Late-Week Scouting: Regionals

<p>Between the pendulum swings of VASJ versus Benedictine, a memorable senior battle in Liberty v Pickerington Central, and a look at Ohio's no. 1 junior Zeb Jackson taking on no. 1 sophomore Kalen Etzler, this was the best week of the season. </p> <p>All of the drives up and down I-75, questionably-high fees paid to the turnpike, and damage incurred on my health from ordering the box combo from Raising Cane's every time I pass through Columbus — worth it. It paid off this week, ten-fold. </p> <p>The four-day odyssey ended with a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday in Columbus and Bowling Green. Guys stepped up whether they were one of the seven prospects with Division I potential we saw in two nights or a D-III sleeper.</p> <p>We combined our observations on Convoy Crestview, Maumee Valley, Olentangy Liberty, and Pickerington Central for one special edition piece. Here's what we saw:</p> <h4><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kalen-etzler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kalen Etzler</a> (2021), 6'8" F, Crestview</strong></h4> <h4><strong><em>stats: 25 points, 9 rebounds</em></strong></h4> <p>Anyone who doesn't believe Etzler is the best prospect in Ohio's 2021 class probably hasn't seen the versatile 6'8" sophomore in a while. Size, athleticism, skill, shooting ability, effort — he checks all the boxes emphatically. </p> <p>In a game with Regional Championship stakes, Etzler shot the ball from all over the floor and scored nearly 30 in an efficient manner. Very confident shooter from distance as a trailer. Elite vision for his size and finds creative angles to pass the ball from. Etzler's length causes a ton of problems on defense, both on and off the ball — shuts down passing lanes, rejects shots, and helps his defensive ability on the perimeter.</p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/archived-player/ben-roderick/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Roderick</a> (2019), 6'5” W, Olentangy Liberty</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The unsigned senior filled it up efficiently, often scoring without putting the ball on the floor at all. Within five feet of the basket, he finished ambidextrously and with creativity. Combines a strong frame with a silky finishing touch. Stayed active without the ball and made trailing defenders pay by beelining to the rack quickly. Roderick also faced up calmly in the face of the defense for three 3-pointers. Pretty much unstoppable, which is incredible given the defensive attention he is paid. </span></p> <h4><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zeb-jackson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zeb Jackson</a> (2020), 6'3" G, Maumee Valley</strong></h4> <h4><strong><em>stats: 25 points, 6 rebounds</em></strong></h4> <p>Jackson's ability to attack the rim in pick-and-roll situations is as dangerous a tool as ever. You have to respect the jumper from a few feet beyond the arch and the way he probes around the arch before taking off in any direction is very hard to defend — dynamic isn't a strong enough word. At the rim, Jackson's ball creation in the air is also improving. </p> <p>The Michigan commit appears bigger than his listed 6'3" height. He defended a 6'6" forward with success in the half-court and wasn't out-matched physically. </p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/archived-player/javohn-garcia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javohn Garcia</a> (2019), 6'3” PG, Pickerington Central</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Overtime likely would've played out differently if Garcia wasn't called for his fifth personal foul with less than a second remaining in regulation. He was a man on a mission down the stretch of the fourth quarter. His footwork and explosiveness as a finisher in traffic sets him apart. Rebounds the ball incredibly well for a primary ball-handler. Uses his length in passing lanes for steals. Shot the mid-range pull-up very well in the second half. </span></p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/archived-player/mitchell-kershner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Kershner</a> (2019), 6'3” W, Olentangy Liberty</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 15 points, 5 rebounds</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Rochester commit — who came back from injury late in the season — really stepped up as an outside shooter on Thursday, hitting three 3-pointers. Kershner also made quick reads when he caught in the paint, finding open shooters right away. Beat opponents to loose balls. </span></p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/archived-player/nick-nakasian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Nakasian</a> (2019), 6'3” W, Olentangy Liberty</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 11 points, 9 rebounds</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Nakasian knocked down open shots, made good decisions every time he touched it, and provided a presence on the defensive glass. When you boil it down, it sounds simple. But Nakasian's contributions are so instrumental for this Liberty team. Confident. Plays extremely hard. </span></p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/2018/08/defensive-player-of-the-year-garner-wallace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Garner Wallace</a> (2021), 6'5” W, Pickerington Central</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 20 points, 6 rebounds</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Wallace's speed and constant movement came in handy Thursday as he leaked out in transition, snuck to open spots around the rim, and finished athletically. Great instincts as a cutter. The multi-sport prospect covers so much ground on defense. </span></p> <h4 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1"><a href="https://prephoops.com/archived-player/coleton-landis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coleton Landis</a> (2019), 6'6” C, Pickerington Central</span></strong></h4> <h4 class="p1"><strong><em><span class="s1">stats: 8 points, 7 rebounds</span></em></strong></h4> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Landis had a couple really impressive stretches throughout the game, including the opening minutes. He rebounded with power, straight-up going through the chest of Liberty's undersized forwards. Finishes with both strength and finesse. </span></p> <h4><strong>JR Lumsden (2021), 6'3" W/F, Maumee Valley</strong></h4> <h4><strong><em>stats: 8 points, 4 rebounds</em></strong></h4> <p>Lumsden was very physical around the basket, using a thick frame and verticality to rebound in traffic. Plays hard. Good scoring touch around the basket. Lumsden can also slide his feet with wings. </p> <h4><strong>Dez Jett (2020), 5'9" PG, Maumee Valley</strong></h4> <h4><strong><em>stats: 2 points, 6 rebounds</em></strong></h4> <p>Jett beat ball-handlers to their spot and made them turn for 94 feet. Extremely quick laterally. Flew around for loose balls and on defensive rotations. Jett also connected on confident pull-up jumper in the first half. </p>