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Dayton Recruiting

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#1 · (Edited)
Top-100 Recruit Likes Flyers (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 25, 2009)

(Article about Brandon Spearman)


Flyers Going After Guards (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 27, 2009)

(Article about Jalen Steele, Jesse Berry, Brandon Spearman, and Cameron Wright)


Flyers aim for a great class (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 28, 2009)

(Article about Jesse Berry, Jalen Steele, and Brandon Spearman)


Dayton Flyers 2009-10 Depth Chart with 2008-09 Scoring (5 Seniors):

PG: London Warren (6-0 Sr./ 4.1 PPG), Rob Lowery (6-2 Sr./ 7.5 PPG)
SG: Marcus Johnson (6-3 Sr./ 11.8 PPG), Mickey Perry (6-2 Sr./ 4.6 PPG), Paul Williams (6-4 Soph./ 2.2 PPG)
SF: Chris Wright (6-8 Jr./ 13.3 PPG), Chris Johnson (6-5 Soph./ 6.3 PPG), Luke Fabrizius (6-9 Soph./ 4.3 PPG)
PF: Devin Searcy (6-10 Jr./ 2.8 PPG), Josh Benson (6-10 Fr./ DNP)
C: Kurt Huelsman (6-10 Sr./ 3.6 PPG), Matt Kavanaugh (6-10 Fr./ DNP)

Brian Gregory has 6 scholarships available for the 2010 Class (the 5 present seniors plus Stephen Thomas’ scholarship) and the following wish list:

1 point guard
1 shooting guard
2 combo guards
1 combo forward
Adreian Payne

The point guard scholarship went to Juwan Staten.

At the present time, Brandon Spearman and Jalen Steele are the front-runners for the shooting guard scholarship.

Both combo guard scholarships have now been awarded, the first going to Drake transfer Josh Parker, who will be a junior in 2010-11 (Josh Parker video) and the second to Jesse Berry.

The combo forward scholarship went to Ralph Hill, who appears to be a slightly bigger version of multi-skilled, athletic Chris Johnson. Brian Gregory was in early on both Ralph Hill and Chris Johnson, and both flew under the national radar (i.e. head coaches of BCS-conference schools and the basketball recruiting websites) before committing to Dayton. As you recall, Chris Johnson was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team in March 2009, which was quite an accomplishment for a reserve SF playing behind Chris Wright. At 6’-5” Chris Johnson is quite capable of playing the SG position against opponents’ taller SGs. Brian Gregory is very keen to stock his roster with players who can play 2 positions – “interchangeable parts” as he calls them – and is doing a great job of so.

The sixth and final scholarship available for 2010 is being held for PF/C Adreian Payne, who may or may not commit to Dayton. As many of you know already, Payne is still very raw, but has incredible upside potential. If Payne commits elsewhere, Brian Gregory may offer it to another 2010 prospect or hold the scholarship for a 2011 prospect.

PF # 2 Adreian Payne (Rivals.com)

PF # 7 Adreian Payne (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

C # 4 Adreian Payne (Scout.com)


It is relevant to ask how much UD’s recruiting has improved since Brian Gregory was named head coach of the Dayton Flyers.

This question is best answered by looking at the last two recruiting classes that were signed by Oliver Purnell before he left for Clemson:

University of Dayton Prospects: HS Class of 2002 (Scout.com)

University of Dayton Prospects: HS Class of 2003 (Scout.com)


If Chris Wright has a monster season in 2009-10 (i.e. 18 PPG, 8 RPG, 50% FGs, and 40% from 3-point range) he may well forego his senior year at UD and head to the NBA a year early as a first-round draft pick. However, given the very strong field of players who will likely be in the 2010 NBA Draft, coupled with Derrick Brown's disappointing # 40 selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, I consider it far more likely that Wright will play his senior year at UD.

If Wright does leave early for the NBA, the Flyers will still have junior Chris Johnson, junior Luke Fabrizius, and freshman Ralph Hill available to man the 3-spot in 2010-11. This means that Brian Gregory will not find himself in Chris Mack's situation of having to waste a valuable scholarship on a career pine-jockey in a desperate attempt to fill a hole in the roster after the unexpected departure of the team's best player.


Dayton has not passed Xavier as a program yet, but as each season goes by, Brian Gregory has been building a stronger roster and closing the gap between the Flyers and the Musketeers. I believe it is likely that the Flyers will win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and continue to improve relative to Xavier and the rest of the Atlantic 10 basketball teams. However, that is only one man's humble opinion. As always, we'll see . . .


Related Threads:

PG Chooses Dayton (Juwan Staten) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started February 27, 2008)

Spring Period Signings in the A-10 (Josh Parker) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started April 18, 2009)

Ralph Hill, 2010 SF commits to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started April 28, 2009)

Class of 2010: ESPNU Super 60 (Juwan Staten) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 1, 2009)

Overview of Your Team Next Year (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 20, 2009)

Dayton vs. Xavier in 2009-10 (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 29, 2009)

2009-10 Preseason Rankings (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 16, 2009)

July 2009: AAU Tournaments and Evaluation Period (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 26, 2009)

2010 NBA Draft (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 26, 2009)

Berry to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 2, 2009)

Chris Wright on Yahoo! homepage (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 7, 2009)

Dayton Flyers Land Another Top 100 Recruit (Brandon Spearman) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 17, 2009)

SF Devin Oliver Commits to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started October 18, 2009)

Today is National Letter of Intent Day (Atlantic 10 MB thread started November 11, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2008 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2009 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2010 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlantic 10: 2009-10 Predicted Order of Finish (A10 MB thread started October 6, 2009)

Rivals.com Ranks All 347 Division I Teams (A10 MB thread started September 11, 2009)

CHN's 144 Teams in 144 Days (A10 MB thread started July 23, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dayton Recruiting (A10 MB thread started July 2, 2009)

Thinking About ... DAYTON (WH MB thread started October 17, 2009)


2009-10 Season Predictions: Flyers Lead the Way (A10 MB thread started September 29, 2009)

ESPN's Top Basketball Programs of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000 (A10 MB thread started October 5, 2009)

A-10 Non-conference Records Predictions (A10 MB thread started October 10, 2009)

A10 Media Day (A10 MB thread started October 20, 2009)

Early Season Tournaments (A10 MB thread started August 6, 2009)

Dayton's 3-Point Shooting to be Upgraded for 2010-11 Season (A10 MB thread started November 21, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dayton Flyers 2009-10 Schedule & Results (DaytonFlyers.com)

Game 1: # 21 Dayton 90, Creighton 80 (Flyers 1-0):
CU/UD Game thoughts (A10 MB thread)

Game 2: # 18 Dayton 63, # 22 Georgia Tech 59 (Flyers 2-0):
Puerto Rico thread......UD/GA Tech (A10 MB thread)

Game 3: # 5 Villanova 71, Dayton 65 (Flyers 2-1):
UD/Nova game thread (A10 MB thread)

Game 4: Kansas State 83, Dayton 75 (Flyers 2-2):
UD/Kansas St. game thread (A10 MB thread)

 
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#353 ·
Gregory is easily a better recruiter than Matta. That's why it's such a head scratcher that Gregory hasn't won an A10 title with the players he's recruited.

