Unioto 46 @ Worthington Christian 58 Recap

<p>Worthington Christian advanced to 3-0 on the young season with a hard fought victory over a tough Unioto squad. Unioto came out and hit the Warriors in the mouth, holding a six point lead in the first half. Unioto eventually stopped getting easy buckets in transition and their offense came to a standstill, as baskets were few and far between in the second and third quarters. The lack of ball-handling for Unioto really hurt them against the Worthington Christian full-court press. The size of Worthington Christian came to play, as they showed why they are regarded as one of the top D III teams in the state. Unioto has a lot of positives to take from this game as they competed till the end against what will likely be the most talented team they see all season. Here were the top performers from the game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="805179" first="Tyler" last="Kindberg"], 6’4 SG Worthington Christian 2021: Kindberg is an excellent defensive player, really quick hands and so nimble on his feet. Won district player of the year in soccer, those quick feet totally translate on defense. Two dunks in the half-court showed off his explosive legs. Finishes off two feet when cutting, helps keep him in control.</p> <p>Isaac Little, 5’10 PG Unioto 2021: Little is a tough as nails guard. Not afraid to mix it up on defense, gets his hands on the ball often on that side of the court. Had an insane left handed finish past three Warrior shot blockers. Shot the ball well from the outside. Incredibly patient when attacking the basket, had a couple nice pivots after pump-fakes to get looks at the basket. Limited athlete which prevented him from taking over offensively but a hell of a high-school point guard. Could win conference player of the year in the SVC.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="805206" first="Isaiah" last="Hazelwood"], 6’5 PF Worthington Christian 2021: Hazelwood played up to expectation, runs the floor and finishes around the basket. Showed some more coordination ball-handling and looks more physically developed from last year. Won’t blow you away with any crazy moves with the basketball, but he plays his role to perfection and should be receiving interest from small colleges looking for an energy big.</p> <p>Tayvion Galloway, 6’5 PF Unioto 2024: Galloway has a great frame for a freshman, competes on both ends and not afraid to throw his body around. Made a 3-pointer as well to show his potential from the outside.. Should be one of the most productive freshman in the state this season. Will eventually be on everyone’s radar across the entire state in the next couple seasons.</p> <p>Sam Johnson, 6’5 PF Worthington Christian 2024: Johnson didn’t do a ton for most of the game but had a couple flash plays that show his talent. Quick blow-by on the top of the key and an instant post up got him a couple easy buckets. Upside is tremendous but he certainly has the skill to produce right away. Nice match-up of two of the top forwards in the Freshman class competing against each other.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="809594" first="DJ" last="Moore"], 6’3 PG Worthington Christian 2022: Moore was relatively quiet in this game, but still showed why he’s regarded as one of the top point-guards in the state. Moore can really pass the ball and had one slick no-look dish to Kindberg for a layup. Moore plays with a lot of patience with the basketball, but during stretches called for isolation and used his strength to finish around the basket. Didn’t make any of his jumpers but I’m not concerned about his jumper at all after watching him light it up during AAU season.</p> <p>Handy Toussaint, 6’8 C Worthington Christian 2021: Toussaint came off the bench and made an impact for the Warriors. Nailed a couple mid-range jumpers that looked a little awkward, but at his size it was impressive. Still looks to be building chemistry with his teammates after transferring in from out of state. I’m thinking Toussaint will be a much larger factor at the end of the season.</p>