Player Evals: Shawn Gilbert's Record-Setting Night

DEWITT -- [player_tooltip player_id="1158413" first="Shawn" last="Gilbert"] delivered an all-time great performance on Thursday night, helping lead Central DeWitt past visiting Xavier, 82-75, in a 3A substate semifinal. The win moves the Sabers into Monday night’s substate final, where they’ll face either Washington or Solon with a trip to the state tournament on the line. The Sabers built a 39-27 halftime lead behind a dominant half from Gilbert, as he led the way with 20 first-half points and the Sabers shot 77.3% from the floor in the first 16 minutes. They held a comfortable 8-10 point lead throughout the third quarter and half of the fourth quarter before the Saints made a run to close to within three points with 2:40 to play. Gilbert responded with a bucket, plus the foul, to push the lead back to six, and Xavier was only able to get back to within four points the rest of the way, as Central DeWitt made 6-9 from the stripe in the final 1:30 to help ice away the win. Central DeWitt (17-6) was led by [player_tooltip player_id="1158413" first="Shawn" last="Gilbert"], who had a school-record 45 points in the win. The 6-9 senior was absolutely dominant all night, finishing an eye-popping 18-22 from the floor to go with 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Xavier simply had no answer for him all night long. [player_tooltip player_id="1240067" first="Matthew" last="Watters"] added 20 points, and [player_tooltip player_id="1234965" first="Gibson" last="McEwen"] chipped in 11 for the Sabers. Xavier’s season ends with an 11-12 record. The Saints were led by stellar sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="1171667" first="Joseph" last="Bean"], who had 30 points and 8 assists in the defeat. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] was also excellent, finishing with 21 points, including 9 in the fourth quarter to help Xavier make their comeback. The Saints have just three seniors on the roster and will bring back their three scorers. With the experience they have coming back, and the talent that their top three possesses, the Saints may be the team to beat in 3A heading into next season.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">F</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Xavier</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">16</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">21</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">27</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">75</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Central DeWitt</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">20</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">19</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">17</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">26</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">82</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Xavier: [player_tooltip player_id="1171667" first="Joseph" last="Bean"] 30, [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] 21, Spencer Mesch 8, [player_tooltip player_id="1367451" first="Josef" last="Lemker"] 5, [player_tooltip player_id="1240086" first="Aidan" last="McDermott"] 5, Trysten Vasquez 4, Thomas Sundell 2 Central DeWitt: [player_tooltip player_id="1158413" first="Shawn" last="Gilbert"] 45, [player_tooltip player_id="1240067" first="Matthew" last="Watters"] 20, [player_tooltip player_id="1234965" first="Gibson" last="McEwen"] 11, Ryan Watters 5, Gus Pickup 1   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Shawn-Gilbert-crop-1036x680-1645822569.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1394657" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Shawn-Gilbert-crop-1036x680-1645822569-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158413" first="Shawn" last="Gilbert"] (Central DeWitt) He scored on post touches. He scored on a wing catch and drive. He scored with the left. He scored with the right. He powered through contact and finished. He stepped out and knocked down a 3 with a smooth stroke. He showed excellent touch around the rim and was simply unstoppable on Thursday night, going 18-22 from the floor and 8-12 from the free-throw line. A 6-9 big man with soft hands, good footwork, and the ability to score inside and out, Gilbert is an absolute force in the paint who also has a remarkable feel for the game. While he dropped 45 points on ridiculously efficient shooting, arguably the most impressive part of his game was his court vision and passing. He does an excellent job recognizing the double team coming early and finding the open teammate for easy looks. He needs to get into better shape, sure, but he's going to end up being a steal for whichever DII, NAIA, JuCo, or DIII program brings him in. Players with his size don't usually have the deft touch and fantastic passing instincts that Gilbert possesses. This was one of the best individual performances I've witnessed in person. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1234965" first="Gibson" last="McEwen"] (Central DeWitt) McEwen primarily stood out on Thursday night with his court vision and ability to get others involved. He made good entry passes to Gilbert, putting the ball in places where only the big man could get them and leading him into finishes on multiple occasions. He's a quick, athletic guard who can get to the rim and is a capable 3-point shooting threat. He had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240067" first="Matthew" last="Watters"] (Central DeWitt) A 6-2 combo forward who was excellent finishing around the rim and showed the ability to step out and knock down shots from the arc, Watters provided some much-needed size and physicality on the wing defensively. He had 20 points on 8-10 shooting, and while he struggled from the free-throw line, he found plenty of other ways to score and contribute to the win. 2025 Ryan Watters (Central DeWitt) The younger brother of Matthew was solid off the bench, chipping in 5 points and 4 rebounds. He's a mobile, bouncy, and physical 6-5/6-6 big man with broad shoulders that he'll continue to add strength to. He showed the ability to finish around the rim through contact, high point rebounds, and there is some potential here on the defensive end with his size, length, and athleticism. He'll be one of the focal points of the program moving forward. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/56-Joe-Bean-Jr.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290448" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/56-Joe-Bean-Jr-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171667" first="Joseph" last="Bean"] (Xavier) Bean's performance will get overshadowed by what Gilbert did, but the 6-2 sophomore was also sensational in the loss, finishing with 30 points on 10-17 shooting to go along with 8 assists. He's a high IQ lead guard with an excellent feel for the game. He's willing to take smaller defenders down onto the block and either score or facilitate from the paint, and he has a smooth stroke that he gets into equally well off the dribble or the catch. He does a good job moving his feet on the defensive end and staying in his stance, and as he continues to add strength to his frame, he'll become an even more dangerous all-around player. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/54-Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-1815x1192-1614634786.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1142226" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/54-Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-1815x1192-1614634786-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] (Xavier) This was the best game I've seen Yamilkoski play, as he scored 21 points on 9-14 shooting, showing his ability to score from all three levels and getting looks both with and without the ball. He's a long 6-4 wing who does a good job moving without the ball in his hands, cutting to the rim and flowing into open spots to get shots. He has a solid pull-up game and good body control around the rim, and he played with a ton of confidence, especially late in the game when the Saints really needed him to step up and score. His efficiency was excellent, and he showed a little bit of everything in his offensive arsenal. He played really well down the stretch this season for the Saints and will pair with Bean to give Xavier arguably the best one-two punch in 3A next season. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240086" first="Aidan" last="McDermott"] (Xavier) McDermott missed a majority of the season nursing an injury and is still playing with a brace on his left wrist, but he provided a spark off the bench for the Saints, scoring 5 points and showing his ability to get to the rim for finishes. He was never able to fully get back into the swing of things down the stretch for Xavier this season, but he'll be a key cog in the lineup next year alongside Bean and Yamilkoski.