Columbus City League Preview: Columbus East Tigers
The Best Damn Band In Columbus resides at 1500 E. Broad St. in Columbus, Ohio. But, not since the days of Tihon Johnson, who may be the best person I’ve ever had the honor of talking about Columbus basketball with,…
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Continue ReadingThe Best Damn Band In Columbus resides at 1500 E. Broad St. in Columbus, Ohio. But, not since the days of Tihon Johnson, who may be the best person I’ve ever had the honor of talking about Columbus basketball with, has this school seen the heights of their basketball power. Only registering five victories in a season is difficult, with a new season approaching and the potential on this team being fairly high, the Columbus East High School Tigers look to improve as players and a team.
The four seniors hopefully returning will seek to lead the way with this team. With the inconsistent play last season from the soon-to-be senior class, Xayvion Brooks seemed to be the one who played with the most passion. Brooks played in 16 games and averaged over 5 points per game on a bad offensive team but he had a couple of double-digit scoring outputs, showing that he is capable of putting on decent scoring performances when given the chance.
Brooks hopes to get more chances to prove himself to not only Columbus City League basketball fans but to colleges as well. His rebounding numbers are relatively good and he has athletic ability that helps him play pretty good defense.
The other will-be senior that played somewhat consistently was Issac Ortiz, who played in 13 games and put up double-digits in a couple of games as well. Ortiz averaged just over 5 points per game, but much like this entire team, showed athletic flashes that could help improve this team. The flashes came against worthy opposition, with him having a great effort game against Northland and showcasing his defensive potential against Linden.
Another potential-filled player for the Tigers is the 6-foot-6 Alzono Thorpe, who turns heads just by looking at him. He looks like an athlete should look, with room to still fill-out his growing frame. His offensive game on the court still needs refined, but the class of 2022 player still has some room for growth. Thorpe can be a terror on defense once he fully commits to that side of the ball, he is quick, long and explosive off his feet. This young man can one day be a lockdown defender while defending multiple positions.
He only averaged a tick above 4 points which shows you that his offensive skills can use some tuning up. Last season, his jumper would tend to be shot too hard causing him to miss many open shots. With the pandemic hitting America like a right hand from a 22-year old Mike Tyson his summer was slowed down, but if he had a court to use, his offense will improve and his jump shot will begin to fall with better regularity.
The Columbus East High School Tigers have struggled as of late to find success in the Columbus City League north, even with one of the most loyal fan bases in the state of Ohio. It may very well be a process but this senior class could provide the turning point for this school to get back to its 90’s decade of success.