Just wait until BG has a few more recruiting classes of his guys and UD will win a conference title. Five recruiting classes isn't enough time realistically for a coach to be expected to win a conf championship.

Just wait. Trust me. Wait and see. Calipari, Williams, Self, Barnes, Wright, etc will be sorry they didn't go after Kavanaugh, Hill, Berry, and Oliver.

Just you wait. An A10 Title is coming for Gregory with his players.
 
#354 ·
Brian Snow? Is that you with more of your objective analysis?
 
#355 ·
No hate here: I think Gregory is an outstanding recruiter. Particularly the midwest.

Trust me when I say the AD's at Iowa, DePaul, Northwestern and others are dialed into that fact as well. When big daddy Izzo tells BG it's time to move on - he will. I sure am going to miss the little guy.
 
#360 ·
Tonight:

Lafayette Jefferson vs. Fishers HS, 7:30 pm (home)
Chicago Simeon at Harlan HS (Chicago, IL) 4:00 pm
Westerville North HS at Olentangy HS

Saturday, January 16th:

Oak Hill Academy vs.Columbus Northland HS, at Springfield, MA - ESPN TV - 4:00 pm
Lafayette Jefferson at Anderson HS, 8:00 pm

 
#361 ·
Three wins for the Flyers' recruits last night.

Jesse Berry scored 22 points, Brandon Spearman scored 23 points, and Ralph Hill scored 29 points.



Lafayette Jeff's 31 free throws sink Fishers (jconline - Jan. 15, 2010)

Jesse Berry did not believe Fishers' defense could stop him from going to the basket.

The Tigers did, but mostly by fouling him.

Berry made 17 of 20 free throws, believed to be a school record for most by one player, to lead the Bronchos past Fishers 74-69 at Crawley Center on Friday.

"They were playing box-and-one. When they are in a box-and-one, the best bet is to get to the free throw line," Berry said. "It's hard to score against a box-and-one, and it helped me out getting in the lane and getting fouls and creating shots for the team."

Last season, Berry torched the Tigers for 55 points, but Jeff barely escaped with a double-overtime victory.

This time, he scored only 22 but was happy to leave with a victory after regulation.

"Last year, we were really tired," he said. "I knew they were going to do something to stop me defensively, and we were ready for it."


Simeon tunes up for trip with win (Sun-Times - Jan. 15, 2010)

The No. 6 Wolverines regained focus in time to pull out a 59-43 victory Friday in the Red South.

Leading 27-20 at halftime Simeon exploded in the third quarter with a 15-2 run to take a 42-22 lead on a three-pointer from the corner by Brandon Spearman.

The Falcons fought back but could never get any closer than 10 points for the remainder of the game.

Spearman led all scorers with 23 points for Simeon (14-4, 6-0) and grabbed seven rebounds.


Westerville North 62, Olentangy 50 (Dispatch - Jan. 15, 2010)

Westerville North 13 16 19 14 — 62
Olentangy 5 12 15 18 — 50

Westerville North: Forrest 2-3-7, Nettles 3-6-12, Edgerton 1-0-2, DeBoer 2-3-7, Hochstetler 1-3-5, Ralph Hill 9-10-29.

3-point goals: Ralph Hill


 
#387 · (Edited)
I'm not going to lose any sleep over Jess Berry's 16-point game.

Last season, Jesse made a name for himself with his prolific scoring. This season, Jefferson's opponents have been double-teaming Jesse whenever he is on the court and leaving a less-dangerous Jefferson player unguarded, which had resulted in a drop in Jesse's scoring during his senior year (compared to his junior year) and more balanced scoring for the Bronchos this year compared to last year.

Next season, Dayton's opponents will not have the luxury of double-teaming anyone in the Flyers' line-up. Based on Jesse's past performances, it's quite reasonable to think that Jesse will shoot better with one player guarding him than two players guarding him.


Berry's 51 Points Leads Lafayette Jefferson over Rossville (Nov. 27, 2008)

LAFAYETTE -- Jesse Berry scored a school-record 51 points as Lafayette Jefferson scored a 94-76 victory over Rossville in the opener for both teams at the Crawley enter Wednesday night.

Berry was 17 of 32 from the field and connected on half of 3-point attempts (6-12), many of those from near NBA range.


Jesse Berry Leading Bronchos to Wins (WLFI.com - Jan. 22, 2009)

Jesse Berry is a nightmare for opposing defenses. This season, he's led the Bronchos to their third straight J & C Hoops Classic title and he's scored 152 points in 3 games this year.

Jesse Berry says, "I just want to do everything I can to help my team win."

Bronchos head coach Scot Bunnell said, "He works extremely hard on his game. He takes a lot of pride in being a good player. He takes a lot of pride in trying to imporve in areas that he needs to improve in. I think we've seen that from last year to this year that he's done those things."

One of Berry's biggest accomplishments this season is setting the school record for points in a game. He set it earlier this season, scoring 51 against Rossville. This past Friday night he dropped 55 against Fishers, breaking his own record.


Making a name for himself (Rivals.com - June 9, 2009) Excerpt

"The big difference is that colleges are now just finding him," said coach Brumm. I believe Jesse had six games where he scored over 40 points.

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Dayton Flyers' 2009-10 Three-point Shooting (Yahoo!)

Dayton Flyers' 2009-10 Free-throw Shooting (Yahoo!)


This year's seniors are very intense players, but unfortunately for the Flyers, they are not very good three-point shooters or free-throw shooters. But all six new players joining the Flyers next season are reportedly very good shooters.


