Dayton Area Week 2 Performers

<p>Another week has come and gone and more teams debuted their season in the first frigid week of December. Through livestream and live games, we checked out multiple games featuring some of the smaller schools in the area while also checking out the MVL as it opened play this week. Below are the 5 performers that stoodout the most in this second week.</p> <p><strong>Wes Gooding</strong> (2021) Covington- Gooding isn’t the most physical or most athletic player you’ll find, but he is the Buccs go-to guy on the perimeter. The senior guard has the green light to shoot however and wherever he wants. Not the most orthodox shot but it goes in. Most impressed me defensively as he took charges and positioned himself to be a high IQ help-side defender. Not the most known player since Covington is such a small school, but a competitor and hard worker nonethless.</p> <p><strong>Dylan Hoosier</strong> (2021) Xenia- The lefty PG made his impact known last week against a good West Carrollton team. Hoosier forced the Pirates guards into foul trouble due to his explosiveness off the perimeter and his finishing potential at the rim. Continuously attacked the rim over and over and got to the foul line multiple times as a result. Knocked down those foul shots, but struggled with his midrange jumper. Defends hard and has quick footwork to keep up with the fastest guards.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="867955" first="Sam" last="Walker"]</strong> (2023) West Carrollton- If I had to give an award out for the best player from the week, Walker would have to be it. Averaging a double-double, the 6’6 Center was too much to handle against a Xenia team that had size to counter Walker. He backs guys down on the block and utilizes his footwork and frame to get shots up. Defensively used his long arms to get a hand on several shots. With senior teammate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1041806" first="Aigbokhai" last="Kadari"]</strong> potentially out for some time, Walker will be tasked with being the interior enforcer for this guard heavy Pirates team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1082241" first="Keon" last="Wright"]</strong> (2022) Oakwood- The former Fairmont Firebird has settled in well within the SWBL. The 6’0 CG is a mismatch problem. He is too explosive for SWBL teams to defend one-on-one, and too lethal of a shooter to throw a zone at him. Creates offense for himself and others due to his athleticism. This Oakwood group is still coming together and figuring things out. Once they are all on the same page, Wright should be the focal point of the offense and could be averaging 20+ points per game all year.</p> <p><strong>Sean McKitrick</strong> (2023) Carroll- A more unknown player in the preseason for the Patriots, McKitrick is as lethal of a shooter as you will find in the GCL Coed. Confident and having solid mechanics, Sean gives sparks for this Carroll group that has struggled offensively early in the season. His ability to provide quick runs is what gives the Patriots confidence they can compete with the rest of the GCL this season. While only a sophomore, McKitrick will become an even more lethal scorer as he adds weight to his frame.</p>