Top sectional performers of the week

Michael Trivisonno

February 28, 2021 @ 05:24 PM

I attended three games in Northeast Ohio the past week. I started off with Euclid traveling to and defeating Riverside 90-65. Then took a trip to Copley High School, where the Indians defeated Barberton behind a strong second half from [player_tooltip player_id="967177" first="Caleb" last="Laurich"]. I finished out the week in Revere where the Minutemen were able to defeat Cleveland Central Catholic 81-61. Here are a few of the top performers from the past week of games Top Performers [player_tooltip player_id="967177" first="Caleb" last="Laurich"] | 6-7 Junior | Copley Laurich just couldn’t be stopped inside the paint, particularly in the second half Thursday night against Barberton. He ended the night with a game-high 28 points and 17 rebounds, constantly bullying the smaller defenders while changing the game in a matter of minutes by grabbing a slew of offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities. He even had the opportunity to handle the ball throughout the game but did most of his damage inside the paint. Jaden Wanton | 6-3 Senior | Euclid Someone who ran the floor well, Wanton was able to knock down two 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, displaying a rather consistent outside jump shot. Ended the first half strong with 12 points to lead the way for the Panthers. The senior was often able to pull down rebounds over the smaller defenders, leading to a handful of second-chance points for the Panthers. His ability to make his presence known inside the paint will be crucial for his team in the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="918979" first="Andrew" last="Rinn"] | 6-4 Senior | Revere Scoring 21 points in Friday night’s win over Cleveland Central Catholic, Rinn’s playmaking ability was on full display. From his 3-point shot to creating scoring opportunities for his teammates, the senior guard was busy on the offensive side of the ball. He’s aggressive and has a unique playing style leading a team with not much bench depth. Rinn also had two breakaway dunks all on a night where he scored his 1,000th career point. He’s one of the better guards I’ve seen play this season handle pressure well, especially within a double team. [player_tooltip player_id="921802" first="Clayton" last="Cunningham"] | 5-11 Junior | Euclid The primary ball-handler for the Panthers, Cunningham thrived in the second half, making sure there would be no comeback from Riverside. He’s got a quick handle that allowed him to beat his defender often off the dribble. From when I watched him play earlier in the year, the guard appears to be more assertive with the ball in his hands. He’s got a tendency of throwing one-hand passes across the court, something that led to a handful of turnovers throughout the night. Nonetheless, he’s made huge strides in his game and can score the ball in more ways off the dribble. He’s one of the most improved guards I’ve seen this season. Anthony Cook Jr. | 6-2 Senior | Barberton Posting a team-high 23 points during the loss to Copley, Anthony Cook Jr. was a man on a mission getting to the rim. He's got good length with his size and that allowed him to get open looks past the smaller defenders. Most of the time when he had the ball at the top of the key, the senior was looking to attack the basket where he was able to finish on either side of the rim. His jump shot was fairly inconsistent throughout the night but understood when to make a play for his team as his number was called often. Charlie Fox | 6-1 Soph | Riverside One of the better outside shooters as an underclassman I’ve seen this season. Fox is more than just a spot-up shooter. He displayed an ability to get to the rim with either hand but did most of his damage as a spot-up shooter. He didn’t really handle more than he can during this game but showed the potential to become one of the area’s better shooters within the next couple of years. He ended his sophomore season by leading the Beavers in scoring with 14 points during the loss against Euclid. [player_tooltip player_id="967146" first="Jimmy" last="Salamone"] | 5-10 Senior | Revere No player I covered the past week drained more 3-pointers than [player_tooltip player_id="967146" first="Jimmy" last="Salamone"]. He connected on six of them Friday night en route to scoring a game-high 22 points while dishing out six assists. It didn’t take him a long time to start to heat up as he made some remarkable plays just to get the ball in his hands. He’s a player that likes to move a ton without the ball in his hands and needs very little room to knock down a 3-pointer. Salamone has pretty good court vision for a smaller guard as well.