Jesse Berry scored 22 points, Brandon Spearman scored 23 points, and Ralph Hill scored 29 points.

Lafayette Jeff's 31 free throws sink Fishers (jconline - Jan. 15, 2010)

Berry made 17 of 20 free throws, believed to be a school record for most by one player, to lead the Bronchos past Fishers 74-69 at Crawley Center on Friday.

"They were playing box-and-one. When they are in a box-and-one, the best bet is to get to the free throw line," Berry said. "It's hard to score against a box-and-one, and it helped me out getting in the lane and getting fouls and creating shots for the team."

"Last year, we were really tired,"
he said. "I knew they were going to do something to stop me defensively, and we were ready for it."

Columbus-area Stat Leaders (Dispatch - Feb. 2, 2010 - 2:58 AM)

Scoring: Ralph Hill: 22.3 PPG

Rebounding: Ralph Hill: 10.0 RPG

Field Goal Percentage: Ralph Hill: 58.5 % (110 of 188 FG attempts made)

Free-throw Percentage: Ralph Hill: 91.4 % (71 of 84 FT attempts made)

Josh Parker - Career Stats (Yahoo!)

Josh Parker in 2008-09: 43.2 % on 3-pointers and 72.0 % on free-throws.

 
#362 ·
Ralph Hill's team plays tomorrow at 11:30 AM in the Flyin to the Hoop tourney, looking forward to it. The game after that is Pine Crest vs A. Payne's Jefferson team. Brandon Knight, perhaps the top player in the 2010 class plays for Pine Crest.
 
#363 · (Edited)
Best of luck to Ralph this morning.

Berry's 29 Points Spark Jeff (jconline - Jan. 17, 2010)

ANDERSON -- Jesse Berry's game-high 29 points and six assists guided Lafayette Jeff to a 74-56 boys basketball victory over Anderson in the Wigwam Saturday night.


Neumann-Goretti Holds Off Simeon at the Hoophall Classic (HoopHall Classic - Jan. 17, 2010)

SPRINGFIELD MA- The 18th-ranked Neumann Goretti High School held off a furious comeback by Simeon to post a 54-50 victory at the Spalding Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus.

Brandon Spearman, who will be heading to the University of Massachusetts Atlantic 10 Conference rival Dayton in the fall, drained a 30-foot 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left to get Simeon within two points, 52-50.

Jabari Parker led Simeon with 16 points; Spearman finished with 11.


No. 10 Neumann Goretti Tops No. 59 Simeon (Rivals.com - Jan. 17, 2010)

 
#364 ·
Ralph but on a heck of a performance today. Had 28 points and 9 boards, going heads up with a kid that's going to NC State who easily had 2 inches and a dozen pounds on him. He's very much like CJ in that he simply lets the game come to him. There's a calm smoothness to his game. First two possessions of the game he hit a corner three and a quick turnaround jumper from 15. For those that obsess, he looks very good at the FT line as well.

He needs a lot of bulk, and he's not overly athletic (but far from a stiff), but he looks like a player. From day 1 he should be able to hit jumpers and get some things done in transition. I was very impressed with his leadership on the floor. He was very vocal with his teammates, and everything was positive. I don't suspect he'll ever be a superstar, but he should be a nice role player early that develops into a team leader as his 4 years go on.
 
#366 · (Edited)
Here you go blob. These three articles will bring you (and anyone else interested) up to speed:


Dayton Signs Top Recruiting Class of Staten, Hill, Berry, Spearman, & Oliver (DaytonFlyers.com - Nov. 11, 2009)


Flyer Recruit Staten a Spectator in Team's Win Over Ball State (Doug Harris, DDN - Jan. 6, 2010)

Juwan Staten has been thriving this season, averaging about 13 points and seven assists for Oak Hill, which suffered its first defeat last week after 16 straight victories.

UD's Hoops Recruiting Class Living Up to Billing (Doug Harris, DDN - Jan. 14, 2010)

Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central High School coach Mike Thomas thinks UD signee Devin Oliver ultimately will make the leap to the pros. The 6-foot-7 wing, who has been sidelined recently with a foot injury, is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and is versatile enough to play all five positions.

“You guys are getting a great player,” Thomas said. “I called it last year: Devin is going to be in the NBA.

“I say that because he’s skilled, and he’s a sponge. I know he’s going to a good program that’s going to teach him nothing but the right way. Once he takes everything in, the sky’s the limit. He can shoot it, he can post, but the best thing about him is how he shares the ball.”

The Flyers’ five-member 2010 recruiting class is ranked 23rd nationally by Rivals.com, one spot behind Xavier. Staten is rated as the 44th-best prospect individually, but he’s not the only one to make the Rivals’ top 150.

Chicago Simeon guard Brandon Spearman has cracked that exclusive list at No. 116. He’s known for being a lock-down defender and blossomed offensively last summer. He’s averaging 15 points and seven rebounds on a team loaded with Division I prospects.

“We’re only playing him 18-19 minutes because of the balance we have,” said Simeon coach Robert Smith, whose squad is ranked fourth in the Illinois all-division state poll. “If we had to keep him out there longer, his stats would definitely be higher. But we’re a well-rounded team and don’t have to kill him.

“He’s doing well, REAL well. ... We wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Ralph Hill of Westerville North was recruited by UD as a power forward, but he recently put his shooting range on display against Dublin Scioto by knocking down six 3-pointers.

He’s averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.

“He’s attracting a lot of individual attention, which is a compliment to him,” coach Kevin Thuman said. “He’s getting a lot of combination defenses — box-and-ones, face-guarding, making it tough for him to catch the ball. They’re not playing him straight up.

“But a lot of things (UD coach Brian) Gregory liked about him are there. He’s real athletic, really runs the floor well and plays defense.”

Although 6-1 guard Jesse Berry of Lafayette (Ind.) Jefferson was suspended for one game for undisclosed reasons, he’s been a scoring machine again this season. He’s averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 40 percent on 3s and 47 percent overall.

But Lafayette Jeff, which plays in perhaps the toughest prep league in the state, has struggled to a 7-4 record.

“He’s doing real well, but he’s all we’ve got,” coach Scot Bunnell said.
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Edit: Josh Parker - Career Stats (Yahoo!)

