Central Ohio high school basketball: Five things we learned from Jan. 22 events
Among those in attendance Jan. 22 for the Jared Sullinger Play by Play Classic at Ohio Dominican were the father of the event’s namesake – former longtime central Ohio coach Satch Sullinger – and Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann.
Some of central Ohio’s top talents also appeared at the six-team event, including juniors such as Africentric’s Dailyn Swain and Pickerington Central’s Devin Royal and standout seniors like Gahanna Lincoln’s Sean Jones.
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The competition wasn’t bad either, with the final game featuring Heath edging DeSales 55-50 in overtime in a matchup of Division II teams hoping to battle for district championships a few weeks from now.
The event was among three showcases held that day, with Hartley playing host to a six-team girls event called the Battle in the Hawks’ Nest and the Africentric girls playing host to the four-game Nubian Classic.
Here are five things we learned from central Ohio basketball events held Jan. 22:
1. The Hilliard Bradley boys look increasingly like a top-five seed in the Division I district tournament.
The Jaguars have been one of central Ohio’s hottest teams of late and have emerged as a district-title candidate.
Bradley beat Africentric 51-42 in the Play by Play Classic for its 10th consecutive victory to improve to 12-2 as sophomore guard Jeb Bischoff scored 19 points.
In addition to Bischoff’s emergence, one thing making Bradley so tough to beat is the play of sophomore guard Cade Norris, who poured in 33 points in a 61-55 victory over the state’s No. 10 team, Upper Arlington, on Jan. 21 and averages 16.5 points.
In addition, senior Tayshaun Mayfield is an athletic forward who can drive and shoot.
2. The balanced approach of the Westerville South girls team is paying off.
The Wildcats have won seven of eight, including beating Northland 50-37 in the opening game of the Nubian Classic to improve to 12-4.
Junior guard Tamara Ortiz scored 21 points and was named her team’s MVP. She has combined with junior guards Nelia Guice and Leila Jones to give South a trio of players who average between 11 and 13 points.
Pickerington Central, which defeated Cincinnati Princeton 65-60 to improve to 11-6, and Reynoldsburg, which beat the host Nubians 74-50 in the finale of the event to improve to 14-2, look like locks to make it to at least a Division I district final – if not further.
South, though, should be in the discussion for a long tournament run as well.
3. Gahanna and Pickerington Central had business-like performances at the Play by Play Classic.
Two of central Ohio’s four state-ranked Division I teams – Central, which is tied with Westerville South for second and Gahanna, which is fifth – picked up double-digit wins over state-ranked teams in smaller divisions.
Gahanna had little trouble in a 54-37 win over Akron Buchtel, the seventh-ranked team in Division II, as Jones finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Central trailed by 10 points at halftime against Cincinnati Taft, which is ranked eighth in Division III, but its inside combination of junior forwards Sonny Styles and Royal produced 21 points and helped the Tigers close on a 12-0 run.
4. The Harvest Prep and Africentric boys continue to solidify their spots atop central Ohio in Division III.
In the second game of the Play by Play Classic, Harvest Prep beat Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 74-60 as junior guard Zyuan Hutson had 15 points. CVCA features one of the state’s top freshmen in 6-foot-4 guard Darryn Peterson, who had 20 points.
While the Warriors are 10-2 and fifth in the state poll, the Nubians are 11-4 after their loss to Bradley and are ranked sixth in the state.
Swain finished with 17 points for Africentric, which was without senior guard Dan Wagner but was within two possessions of the Jaguars during the final three minutes.
5. Hartley and Watterson had dramatic battles in the Battle in the Hawks’ Nest.
The only area teams to compete in the Battle in the Hawks’ Nest were Watterson and host Hartley, both of which should leave the event feeling toughened.
Watterson is 10-4 after opening the event with a 47-46 loss to Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, which improved to 11-2.
Hartley is 11-3 after beating Dayton Carroll 51-45 in the finale.
Hartley and Watterson are battling for the CCL title as well as positioning for the district tournament drawing, with the Hawks ranked fifth in the Division II state poll and the Eagles looking to secure a seed in the top 10 in Division I.
julrey@thisweeknews.com
@UlreyThisWeek
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Columbus-area high school basketball: Five things we learned Jan. 22
