Ohio Capital Conference- Capital Division Players To Watch

With realignment shaking up the entire OCC, the Capital division ended up with eight teams but none of those teams won their old division with one runner up team and two teams that finished third place in whatever division they were in last season. Westerville South (16-9) comes over from the Buckeye division where they finished third, they bring Westerville North (9-14) over with them as well. Worthington Kilbourne (11-12) finished tied last season with Dublin Scioto (11-12) for fourth place in the Cardinal division just behind Delaware Hayes (15-10) who will join the Wolves and the Irish in this division during the upcoming season. Franklin Heights (3-20) returns to the Capital division along with Big Walnut (13-10) and division runner-up Canal Winchester (16-8) which gives this division two 16-win teams and the two teams that should be battling it out for the top spot in the division. One team has already began play for the season, so let’s look at that team’s top performers and the other players that will make noise in this division this upcoming season. Jagger Barnett- Senior; Big Walnut: The leading scorer so far for the Eagles, Barnett is putting up 17 points per game (up from last season’s 8.9), including a 23-point output at Mt. Vernon. The 6-foot-3 senior has shown off his incredible jumper throughout his first two games, setting a tone for Big Walnut to follow. Barnett is not only getting it done from deep but he also is exhibiting a capability to drive, get to the basket at finish with some tough layups. He has shown so far this year that the extended offseason may have done him some good, coming back a bit more muscular in the arm region. If Barnett can continue this path that he is on then expect him to be receiving more college interest very soon. [player_tooltip player_id="1041811" first="Jaiden" last="Guice"]- Senior; Westerville South: Guice is a pure point guard who exhibits great leadership and guides his team to victory. His speed is top notch and he gets into the lane when he wants. Guice has the dribbling ability to break down defenders in one-on-one situations and shoot over the top of the people guarding him. This young man is everything a college would want in a point guard, standing at 5-foot-11, with a game that translates to the next level. Guice is a three-level scorer, with his three-point jump shot being streaky at best but his mid-range is money and he finishes at the rim with sweet layups. Expect Guice to up his scoring from 15 points per game to becoming a 18-20 point per game scorer. [player_tooltip player_id="1078990" first="Tabari" last="Howard"]- Senior; Westerville South: The second leading scorer from last year’s team, averaging 13.8 points per game, comes into his senior year as a player that fans, coaches and scouts should keep their eye on. The lefty is a three-point threat at any moment, with a quick release and high arch so that even at 6-foot-1 his shot will not get blocked. Howard can also take his defender off the dribble and get to the rack where he has had some athletic finishes at the rim. He pressures the basketball on defense, gathering steals and beginning fast breaks for his team. Howard gets good air under him on his jump shot, releasing it at the apex of the jump like he was taught at a young age. The backcourt at Westerville South are worth the price of admission alone. Camden Ledford- Senior; Westerville North: After averaging close to 10 points last season, Ledford is an under the radar senior that can make an impact this year. The 6-foot-4 swing guard, who was the third on the team in scoring in 2019-2020, is the team’s leading returning scorer and will be the player who this offense runs through. His shooting will be needed more than ever this season as the Warriors look to increase their 9-win total from last season. Ledford has long arms that are conducive to getting steals and finishing at the basket. A good mover without the ball, Ledford is able to find himself open in the corner and on the wing for three pointers. He is the player to watch on a team that struggled to find points to score, forcing the offense upon Ledford will be a great thing for his numbers. Andre Heglar- Senior; Canal Winchester: The wide receiver is a big rangy athlete that uses his quick feet on the gridiron and translates that to the hardwood. His wide body helps him carve out space inside for offensive rebounds and putbacks, going up through other big men down low. He only played 11 games last season on the varsity level, tallying just 21 total points, but Canal Winchester turned over basically their entire roster which leaves Heglar as the go-to guy for them. Heglar is an explosive athlete that can really go to work on the offense side of the ball in the paint. He is not only a prospect to watch on the football field but he could be a joy to watch on the basketball court as well. Artrell Saunders- Junior; Franklin Heights: Standing at 6-foot, Saunders is a point guard that can fill it up when the offense is in his hands. With a knack for knowing where the basketball is going to end up, Saunders grabs offensive rebounds and is able to quickly release the ball for easy put back baskets. In 16 games last season, Saunders scored 72 total points and is the third leading returning scorer but he is the one with the most game experience among the three. With a capable handle on the basketball, he can make plays for other players on his team and himself as well. This season should be a breakout one for this kid seems fun to watch. Jaydon Pearson- Senior; Dublin Scioto: Pearson is the leading scorer that is returning to the Fighting Irish, with his 9.4 points per game being second overall on his team and a season-high of 20. The 5-foot-10 guard is great at moving without the ball, cutting around the floor to get open then being able to catch-and-shoot along with making plays off the dribble. Pearson has a really good pull-up jumper, getting high off the ground and releasing the ball at its apex for the best results. He works his way inside the three-point line where he can either rise up for a mid-range jumper or he can slither to the basket for easy lay-ups. His shot form is picture perfect. Defensively, Pearson plays tough and puts his body on the line for the sake of his teammates by taking charges and diving for loose balls. Pearson should be the primary decision maker for Dublin Scioto and that will bode well for his numbers. Ryan Smudz- Senior; Delaware Hayes: This young man has surprising athleticism, just when a defender thinks they have him dead to rights, he rises up and dunks on everyone. Smudz also has a quick handle and the ability to break down his defender in one-on-one situations. He is phenomenal in the open court, using his speed with the ball in his hand to blaze by the defense and make plays for himself and others. A constant threat from deep, Smudz cannot be left open too many times or he will heat up and he can get lights out from the three. On defense, this kid is a scrappy fighter who is not afraid to get in the ball handlers hip pocket and pressure the ball. His fast pace of play is exciting and should make the Pacers a competitive team when they begin to play. [player_tooltip player_id="1041445" first="Ian" last="Schupp"]- Senior; Worthington Kilbourne: The leading returning scorer for the Grey Wolves, Schupp’s 16 points per game paced his team to a tie for fourth in the Cardinal division last season. The 6-foot-5, first team All-OCC performer has a nose for the basketball when it comes off of the rim, hounding down rebounds and getting put-back dunks on offense rebounds. Schupp can also stretch out a defense to make them guard him from the three-point line. He can also put the ball on the ground and get the rim when he finishes with authority. Schupp is undoubtedly one of the better players in the OCC outright and is worth watching operate on the court [player_tooltip player_id="921809" first="Ayden" last="Parsons"]- Junior; Worthington Kilbourne: It is fun to watch Parsons flat out compete, he puts his heart into the game and just by watching him it is easy to tell that he is having fun. Parsons is fast in the open court and gets easy baskets in transition, he is also pretty good at dishing it off to get points for his teammates as well. Shows his grittiness by poking the ball loose and diving on the floor in order to spark his team. Parsons averaged around 10 points per game in 2019-2020 and that should increase this year by Parsons expanding his game even more and having the ball in his hands for an extended period of time. *All statistics provided by 270Hoops.com*