JOSH PARKER TRANSFERS TO DAYTON FROM DRAKE (DaytonFlyers - April 24, 2009)
 
#367 · (Edited)
In no particular order:

Juwan Staten - Lightning quick PG capable of scoring in bunches and creating for his teammates. Should be ready to go from day 1.

Brandon Spearman - Improving jumper, potentially a lock down defender.

Jesse Berry - Great scorer and great from 3.

Ralph Hill - Silky smooth jumper, both in the midrange game and from 3. Needs bulk and needs development in his footwork.

Devin Oliver - Good shooter, high motor guy. Seems to be less ready for the college game than the others, but the raw potential is there. I've had him pegged as a redshirt since he committed, and with his foot injury I feel more strongly about that.

Josh Parker, transfer from Drake - Good shooter (a recurring theme). Averaged 10PPG as a sophomore at Drake. The little I saw of him at the Red and Blue game he's very strong, and quick. Should be a nice PG compliment to Staten.
 
#368 ·
Thanks for the replies. Let me see if I have it about right for next season:

Staten and Parker step in and basically take over for Warren/Lowery. I assume Staten starts and Parker's off the bench..

Spearman for MJ. Does he start as a freshman or Williams? Or do you start both Staten and Parker like X sometimes does Holloway/Lyons?

Oliver redshirts a la Derrick Brown.

Hill and Berry in the mix as like 10th or 11th guys early.

Who plays Center next year? Don't both Searcy and Huelsman graduate?
 
#369 · (Edited)
Searcy will be back.

Oliver will only RS if Wright comes back for his senior year.

Parker may actually start over Staten at first. Parker's body looks like he walked out of a muscle magazine and he's played one year of DI ball already.

This is just a half hazard guess this far out but starting lineup without CW looks like this:

Parker/Staten
Williams/Spearman/Berry
Johnson/Hill
Benson
Searcy/Kavs

Something to that effect.
 
#371 · (Edited)
I'll bet that BG is trying to make Fabrizius a 4. I'm not sure if it will work, but I'll bet that is the idea for next year.

2010 - 2011 UD roster so far, assuming no losses (Wright to NBA?), and taking my best guesses at position.

pg - Juwan Staten (FR), Josh Parker (JR)
sg - Paul Williams (JR), Jesse Berry (FR), Brandon Spearman (FR)
sf - Chris Johnson (JR), Ralph Hill (FR), Devin Oliver (FR, Redshirt?)
pf - Chris Wright (SR), Josh Benson (RS-SO), Luke Fabrizius (JR)
c - Devin Searcy (SR), Matt Kavanaugh (SO)

It's really futile to try and decide positions, because a lot of these guys can play at least 2 spots. The big question now is if Chris Wright leaves early to go pro. I don't think anyone can say for sure now, but it will, of course have a huge impact on our team next year. I think I heard that if Wright stays, Oliver is likely to redshirt.
If Wright goes, I would not be suprised to see BG try and get a JUCO big man if he can find a guy worth the effort.
 
#372 · (Edited)
Ralph Hill is on a roll:

December 11th vs. Westerville Central: Ralph Hill: 26 points including 4 3-pointers.
December 18th at Dublin Scioto: Ralph Hill: 30 points including 6 3-pointers.
January 5th at Westerville South: Ralph Hill: 18 points.
January 8th vs. Marysville: Ralph Hill: 30 points including 2 3-pointers.
January 9th at Canton McKinley: Ralph Hill: 22 points and 15 rebounds.
January 15th at Olentangy: Ralph Hill: 29 points including 1 3-pointer.
January 18th vs. Flora Macdonald Academy (NC): Ralph Hill: 28 points and 9 reb.


Highlights from Flyin' to the Hoop Games on Jan. 18 (Kyle Nagel, DDN - Jan. 19, 2010)

Westerville North coach Kevin Thuman said that when 6-foot-6 forward Ralph Hill accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Dayton last summer, Flyers coach Brian Gregory e-mailed him a list of things to work on. Among that list was a request to shoot hundreds of free throws per day.

The work is paying off, as Hill made 8-of-8 free throws in scoring 28 points and collecting nine rebounds, three assists and three steals to help North top Flora Macdonald Academy 67-56.

Hill battled with Flora’s Luke Cothron, a 6-8 North Carolina State recruit who scored 23 points.

PF # 8 Luke Cothron (Rivals.com Profile)

PF # 11 Luke Cothron (Grade = 95) (ESPN/Scouts Inc.)

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Re: Ralph Hill, 2010 SF Commits to Dayton

He is a 0 star player according to Rivals with offers from Ball State, Miami, Akron, and Dayton.

I tried to find him on Scout but he doesn't have a profile.
 
#374 ·
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A10fan2

This message is hidden because A10fan2 is on your ignore list.
__________________________________________________


As you already know, I can't see your post, but does this answer your question ?

SG # 13 Justin Martin (Grade = 95) (ESPN/Scouts Inc.)

Lawrence North 63, Chicago Simeon 61 (Indianapolis Star - December 20, 2008)

Dominique Ferguson scored 17 points and yanked down a game-high 13 rebounds, helping Class 4A No. 4 Lawrence North defeat Chicago Simeon 63-61 in the Windy City Showdown late Saturday night in boys high school basketball. Stephan Van Treese also scored 17 points, and Ryan Taylor added 13 for the Wildcats (6-1). Lawrence North outrebounded the Wolverines (2-5) by a 44-27 margin.

Simeon's Brandon Spearman led all scorers with 23 points, and teammate Jeremy Jones followed with 21.

Score by Quarter:

Lawrence North: 20 13 15 15 -- 63
Chicago Simeon: 15 16 15 15 -- 61

Lawrence North - Ferguson 17, Van Treese 17, Taylor 13, Smith 6, Justin Martin 6, Bass 4, Ashley 0, Davis 0, Splinters Robinson 0.

3-pointers: Justin Martin, Smith.

Chicago Simeon - Brandon Spearman 23, Jones 21, Orange 7, Walker 4, Minster 2, Pinkney 2, Robinson 2, Greer 0, McElerth 0.

3-pointers: Brandon Spearman 3, Jones 2, Orange 2. 61


That Brian Gregory really knows how to spot talent !

 
#781 · (Edited)
Dayton's HS Class of 2010 Recruit Grades (ESPN/Scouts Inc.)

