Columbus City League Preview: West High School Cowboys
Located on the westside of Columbus (yes I am captain obvious) and being a school that has a tough time getting kids to go to the school in general has never done the Cowboy boys basketball program any favors. The…
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Continue ReadingLocated on the westside of Columbus (yes I am captain obvious) and being a school that has a tough time getting kids to go to the school in general has never done the Cowboy boys basketball program any favors. The Cowboys have not had much team success as of late, but the fighting Michael Redd’s hope that some of the raw talent that grew up out west can develop this year and give them a shot to make the Columbus City League championship game.
Coming into the 2020-2021 season, the Cowboys have plenty of senior experience to lean on and take advantage of younger teams in the closing moments of games. West has 7 seniors expected to return, easily the most in the Columbus City League south.
In terms of raw talent and potential, it starts with the young man Deshawn Cumberland played in 14 games and averaged a little more than 4 points per game but showed flashes of good play. Cumberland is 6-foot-5 and played inside as a powerhouse who can rebound and get second chance points as a freshman. As he gets older, optimistically he will develop his handle better and get a consistent jump shot to increase his chances of being a productive college player.
Another young man with pure talent, who must play the full season, is Tashaun Ivery who only played in 8 games last season. Ivery showed his propensity to score with his close to 14 points per game average last year that included a 35 point game. The 6-foot-1 guard showed the potential to be an amazing lead guard in the future and a really good one right now. Ivery can handle the ball very well to escape the ball pressure that is placed on him, he has the capability to become a spectacular shooter with how natural he shoots the ball.
Sidi Aden is another player that is intriguing, with his 6-foot-1 frame and ability to rebound for his size. Aden played in 15 games last season, scoring double-digits in a couple of his games. Packing on muscle can take his game to a new level, being able to take the punishment that comes along with jumping in the paint to get rebounds. Defensively is where Aden can make his mark with his long arms and natural athletic abilities. Being so raw as a player, he still lacks certain understandings of specific basketball knowledge, but when you put him in front of another player, he can make them work for every basket.
These young men along with Abdi Liban, Sadakh Abdi, Tae’Von Bush, Gage Samson and the speedy Amer Hutchinson are ready to turn around the perception of this basketball program. Hutchinson is a small and speedy guard who will change the pace and Bush hopes to give this team some kind of inside presence alongside Cumberland.
The West High School Cowboys have struggled to find success, but this year they are hoping that the raw potential they have can rise up and join the experience they have coming back to form a competitive basketball team, even with the difficult circumstances they face as a school.