Central Ohio Games To Watch For This Week

This week offers multiple early season games in Central Ohio that could tell us quite a bit. We are going to see if teams are serious or not, early on. Other tests could be a great bounce back game for a team, or a game to stay hot and keep the early winning going. Here, we take a look at what’s going on around Central Ohio this week. <h3 class="p1">Tuesday: </h3> Walnut Ridge @ Africentric Walnut Ridge got off to a slow start this season with a tough loss to a good Toledo Rogers team that could be a challenge out of NWO. However, we know that the Scots have the talent and players to win potentially the City League-South and be a problem in the Central District. Through a game senior Von Cameron-Davis is leading Ridge with 21 points a game, a number that will go up quite a bit for sure. The senior is becoming more versatile and more of an offensive threat outside of the paint and will be a problem for the Nubians. Africentric is 1-1, with a close loss to Reynoldsburg and a blowout win over Toledo Woodward. Through two games the backcourt is controlling things for the Nubians, as we all expected. Senior Cali Davis is showing why he’s a scholarship worthy player and sophomore Dan Wagner is off to a quick start scoring the ball. Add in Eli Burke and the Nubians have a solid backcourt that is a potential matchup problem for some teams. Africentric could struggle with the front court of Walnut Ridge, but they should see an advantage in the backcourt. Matchup to watch: Qian Magwood & Cali Davis <h3 class="p1">Friday: </h3> Gahanna @ Pickerington North Gahanna has been an interesting team to watch to start this season. Off to a blazing 3-0 start including a blowout win over Reynoldsburg. Sean Jones is only a sophomore, but leading the charge early per what was expected. Looking like the top guard prospect in the area regardless of class. Jarius Jones has been a nice compliment to Sean and stood out when we watched him against Beechcroft. Pickerington North you’ll see twice on this piece, as they have a tough schedule this week. The question will be how can back court players like Casey George, Idris Lawrence and Dior Conners try to slow down Sean Jones. Potentially a game for Savion Marshall-Hamilton to be a riser and take advantage of the Gahanna front court. Matchup to watch: Pickerington North backcourt & Sean Jones Worthington Christian @ Grandview Heights This is a big time matchup between division lll and division IV schools. Worthington is off to a good start and will be getting back their top player in DJ Moore, off to a 3-1 loss, the loss coming to Thurgood Marshall. Derrick Hardin is off to a quick start averaging over 20 points a night, building off the very good summer he had. With Moore back the two will be a dangerous backcourt that teams will want no part of. Grandview Heights is a senior led team, with Iowa football commit Luke Lachey and stud point guard Brian Collier running the show. Collier is off to a quick start, just under 20 points a night and has been solid through four games, as they’re also 3-1. Lone lose coming to Liberty Union. Matchups to watch: DJ Moore & Brian Collier Nakimba Mullins & Luke Lachey <h3 class="p1">Saturday: </h3> Columbus South Vs. Thomas Worthington - Columbus South is rolling early season, led by Marcus Johnson the talented wing-guard. Off to a 2-0 record, with a nice win over Akron Butchel Johnson is putting up about 20 points a game to lead the Bulldogs. This matchup is going to be potentially the game of the week in Central Ohio as South will see a great test in Thomas Worthington. The Cardinals are 1-1, with a good early season win over Cleveland St. Ignatius. Last week we covered their close loss to Hilliard Bradley, a game that Thomas controlled much of. In this one we will see the high powering offense of the Cardinals against a well rounded South team. Matchups to watch: Trevell Adams & Jalen Sullinger Marcus Johnson & Isaac Settles Sam Barton & Tyrese Hughey Pickerington North Vs. Hilliard Bradley Pickerington North opened the season against a team as tough as they come, Akron SVSM who beat the Panthers 63-51, simply overmatching them. North is without their best player this season in Jack Sawyer, but still should be one of the better teams in all of Central Ohio. North bounced back with a nice double-digit win over Linden-McKinley and will have a tough matchup in stopping Bradley on Saturday. North could see outside shooting as a bonus Saturday, the same thing was nearly enough for Thomas Worthington to take down the Jaguars. Hilliard Bradley is off to a 2-0 start and is rolling early, showing why the could be the best team in Central Ohio. Led by Matt Allocco, Bradley is still a defensive juggernaut, not as good as they will be when they get back their starting forward Chris Mayfield as well. Bradley will play Pickerington North and look to matchup with their abundance of guards, not allowing free shooters. This one should be a super close one, down to the wire. Matchups to watch: Does Hunter Shedenhelm guard Matt Allocco? Casey George & AJ Mirgon potentiality?