94 - PG # 12 Juwan Staten

91 - SG # 46 Brandon Spearman

89 - SF # 49 Devin Oliver

87 - SF # 68 Ralph Hill


Xavier's HS Class of 2010 Recruit Grades (ESPN/Scouts Inc.)

95 - SG # 13 Justin Martin

92 - SF # 28 Jay Canty

90 - PF # 51 Jordan Latham

89 - PF # 63 Griffin McKenzie

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Justin Martin (95) vs. Brandon Spearman (91):

Lawrence North 63, Chicago Simeon 61 (Indianapolis Star - December 20, 2008)

Dominique Ferguson scored 17 points and yanked down a game-high 13 rebounds, helping Class 4A No. 4 Lawrence North defeat Chicago Simeon 63-61 in the Windy City Showdown late Saturday night in boys high school basketball. Stephan Van Treese also scored 17 points, and Ryan Taylor added 13 for the Wildcats (6-1). Lawrence North outrebounded the Wolverines (2-5) by a 44-27 margin.

Simeon's Brandon Spearman led all scorers with 23 points, and teammate Jeremy Jones followed with 21.

Score by Quarter:

Lawrence North: 20 13 15 15 -- 63
Chicago Simeon: 15 16 15 15 -- 61

Lawrence North - Ferguson 17, Van Treese 17, Taylor 13, Smith 6, Justin Martin 6, Bass 4, Ashley 0, Davis 0, Splinters Robinson 0.

3-pointers: Justin Martin, Smith.

Chicago Simeon - Brandon Spearman 23, Jones 21, Orange 7, Walker 4, Minster 2, Pinkney 2, Robinson 2, Greer 0, McElerth 0.

3-pointers: Brandon Spearman 3, Jones 2, Orange 2.
The Chicago Pipeline:





Simeon Gets Spark from Spearman (Sun-Times - March 19, 2010)

PEORIA – Brandon Spearman did it again.

Spearman responded almost immediately, draining three-pointers at the 7:10 and 6:40 marks of the fourth quarter. His dunk with 21 seconds to play sealed the win.

Spearman finished with 19 points. He shot 8-for-11 from the field.




Brandon Spearman of Simeon leaps for a dunk near the end of the game.


Class 4A Championship: Simeon's Simply No. 1 (Chicago Tribune - March 21, 2010)




Simeon celebrates their 51-36 win over Young in the Class 4A Championship game.


Player of the game: Brandon Spearman, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals.



There's No Stopping Simeon, Spearman (Chicago Sun-Times - March 20, 2010)

Spearman, who finished with 13 points and five rebounds, led Simeon in scoring in all seven State Tournament games.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Griffin McKenzie (89), Devin Oliver (89), and Ralph Hill (87):

All-Ohio Basketball Teams: Division I (Columbus Dispatch - March 22, 2010)

FIRST TEAM: Jared Sullinger, Northland, 6-9, sr., 24.5 PPG; Jordan Sibert, Cin. Princeton, 6-4, sr., 18.4; Cole Krizancic, Mentor, 5-11, jr., 27.1; Anthony Henderson, Tol. Start, 6-2, sr., 28.3; Mark Henniger, Mass. Jackson, 6-8, sr., 20.6.

Player of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Cols. Northland.


SECOND TEAM: Darrin Harris, Mansfield Sr., 6-2, sr., 18.8; Allen Payne, Cin. Winton Woods, 6-7, sr., 17.0; Demetrius Treadwell, Euclid, 6-7, sr., 22.8; Tyler Peters, Medina, 6-2, sr., 16.1 Traevon Jackson, Westerville South, 6-2, jr., 20.2.


THIRD TEAM: Cory Veldhuizen, N. Canton Hoover, 6-5, sr., 18.1 Shawn Dyer, Marion Harding, 6-1, sr., 20.0; Robert Davis, Tol. Bowsher, 6-3, jr., 25.7; Travis Trice, Huber Hts. Wayne, 6-0, jr., 21.9; DaWuan Thomas, Trotwood-Madison, 6-1, sr., 18.6; Brandon Neels, Cin. La Salle, 6-3, jr., 15.2; Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 6-6, sr., 22.6.


Special Mention: Brian Sullivan, Upper Arlington; J.D. Weatherspoon, Cols. Northland; Clay Cameron, Dresden Tri-Valley; D.J. Martinez, Troy Patrick Angle, Logan; Tom Parker, Cle. St. Ignatius; Nate Tait, Lyndhurst Brush; Trey Lewis, Garfield Hts.; Delbert Love, Lakewood St. Edward; Brian Theriot, Midpark; Justin Roth, Parma; Jaron Crowe, Mentor; Charlie Hughes, Perrysburg; Anton Hutchins, Lima Sr.; Josh Egner, Mass. Jackson; Tyler Ferrell, Brunswick; Angel Gonzalez, Warren Harding; Cameron Black II, Kent Roosevelt Jonathon Harris, Twinsburg; Isiah Elliott, Canton McKinley.


Honorable Mention: Rob Brandenberg, Gahanna-Lincoln; Trey Burke, Cols. Northland Kevin Gray, Reynoldsburg; Taylor Rieger, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange; Stevie Taylor, Gahanna-Lincoln; Markus Crider, Huber Hts. Wayne; Jordan Hicks, W. Chester Lakota W.; A.J. Pacher, Vandalia Butler; Mervin Taylor, Cin. Woodward Aaron Thomas, Cin. Aiken; Mike Wilkison, Cin. Anderson; Mason Mays, Logan Myles Hamilton, Lakewood St. Edward; Ned Tomic, N. Royalton Aaron White, Strongsville; Colin Barth, Olmsted Falls; Alfonzo Houston, Cle. Hts.; Tyler Hammond, Cle. St. Ignatius; Tyrone Williams, E. Cle. Shaw; Shonn Miller, Cle. St. Ignatius; Richie Piekarski, Hudson; Jay Springs, Tol. St. John’s; Storm Stanley, Tol. St. Francis Damond Powell, Tol. Rogers; Drew Lehman, Tol. Cent. Cath.; Leroy Alexander, Holland Springfield; Chauncey Orr, Bowling Green; Brad DuPont, Mass. Jackson; Corey Porrini, Canton Timken; Elvin Butler, Akron E.; Mike Podolsky, Canfield; Jacob North, Barberton Kenny Kaminski, Medina; Kyle Payne, Brunswick; Connor Groot, Uniontown Lake; Jarelle Burt, Youngs. East.


