Five Takeaways: Pickerington North vs. Princeton
Future Indiana Hoosier Jerome Hunter scored 23 points on 23 shots to lead Pickerington North to a 51-38 win over Princeton. It was the eighth consecutive win for Pick North and Princeton’s first loss.
The game was a heavy-weight slug fest played in the half-court. In our Five Takeaways, we’ll look how the Panthers frontcourt wore out Princeton and much more.
Pick North’s overwhelming frontcourt
Lineups with 6’7″ Jerome Hunter and the pair of 6’10” seniors (Eli McNamara and Ross Ryan) were devastating for Princeton’s offensive rhythm. The Panthers kept Darius Bazley away from the rim, caused turnovers by flustering Viking slashers, and shut down pick and rolls by blitzing.
Meanwhile, 6’4″ freshman Jack Sawyer ate up against fatigued Viking defenders in his minutes. He’s a high-motor player with a huge frame. Sawyer even showed off a nice turnaround jumper over his right shoulder twice, once on the baseline and another off the glass.
Princeton went small
Against said Pick North lineup, the Vikings opted to remove Gabe O’Neal from the game and play Darius Bazley at the 5. In turn, Dominic Pierce was sidelined with foul trouble and Pick North bullied them. Princeton has the bodies to compete with a team of Pick North’s size. It’ll be interesting to see if Princeton tries to do the same against Moeller in the playoffs.
Jerome Hunter’s defense
The 6’7″ Indiana commit didn’t allow Darius Bazley to impact the game as a creator by shutting down his attempts to attack in the half-court. Hunter’s lateral quickness and strong chest was key in keeping Bazley out of the paint, holding him to 12 points on 4/11 shooting.
Eight straight
Princeton, Dublin Coffman, Beechcroft, and Reynoldsburg are the latest victims of Pick North’s eight-game tear. That’s two previously-unbeaten teams they’ve knocked off. After dropping two early games, Pick North is making a case to be the favorites going into the Division I postseason. With transfers Corey Baker and Ross Ryan back in the fold, they have a roster that beats anyone on paper.
Darweshi off the dribble
Princeton’s Hunter may have added urgency to his recruitment from D-II and NAIA programs after a 22 point showing. He was streaky, yet showed range and the ability to pull-up in the mid-range. Hunter also was more elusive than usual as a finisher, even escaping a defender with a smooth behind the back gather.
Hunter needs to tighten up his handle in the open court, as he was often a bit out of control when speeding up the floor.