Shane’s Star Players – Columbus
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This past week was my first week back in Columbus after going home to Toledo for a month in December. For my first week back I went to some big conference games for each team. On Tuesday night I watched…
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Continue ReadingThis past week was my first week back in Columbus after going home to Toledo for a month in December. For my first week back I went to some big conference games for each team. On Tuesday night I watched Olanatagy Orange remain unbeaten against Hilliard Bradley as the Pioneers won 52-50. Then on Friday night I was able to watch Worthington Christian go on the road and beat Bishop Ready, 61-50. These were two really good games and this article will talk about the star players from these games.
Brown is leading an unbeaten Olentangy Orange team to a hot start this season. Brown has taken his game to the next level due to his physicality. He has always had great foundation with his length and athleticism but he has now added some serious strength. This makes him very versatile on both ends of the floor. He can guard almost any position. He is an elite defender. On the offensive end, he is playing a bigger role and a true wing. Showed great passing and playmaking ability when the defense collapsed on him. He attacks the rim consistently and is tough to stop. Toward the end of the game, he went to the back to the basket game and put the game away. He was getting points or getting fouled. He won the game by hitting two free throws to give the Pioneers the lead.
Johnson was the most important player for Worthington Christian’s big-time road conference win on Friday night. He was unstoppable at times when around the rim, especially in the 4th. When the game got close he made decisive and strong moves that got him to the rim to finish. He had 22 points and all of them came in the paint or at the free-throw line. He got to the free throw line often because the other team couldn’t stop him so they fouled him. He is a really good athlete with good ball handling. He can slash to the rim grab the rebound and go coast to coast. Relentless rebounder. Johnson put the team on his back on Friday. Showed great competitor characteristics along with being a great teammate.
When you play in big important games against the best teams in your area, you lean on your seniors to lead you. That is what Hillary Bradley did and Norris provided. He came out of the gates in attack mode by hitting two 3s early. With Freshman Point Guard, Ben Mirgon Ben Mirgon 6’1″ | PG Hilliard Bradley | 2027 State OH , back in the lineup Norris can focus on being a score-first playmaker. Norris has a very high basketball IQ and was getting good looks due to his off-ball movement and manipulating screens. He consistently makes the right passes to teammates. He is always talking to teammates on defense. He controlled the game for Bradley and was very aggressive and confident on Tuesday night.
Germany was one of the very few bright spots for Bishop Ready on Friday night. Ready made a strong comeback effort in the 4th quarter and Germany was the one leading the way because he had 18 points in the 4th. Yes, he finished the game with 25, and 18 of those points came in the fourth. For most of the game, he showed his really good slashing ability and effort. He played hard the entire game. His athleticism, specifically quickness, and length, let him be really effective. He creates disruption on the defensive end and can be a really good defender at the next level. Germany in the 4th quarter showed off his sniper-like shooting ability. He was getting his shot up quick and needed no space to do it. The ball comes off his hand with perfect rotation. He did a great job of shooting off the dribble.