No Mention: Griffin McKenzie, Cin. Moeller

Griffin McKenzie's Senior Year Stats (Official GCL Statistics: 2009-10 Season)

11.3 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 26 games (24.2 MPG): 43.7 % FGs and 27.3 % 3-Pts.


Griffin McKenzie's Last 4 Games:

3/17/2010: Regional Semifinal: Princeton W 54-51 , 2-15 FGs and 1-6 3-Pts.
3/19/2010: Regional Final: LaSalle W 48-41 , 4-10 FGs and 2-4 3-Pts.
3/26/2010: State Semifinal: Mentor W 66-59 , 4-10 FGs and 0-2 3-Pts.
3/27/2010: State Final: Massillon Jackson L 57-34 , 4-13 FGs and 1-7 3-Pts.

Last 4 Games: Field Goal %: 14-48 (29 %)
Last 4 Games: 3-Point %: 4-19 (21 %)


According to the Ohio Associated Press High School Basketball Writers Poll, Griffin McKenzie was not among the Top 73 players in Ohio during his senior year.

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Ralph Hill committed to Dayton on April 28, 2009, then blew up on the AAU circuit last summer and followed that up with a great senior year at Westerville North.

Ralph Hill's approximate stats for his senior year:

Scoring: 23 PPG
Rebounding: 10 RPG
FG shooting: 60 %
3-PT shooting: 40 %
FT shooting: 90 %

Kalamazoo Central's Devin Oliver Claims All-State Honors Again (March 26, 2010)

The time has indeed come for Oliver, who for the second straight year has been named an Associated Press Class A first-team All-Stater. The University of Dayton-bound, wiry left-hander, who is averaging about 17 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals, is one of four unanimous selections on this season's honor squad.
Congratulations to Devin Oliver - the best player on the best team in Michigan !

State champs! Kalamazoo Central beats Ann Arbor Huron 74-65, for Class A State Title (March 26, 2010)

EAST LANSING — Devin Oliver scored 12 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, when Kalamazoo Central's boys basketball team put the finishing touches on its 74-65 Class A State Title victory over Ann Arbor Huron Saturday at the Breslin Center.

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Juwan Staten (94):

In the history of AAU basketball, Juwan Staten is the only point guard to lead his AAU team to 3 consecutive National Championships, and he followed that up with a stellar season at Oak Hill Academy. It is hard to imagine a freshman who is better-prepared to make an immediate impact in the Atlantic 10 than Juwan Staten.

LeBron James Skills Academy Report (Reggie Rankin, ESPN / Scouts Inc. - July 8, 2009)

Dayton Dynamo

Future Dayton Flyer Juwan Staten (Dayton, Ohio/Oak Hill Academy, Va.) had some impressive offensive possessions on Day 3. He went coast-to-coast, finished through contact and hit midrange pull-up jumpers and open 3s. He got to the rim, especially going right, where he likes to shoot his floater off the glass. He did a great job pushing the ball and dropping off to open post players with wrap-around passes deep in the lane. He has an all business approach to the game.
Hat Trick for All-Ohio Red 17s (Columbus Dispatch - August 1, 2009)

The All-Ohio Red 17-and-under team bolted to an early 12-point lead and stayed comfortably ahead the rest of the way today in cruising to its third consecutive age-group championship in the AAU National Tournament in Orlando.


Staten Helps Capture Another Championship (Matt Schwade, FlyerHoops - August 3, 2009)

The future Dayton point guard had 19 points and seven assists in the victory, helping his team to their third consecutive National Title.


Nike Global Challenge Report (ESPN / Scouts Inc. - August 9, 2009)

High Flyer

He doesn't get much notoriety but 5-11 Juwan Staten is a terrific pick up for the Dayton Flyers. He has a solid looking frame, deceptive speed and quickness, and a very high basketball IQ. He changes direction very well in transition and is a pin-point passer.
The physical strength that 6'-0", 180-lb. Juwan Staten has added in the past year is amazing, as evidenced by his very impressive bench-press accomplishment:

Staten Makes Noticeable Strides at Oak Hill (Matt Schwade - May 19, 2010)
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Muddy's Observations:

1. From 2003 to present, Rivals.com published their revised Final Player Ratings & Rankings for the graduating senior class in late April or Early May.

2. From 2002 to present, Scout.com published their revised Final Player Ratings & Rankings for the graduating senior class in late April or Early May.

3. From 2007 to 2009, ESPN/Scouts Inc. published their revised Final Player Ratings & Rankings for the graduating senior class in late April or Early May. This year - for whatever reason - ESPN/Scouts Inc. did not revise their Player Ratings & Rankings of Atlantic 10 recruits in April or May - they are the exact same as they were in September 2009. No Atlantic 10 recruits moved up or down after their senior year of high school, indicating that the present ESPN/Scouts Inc. Player Ratings & Rankings of Atlantic 10 recruits do not take their senior-year performances into consideration.

4. There is no reason to believe that Justin Martin is a better player Brandon Spearman, but a lot of reasons to believe that Brandon Spearman is a better player Justin Martin.

5. The relative ESPN/Scouts Inc.Grades of Griffin McKenzie (89), Devin Oliver (89), and Ralph Hill (87) are laughable.

 
#376 ·
Westerville North 67, Flora MacDonald Academy, N.C. 56 (Dispatch - Jan. 19, 2010)

Flora MacDonald: 14 17 10 15 — 56
Westerville North: 13 12 16 26 — 67

Flora MacDonald: Seagears 5-1-13, Brown 1-0-2, Luke Cothron 11-1-23, LeBranch 2-0-4, Harris 6-1-14.

3-point goals: Seagears 2, Harris.

Westerville North: Nettles 4-1-10, DeBoer 6-5-18, Ralph Hill 9-8-28, Hochstetler 4-1-9, Edgerton 0-2-2.

3-point goals: Ralph Hill 2, Nettles, DeBoer.

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In the Columbus-area scoring stats, Ralph Hill (22.7 PPG) leads Ohio State-bound Jared Sullinger (21.6 PPG).

Ralph Hill has now made 56 of 61 free-throw attempts (91.8 %) this season.

(See the Columbus-area Basketball Stats below the Box Scores in linked webpage.)

