Central Ohio Top Performers Week 3
More and more teams are hitting the hardwood in search of division, league, district and state titles, with this week having more record performances and a stellar defensive showing as well. There are players who have been here weekly, just…
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Continue ReadingMore and more teams are hitting the hardwood in search of division, league, district and state titles, with this week having more record performances and a stellar defensive showing as well. There are players who have been here weekly, just showing how consistently great they have been at the start of this season. Central Ohio and the surrounding areas have put on some fantastic games and this writer has been very impressed with the way these young men have been ready to play. Without further ado, enjoy reading about the players who put on a show between the days of December 8 and December 12.
DJ Moore DJ Moore 6'3" | PG Worthington Christian | 2021 State OH – Junior; Worthington Christian: Moore had himself a week, starting with a 21-point outing in Worthington Christian’s 84-52 win over Liberty Union then he added 21 more points as he carried his Warriors to a hard fought 44-39 victory against Newark. The Liberty University commit scored in a myriad of ways against Liberty Union, looking like a contender for Player of the Year. In a big win over Newark, Moore took over and put the team on his back with an aggressive attack that countered the aggressive defense Newark plays. This young man is not a stranger to this article written by this writer, showing just how well he has played to start this season.
Tyler Kindberg Tyler Kindberg 6'4" | SG Worthington Christian | 2021 State OH – Senior; Worthington Christian: Another young man who is not a stranger to this weekly article, Kindberg scored 20 points against Liberty Union and showed that he is not just a rim runner in transition by hitting a number of three-point baskets. Kindberg also received a scholarship offer from Indiana Wesleyan this week. Kindberg shined on defense all week, helping frustrate the wing players of Liberty Union then doing the same thing in the battle with Newark. He only scored 10 points in his team’s win over the Wildcats but he was everywhere on defense, causing ruckus and disruption all over the court for his Warriors. Kindberg is deserving of his first offer and all others that will come from it.
Drew Faieta- Senior; Worthington Christian: On December 8th, the Worthington Christian Warriors hit 14 three-pointers in their victory over Liberty Union and this young man was the star of the game. Faieta sank six of those 14 and scored 18 points in the 84-52 blowout win. He showed off his extremely quick release all day, getting the ball out of his hands before the defender realized it. His high IQ helped him recognize when to shoot and when to pass up his jumper for his teammates better shot. He has good size at 6-foot-1 and could be the knockdown shooter than a small school needs.
Ethan Bell Ethan Bell 5'10" | PG River Valley | 2021 State OH – Senior; River Valley: One of the smartest and toughest players in the area, Bell continued his hot start to the season with an 18-point performance in his team’s 52-57 loss to Big Walnut. Bell kept his team in the game with numerous big shots late and never let them get too far behind. His jump shot stayed consistent, although he was slightly off and made a few decisions he would want back but Bell competed and gave his team a chance to almost win. It’s been written in the past, but it will be said again; small schools need to hurry and get their hands on this young man before it is too late.
Caleb Conard- Senior; Big Walnut: The 6-foot-7 senior took advantage of the smaller River Valley team and scored 18 points in the Eagles 57-52 win. Conard used his soft touch to finish in the paint time after time and grab some offensive rebounds for easy put backs. He also controlled things defensively, negating plenty of drives from River Valley guards and making them think twice about what they were going to do next. Conard is a sleeper player coming into this season but games like this will put him onto the radar of plenty of schools.
Derrick Goodman- Freshman; Olentangy Berlin: The kid does it again! Goodman once again paced his team and scored 16 big points in Olentangy Berlin’s 56-36 throttling of Mt. Vernon on December 9th. He is getting more comfortable with this whole high school basketball thing and is adapting well, bringing more tools out of his bag as each game passes. With every dribble Goodman takes, he continues to find his way and use his size matched with his agility to put the ball in the basket. People should begin to see how many people Olentangy Berlin will allow in the gym because this young man is putting on shows.
Jake Lusk Jake Lusk 6'2" | PF Johnstown | 2021 OH – Senior; Johnstown: Lusk has been so consistent to start this season, not only with his scoring outputs but also with his discipline (which is no shock from a Navy football commit) and leadership. Lusk paced his team, scoring 20 points in a 51-44 win over Licking Heights. Lusk mainly lived inside the three-point line, punishing defenders with his broad shoulders on offense and having an amazing nose for the ball and grabbing rebounds on defense. Lusk did hit a couple three-point jumpers, showing the improvement in that area. He made winning plays and led the way for his team on December 9th.
Jaivon Miller- Senior; Licking Heights: Scoring 25 points for his team and being the only source of offense for his team, Miller played his heart out in the loss to Johnstown. The 6-foot-1 point guard has an amazing handle and was a wizard in pick-and-roll situations. He got in the teeth of the defense all night and was excellent in taking contact from big men and still finding a way to get his shot off. Miller was the focal point for his team and used his playmaking ability to keep his team in the game as long as possible. He followed up his big game on December 9th with another one as he put up 24 points in a victory over Granville, 46-33.
