A Scout’s Notebook: Trent Arena Division II Sectional notes

The sectional matchups at Trent Arena Friday night provided the crowd with some exciting matchups. One overtime game and two blowouts were the result, but I was impressed with all 6 teams in some way. Below are a scout’s notes on all 6 teams based off their matchups Friday night. Badin- The Rams were victorious against an athletic Ponitz team 54-33. The Rams played like a typical GCL team, focusing on half-court offense and having all 5 positions play physical defensive basketball. Senior guards Nathan Hegemann (2019) and Seth Hargis (2019) played a pivotal role keeping the offense in check on the offensive end and limiting turnovers. In the front court, Zach Switzer (2020) showed he can handle the basketball well enough to be an inside-out threat, while senior Justin Pappas (2019) was a low post threat, successfully defending the paint and taking away Ponitz’s inside offense. One area for concern is when the Rams are forced to play more up-tempo. The guards did a great job protecting the basketball in a half-court set, but once Ponitz made Badin pick up the pace, the turnovers picked up as well. Their next opponent is Oakwood who will focus in the half court as well. Bellbrook- The Golden Eagles drew the #2 ranked team in Dayton in Thurgood Marshall 78-48. One thing is for sure, Bellbrook struggled to keep up with the more athletic Cougars. The guard play faced a stingy full court press that created plenty of turnovers for the Eagles. Ryan Chew (2022) showed signs of good play for the guard-oriented Bellbrook team. After making adjustments in the 2nd half, they found more scoring opportunities, but athletically they were not on the same level as the Cougars. Clinton-Massie- The Falcons survived in OT against Ross 61-54. Offensively I had a lot of concerns watching. For starters, the dribble drive and outside shooting was their go-to offensively, but they missed plenty of layups and forced a lot of shots as well. Brendan Lamb (2020) played well on the defensive end, but he forced way too many shots trying to drive against the smaller Ross Rams. Seniors Daulton Wolfe (2019) and Zach Chowning (2019) provide the Falcons with sharpshooting, but neither were consistent shooters. Thomas Myers (2019) did not play in the first half, but made his mark once he came on the floor. The Falcons were dominant on the glass because of him, and overall are a tough team to face. Defensively, they allowed a lot of open uncontested shots early on, but adjustments were made and they were able to take the Rams outside shooting away. Ponitz- The Panthers found themselves in a hole early on in their loss against Badin. Unforced turnovers were the theme of the game as Ponitz was unable to dig themselves out. Damonte Bailey (2019) was completely taken out of the game as Justin Pappas defended him very well. As a result, the back court was forced to try and pick up the pace. Malik Pooler (2019) and Darrion Mosley (2019) did a great job of getting in the paint off the drive, but it was not enough to pull the upset. The Panthers clearly did not look very comfortable playing in the half court as Badin took them out of their zone. Ross- The Rams were in a position multiple times to win this game in regulation, but ultimately could not finish it out. Undisciplined play plagued the Rams as college range shots were taken and poor passes were attempted in the final 2 minutes. Rebounding was atrocious as Clinton-Massie dominated, especially in the 2nd half. The Rams played a 5 guard offense, utilizing a pass and cut motion offense which allowed anyone the green light to shoot. Cooper Shields (2019) came out shooting lights out and torching the Falcons early on, but cooled off after Massie made adjustments to solely defend him. Cole Gronas (2019) was impressive at times, but his decision making was questionable. Thurgood Marshall- The Cougars dominated Bellbrook all game. Their full court press is a problem for whoever they face, however opponents can indeed beat it. Bellbrook beat the press in the 2nd half, but didn’t have the speed or athleticism to score in the half court after breaking it. Anthony McComb (2021) and Mekhi Elmore (2022) are their offensive weapons. McComb can score anywhere on the floor, and has incredible length for a guard. Elmore is a sharpshooter that can shoot from anywhere. The entire rotation is extremely athletic, and will always be able to keep their press going at full stamina.