Top performers from Stephen Gussler Invitational Day 1

<p>The Stephen Gussler invitational featured only two games on the first day of the event due to COVID cancellations, but it still brought out some talented teams to Thomas Worthington. In this article I’ll be taking a look at the top performers.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1355161" first="LB" last="Towns"], 5’8 PG Linden-McKinley 2022: Towns is a tough PG and to put it simply, Linden was the tougher team all afternoon in a gritty neutral court victory over Heath. Towns has great hands defensively, which allowed him to get a bunch of steals from unsuspecting Heath ball-handlers. Towns is the player that defines Linden-McKinley as a team and him rejoining the team has brought a spark.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1138763" first="Reece" last="Huber"], 6’4 SF Heath 2022: Huber played a great game by flashing some more impressive ball-handling and self-creation than the first Heath game I saw this season. Huber was playing with more patience and made a couple shots from the outside as well. An impressive athlete, Huber had a poster dunk in the first game I caught of him this season. A stud on both the football field and basketball court, Huber should have options on what he wants to do athletically at the next level.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="976068" first="Solomon" last="Callaghan"], 6’0 PG Wadsworth 2023: Callaghan was the breakout performer of the event, looking DOMINANT in the first half on a smooth 24 points. Callaghan was creating shots for himself and demanded a consistent double-team throughout the second half. Callaghan can do a lot with the basketball and when the jumper is falling, there isn’t much that defenses can do to stop him. I’d imagine Division II programs will take a strong interest in Callaghan, but I wouldn’t be stunned if Division I schools take a chance at Callaghan depending on how he performs with the Ohio Buckets.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="922607" first="Joey" last="Zalewski"], 6’3 SF Thomas Worthington 2023: Zalewski is the heart and soul of the Cardinals and brought it in the fourth quarter to lead a ferocious comeback. Zalewski has the strength to finish in traffic and had multiple and-1 layups in the fourth quarter surge. While he might not be the most talented offensive prospect, but his toughness and ability to understand his role is crucial on a winning team.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1355150" first="Benson" last="Oriental"], 6’3 SF Thomas Worthington 2023: Oriental and fellow Junior [player_tooltip player_id="1355151" first="Melvin" last="Omameh"] each impressed me in my first viewing of the junior prospects. Oriental made a couple shots from the outside, but I was mostly intrigued by his motor and length on the defensive end of the court. He has another year to develop further offensively, but the 19-point outing isn’t too shabby. Oriental and Omameh should bring a lot of small college interest to Thomas Worthington next season, as they have a nice 2023 core.</p>