5 Takeaways: Olney vs Salem
PrepHoopsIllinois was at Salem High School on Tuesday night for senior night as the Wildcats hosted former conference rival Olney. Salem entered the contest with a record of 14-13 while Olney was 15-12. It was pretty close throughout and then…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois was at Salem High School on Tuesday night for senior night as the Wildcats hosted former conference rival Olney. Salem entered the contest with a record of 14-13 while Olney was 15-12. It was pretty close throughout and then Olney started to gain distance. Salem made it close in the end, but Olney won by a final of 48-44. Here are our 5 Takeaways: Olney vs Salem!
Braden Flanagan Leads Way for Olney
The star on the night for Olney was their 5’11” junior point guard Braden Flanagan. He is the floor general for the Tigers doing a lot of the ball handling and is a sound passer. He shined scoring in this game netting a game high 15 points. Crafty scorer that can connect on runners and baseline takes. Knocked down several momentum shifting threes in the first half. Both of them came off of movement.
Chase Travis Best Long Term Prospect
Top prospect in this game was Olney 6’5” shooting guard Chase Travis. The #46 2022 prospect in the latest PHI Rankings has excellent size and length. Smooth and fluid offensive game. Plays all over the floor for the Tigers going from playing on the ball to posting up as a big man for his team. Early on he had an easy drive where he was fouled and converted both free throws. Handles it pretty well at this stage of his development. Did damage in the post against smaller Salem defenders with spin moves and short jumpers. Liked how he passed especially when the defense collapsed on him. Was a presence in the middle of Olney’s zone being active. He had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Olney Role Players Step Up in Road Win
Their star duo shined, but the Tigers also got key contributions from role players. Drew Blank is a sophomore 6’1” guard that hit a three along with converting an and-1 on the way to 7 points. Quinn Miller is a crafty junior guard who drilled a runner along with a triple for 7 points. Cole Lambird came off the bench for 10 huge points. The lefty guard let it fly from three and the baseline. With everyone coming back Olney should be really good next season.
Salem Backcourt Shares Load
It was the backcourt that did most of the scoring for the Wildcats. They were led by 14 points from Laten Wayer. The senior point guard who stands at 5’11” is a tough kid who has a solid mid-range game. Hit a couple from there along with a sweet euro step on the baseline. Haddon Lybarger is a junior 6’1” guard that pushes the tempo in the open floor and makes quick passes. Scored in the lane for 12 points. Caden Bee is the young one of this group. He is a 5’11” physically built sophomore that is a multi-sport star. Made it tough defensively on Travis and finishes well offensively through contact going for 11 points.
Senior Night for Wildcats
Always fun to attend a senior night to see the players, cheerleaders, and band members honored for the hard work they have put in over four years. For Salem they feature a pair of seniors in Wayer and Cade Alberson. The 6’2” Alberson got the start and contributed a bucket on an and-1 for the Wildcats.