Week 3 X-Factors

X-Factors make winning plays that don't lend themselves to personal recognition. Their contributors may not show up in the stat sheet. X-Factors don't care about rankings. They overcome things like size disadvantages by beating opponents to loose balls by being the first to the floor. Every team needs several X-Factors to be successful. I saw seven games this week, almost all of which would have gone the other way without second-effort plays and guys taking pride in the "little things." Here are the most important X-Factors of Week 3: <h4 style="text-align: center">Cincinnati Christian (37) at CHCA (48)</h4> This was a well-played small school Ohio high school basketball game. It involved patient halfcourt offense orchestrated by dueling point guards who can play on scholarship at the next level — Younkin and Woods. CHCA played an unorthodox 2-3 zone. CCS went with a 2-2-1 full-court defensive look. Neither schemes really bothered the other, but it led to a methodical pace. Lot of points on 3-pointers and put-backs. Good ball and player movement. Several mobile forwards, but the boards were mostly controlled by aggressive guards. <h6><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cole-fisher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cole Fisher</a> (2020) | 6-0 SG | CHCA stats: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists</h6> Fisher, CHCA's leading scorer, found success on chaotic possessions on Tuesday. Chasing down loose balls and quickly repositioning around the 3-point line, Fisher swung momentum with timely buckets. He's a stout, athletic off-ball guard who can get to the rim in a hurry. Very fast. Fisher has good burst, which also allows him to rebound very well at his size. <h6><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/blake-lloyd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blake Lloyd</a> (2020) | 6-1 SG | CHCA stats: 6 points, 2 rebounds</h6> Lloyd uses his strong body to rebound and defend the drive. The senior was very communicative in their 2-3 zone, calling out cutters and pointing actions out. He also made a pair of open 3-pointers. Smart player. <h6>Devin McKinnon (2021) | 6-0 SF | Cincinnati Christian stats: 5 points, 3 rebounds</h6> McKinnon provides a toughness around the basket. Although he's 6-foot, his strength caused problems for CHCA's forwards. McKinnon played to his strengths, looking for quick finishes on put-backs and touch shots when he caught in the shallow mid-range. Able to power through bodies and elevate to create high-percentage shots. <h4 style="text-align: center">Upper Arlington (62) at Westland (46)</h4> Program mismatch. Upper Arlington runs a more sophisticated show that involves complex offensive sets involving a lot of screening and motion. Westland’s talent and energy allowed them to hang tight but ultimately they relied on their players to create shots that didn’t come easy — hard to sustain for 32 minutes. Game was played in the halfcourt. <h6>Liam Keethler (2020) | 5-11 SG | Upper Arlington stats: 5 points, 8 rebounds</h6> Keethler is the epitome of an X-Factor. The team's leading rebounder at 5-foot-11, he was willing to get on the floor for a loose ball rebound and he used his strength to out-rebound taller players. Most importantly, he defended full-court against the point guard all night. Keethler wasn't tasked with causing steals. Rather, he turned the ball-handler up the court and disrupted rhythm. He also added a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws. <h6>Rece Evans (2020) | 6-2 PF | Westland stats: 10 points, 7 rebounds</h6> Evans kept plays alive and used his strength to score inside. He's quick off the floor, sometimes grabbing multiple offensive rebounds on the same possession. Evans even put his shoulder into defenders all the way from the 3-point line sometimes, eventually scoring a power layup off the glass. <h4 style="text-align: center">Columbus South over Johnstown, 65-42 The first half was an exercise in patience for South, who showed the ability to stay calm against zone. After the break, they forced Johnstown to play their pace which is when the game got out of hand. South held a notable athleticism advantage.</h4> <h6>Samual Barton (2020) | 6-3 PF | Columbus South stats: 14 points, 4 rebounds</h6> Barton is a skilled, big-bodied D-III forward recruit with a good skill-set. He made impressive passes from the block and top of the key. Barton scored a number of points on catch-and-finish layups from the block. He can put it on the floor a bit. Barton allows South to have a lot of lineup versatility. <h6>Matt Sayer (2020) | 6-2 SF | Johnstown stats: 8 points, 5 rebounds</h6> Sayer provided an offensive lift in the first half, scoring all eight of his points before the break. Physical football body that he uses to rebound with power and defend up. Sayer can spot-up shoot, too. Versatile defender at the high school level. <h4 style="text-align: center">Gahanna over Walnut Ridge, 53-50 Gritty game where Walnut Ridge tried to punk Gahanna. For the most part, Gahanna absorbed every punch and fought back. Walnut Ridge played a lot of one-on-one basketball while Gahanna ran a lot of high pick-and-roll. Gahanna won on a 3-point buzzer-beater.</h4> <h6>Marshawn Mankins (2020) | 6-4 SF | Walnut Ridge stats: 0 points, 7 rebounds</h6> Mankins has springs in his legs. He was absolutely flying for offensive rebounds. Crashed hard from the perimeter, knowing that rebounds are where he can make a major impact. Terrific energy. <h4 style="text-align: center">Pickerington Central over Springfield, 83-65 Breakneck pace. Both teams wanted to run. Most shots came in the paint. Pick Central only has six guys they can play, but that small group was just more talented than their opponent.</h4> <h6>Josh Harlan (2022) | 5-10 PG | Pickerington Central stats: 10 points, 2 rebounds</h6> Being a starter at Pickerington Central as a sophomore is no small feat. That's first of all. Second, Harlan's effort. This guy plays extremely hard. He out-hustled opponents to loose balls and has active legs on defense. Provides another ball-handler for Pick Central. Consistently initiated offensive sets and made a few impressive finishes in traffic. <h6>Jeff Tolliver (2020) | 5-11 SG | Springfield stats: 8 points, 5 rebounds</h6> Some of the most impressive feats of athleticism yesterday were Tolliver's rebounds in traffic. Good Lord! He skied for rebounds above the rim with explosive two-foot jumps. He doubles as an effective slasher. Plays fearlessly. The least shocking thing of all-time was finding out that Tolliver is a D-I running back recruit. <h4 style="text-align: center">Bradley over St. Edward, 60-50 A halfcourt game between two Division I state championship contenders. This was a tough, disciplined ball game where all field goals were earned. Referees took over late, unfortunately, calling it way too tight in the final four minutes.</h4> <h6>Steve Logan (2020) | 6-3 SG | St. Edward stats: 12 points, 2 rebounds</h6> Logan was the team's second-highest scorer. He provided a huge spark off the bench in the first half especially, when he had eight points. Logan is a good shooter from distance. He showed a quick first step attacking the basket. Good positional size. Starred in his role.