Kingdom Sports Summer League Preview
Kingdom Sports Center in Franklin is one of many venues hosting summer league games this month. There are several players to keep an eye on throughout the duration of the league.
Justin Flor (Carlisle) 2018– The reigning SWBL Buckeye Division player of the year will be the main name to watch. Flor is a strong scorer, but he makes his mark on the glass and defensive end of the floor. One of the top shot-blockers last season, Flor will be looked to for leadership as the Indians lost 6 seniors from last season.
Dillon McCullough (Tri-County North) 2018- McCullough is wearing a new uniform this year. Transferring over from Tri-Village, Dillon takes over the point guard duties for a Tri-County North team that won 4 games all last year. McCullough will definitely help change this as he provides TCN with a true point guard who excels at getting assists. This league will serve as a great opportunity for fans to see Dillon as a go-to player instead of a role player.
Joey Bates (Preble Shawnee) 2018- Bates returns after finishing 1st Team all SWBL last season. Averaging 13 points and 7 boards a game, Bates excels in low post scoring and is arguably one of the top rebounders in this league. The Arrows have experience returning this next season, and Kingdom’s league will provide us an early look at what Bates and his team are capable of.
Levi Lewis (Preble Shawnee) 2018– Lewis also returns for the Arrows and gives them a strong backcourt presence. His ability to not only handle the ball but also crash the glass and play like a forward makes him even more impressive. If Levi can work on getting his scoring more consistent, he can become a name to remember for November.
Landen Angel (Ross) 2018– Angel was 1st Team all SWOC last season and for good reason. He will be looked on to help the Rams after only winning 6 games last season. Angel has great scoring potential, but needs to improve on his ball control. He had several games last season where he commited 5 or more turnovers during the game. Landen still will be one of the top players at Kingdom this month.
Two biggest questions!
- Who will step up and help Justin Flor for Carlisle? – Last year Flor had the help of fellow teammates Adam Goodpastor and Logan Baker for scoring needs and gave the Indians help on the glass as well. Now that both have graduated, someone will have to help Flor as he cannot do it alone. Although Flor will be looked mostly for help on the glass, the Indians have two returning guards that will accompany Flor. Jake Moore (2018) is more of all around guard who passes the ball well. The combination of the two should give Carlisle plenty of help and will take some pressure off Justin Flor.
- Will Middletown flex their D1 muscle?– The majority of the teams participating in Kingdom’s league are Division 3 and 4 teams. Middletown, out of the GMC, is the lone exception. As the biggest team, the question is posed if the Middies can dominate the smaller competition. It will definitely be hard as the Middies top two players from last year have graduated. 4 of their top scorers are gone, especially Cliff Snow, who did about everything for Middletown. If someone fills that void, the Middies should be fine. If not, the Middies are in trouble.
Predictions
- Carlisle is my favorite to win this league, with either Middletown or Ross finishing 2nd.
- Kingdom Sports will have games every Monday or Wednesday the entire month of June, so come check out some excellent small school basketball here in Dayton.