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According to Brian Snow, 2-Star Ralph Hill absolutely smoked 4-Star PF # 8 Luke Cothron at both ends of the floor:


Flyin to the Hoop: Day Three (Brian Snow, January 19, 2010) Excerpt:

Ralph Hill: With his future head coach looking on, the future Dayton Flyer had an absolutely enormous game for Westerville North. A high level catch and shoot guy, the 6-foot-6 Hill was on his game. He carried North in the first half, and continued with good defense and solid shooting in the second half. Hill scored around the rim, in the mid-range, and from three point range. He was 9-15 from the floor and 8-8 from the foul line to finish with 28 points and nine rebounds in one of the best performances of the day.


Luke Cothron: The player responsible for going against Hill was Cothron. The NC State pledge had another lackluster effort. He wasn't bashful, shooting 30 times, and managed to get 23 points. Cothron was 0-8 from three and 11-30 overall. He has a lot of skill in the mid-range and down low, but spent way too much time on the perimeter and it showed in his stat line.

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[Chris Johnson] was hands down the best player on Dayton's team Saturday. He is already very good.

If he continues to develop he will have a great shot at being an NBA wing.

Watching him it is hard to believe that he was only a 2 star recruit.

I know that he has bulked up a lot since then, but still, he is definitely one of those players that not enough teams took notice of in high school.

Kudos to Gregory for seeing something in the kid and going after him.

A lot of coaches missed the boat on that one.
Ditto for Ralph Hill and Devin Oliver.
2-Star Devin Oliver (Rivals.com profile)

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UD's Hoops Recruiting Class Living Up to Billing (Doug Harris, DDN - Jan. 14, 2010)

Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central High School coach Mike Thomas thinks UD signee Devin Oliver ultimately will make the leap to the pros. The 6-foot-7 wing, who has been sidelined recently with a foot injury, is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and is versatile enough to play all five positions.

“You guys are getting a great player,” Thomas said. “I called it last year: Devin is going to be in the NBA."

“I say that because he’s skilled, and he’s a sponge. I know he’s going to a good program that’s going to teach him nothing but the right way. Once he takes everything in, the sky’s the limit. He can shoot it, he can post, but the best thing about him is how he shares the ball.”

The Rivals.com prospect rankings are taking a real beating from 2-Star Chris Johnson, 2-Star Ralph Hill, and 2-Star Devin Oliver.

 
#377 ·
Credential check: Simeon Decade's Best (Chicago Sun-Times - January 21, 2010)



Simeon’s Brandon Spearman dribbles around the Morgan Park defense.

(Patrick Gleason/Sun-Times Media)


No. 1: While Downstate programs could lay claim to being the Illinois high school basketball Program of the Decade in the 1980s (East St. Louis Lincoln) and 1990s (Peoria Manual), Simeon was clearly the program of the 2000s. Simeon won more games in the decade than any big school in the state with a record of 251-65. And the Wolverines reached Peoria four times, winning state championships in 2006 and 2007 and finishing second in 2008, while also producing one of the state’s all-time great players in Derrick Rose.


Last night, Ralph Hill scored 20 points, Jesse Berry scored 17 points, and Brandon Spearman scored 13 points. Links on page 19 of this thread.
 
#378 ·
Columbus-area Boy’s Basketball Stat Leaders (Dispatch – January 25, 2010)

Scoring:

Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 22.9 PPG
Jared Sullinger, Northland, 20.9 PPG


Field-goal Percentage:

Jared Sullinger, Northland, 73.6%
Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 56.6%


Free-throw Percentage:

Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 66-72, 91.7%
Jared Sullinger, Northland, 49-64, 76.6%


I haven’t found Ralph’s 3-point shooting %, but he can hit them:


DAYTON SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS OF STATEN, HILL, BERRY, SPEARMAN, & OLIVER (DaytonFlyers.com - November 11, 2009)

Ralph Hill, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 19 points and nine rebounds last season. The athletic combo forward and solid inside scorer led his team to the district championships last year

Coach Gregory on Ralph Hill: "Ralph Hill is a versatile forward who puts to great use his athletic ability in transition and around the basket. He has really improved his ability to step out and knock down the three.
December 11th vs. Westerville Central: Ralph Hill: 26 points including 4 3-pointers.

December 18th at Dublin Scioto: Ralph Hill: 30 points including 6 3-pointers.

 
#1,317 ·
Columbus-area Boy’s Basketball Stat Leaders (Dispatch – January 25, 2010)

Scoring:

Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 22.9 PPG
Jared Sullinger, Northland, 20.9 PPG


Field-goal Percentage:

Jared Sullinger, Northland, 73.6%
Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 56.6%


Free-throw Percentage:

Ralph Hill, Westerville North, 66-72, 91.7%
Jared Sullinger, Northland, 49-64, 76.6%


I haven’t found Ralph’s 3-point shooting %, but he can hit them:




December 11th vs. Westerville Central: Ralph Hill: 26 points including 4 3-pointers.

December 18th at Dublin Scioto: Ralph Hill: 30 points including 6 3-pointers.


Checking in on Ralph Hill's freshman year numbers:

1.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.0 APG, 42.9% FG %

Hill has played 20 minutes in his six appearances this season.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/players/97559/index.html
 
#379 ·
The future Flyers were a collective 4-0 in the last 4 games they played.

Dayton's 2010 guards are also excellent rebounders, as you can see below.

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Westerville North 54, Olentangy Liberty 48 (Dispatch - Feb. 2, 2010)

Westerville North 9 10 17 18 — 54
Olentangy Liberty 8 10 11 19 — 48

Westerville North: Forrest 1-0-2, Nettles 3-4-10, DeBoer 4-3-12, Ralph Hill 7-9-25, Rhodes 1-0-2, Edgerton 0-3-3.

3-point goals: Ralph Hill 2, DeBoer.


Columbus-area Stat Leaders (Dispatch - Feb. 2, 2010 - 2:58 AM)

Scoring: Ralph Hill: 22.3 PPG

Rebounding: Ralph Hill: 10.0 RPG

Field Goal Percentage: Ralph Hill: 58.5 % (110 of 188 FG attempts made)

Free-throw Percentage: Ralph Hill: 91.4 % (71 of 84 FT attempts made)

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Second-half Surge Lifts Jeff Past Benton Central (jconline - Jan. 31, 2010)

OXFORD -- Lafayette Jeff's intensity and speed wore down Benton Central in the second half of the Bronchos' 68-43 boys basketball victory Saturday night.

