Central Ohio Week 6 Top Performers

With the new year passing, plenty of games have been played and teams are starting to separate themselves as real Ohio High School State title contenders. This week, there were so many amazing games with amazing performances within them from some amazing players in Central Ohio. College programs are starting to take notice of young men in the area which is because of the work they have put in and the displays on the court. The best point guard in the state looked completely healthy as he put on a show against a competitive team, a battle between different cities took place with state title implications attached to it, a few more players went over 1,000 career points and a game-winner gave a team their first conference win in over 30 attempts. As 2021 smacks us dead in the face, here are the top performers from the week of December 28th- January 2nd. [player_tooltip player_id="616810" first="Sean" last="Jones"]- Junior; Gahanna: The best point guard in the state was back to his best point guard in state ways, dropping 27 in a big 78-64 win over Whitehall to go along with eight assists and then followed that up with 12-point outing in another win over Hilliard Davidson. Against the Rams, Jones found his stroke and nailed four three-point jump shots and had some magnificent finishes in the lane. The junior had renewed bounce in his game this week, splitting double-teams and finding teammates after, throwing alley-oops while being more excited for the finisher, Jones is truly a one of a kind teammate himself. With the Lions moving to 6-0 this week, the entire state should be on notice because they are coming for everything that they believed is owed to them and that is scary. Jason Inbody- Sophomore; Olentangy Berlin: Hitting the game winner in his team’s 43-42 victory over Delaware Hayes for their first OCC win to start the week on December 28th. The 6-foot-4 forward was scorching all night, scoring a team-high 21 points that included some big time finishes through contact. His soft touch around the rim was on display that afternoon, with some impressive shots in the paint. On defense, Inbody’s presence inside was consistently felt with his ability to make drivers think twice and his capability to block shots on the perimeter. He also kept his hands active in the paint coming up with a big-time steal. He followed this game up with a two-block game against Bexley. Inbody is a big time player with a bright future, he has good versatility and a game that will continue to expand over his next two high school seasons. [player_tooltip player_id="1045456" first="Drey" last="Carter"]- Junior; Westerville South: One of the most versatile players in the Central Ohio area, Carter is the prototype of a forward in the game of basketball today. The 6-foot-6 wing hit five three-points shots in the Wildcats 52-40 victory over Marysville in the middle of leading all scorers with 21 total points. Carter takes pressure off his guards because of his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter and break down his defender on his way to the rim while also having the ability to drain mid-range jumpers over anyone who guards him. Carter is also a disrupter on defense, using his long arm to get in passing lanes and block shots while having the lateral quickness to defend players in man-to-man situations. This junior will have plenty of college programs intrigued for the rest of this season and heading into his senior year. [player_tooltip player_id="919034" first="Nash" last="Hostetler"]- Senior; Dublin Coffman: In a three-game span this week, this young man started with a 21-point game then finished it off by scoring 31 and his team finished 3-0 over that span as well. In the first game, a 86-64 rout of Hilliard Davidson, Hostetler buried five three’s then added another smooth seven in the 86-85 beatdown of Olentangy Liberty. Don’t let the sweet shot fool you though, Hostetler can still get to the basket off the dribble with a crafty handle and can finish at the rim with both hands. He added some steals in both of those games, showing his basketball instincts and nose for the ball. The Shamrock guard had himself an amazing week, one that should get him on the radar of more schools. [player_tooltip player_id="809621" first="Ajay" last="Sheldon"]- Junior; Dublin Coffman: Averaging 23 points during a three-game stretch isn’t too shabby and that is exactly what the Shamrock junior guard did. Sheldon started the week dropping 32 points and leading his team in a win over Hilliard Davidson, next he continued his destruction of the Hilliard area by dropping 20 on Darby in a tough win and finished it off with a humble 18 in the blowout over Olentangy Liberty. Sheldon not only showcased his shooting ability but also his athleticism with some impressive finishes at the rim. Sheldon has impressed this writer more and more