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Olentangy Liberty 57, Canton McKinley 56 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 12/30/20, 9:00PM EST

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Andrew Wade's game winner lifts Liberty to a sweep of McKinley

POWELL, Ohio -- In a rare second matchup of the season against an out of the area, non-conference opponent, Olentangy Liberty won in close fashion once again versus Canton McKinley, taking down the talented Bulldogs 57-56 on Wednesday afternoon.

The Patriots, who won the first matchup on the road against McKinley, 78-73 on Dec. 5, used a late rally to overcome West Virginia commit Kobe Johnson and the Bulldogs. Despite trailing 56-52 with three minutes remaining, the Patriots were never rattled.

Plagued with foul trouble all afternoon, senior guard Henry Hinkle managed to play the entire fourth quarter with four fouls. Hinkle shook off a rough offensive showing when it mattered most, knocking down a big three-point field goal to cut the deficit to one.

While senior Andrew Wade missed two crucial free throws and turned the ball over on a big possession late, the 6-foot-5 forward redeemed himself in a major way. After McKinley missed two crucial free throws with 36 seconds left that could have extended its lead to three points, Hinkle and Wade made the Bulldogs pay in a major way.

Connecting on a screen and roll with 16 seconds to go, Hinkle dimed up Wade for a tough inside score through two defenders to put the Patriots up 57-56. McKinley nearly turned it over on the next possession, however, Johnson was able to call a timeout before Liberty could jump on the 50/50 ball and force a tie up.

Inbounding in front of its bench with nine seconds left, McKinley was bit by the clutch play of Hinkle once again, as the senior guard poked the ball free from senior guard Mekhi Smith, then tip toed the baseline to retrieve a loose ball and throw it into the backcourt as the final buzzer sounded. Hinkle’s clutch play in the final minute showed the type of resiliency and composure he possesses, as he could have easily folded when adversity struck late in the game.

Wade led all scorers with 20 points, owning the glass and providing Liberty with valuable inside scoring. Hinkle added 11 points, while senior guard Cam Barcus (8 points), senior guard Ty Foster (7 points) and junior guard Trey Majidzadeh (6 points) each poured in valuable contributions. 

For McKinley, Johnson led the way with 18 points. The West Virginia commit was contained as best as possible by Liberty, as Barcus and Majidzadeh each did an outstanding job defending him on the perimeter.

The Patriots will return to the floor on Saturday when they host division rival Dublin Coffman at 4 p.m. in an OCC-Central showdown.

Andrew Wade (6’5 PF / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): After going off for 20 points and 20 rebounds in the first matchup against McKinley, Wade matched that point total once again on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5 senior is a hard-nosed, tough forward who plays with an elite motor. We were really impressed with his finishing ability around the basket, as he was an absolute glass eater that gave the Patriots what they needed on the interior. Wade’s ability to grab rebounds and start the break opened up Liberty’s transition game, as Wade is a smart passer and impressive finisher on the move. There were a handful of college coaches in the building on Wednesday, as Wade put together another impressive performance that will surely raise his stock among in-state programs.

Kobe Johnson (6’4 PG / Canton McKinley / 2021): Johnson is a West Virginia commit who certainly looks the part of a future Big XII guard. A thick, physical guard with terrific athleticism and ball skills, Johnson was the best player on the floor for McKinley on Wednesday. We love how hard Johnson plays on both ends of the floor, as he applies great pressure on the ball and due to his size and strength, he has the ability to defend multiple positions. Johnson did an outstanding job attacking the basket on Wednesday, showing off impressive fluidity and athleticism as a finisher, throwing down a powerful jam in the third quarter that was the highlight of a big rally that brought the Bulldogs back in the game. The 6-foot-4 senior certainly fits the mold of a Bob Huggins guard, as we have no doubt he’ll be successful in college. 

Henry Hinkle (6’0 PG / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): While it certainly wasn’t Hinkle’s greatest game, the senior shook off the frustration of foul trouble by making the plays that needed to be made to power the Patriots to the victory. The 6-foot guard is a cool and collected floor general that makes things go for Liberty. He has a tight handle, he really knows how to create space off the bounce, is a dead-eye shooter and a high level passer that plays with great vision. Hinkle struggled a bit dealing with the size, athleticism and physicality of McKinley’s guards, however, we were really impressed with his toughness and composure in closing out the game to lead Liberty to the win.

Tae Perie (6’2 G / Canton McKinley / 2021): A transfer from Akron Buchtel, we saw Perie for the first time since checking him out against Pickerington Central at the Scholastic Play By Play Classic at Nationwide Arena a year ago. Perie was the top secondary scorer outside of Johnson for McKinley, as he knocked down two threes and was a major threat to break down defenders off the bounce to the rim. While he struggled with consistency with his jumper on Wednesday, Perie did not lack for confidence on the offensive end, as he lived at the free throw line, going 6-for-8. 

Trey Majidzadeh (6’1 G / Olentangy Liberty / 2022): With Hinkle missing a lot of time in the second half due to foul trouble, Majidzadeh was called upon to handle the ball handling duties for Liberty and boy did he deliver. The 6-foot-1 junior is a tough guard who showcased his major two-way value, as his motor, effort and toughness made a huge difference in the win. Majidzadeh did an outstanding job handling pressure as a ball handler, as he was able to get to his spots and help Liberty get into its motion offense. On defense, Majidzadeh was solid defending Johnson, as he was not intimidated by the Power 5 commit, giving the Patriots a big boost on that end of the floor. With Liberty set to graduate a great group of seniors, Majidzadeh will have a chance to really step up next year alongside Cooper Davis in the 2022 class.

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