contests twice this year already, and I’m sure this time will be no different.
La Salle is a versatile team when it comes to scoring. Jaylen Lemons Jaylen Lemons 5'10" | PG LaSalle | 2020 State OH , Justin Lovette Justin Lovette 5'11" | SG LaSalle | 2021 State OH , Jeffrey Queen, Ayden Schneider, and Derek Eddings Derek Eddings 6'2" | PG LaSalle | 2020 State OH are all players to watch. Jaylen shoots remarkably well from deep, Justin is a slasher and isn’t afraid of contact, Jeffrey has scored double digits in both previous contests, Ayden can put up a highlight and is an efficient scorer, and Derek is coming off a 21 and 15 point performance.
St. Xavier has some talented prospects as well. Kobe Rodgers scored 12 and 18 in the matchups during the season and has scored 15+ with 4 assists in his last four games. Hank Thomas can be a major factor in this matchup as well. He leads St. X in ppg with 15, and he is an inside presence both offensively and defensively. He is averaging over 7 rebounds a game. Avery Wilson and Joe Kirby will need to step up to match the depth of La Salle.