with every dribble and programs are starting to notice as well, his talents will continue to shine through as this season moves on. [player_tooltip player_id="918967" first="Tasos" last="Cook"]- Senior; Westerville Central: Starting to become a fixture of this article, Cook had a strong week that started with him scoring 19 points in a 56-51 win over Westerville North then he scored 21 in a 53-48 victory over a tough Thomas Worthington team and capped it off with a dominant 25-point performance in the 75-57 win over Olentangy Orange. This stretch of basketball showed that the Warhawks belong in any conversation about the best team in the region. Cook is cooking right now and continues to display his big-time athleticism and his much improved jumper. He is one of the best finishers that this writer has watched so far this season, digging deep in his lay-up bag with amazing body control in the air doing things unathletic old men only dream of doing. It’s ridiculous a kid with this much talent is still unsigned but that will only fuel him to keep terrorizing other basketball teams around Ohio. [player_tooltip player_id="805202" first="Quincy" last="Clark"]- Senior; Westerville Central: Since making his way back to the Warhawk basketball team, he has sparked them and gave them the spark they may not have known they needed. Fresh off his scholarship offer from Northwood, Clark had a really solid week, he was a key contributor to his team’s undefeated week of basketball. He had his best overall game this week in Central’s win over Thomas Worthington where he scored 22 points to go along with three assists and two steals. The senior also seems to have the most fun while playing the game. Clark is a smooth offensive player that never forces bad shots with a consistent jump shot and the ability to get to the basket while being a pure hellraiser on defense and causing all types of issues for opposing guards. A flat out stud of a player that has not signed anywhere yet and looks to keep making noise as this season progresses. [player_tooltip player_id="1041814" first="Andrew" last="Wade"]- Senior; Olentangy Liberty: Last time he saw Canton McKinley, Wade poured in 20 points and added 20 rebounds and this time around he again scored 20 points and this time it included the game winning shot as well. While he did not snatch down 20 more rebounds, he still stayed on the glass like a fly in the summertime and allowed his team to get in transition. Wade also finished in the lane through contact and used his soft touch to get shots to drop. His hard work is seen when watching him, never getting off the easiest shot but it’s always the shot he wants. The 6-foot-5 forward does damage on the offensive end and can defend just as well, something that college programs should take notice of. Adonus Abrams- Freshman; Harvest Prep: The breakout game of the season for a young man who had tragedy strike his family the day after, Abrams scored 17 off the bench and impacted the game in many different ways. His ball handling eased pressure off his teammates and allowed him to be aggressive attacking the basket. The 5-foot-10 guard looked like the next great one at Harvest Prep as he hit a couple three-point jump shots with a smooth looking shot and finished at the rim over taller and more athletic players. Abrams plays smart and with poise beyond his young years, he is the guard of future that schools should be keeping their eyes on. [player_tooltip player_id="922602" first="Ryan" last="Nutter"]- Sophomore; Dublin Jerome: More than likely the best passer in his class, Nutter has a next level passing gift and showed it off this week. He notched five assists in his team’s 60-47 win over Bishop Hartley to go along with scoring 12 important points. Nutter is beyond his years with his court vision and can hit teammates with a number of difference passes that all have English and zip to them. The 6-foot-3 guard can also get into the lane and knock down shots when called upon as well, using his height to get the ball over smaller defenders. Nutter can absorb contact as he is driving the ball as well as anybody in the area, showing his physical toughness. The OCC has a problem on its hands and they better find a way to solve it before this young man develops into the monster he is meant to be. Lachlan McDonald- Sophomore; Dublin Jerome: A knock down shooter, especially when [player_tooltip player_id="922602" first="Ryan" last="Nutter"] gets you the ball in the perfect position, McDonald drained seven three pointers and scored 21 points in the win over a tough Bishop Hartley team. McDonald continuously found ways to get open on the Hawks’ defense and was amazing in catch-and-shoot situations. The 6-foot-1 guard has a nice looking shot as well, getting the puppies in order before the shot and the jumper always seems to look as if it is going in. With the backcourt of