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Thomas Worthington 71, Conner (KY) 59 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 12/27/19, 8:30PM EST

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Omari Effiong's career-high 22 points helped Thomas Worthington race past Conner on Friday

WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- In the fourth and final game of Day 1 of the Stephen Gussler Invitational, host Thomas Worthington took on a team out of Hebron, Kentucky in Conner High School. While Conner was dialed in from deep in the first half, Thomas Worthington used the big efforts of juniors Omari Effiong, Jalen Sullinger and freshman Joey Zalewski to pull away for a hard-fought 71-59 victory.

Effiong had a career-high 22 points, while Sullinger wasn’t far behind with 21 points. The duo came alive in the second half and provided Thomas with the scoring it needed to keep a sharp shooting Conner team at a distance. 

The Cardinals will look to keep winning on Saturday when they host Dayton Ponitz. 


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Omari Effiong (6’1 WG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): Effiong had his best showing ever in front of us, coming alive in the second half to score 18 of his game-high 22 points. The 6-foot-1 super freak guard got started by knocking down back-to-back catch and shoot threes. From there on, Effiong had his way off the bounce, getting to the rim for a handful of tough scores, finishing a ferocious tip slam and converting an impressive floater from a few feet out. Effiong plays with an elite motor, has genuine toughness and is always in excellent defensive positioning. We love the two-way impact that he brings, as he is Thomas Worthington’s most effective all around player and will make this team really dangerous if he can score it like he did on Friday. The 6-foot-1 junior rebounds like someone who is 6-foot-6, plays the passing lanes well and is always a threat to take steals and finish on the other end. 

Jalen Sullinger (5’11 PG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): While he may not have great size, Sullinger surely knows how to finish at the rim, as he might just be the strongest finisher under 6-foot in Central Ohio. The junior guard did what he normally does, showing off his full arsenal of offensive moves, going for 21 points and scoring it on all three levels. Sullinger hit just one catch and shoot three, doing the majority of his damage at or near the rim where he had a handful of elite finishes and floaters. The junior does more than just score, as he’s a very talented passer on the move, showing great vision and a feel for the game that can only come with the experience that he’s had growing up around professional basketball players. We love the effort and intensity that Sullinger has brought on the defensive end of the floor in our last few viewings of him, as he’s played great on-ball defense and has constantly been a threat in the passing lanes. 

Joey Zalewski (6’3 WF / Thomas Worthington / 2023): Outside of Effiong, Zalewski might be Thomas Worthington’s next toughest player. The freshman came off the bench and provided Thomas with great energy and effort, pulling down a few tough rebounds, blocking a pair of shots inside, showing great interior defense and strength and finished a couple difficult buckets on the interior. Zalewski comes in and does his job, as he’s always in the right spots defensively, which helps him get blocks and steals, as he was a threat both in the passing lanes and on the ball. The freshman Zalewski also came up with an important 50/50 ball in a close game, helping Thomas start the run that eventually decided the game. The 6-foot-3 freshman has the ability to put up points, however, he already has the IQ and unselfishness to do what’s most important for the team to win, which shows the level of maturity and toughness that he has. Zalewski is a player to keep an eye on in the OCC, as most freshmen don’t play with the chip that he has. 

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