"We were kind of laid back in the first half, and we can't come out like that," said Jeff guard Jesse Berry, who led his team with 17 points and nine rebounds.

"We came out the second half like we wanted to beat them. We can't come out sluggish, and we have to be on top of our game every night and that's what we're going to do."

Berry opened the fourth quarter making back-to-back three-point plays and then dished an assist to Rashad Richardson for a layup for a 62-38 lead. Berry scored eight in the fourth quarter and had four assists.

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Spearman Sparks Simeon Past Julian (Sun-Times - Jan. 27, 2010)

The No. 25 Wolverines played one of their best games of the year and defeated Julian 56-42 in the Red-South.

With Simeon leading 36-29 at the end of the third quarter, senior guard Brandon Spearman got things going with a jumper. He ended a 10-3 run with a driving layup with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Wolverines (15-7, 7-2) a 46-33 lead. Spearman had six points during the run.

Spearman scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

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Oak Hill Academy Warriors 2009-10 Schedule

Last night, Justin Martin and the Mountain State Academy Falcons hosted Juwan Staten and Oak Hill Academy, and gave them a surprizingly good game:

Mountain State Academy Falls to Oak Hill Academy (WOWK TV - Feb. 2, 2010)

Tonight, Oak Hill Academy hosts Jay Canty and Oak Ridge Military Academy Cadets.

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Juwan Staten is the second future Flyer that Justin Martin has played against.

Last season, SG Justin Martin went head-to-head against SG Brandon Spearman:


Lawrence North 63, Chicago Simeon 61 (Indianapolis Star - December 20, 2008)

Simeon's Brandon Spearman led all scorers with 23 points.

Score by Quarter:

Lawrence North: 20 13 15 15 -- 63
Chicago Simeon: 15 16 15 15 -- 61

Lawrence North - Ferguson 17, Van Treese 17, Taylor 13, Smith 6, Justin Martin 6, Bass 4, Ashley 0, Davis 0, Splinters Robinson 0.

3-pointers: Justin Martin, Smith.


Chicago Simeon - Brandon Spearman 23, Jones 21, Orange 7, Walker 4, Minster 2, Pinkney 2, Robinson 2, Greer 0, McElerth 0.

3-pointers: Brandon Spearman 3, Jones 2, Orange 2.

 
#381 ·
Combo-forward Devin Oliver, who had been sidelined since late December with a stress fracture in his foot, has returned to the Maroon Giants' line-up and scored 24 points last night:

Kalamazoo Central 78, Portage Northern 47


Combo-forward Ralph Hill also scored 24 points last night:

Westerville North 63, Marysville 45

Westerville North 16 22 12 13 — 63
Marysville 10 12 9 14 — 45

Westerville North: Forrest 0-2-2, Nettles 1-2-5, DeBoer 7-5-20, Ralph Hill 8-4-24, Rhodes 0-1-1, Hochstetler 0-1-1, Chandler 3-1-7, Schaublin 1-0-2, Jackson 0-1-1.

3-point goals: Ralph Hill 4, DeBoer, Nettles.


Jesse Berry scored 16 points on Thursday - his lowest total so far this season.

Simeon won 47-37 on Wednesday, but Brandon Spearman's scoring wasn't listed. In their last three games, Simeon (who is well-known as a great defensive team) has held their opponents to 30 points, 33 points and 37 points. Simeon plays again on Monday.


And here's the latest from The Blur:

Juwan Staten’s Diary #7 – Update from the Hill (Juwan Staten, Oak Hill - Feb. 5, 2010)

We had a home game Wednesday night against Oak Ridge Military School* from NC. It was a pretty good, competitive game for three quarters – very physical. We ended up winning by about 20 points. Our record is now 23-2 and we are currently ranked 6th in the nation, but still looking to move up.

* Jay Canty's school.

2009-10 Oak Hill Academy Warriors Basketball Schedule

 
#382 ·
Jesse Berry scored 16 points on Thursday - his lowest total so far this season.
In the interest of deflating some unrealistic expectations for Berry, I feel compelled to point out that he has struggled shooting the ball from distance this year. He went 0-7 from 3pt range in his game on Thursday and is shooting only ~32% from three this year. He has been in a prolonged slump, shooting about 25% on threes over his last 60-something attempts.

Flyer fans need to dampen their expectations that he will be a scoring machine for us. 6-1 guards who do not shoot a consistently high percentage from deep tend to struggle in college. They usually aren't big enough to score on drives to the basket against bigger and more athletic college defenders. In Berry's defense, he shoots a lot of 2's and gets to the line a lot (where he is a 75%+ free throw shooter) so he has other parts of his game. I just think it is going to take him a few years to improve his jumper.

Oh, and he also got a technical foul for hanging onto the rim after a dunk. I do worry about his character a little bit (the "T" is nothing in isolation, but there are other red flags with him).

Simeon won 47-37 on Wednesday, but Brandon Spearman's scoring wasn't listed. In their last three games, Simeon (who is well-known as a great defensive team) has held their opponents to 30 points, 33 points and 37 points. Simeon plays again on Monday.
The Simeon game on Monday will likely be streamed over the internet at:

http://www.gameoftheweekcps.com/

At that same website they also have archived games from this season. The Simeon-Foreman game showcases Spearman against St. Louis recruit Mike McCall. McCall is going to be a good one. Spearman got in early foul trouble in that game, but shot well from outside (4-7 on threes).
 
#384 · (Edited)
Berry's attitude is a bit concerning because it appears to be so much different than Staten, Wright, or other kids UD has recruited recently. But Ored's right, he'll either sink or swim. Nothing to be overly worried about. BG's recruiting is at a point now where the risk of one kid getting flushed out won't hurt too much, provided his name isn't Juwan Staten.

His shooting doesn't concern me, though. HS play is often ridiculous for standout players like Berry. Everyone in the gym, including his teammates, are waiting for him to shoot. It's tough to succeed like that, especially when you play in a solid league, and I think Berry's school does. He's taking shots he'll never take in college, simply because he has to. You can be sure he's not getting a kickout for a wide open set three. He's probably taking a lot of shots with multiple hands in his face and shooting off the dribble much of the time.

I bet if you compared his games to Spearman's it would be comical. Spearman plays in a league with talent everywhere, so he gets more space to work. Berry likely has three kids in his face from the time the starting lineups are announced, yet he still has to shoot 60% of the shots for his team to win.
 
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