Central Ohio Area Top Performers Week 1

In what has been and what will continue to be a super weird sports year and year in general, high school basketball was finally played in Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding central Ohio area. Players were finally able to showcase what they have worked on all summer and put their talents on film for the scouts and coaches to see. There were some standout performances from the usual suspects and one big time splash for a player who played in his first game. Teams from the OCC, Mid-State League, Licking County League and the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference were able to step on the court and begin their march towards whatever type of season this state will have. The week of November 25-29 also proved to be a springboard to a state playoff run. While this start of this season has been delayed for the majority of teams, the ones that are able to play have showed why this type of stuff is important to everyone involved. [player_tooltip player_id="1042160" first="Ethan" last="Bell"]- Senior; River Valley: Bell is simply one of the smartest, toughest players in the area and it is on full display every game. His consistency is amazing. Bell put in a 25 point effort at Worthington Christian then raised it to 27 against Clear Fork as he continued to proved that he is one of the best shooters in the area. the 5-foot-10 point guard commanded attention from every eye on the court and they still could not slow him down, hitting a couple tough shots in his teams loss to the Warriors then getting and nailing wide open shots against Clear Fork. Bell competed at a high level in both game, showing the intensity and ferocity fans and scouts have come to be familiar with. This is a disclaimer for all coaches and other scouts reading this: do not wait to get your hands on this kid because he is the type that can lead a program into the next four years . [player_tooltip player_id="809594" first="DJ" last="Moore"]- Junior; Worthington Christian: The Liberty commit showed why he was such a sought after point guard this week, first in his teams steamrolling of River Valley then in the thrilling win over Johnstown. Against River Valley, Moore displayed why he is a top point guard in the state of Ohio, he did not rush anything, took what the defense gave him and the result was a picture perfect conduction of the offense. Moore set up his teammates to the tune of 10 assists and tacked on his 12 points within the flow of the offense by taking smart shots and, in a game where he could have showed out, turning down his decent shots for better ones for his teammates. Moore upped his scoring in the nail-bitting 54-53 victory against Johnstown, pouring in a team-high 16 points and once again conducting his offense as a point guard should. Overall, a tremendous start to the season for the young man who will be a Flame next season. [player_tooltip player_id="918986" first="Henry" last="Hinkle"]- Senior; Olentangy Liberty: No one in the Central Ohio area had a better opening game this year than this young man. He came out the gate with a 30 point performance in an 102-52 blowout of Marietta then he slowed down against Athens (The Plains) and only dropped in 15 points. Hinkle made shots from all over the court and made the toughest of them look easy. Poised and in control, this young man had both games in his hands and never made the wrong decision. Playing against Athens (The Plains), Hinkle got rest that will help him later in the season with his team's 40-point win. Hinkle did what he had to do and got off the court to preserve himself for later games that will be close. The week of any player in the area, he put in his name in the hat for the early conversation for any award in Ohio. Dylan Johnson- Senior; River Valley: Johnson did not perform very well in the first game of the season, only totaling 8 points. He played much better in the second game, scoring 17 points against Clear Fork. At Worthington Christian, Johnson looked out of sorts (like much of his team) and over matched by Worthington’s perfect rotations and their on-ball defense. He showed his ability to rebound in his next game against Clear Fork by knocking down jumpers, making quicker decisions and passing the ball with much more confidence. Johnson alleviated some of the ball handling pressure from [player_tooltip player_id="1042160" first="Ethan" last="Bell"] and also set him up for easy baskets. The entire Viking team picked it up in their second game of the season and let the conference know they are here for business this season. Caden Smith- Senior; Granville: The senior pitched in a game high of 22 points and five assists in his team's 85-40 victory over Amanda Clearcreek. Smith was smooth in his approach to the game and took the game over in the first half with him and his team's dominant defensive performance. Most of high assist came from defensive stands and run-outs that gave him and his teammates simple layups or open three-point jumpers. Smith used his senior savvy offensively to get to the basket and finish with some impressive moves at the hoop. Granville sent a message to the rest of its league that they will be a team to deal with. [player_tooltip player_id="805179" first="Tyler" last="Kindberg"]- Senior; Worthington Christian: Another extraordinary shooter, Kindberg started slow against River Valley in the first half then burst out for 12 in the second half to rack up a total of 15 points. He picked up his aggressiveness and played with an edge as his team stretched out the lead and made it an 84-47 slaughtering. In the close call against Johnstown, Kindberg poured in 15 more points which gives him a perfectly steady start to his season. Even play like this along with the aggressive defense he has played and this Worthington Christian team will have something to say come playoff time. [player_tooltip player_id="805193" first="Jake" last="Lusk"]- Senior; Johnstown: Even in defeat, this man made an impression among those who saw this game. Lusk caught your eye immediately and his game showed spectators why, with a number of difficult shots going in. The Warriors did not have an answer for Lusk all evening, he made every clutch shot for his team; including what could have been the game winner if a pair of free throws weren't knocked down to dash their hopes of a victory. Lusk will be tasked with repeating games like that all season long, and if he does then he will be on the radar of teams by the time this season is done. Sam Johnson- Freshman; Worthington Christian: A team-high 15 points in his debut, Johnson shocked everyone but himself with how well he played in his first high school game. He added eight boards to go along with his 15 points, controlling the glass and showing good timing on his jumps while being more athletic than one would think. In a closer game, Johnson has nine big points over Johnstown but he still was active on the glass, swiping down some big rebounds and had some important tip balls that landed in the hands of his teammates. Johnson looks to have a bright future with the Warriors and showings like that explains why. [player_tooltip player_id="919033" first="Jahki" last="Henderson"]- Senior; River Valley: The 6-foot-6 senior prospect bounced back from a subpar first game, where he only put up 4 points and was not very effective on the glass to a 14 point output and controlled the glass from the opening tip. Henderson has not found his stroke from that 17-foot area he worked on so much just yet, but one has to imagine that it will fall at some point during this season. He is still a load to handle down low with good feet and a strong upper body that can ripper straight through contact. Along with his team, Henderson looked impressive in their second game and they will look to ride that confidence into this upcoming set of games.