Drew Ballinger Drew Ballinger 6'3" | SF Newark | 2021 State OH – Senior; Newark: Another week, another really good game from Drew Ballinger Drew Ballinger 6'3" | SF Newark | 2021 State OH , this time coming in a 39-44 loss where he put up 14 points and four rebounds for his team. Ballinger had more on his plate as Kade Bafford Kade Bafford 6'0" | PG Newark | 2021 State OH was not playing and he ran into a defensive buzzsaw of a team in Worthington Christian. He hit a couple of outside shots early, and although he cooled off after the first quarter, he still showed flashes on defense and was able to affect the game on that end of the court.
Elijah Hinton Elijah Hinton 6'6" | C Newark | 2021 State OH – Senior; Newark: Back-to-back weeks with Hinton having solid games for the Wildcats, dropping in 14 points which were mainly scored in the paint. He had soft touch around the rim and used his length to drop in shots from inside. Hinton also had the boards on lock, yanking down nine rebounds. He added rim protection to the game, making it difficult for opposing guards to shoot over him. Standing at 6-foot-7, Hinton is still looking for a home and could solidify a program’s defense.
Tanner Compton- Junior; Columbus Academy: In a dominant 59-25 route of a game over Lakewood, Compton scored 16 points in three quarters and was the most consistent player on the court all evening. This kid is a three-level scorer, being 6-foot tall, he is able to break his defender down off the dribble and get to the basket but if they sag off too much he can shoot over the top of them. Compton can also use his long arms to disrupt the flow of the offense by getting in the passing lanes and creating steals for his team. He led his team in scoring last year and it’s likely he will do it again.
Kevin Reeves- Junior; Columbus Academy: Reeves had an amazing scoring second half, scoring the majority of his 16 points in the third and fourth quarters. The 6-foot-6 athletic big man was a terror inside the paint and flexed his ability to finish around the basket. Reeves grabbed rebounds and began fast breaks for his team with excellent upcourt passing. Once the ball got out of his hands, he sprinted up the floor and got fast break points for himself after he received the ball back from his teammates. Reeves can utilize his athleticism for the rest of the season and become a major player in his division.
Mason Purvis- Senior; Millersport: Following in the footsteps of his older brother Zane, the baby Purvis also hit his 1,000th point on December 11th. Mason scored that 1,000th point in the midst of putting up 28 points in his team’s 72-50 victory over Grove City Christian. In the first game of his season he put up 42 points, proving he is a certified scoring machine. Purvis keeps defenders retreating with his ability to get to the basket and he can also raise up and shoot over that same defender if he needs to. His handle is amazing and his ability to find creases in the defense on a fast break then accelerate through it is uncanny.
Andre Irvin Andre Irvin 5'8" | PG Olentangy Orange | 2021 State OH – Senior; Olentangy Orange: One of this writer’s favorite players to watch, Irvin is a flatout pitbull on the court and he dropped 30 on Watkins Memorial on December 11th and continued to prove that size does not matter in his case. Irvin is an absolute knock down shooter from the three and can get in the paint off the dribble and finish amongst the trees. He is only 5-foot-9 but is fearless on defense, pressuring the ball and getting himself easy lay-ups in transition. Irvin will continue to put on fantastic performances over the course of this season and show that he is someone to be reckoned with in the OCC.
Mikey McCollum- Sophomore; Olentangy Orange: McCollum gave Andre Irvin Andre Irvin 5'8" | PG Olentangy Orange | 2021 State OH some offensive relief by pitching in a simple 24 points in the 76-70 win over Watkins Memorial. The 5-foot-11 McCollum allowed Irvin to operate in space and knocked down open shots when it was his time to shoot them. In a high-paced game, he kept up with every other player in the gym and displayed his game to a point where fans are left thinking about his future. McCollum should now have more confidence in his game as the season progresses.
Jalen Sullinger Jalen Sullinger 5'11" | PG Thomas Worthington | 2021 State OH – Senior; Thomas Worthington: In his first outing of the season, Sullinger started slow out the gate but was still the best player on his team in the 46-62 loss to Lima Senior. He would have liked to hit more shots than he did but he heated up towards the end of his night and hopes to carry that stretch of good play into the next game. A top contender for every major award in his division, Sullinger led his team in scoring with 15 points and still flashed some of his same skill, the jumper, the passing and the ability to get into the lane.
Camren Miles Camren Miles 6'2" | SG Lima Senior | 2022 State OH – Junior; Lima Senior: With 16 points, leading the entire game in scoring, Miles made sure that Thomas Worthington never got too close to turn this game into a comeback situation. Miles was huge in getting his team the lead early and then used the big brother tactic by holding Thomas Worthington’s proverbial forehead while they swung away and missed the entire time. Defensively, Miles helped guard and grab important rebounds.
Jourdyn Rawlins Jourdyn Rawlins 5'10" | PG Lima Senior | 2021 State OH – Senior; Lima Senior: He only scored five points, but Rawlins was the most important player on the court for his team. Rawlins was the primary defender on Jalen Sullinger Jalen Sullinger 5'11" | PG Thomas Worthington | 2021 State OH and he pressured the ball and slowed down the pace Sullinger excels at playing. Being 5-foot-9 actually helped him get into Sullinger’s hip even more and his quickness allowed him to stay in front as well. Rawlins also dished out 10 assists and showed the vision of a true point guard, settling his team and getting them in great offensive sets.
*All statistics provided by 270Hoops.com*