Five Takeaways: Fort Loramie at Bethel
Fort Loramie went into a Tipp City tonight and controlled a game on the road against Bethel, winning 55-47.
Bethel, now 6-2, brought the game to 37 all about one minute into the fourth quarter, but Fort Loramie’s methodical half-court offense and pesky defense wore out their opponent. Following their best win of the season thus far, Fort Loramie will exit December with a perfect 9-0 record.
This was a measuring stick game for both teams. So, let’s see what they told us with five takeaways.
Plenty of small college prospects
Time for prospect evaluations from tonight’s game…
Tyler Siegel (2018), 6’7” F/C, Fort Loramie
Siegel led all scorers with 22 points, despite sitting out the entire second quarter with foul trouble. Defensively, Siegel used his hops and strength to protect the rim and corral rebounds. His athleticism also allows him to run the floor. Siegel is a strong kid too, using powerful up-and-under moves to burry his defender underneath the basket for finishes. Siegel also made himself available for drop-down passes when his guards drove, cleverly finding cracks in the defense.
Siegel would be a very nice pick-up for Division III schools, and could even fit into a program at the NAIA level.
Evan Berning (2018), 6’1” G, Fort Loramie
Berning, Fort Loramie’s primary creator on the perimeter, was just so good fighting through screens tonight when defending Ryan Rose. Bethel ran him off a ton of screens, both on and off the ball, and Berning was able to feel the defense and slide around to make Rose’s night a hassle. Offensively, Berning prefers to stick with his right hand but draws separation with his change of speed and hesitation crossovers. He has good enough vision to play the point. Another strong Division III prospect in their senior class.
Ryan Rose (2018), 6’2” G, Bethel
Rose may have had to deal with Berning’s terrific defensive effort, but he kept Bethel in the game for four quarters and scored 22 points. We write more about that further down in the page, so scroll down for more analysis of Rose’s night.
Dillon Braun (2018), 6’0” G, Fort Loramie
Braun is a patient offensive player who acts as a ball-mover for this team. He protects it and keeps the ball moving while posing a threat as a slasher.
How far can these teams go in the postseason?
For Fort Loramie … The ceiling is the roof!
In all seriousness, Fort Loramie could take a Division IV State Championship trophy home this March. They’re a disciplined, well-coached, senior-laden group who can beat you inside and out. They have a lockdown perimeter defensive player in Berning. Siegel is tough as nails on the inside. And they have an identity which every player seems comfortable playing their part in. Even though Bethel is missing Caleb South, this was a commanding victory over one of the top Division III teams in Southwest Ohio on the road.
For Bethel … A regional final four appearance seems realistic. It’s tough to get an accurate pulse without their starting point guard in the lineup, but Bethel looked like a team who could win a District Championship and possibly give Versailles a game.
Fort Loramie’s preparedness
When Bethel was running Ryan Rose around a labyrinth of screens, you could hear their sideline calling out his patterns. Shouts of “Fade!” or “Corner!” allowed help defense against Bethel’s go-to guy if Evan Berning made a step in the wrong direction. The result was that Rose was most effective in transition, when Loramie didn’t have time to set up their chess pieces.
Ryan, The Creator
We’re accustomed to watching Bethel’s unsigned 6’2” guard Ryan Rose in a shooting specialist role. He’s a proven catch-and-shoot guy who compliments the 3-pointer with a one-dribble pull-up.
But, tonight he was much more than that. Instead, Rose was working in the pick-and-roll, forced to create shots on step-backs, drives, and other off the dribble moves. He finished with 22 points, including a couple deep triples in the second half. Considering his newfound combo guard abilities, Rose may continue receiving attention from NAIA and Division II schools.
Missing Caleb South
Bethel’s bench goes one deep, relying on a 6-man rotation to play up-tempo offense and man-to-man defense. Ryan Rose never came out of the game. The Bees need another player, specifically another creator and ball-handler. They need Caleb South.
The senior guard has already scored 1,000 points for the Bees in his career but hasn’t played this season because of injury. The presence of another scorer could allow their role players to focus on impacting the game in ways other than scoring. With Rose’s emergence alongside South, Bethel will have an even more dynamic offense than last season’s 19-3 team.