NE Division II Regional Semis Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The northeast Division II regional semis saw both Youngstown Ursuline and Canfield roll past their opponents to cause a rematch from early in the regular season with a trip to Dayton now on the line. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from the two games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1395690"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Ursuline has a team with a bunch of young talent, but their senior duo of Payne and [player_tooltip player_id='1068247' first='Geno' last='Lucente'] made big plays all game to push their team to the next round. Lucente makes hustle plays all over the court and knocked down a couple open jumpers as well. Combine that with Payne's ability to finish in the paint with either hand and overpower smaller opposition, the Irish were tough to stop offensively. These seniors not only scored efficiently but also created extra possessions for their team with their hustle. Ursuline will be back next year as a contender but they'll miss what this pair of seniors bring to their team.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["2377836"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"A new name for me, this was my first chance to scout Will and he was an easy standout. A quick guard who really got after ball handlers at the point of attack defensively. Causing turnovers with his pressure, this led to easy transition looks for his team. Also a capable shooter from the outside, Will knocked down open 3-pointers within the flow of the offense. I'll be curious to continue to scout Will as he'll be on a lot of small college radars based on what I saw Thursday night.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["2144204"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Known as one of the top freshman in the state, I got to see if the hype was legit with Gunther as this was the first time I've seen him in person. Instantly I saw the incredible skill level and IQ that Gunther displays as just a freshman. Able to finish with both hands and play under control when attacking the basket, Gunter had a nasty acrobatic layup in the third quarter after he just made a lefty finish past a shot blocker. An elite shooter as well, Gunther knocked down some tough shots from the perimeter. Safe to say the hype is legit with Gunther, he'll debut as one of the top guards in Ohio's 2027 class when those rankings are first published.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["2377834"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Canfield had a lot of guys who made plays on both ends of the court. The Cardinals took care of the basketball, worked it around to get good shots and made plays when it mattered to advance. I could've picked a few players to spotlight but I went with Cruz because him turning steals into layups started a 25-5 run where Canfield took control in the third and fourth quarter. A solid athlete, Cruz jumped passing lanes and was athletic and coordinated enough to make acrobatic layups at the rim. Already named to an all Ohio team as a junior, I'd expect Cruz to be a pick again this season when those teams are announced.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f4ac40e2683"} /-->