Shane’s Regional Finals Recap

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yesterday I covered my last two games of this 2023-24 High School season by watching two D1 Regional Finals Games. First, I was at Toledo University to see Whitmer come back and beat Garfield Heights at the buzzer 49-47. Then later I was at Ohio Dominican for Delaware Hayes punching their first-ever ticket to the State Final Four as they beat Olentangy Orange 74-56. This article will recap the top players from these two high-level games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432060"],"_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":"Vanderwalker was the best player on the court in his Regional finals game. He finished the game with 17 points and was the most impactful player for Hayes. He guarded Orange's best player and used his physicality to cause him to be uncomfortable at all points of the game. His strength and physicality were huge on both sides of the floor for him. He got a ton of rebounds and had at least 10. He then was getting to the rack consistently and finishing at a high level. He finished extremely strong at the rim and was not shying away from contact. Orange has no answers for his style of play. He and Burris have been mismatch issues all season long, and last night, Vanderwalker exposed his. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Landon-Vanderwalker-RF2.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378720 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Landon-Vanderwalker-RF2.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1432018"],"_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":"West is as elite and skilled as a guard you will find in all of Ohio. This kid can go and you know in the big moment he is going to bring it. He did exactly that as he scored a game-high 21 points. He plays the game so smoothly. He does a great job of maneuvering through traffic and in the lane. West has the ball on the string as he dribbles it. He finds attacking angles as good as anyone. He is just getting stronger too so this is helping him finish against bigger players. He is becoming more and more confident in his jump shot. This is bringing another element to his game. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Antione-West_RF1.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378721 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Antione-West_RF1.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1222373"],"_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":"Burris is the senior leader for the Hayes Pacers this season and he has led them further than any else has. He was really good in the regional finals game against Orange. I was really impressed with his finishing ability around the rim. He used his length very well in jumping into contact but finishing his shot around them. He got the rim often and did not settle for his jumper. He was playing hard and hustled all game. Burris played a big role defensively as well. He wanted to win this game and had 16 points in this game. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Jesse-Burris-RF2.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378722 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Jesse-Burris-RF2.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1421143"],"_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":"I have been really impressed with Jones this year and he was dominant in the first half for Garfield. He had 16 points at halftime and was doing it all. His length and athleticism create huge problems on the glass and around the rim. He is one of the better rim protectors I have seen this season. He can cover so much ground and get the ball in areas no one else on the floor can. He will be a great player for Kent State and someone I believe is an instant impact player at the next level. He has a really good touch around the rim. His hand is at the rim when he is finishing the ball. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/DeAndre_jones_RF1.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378723 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/DeAndre_jones_RF1.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1480848"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Brown had one of the most break out seasons of anyone in the state this year. He leads his Olengntagy Orange team to a 2 loss season and the regional final game. Not many outside of the Pioneers community would've predicted that and Brown was a huge reason for it. He showcased that he was the engine for this well-oiled machine. When Orange took the lead in the game it was in the second quarter when he took control of the game. He was getting to the rim and going through contact aggressively. He was making plays for teammates in transition. Hitting threes and doing what he has been doing all season long for the Pioneers. He is someone whose stock has gone through the roof and will continue in AAU. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Devin-Brown-RF1.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378724 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Devin-Brown-RF1.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["1432039"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Leach had a huge second half that ended up getting the Panthers over a hump and help lead them to victory. He was really quiet in the first half but came out of half and was figuring it out. He was getting the rim and finishing along with knocking down some shots. Leach has found a good home with Whitmer this year and has had his best season. He is an essential player in the Panthers' success. u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Makhi-Leach_RF.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-2378725 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Makhi-Leach_RF.jpg?w=300u0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022200u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f6847bca40b"} /-->