Toledo District Semifinal: Key Performances
Lima Senior and Toledo St. John’s will meet for a third matchup on Saturday, this time for a district championship in the Division I Toledo 2 bracket. Lima has won the two previous games — furthermore, they’re undefeated against conference…
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Continue ReadingLima Senior and Toledo St. John’s will meet for a third matchup on Saturday, this time for a district championship in the Division I Toledo 2 bracket.
Lima has won the two previous games — furthermore, they’re undefeated against conference opponents — by an average of 18 points.
The two discarded Ashland and Southview on Thursday. Here are the players who defined those games:
Brady Lichtenberg (2021) | 6-2 PG | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 18 points, 2 assists
Operating against an assigned defender tasked with face-guarding Lichtenberg, the junior adjusted to the look and managed to score efficiently throughout.
Lichtenberg used change of pace in the open floor and attacking off screens. Finished strong through the body. Creative and patient scorer in the paint. Smart off-ball movement to get himself in position to catch-and-shoot despite, again, constant defensive attention. Cincinnati football commit.
AJ Jump
AJ
Jump
6'6" | PF
Southview | 2022
State
OH
(2022) | 6-5 C | Southview
stats: 15 points, 5 rebounds
Jump, a skilled forward with a big body, is starting to put it together. Effective rolling or popping after setting a ball screen. He made good decisions with the ball and is comfortable catching on the perimeter. Jump got great looks at the rim when he caught with his back to the basket, even attempting a smooth turn-around jumper that hardly missed. Showed more burst off the floor on rebounds.
Josiah Fulcher
Josiah
Fulcher
6'2" | SG
Lima Senior | 2020
State
#342
Nation
OH
(2020) | 6-2 SG | Lima Senior
stats: 23 points, 3 rebounds
Fulcher wasn’t really challenged by Ashland’s perimeter defense. Nonetheless, the Bowling Green signee’s ability to knife through traffic is impressive. He penetrated at will, finishing with a combination of athleticism and craftiness. Causes turnovers by closing on passing lanes in a hurry.
Sean Millington
Sean
Millington
6'2" | SG
Southview | 2022
OH
(2022) | 6-2 SG | Southview
stats: 11 points, 3 rebounds
The sophomore of a bonafide scorer. Millington created shots off the dribble against sound defense, using a side-to-side attacking style and playing through contact to score in the paint. Added a smooth pull-up from the elbow. Good second jump. Carries himself confidently. Lefty.
Jamir Simpson
Jamir
Simpson
6'5" | PF
Lima Senior | 2020
State
OH
(2020) | 6-5 SF | Lima Senior
stats: 16 points, 13 rebounds
The Pikeville recruit showed power and skill at the basket, using decisive gather moves on paint touches to get to the cup and finish. Explosive and powerful off the floor. Simpson can sometimes be too flashy on transition layups — he’s powerful enough to just go through contact instead of eluding defenders with a euro step. Able to create separation on the perimeter for jumpers, too.
Mitch Heilman
Mitch
Heilman
6'0" | PG
Ashland | 2020
State
OH
(2020) | 6-0 PG | Ashland
stats: 26 points, 7 rebounds
The unsigned senior and two-sport prospect (Division II football offers) scored 26 of Ashland’s 40 points. He played hard the entire game despite a lopsided score.
Heilman’s off the dribble game involves changes of pace. He wants to get to the basket when he puts it on the floor — often drawing a second defender before kicking out. Good vision. Able to hang in the air for creative finishes. Good athlete who plays with balance and body control. His best asset is shooting, though. He can hit shots from distance and shoots it with confidence.
Heilman would be a D-III steal if he decides to play hoops at the next level.
Jaedyn McKinstry
Jaedyn
McKinstry
6'5" | PF
Toledo St. John's | 2021
OH
(2021) | 6-6 C | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 4 points, 7 rebounds
McKinstry provided a ton of energy off the bench, grabbing seven rebounds in a short period of time. He actively pursued rebounds and scored a pair of first half put-backs. Big body with a strong frame.
CJ Hornbeak
CJ
Hornbeak
6'2" | SG
Toledo St. John's | 2023
State
OH
(2023) | 6-1 PG | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Hornbeak’s first two buckets were confident catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He has become more consistent shooting it from distance throughout the year. After that, Hornbeak went to the paint. Good use of the pump fake to draw contact on finishes. Gets to the free throw line and can score through contact.
The freshman’s ability to handle the floor when Lichtenberg is being face-guarded is vital.
Thomas Zsiros
Thomas
Zsiros
6'3" | SF
Toledo St. John's | 2021
OH
(2021) | 6-3 SF | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 7 points, 5 rebounds
Glue guy performance from Zsiros, who doubles as a Division I football prospect. He made plays on help-side defense by blocking shots and causing deflections. Every time a teammate got beat on defense, Zsiros got in position to force a bad shot or unwanted pass.