Central Ohio Area Top Performers Week 2

Week 2 is in the books and there were more games than week as more teams begin to take the court and some can only watch on and salivate at getting back out there. During this week, we had a young man reach a career milestone, a freshman put on a breakout performance and a sophomore throw his name in the hat as a promising prospect for the next level. These players stood out as this week’s top players in and around the Central Ohio area from the week of December 1st- December 5th. [player_tooltip player_id="805180" first="Carter" last="Jones"]- Senior; Centerburg: The Mt. Vernon Nazarene-commit etched his name in the record books by scoring point number 1,000 early in his team’s 53-38 victory over Northmor. Jones is a 6-foot-5, do-it-all forward type of player that reminds this writer of a small-school version of former Iowa State player Royce White. He controls both his teams offense and defense, he put up 12 points while controlling the glass and defending multiple positions at a high level. Derrick Goodman- Freshman; Olentangy Berlin: Many people in the OCC knew he would be a standout, but not sure how many people thought it would be in game 1. He exploded on the scene with 18 huge points, leading the Bears in scoring in their 53-41 win over Watkins Memorial. The Warriors has no answer for Goodman, who was the best player on the court all night. He did what he wanted on offense, putting his repertoire on display, shooting all over the place and finishing at the rim impressively. Expect more to come from this young man in this season and Olentangy Berlin put more on his plate. Greasin Cass- Senior; Northmor: A senior who should have college eyes on him more than he does, Cass was his teams only source of offense in their loss to Centerburg, dropping 20 of his team’s 38 total points. Cass was being pressured all night and still managed to stay composed and compete hard throughout the blowout. He even made some nice passes ahead to teammates to alleviate the pressure and push the ball ahead to help his teammates. Cass has proved he is a capable shooter, especially off the dribble and can have a role in a more uptempo offense. Ty Hatfield- Senior; Fredricktown: Hatfeild started out hot in his team’s December 1st 79-44 dismantling of Lakewood by scoring 16 of his 23 total points in the first half. He showed why Tiffin University made the right choice by snatching him off the market early, playing at multiple speeds and showing he is a true floor general. The 6-foot guard can also play physical and use his strength to control the game, not letting anyone deter him from getting to where he wants to go. If Tiffin had not already gotten him to commit, he would be a bigger prospect because he is due to put up big numbers in this offense. Trenton Collins- Sophomore; Lakewood: Collins put his team on his back and scored more than half of his team’s offense output in their loss to Fredricktown, scoring 23 of his team’s 44 total points. A 6-foot-3 guard with good athleticism, Collins exhibited some range as well by raising up and nailing a couple deep jumpers. With this type of performance, Collins entered his name in the breakout sophomore hat and readers should expect him to stay there because he will be looked upon as this team’s go-to scorer for the foreseeable future. [player_tooltip player_id="717039" first="Cooper" last="Davis"]- Junior; Olentangy Liberty: A lethal shooter is the best way to describe Davis, who dropped 21 points on December 5th against Canton McKinley in a 78-73 victory. His size, 6-foot-4, allows him the ability to shoot over defenders at any moment. Elite mover without the ball, guards can always look for Davis cutting around the court, working to get open. Davis is off to a roaring start to the season and his team getting reps in can only benefit them in the long run. Isaac Ward- Senior; Logan Elm: Ward started out hot and never slowed down when his team took down Bloom-Carroll 58-42. Ward scored 28 points, including 21 through three quarters. He couldn’t be guarded, hitting shots from all over the court and adding some tough finishes as well. Ward is a lefty with a mean step-back jumper and great offensive awareness. He absorbs contact well and can make a program really good, rather quickly. [player_tooltip player_id="967135" first="Elijah" last="Hinton"]- Senior; Newark: Hinton fills out a jersey really well, with a body already equipped for college. Hinton scored 18 big points in Newark’s 40-point thrashing of Zanesville. The 6-foot-7, big bodied forward was a menace inside the paint all night, bullying other players. As a prospect, Hinton is a coaches dream, a good screen setter who crashes the glass and is selfless in his approach to the game. He affects the game on defense as well with his quick hands and his anticipation of when opponents are going to shoot. [player_tooltip player_id="919039" first="Drew" last="Ballinger"]- Senior; Newark: Ballinger poured in 17 easy and efficient points against Zanesville and let teams know that he is a serious prospect that should be recruited on a higher level. One of the better shooters in the area, Ballinger nailed shots early and took it easy the rest of the night in the 87-47 win for his Wildcats. Ballinger can also create for himself off the dribble and finish in the paint with some nifty layups. He does a good job on defense with playing passing lanes and is a good rebounder for his height. [player_tooltip player_id="805179" first="Tyler" last="Kindberg"]- Senior; Worthington Christian: This young man is just continuing his stretch of consistent play that has been on display since this summer. The 6-foot-3 guard is quick on his feet, a nod to his soccer skills and a knack for making big time defensive plays. He paced his team with 19 points in their 58-46 win over Unioto. A couple of dunks showed that he is pretty athletic, Kindberg is the kind of prospect that brings energy to his team and spark runs within the game. Carsyn Crouch- Junior; Granville: As the only source of offense for Granville, Crouch lit scored 22 tough points in the 54-59 overtime loss to Lancaster on Friday, December 4th. No other player sniffed double-digits as Crouch, who is averaging 20.5 points per game this season. A tough player who flat out competes for everything, this young man gets to the rim with athletic moves and finishes in traffic, something the Quarterback might be used to. Crouch is also a capable shooter that a team cannot leave open without consequence. Jagger Barnett- Senior; Big Walnut: With the coolest first name in the entire OCC, Bennett started his season like it was ‘Just Another Night,’ scoring 23 points in the Eagles 59-50 win over Mount Vernon, leaving their opponents in a ‘State of Shock.’ Bennett told his team ‘Let’s Work,’ and got the job done. All Mick Jagger songs aside, Barnett is a dual-sport athlete who is also the Quarterback for the football team and his leadership skills are steadily on display. Along with his leadership, Jagger can do everything on the basketball court and his explosive start to the season bodes well for him. Blake Snezik- Senior; Lancaster: The senior hit big, late shots against Granville in the 59-54 overtime win for Lancaster. Snezik only put 13 points in the stat sheet but the way he controlled game was more impressive. Defensively, he pressured the ball all evening and giving the opposing guards the blues with the way he stayed in their hip pocket. Snezike hit the big shot that sent the game into overtime, bouncing back from the three-point scoring output in his first game on December 1st. As a point guard, he controls the pace and makes sure that his team gets into its set while not turning the ball over. His team starting off 2-0 gives them a huge advantage over other OCC teams that have not taken the court yet. Cameron Roudabush- Senior; Lancaster: So far he is his team's leading scorer, averaging 14 points per game in the Golden Gales opening week of basketball. He started off putting up 16 points in a win at Licking Heights and followed it up with a 14-point game in the win at Granville. Roudabush is another 5-foot-10 guard, and he complements his backcourt mate Blake Snezik with his ability to score in bunches. He also disrupts on defense, gathering steals without fouling the ball handler, keeping the pressure on the ball handler and they was he can switch onto other guards and stay in front of them. Roudabush is a solid smaller-school prospect who could give a program a tough-minded bulldog who will compete daily.   *All statistics from 270Hoops.com*