Mid Ohio Intrasquad Scrimmage Sunday Standouts
Back for another day at New Covenant, high schoolers from all over the state of Ohio flooded the two courts ready to produce against the state’s best competition. Jalen Sullinger Jalen Sullinger 5'11" | PG Thomas Worthington | 2021 State…
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Continue ReadingBack for another day at New Covenant, high schoolers from all over the state of Ohio flooded the two courts ready to produce against the state’s best competition. Jalen Sullinger Jalen Sullinger 5'11" | PG Thomas Worthington | 2021 State OH , who tweaked his ankle on Saturday afternoon and sat out the rest of the day, was absent for Sunday’s action while nursing the ankle. Some of the teams returned, the teams that did not were replaced with ultra talented and in some cases deep rosters. Sunday was also a shorter day of games so the games seemed to fly by, here is a quick glance at players who stood out and made different impacts during their games, I tried to not include the same players from Saturday unless they exceeded their performance.
Leon Douglas- Ohio Varsity Shooting Stars (Walnut Ridge): Please allow this writer to exercise bias because I have known this young man since he was a kid trying to get away with breaking all the rules at kickball but throwing that out the window, he was really improved as a basketball player (and he had the best kicks of the entire weekend). “Scotty,” as he is affectionately called, hit both free throws that turned out to be game winning and flashed on defense. He has long arms and a way of staying in front of his man without having the quickest feet. Douglas needs to finish at the rim better and become a better shooter, multiple times he was fouled on point blank lay-ups and could not get the shot to fall.
Zach Dewese- Ohio Ballistics (Old Fort High School): Strong and smooth are two words that describe his game. Dewese rebounds very well, wrestling the ball away from taller players using his athletic talents and his strength. Drenched in sweat during his rest breaks because he works so hard running around the court without the ball in his hand but he also showed the capability to create off the dribble for himself. Really good speed in the court and understands how to fill lanes, he’s an overall solid player on what could have been the most cohesive team that played both Saturday and Sunday.
Jaiden Guice- Hoopsters 17U; Guice (Westerville South): Guice proved himself to be the best point guard in the gym at the end of the weekend. Guice was consistently good in every game he played in, displaying a level of point guard knowledge that only a few had. His jump shot came and went during games but his mid-range shooting and the floaters he nailed were more than enough to make up for that. In transition Guice shined as he flew past defenders for easy buckets or to set up teammates for lay ups. He can defend other point guards really well and understands defensive rotations so he can get away with guarding taller players if he needs to. Guice was also the best pick and roll guard in the building, having chemistry with teammate Drey Carter all weekend.
Tyrese Hughey Tyrese Hughey 6'7" | PF Thomas Worthington | 2021 State OH – Hoopsters 17U; Tillman (Thomas Worthington): This 6-foot-7 young man is built like a basketball player in the modern age, he has a strong upper body and a flexible game. He handled the ball very well and was capable of creating shots off the dribble for himself. Hughey showed swift feet inside the paint and the strength to finish in traffic, getting multiple three-point play opportunities. There was a stretch where he took over the first game of his day, scoring four consecutive baskets and looking like the best big man of the weekend. He is not as athletic as the modern big man but he can hang due to his length and how he seems to think through the game.
Royal Sibley Royal Sibley 6'6" | PF Whitehall | 2021 State OH – Ohio Varsity Shooting Stars (Whitehall): This young man jumped out late on Saturday, but Sunday he showed his potential. Sibley has the frame of a player who can grow into a really good combo guard at the next level. He showed how athletic he was finishing at the rim multiple times through other players, he also knocked down mid-range jumpers at a good rate. His handles are good enough for his position, but he will have to improve them in order to be a better player at the next level. Sibley is stronger than his build would suggest, bodying up with bigger post players all weekend.
Blake Michael (Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic): The lefty plays older than he looks, and that’s saying something. Michael spaced the floor like a seasoned veteran, especially in transition and knocked down jumpers at a high rate. He had a couple of impressive finishes at the rim using his long arms to guide the ball into the basket. A slender frame but Michael took a number of hits while driving that did not affect him, showcasing a level of toughness to his game. His handle needs to improve because stronger defenders caused him problems at times, he was good at passing out of upcoming bad situations so the young man never harmed the team.
Omari Effiong Omari Effiong 6'2" | SG Thomas Worthington | 2021 State OH – Hoopsters 17U; Tillman (Thomas Worthington): Eye popping athleticism from the very beginning of the game where he dunked on the first play and his head was at the rim. He followed that up with two more dunks within the first three minutes of the game, letting fans know that the first one was not a fluke. As the games developed, the 6-foot-2 guard displayed his play-making ability with sharp, crisp passes in transition to teammates and sprinting down court with the ball and pulling up from 17-feet. Effiong had quick feet that allowed him to defend every guard on the court and his active hands got fast breaks started for his team.
Stephan St. Cere- Hoopsters 17U; Guice (Westerville South): Just one glance at this young man and you’ll ask if he’s a linebacker or defensive end, he has an impressive physique. He used that build to show his defensive side, shutting down whoever he was guarding and forcing them into bad jump shots. His handle is fluid, which is different from guys with his body type who usually has a stiff handle, and he will not make any fancy one-on-one moves but he can still get to the rim and finish. Although St. Cere did not put his range on display much, his soft touch around the rim seems to suggest that will not be an issue if he can translate that touch from deep.
Nick Seifert- Ohio Ballistics (Tiffin Calvert): Seifert had what seemed to be a calming presence for his team, pacing them and making sure the offense flowed as they wanted it to and rarely getting sped up. A very good shooter, he knocked down open shot after open shot and none of them were bad shots. Not a blazer in the open court but his passing ability and court vision help to cancel that out in some situations. His understanding of defenses seem to be superb, demonstrating that he can make plays off schedule. His lack of athleticism hurt him when he guarded taller players but his toughness tried to offset that.
Mehki Jarrett- Hidden Gems 17U; Black (Mifflin): Possibly the smallest man on guard reminded others why he is among one of the top point guards in the Columbus City League. He ran his team efficiently with no problems, setting the pace for each game. He seemed to put on some muscle in the offseason and that helped him bulldoze his way to the basket numerous times. The shot selection he displayed was excellent, understanding when to shoot the ball and where the best shot would be from. He’s a tough defender, using his strength to not get bullied around by other, taller guards.