the future intact with Dublin Jerome, fans can expect more performances like this for the next couple of seasons. Lincoln Cunningham- Senior; Fredericktown: The senior brought in the new year on January 2nd with a 28-point explosion in his team’s 71-46 drubbing over Tree Of Life. He added a couple of steals that turned into transition baskets for himself, finishing with both hands. Cunningham also knocked down a couple of triples, showing that the 6-foot-2 guard can stretch the defense and hit perimeter shots. The senior also showed his scoring abilities in a 30-point outburst earlier in the season as well. In half court situations, he was able to put the ball on the floor and get past the defense to finish at the rim. Cunningham can get as hot as any player in his conference, a kid that can raise his game at any given moment. [player_tooltip player_id="919026" first="Royal" last="Sibley"]- Senior; Whitehall: Despite coming up short to one of the best teams in the state, Sibley established that he is a prospect that should be getting more phone calls from colleges. The 6-foot-6, long and athletic senior scored 20 points and snagged down nine rebounds in his team’s loss to Gahanna. Sibley is amazing inside the three-point arch, being money in the mid-range and being able to finish over any player that defends him. He has a reliable handle on the perimeter in order to make plays for himself, with a soft touch around the rim. Defensively, Sibley can defend on the perimeter himself to cause trouble for ball handlers and can block shots on the inside. Sibley is still not signed and that needs to change immediately, this young man can do a little bit of everything on the court and will provide versatility to any team he is on. [player_tooltip player_id="867951" first="Devin" last="Royal"]- Sophomore; Pickerington Central: Hanging 24 on an Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary team that boasts Ohio State commit [player_tooltip player_id="593905" first="Malaki" last="Branham"] and being his team’s best player earns him a spot on this list. The sophomore was at his apex in the paint, with some tough finishes over s tough defensive team. Despite the 68-53 loss, Royal played like royalty, he hit open shooters while in the paint and displayed a knack for passing the ball. The 6-foot-4 wing showed a good handle, getting into the lane by putting the ball on the floor and getting his shot off. Royal will be a problem over the next two seasons for the Tigers, and a big time prospect for college programs. [player_tooltip player_id="805216" first="Jack" last="Christian"]- Senior; Marysville: Leading the way for his team with 18 points in the midst of scoring his 1,000th point in his team’s loss to Westerville South. He started off slow but came out in the second half and looked to assert himself so he calmly sunk numerous three-point baskets to get his team back into the game. Christian is one of the best shooters in the area and proved it once he was able to find his rhythm by draining four total jumpers from deep. Scoring close to half of his team’s points put a different type of pressure on this young man and he was able to shoulder the load for most of the game. A true leader and one of the toughest guards in the area, Christian is productive as they come in the Central Ohio area. [player_tooltip player_id="921743" first="Jared" last="Frey"]- Junior; Hilliard Davidson: The best source of offense for his team, Frey kept the Wildcats in both games despite coming up on the wrong end of both. On December 28th, Frey dropped 25 on Dublin Coffman and gave the Shamrocks fits going 10-for-15 from the field and followed that up by putting up 21 on possibly the best team in the state, Gahanna Lincoln, in which he sunk five three’s. The lefty was pulling up from Tuttle Mall no matter what the score was, with a flick quicker than a kid who doesn’t want to take his mother’s picture. Frey is a tough-minded guard who can have huge games like those one any given day, college programs should watch out for the 6-foot-5 knockdown shooter. [player_tooltip player_id="1078992" first="DJ" last="Donnell"]- Senior; Bishop Hartley: One of this writer’s favorite young men playing basketball, seeing him come from a literal kid to a fine young player, Donnell is all energy on the court which is something that honestly has not changed at all. DJ put up 15 points in the Hawks loss to Dublin Jerome but he defended well all night long and scored most of those 15 in the second half as they were trying to make a comeback. The long arms of Donnell allows him to disrupt other guards and the energy he plays with is something that everyone loves about him, again something he has had since he was a kid playing recreation basketball. Any college that wants a coach’s dream of a player, DJ is sitting around waiting on your call!   *All statistics provided by 270Hoops.com