Gahanna 66 @ Hilliard Davidson 51 Recap

<p>Gahanna looks to be a state title contender after dismantling another OCC foe on the road. The Lions have the best big duo in the state with [player_tooltip player_id="921759" first="Javan" last="Simmons"] and [player_tooltip player_id="919037" first="Maceo" last="Williams"] and the pair were too much for Davidson to handle. Gahanna got what they wanted offensively all night, not turning the ball over very often and getting the ball inside over and over again. In the second half, Davidson remained competitive thanks to some sharp shooting from [player_tooltip player_id="967176" first="Ryan" last="Paris"] and [player_tooltip player_id="921743" first="Jared" last="Frey"], but it wasn’t enough to ever seriously challenge Gahanna as they roll again to victory. Here were the top performers from the game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="921759" first="Javan" last="Simmons"], 6’6 C Gahanna 2022: The dog is off the leash with Simmons. After not getting much action as a Sophomore, Simmons is taking names this season, dominating in the paint and establishing himself as one of the top big men in the state. Simmons is a load in the paint, looking college ready from a physicality standpoint this evening. Simmons had numerous buckets in the paint by either posting up or working the offensive glass. He also had a crazy chase-down block on a Davidson player looking to send one home. Simmons and Williams work so well together and with [player_tooltip player_id="616810" first="Sean" last="Jones"] guiding this pair, Gahanna is going to be tough to beat.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="919037" first="Maceo" last="Williams"], 6’6 C Gahanna 2021: Williams in my opinion is a division I basketball player. I know he’s committed to Ashland and I expect him to have a great career there, but I think low major schools missed out on him. The classic rebuttal to Williams being a division I prospect is his height, but Williams does an excellent job of boxing out. Williams also might be the best outlet passer I’ve seen this year after grabbing a defensive rebound. Williams instantly looks up the floor and gets Gahanna into transition in an instant. He also knocked down a 3-pointer to show how his game has evolved since last year.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="616810" first="Sean" last="Jones"], 5’11 PG Gahanna 2022: Jones showed once again why he’s one of the top prospects in the state, dazzling the limited attendance crowd with his quickness and handle. Jones is efficient with his dribbles and gets where he wants, when he wants. He’s also improved as a jump-shooter, becoming much more consistent from 3-point range. He wasn’t asked to do a ton this game offensively, but when he was called on, he delivered. With Jones leading this Gahanna offense, they are going to be expected to compete for a state championship in 2021.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="921743" first="Jared" last="Frey"], 6’5 SG Hilliard Davidson 2022: Frey was a bright spot for the Cats, making it rain in the second half. Frey did a much better job this game compared to our first viewing of the season with getting open from 3-point range. Frey isn’t afraid to shoot well behind the 3-point line but stopped settling for 25+ foot shots in the second half. Thanks to his hot shooting, Davidson kept the game more competitive on the scoreboard than it felt for most of the game in the early fourth quarter,</p>