Five Takeaways: Holy Name vs. East Tech
In Saturday’s second game at the Great Lakes Classic, Holy Name’s fast-paced style was too much for East Tech, as they knocked them off 90-63. Mr. Basketball candidate Dwayne Cohill and a roster-full of capable guards sprinted out to a victory in their opener.
Holy Name looks to take advantage of speed
Even on missed baskets, Holy Name looked to pick up full-court against East Tech. They also look to dictate the tempo offensively, with sophomore point guard Quentin Richardson advancing via the pass and racing down the court on every opportunity.
Cohill’s defensive rebounds and forced turnovers, of which there could be about 10 every night, are quick scoring opportunities on the other end too.
Penetrate and kick
In the half-court, spreading the floor for Richardson and the 6’3″ Cohill looks to be the game-plan for Holy Name this season, who won over 20 games last year. Both lead guards are able to create for others. It will be crucial for their other guards — Chris Miller, Aidan Hickey, Brandon Styers, etc. — to compliment Richardson and Cohill’s driving ability.
Styers (2018), a 6’0″ guard, was their most consistent shooter today, finishing with a game-high 20 points.
Is Holy Name too small?
Probably. But it’s hard to tell after one game. They struggled to slow down East Tech’s offense in the first half by being too aggressive in their full-court defense. If they insist on playing that defensive style all season, they’ll need to become more cohesive as a unit because there were too many open layups.
Cohill is their best rebounder and it’s not even close. It didn’t kill them against East Tech, but teams who can neutralize his athleticism on the boards will be an issue for Holy Name. Again, they’ll have to shoot the 3-point shot at a high percentage to compete with the top teams in Northeast Ohio and Division II.
Keep an eye on Quentin Richardson
The 5’10” point guard looked good in the open court. Richardson never panicked against East Tech’s best efforts to speed him up. He’s able to go coast-to-coast and is sneakily athletic, often hanging in the air long enough to draw a foul. Richardson will look to take advantage of his opportunity as the starting point guard this year.
Holy Name can win without a monster game from Cohill
Contributions from Styers, Richardson, 5’8″ Calvin McPherson (2019), and 5’7″ Chris Miller (2018) were the key for Holy Name in this one. Cohill is clearly the focal point and engine, but a blow-out with only 16 points from the Dayton signee is promising. The role players built confidence throughout the game as Cohill trusted his teammates from the start.