Radnor at Lower Merion: 5 Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last night the top two teams in the Central League matched up as Radnor traveled fifteen minutes out Montgomery Avenue to take on archrival Lower Merion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A packed house at Kobe Bryant Gymnasium witnessed an intense and entertaining game that was a one-point contest at halftime (24-23 in favor of RHS). However, Radnor used a 21-5 third quarter scoring onslaught to blow this one open and cruised to a 64-41 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a high probability that these two teams will meet again next month in the Central League championship game. Additionally, both teams will be favorites to win their respective District 1 title (LM in 6A; RHS in 5A) and both should have lengthy state tournament appearances.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With that in mind, here are five takeaways from last night's Radnor at Lower Merion tilt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id='1212678' first='Charlie' last='Thornton'] and Jackson Gaffney make Radnor legit</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1212678' first='Charlie' last='Thornton']'s development from a slashing wing and rim protector into a 3-level scorer who can create off the dribble for himself and others is astonishing. Credit to Thornton (15 points) for all the work he put in. Jackson Gaffney (14 points &amp; 3 dimes) is an athletic 6'6” prospect who can shoot threes, score off the bounce, distribute and play above the rim. At the other end Gaffney's enormous wingspan and instincts enable him to be an effective weak side shot blocker. The improvement of Thornton and addition of Gaffney should help propel Radnor to a deep state tourney run. As individuals, Thornton and Gaffney (#25 in pic above) are two of the top uncommitted 2023s in the region.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id='1119137' first='Jackson' last='Hicke'] is a multi-skilled prospect</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the years we have written on this site about [player_tooltip player_id='1119137' first='Jackson' last='Hicke']'s ability to shoot the three-ball and to use the dribble to score as well as facilitate. This season we have noted the improvements in his mid-range game and rebounding (10 rebs vs. LM). Well last night Hicke did his best pass-first James Harden imitation. Every time he put the ball on the deck, Hicke was met with a double or sometimes triple team. The Princeton commit kept his head up, remained composed and simply moved the ball to open teammates for numerous buckets (7 assists vs. LM). Hicke's high IQ and instincts were on full display last night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3. News flash…[player_tooltip player_id='991391' first='Sam' last='Brown'] is a creative scorer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This lefty is often pigeonholed as a just a three-point sniper. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, last night [player_tooltip player_id='991391' first='Sam' last='Brown'] (16 points) drained pull up triples from deep and threes of pick action, but he also scored in several other ways. He got to the rim off the dribble, hit floaters, executed up and under moves in the paint and splashed mid-range fade aways. Brown (Penn commit) did all this while being suffocated by the top defensive stopper in the Central League, [player_tooltip player_id='1200791' first='Cooper' last='Mueller'] (Committed to Princeton for lacrosse as a defensive midfielder).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4. LM senior [player_tooltip player_id='1472576' first='Sam' last='Wright'] can play at the next level</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1472576' first='Sam' last='Wright'] (6 points) is a long, physical, and high IQ prospect who can score in a multitude of ways. He is best known for his 3-point shooting, but last night he proved he can score by putting the ball on the floor as well. He even bully-balled his way to the tin for a bucket. His constant communication with teammates and basketball instincts were also impressive. College coaches are sleeping on this kid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5. SEPA C/O 2024 was well represented</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a game filled with stars from the Class of 2023, two juniors impressed with their standout play. The first was Henry Pierce of Radnor. Pierce (9 points &amp; 3 assists) is a bouncy athlete who can shoot the three, score in transition, distribute, and move without the ball extremely well. The other eye-catching junior was LM's John Mobley (6 points). Mobley is an exceptional athlete who scored in transition and with drives to the cup. On defense he was a workhorse on the glass and blocked a handful of shots. Both of these 2024 prospects have a great deal of upside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->