Recruitment Report: Orion Monford (2017)

After posting a true shooting percentage of 76% on 20 points, Orion Monford (2017) helped push Lima Perry past Fort Loramie last night in the Regional semi-final. The 6’1” combo guard is currently having a memorable tournament run, and those types of offensive box scores are a big reason for it. “I’m a person who can score pretty easily. Pretty good shooter and I can get to the basket … Most of my points probably come from mid-range shots,” Monford said. According to the lefty from Lima, it’s the other side of the ball that has been Perry’s key to winning. “Our key this year has been our defense. Our defense clicks into our offense, so whenever that’s going well, we can put points on the board … I’m always in help-side, stuff like that. Active to the ball, taking charges and things like that. Hustling on defense,” Monford said. At 6’1”, Monford believes he’s capable of guarding larger two-guards at the next level. With the added exposure of a tournament run, Monford has gained more opportunities to prove such skills. Currently, Monford is being recruited most heavily from Manchester (IN), Heidelberg, Otterbein, Bluffton, and Mount Union. Manchester, a Division III program, has told the Monford family that Orion can play for them next year. Although Monford appears solely focused on the high school season, he does have an idea of what type of college he’d like to attend. “Diversity is one thing that I look for. And then being in a bigger city, I don’t want to be in a small town or anything like that,” Monford said. After season's end, Monford plans to take visits to all of said campuses. It's there that he will truly dive into the decision making process. The senior carries a 3.6 accumulative GPA. In our opinion, Monford could elevate his game beyong the Division III level, but he’s a sure-fire Division III prospect right now. If he continues to be the best player on the court this late in the tournament, his stock could see a late spike. photo: Lima News