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DeSales 61, Bishop Hartley 58 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Greg Glasser, 01/23/21, 12:15PM EST

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Des Watson’s 29 points is too much for the Hawks to overcome

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The beginning of league play in the Central Catholic League has resembled somewhat of a dogpile, with four of the five teams taking turns to beat one another. 

Friday’s game between Bishop Hartley and DeSales was a dog fight itself, as the Stallions came out on top in an exciting 61-58 win.

On DeSales’ senior recognition night, Des Watson put on a performance that perfectly captured the excellent four-year career he’s had on Karl Road. Watson had a game-high 29 points, capped off with an 11-point fourth quarter in which the Davidson commit scored from multiple levels and sealed the game with two made free throws. 

The Stallions received balanced scoring production from their remaining starting five, as fellow seniors Obed Achirem, Austin Mann and junior Atticus Schuler each contributed eight points.

Despite the loss, Bishop Hartley put forth an honorable effort, led by their senior leaders of Dejon Donnell and Braden Blanchard. The duo combined for 42 of the Hawks 58 points.  

Friday’s match featured multiple lead changes, yet the Stallions seemed to be in control for the majority of the game. 

However, whenever DeSales started to gain momentum and build multiple possession leads, Donnell and Blanchard responded with a much-needed basket.  

Blanchard had a chance to give Hartley the lead in the final seconds, as he pulled up several feet beyond the arc, only for his shot to go halfway in then out. Overall, Blanchard had four made three-pointers on the evening and 18 points. 

The Hawks received some additional production from junior Amari Gaston who had an aggressive seven points and three rebounds.   

Senior forward Nico Thomas had a strong all-around presence for the Hawks and led the team with five rebounds and three assists. 

The Hawks (6-4) have lost two straight CCL games, but have a quick turnaround for a non-league contest against Whitehall on Saturday. 

DeSales (7-2) will look to win their fourth game in six straight days as they travel to Reynoldsburg on Saturday.

Des Watson (6'5 WG / DeSales  / 2021): It should come to no surprise that Watson was the clear-cut best player on the floor Friday night.   Bishop Hartley threw a multitude of defenders and double teams at him and yet Watson was not to be stopped.   His game-high 29 points came via three three-pointers, inside scoring off the dribble and going six-of-seven at the free throw line.  Mistakes were hardly found.  The athletic wing showed off excellent half-court vision, with crisp, direct passes to teammates underneath the hoop.  Watson has the build, talent and character that will not only help lead DeSales deep in the tournament, but also to a successful college career at Davidson.

Atticus Schuler (6'6 WF / DeSales  / 2022): On a team filled with seniors, the junior Schuler is the most intriguing prospect on DeSales’ roster.  Schuler played a really impressive all-around game on Friday, as he scored eight points, led the Stallions in assists (4) and added four rebounds, a block and a steal.  Schuler has a tall frame and long wingspan. That size is even more impressive when you factor in how well he sees the floor and can handle the ball on a fast break.  While he needs to add some muscle, Schuler isn’t intimated to get aggressive in the post, as tonight we saw a strong and-one finish in the fourth quarter.  If Schuler continues to sharpen his overall offensive game, we believe he can be a prospect to seriously keep an eye on in the 2022 class.

Dejon Donnell (6'0 PG / Bishop Hartley  / 2021): The best way to describe Donnell’s performance on Friday night -- tough.  Despite being one of the smaller players on the court, Donnell scored a majority of his 24 points around the basket, as he displayed a creative touch off the glass.  He also connected on three triples, that included a buzzer beater to end the third.   Donnell was also tough on the defensive end, as he drew two offensive fouls and recorded three steals.   While we would like to see him get the team offense a little more involved, we were really impressed with his alpha dog approach, overall speed and ability to score.

Braden Blanchard (6'1 WG / Bishop Hartley  / 2021): Even during warm-ups, Blanchard had a look that he was dialed in and would have a big game. That intensity was apparent early as he scored eight points in the first quarter, en route to an 18-point total that included four from beyond the arc. The sharp-shooting lefty was deadly accurate and consistently made a shot when Hartley needed it the most.  In addition to his efficient play, Blanchard showed body language that indicated he was a team leader and also of a player that simply enjoys basketball. Despite being a bit undersized, Blanchard has long arms and a basketball-frame body that resembles a smaller Kevin Love.  Blanchard has had conversations to play at the next level with Bluffton and Tiffin. With a shot like his along with his enthusiasm to play the game, similar programs should think about having conversations with Blanchard too.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio --  The beginning of league play in the Central Catholic League has resembled somewhat of a dogpile, with four of the five teams taking turns to beat one another. 

Friday’s game between Bishop Hartley and DeSales was a dog fight itself, as the Stallions came out on top in an exciting 61-58 win.

On DeSales’ senior recognition night, Des Watson put on a performance that perfectly captured the excellent four-year career he’s had on Karl Road.   Watson had a game-high 29 points, capped off with an 11-point fourth quarter in which the Davidson commit scored from multiple levels and sealed the game with two made free throws. 

The Stallions received balanced scoring production from their remaining starting five, as fellow seniors Obed Achirem, Austin Mann and junior Atticus Schuler each contributed eight points.

Despite the loss, Bishop Hartley put forth an honorable effort, led by their senior leaders of Dejon Donnell and Braden Blanchard.    The duo combined for 42 of the Hawks 58 points.  

Friday’s match featured multiple lead changes, yet the Stallions seemed to be in control for the majority of the game. 

However, whenever DeSales started to gain momentum and build multiple possession leads, Donnell and Blanchard would respond with a much-needed basket.  

Blanchard had a chance to give Hartley the lead in the final seconds, as he pulled up several feet beyond the arc, only for his shot to go halfway in then out.   Overall, Blanchard had four made three-pointers on the evening and 18 points. 

The Hawks received some additional production from junior Amari Gaston who had an aggressive seven points and three rebounds.   

Senior forward Nico Thomas had a strong all-around presence for the Hawks and led the team with five rebounds and three assists. 

The Hawks (6-4) have lost two straight CCL games, but have a quick turnaround for a non-league contest against Whitehall on Saturday. 

DeSales (7-2) will look to win their fourth game in six straight days as they travel to Reynoldsburg on Saturday. 
 

PROSPECT SCOUTING REPORT

Des Watson  (6'5 WG / DeSales  / 2021)

It should come to no surprise that Watson was the clear-cut best player on the floor Friday night.   Bishop Hartley threw a multitude of defenders and double teams at him and yet Watson was not to be stopped.   His game-high 29 points came via three three-pointers, inside scoring off the dribble and going six-of-seven at the free throw line.  Mistakes were hardly found.  The athletic wing showed off excellent half-court vision, with crisp, direct passes to teammates underneath the hoop.  Watson has the build, talent and character that will not only help lead DeSales deep in the Division II tournament, but also towards a successful college career at Davidson.

Atticus Schuler  (6'6 WF / DeSales  / 2022)

On a team filled with seniors, the junior Schuler is the most intriguing prospect on DeSales’ roster.  Schuler played a really impressive all-around game on Friday, as he scored eight points, led the Stallions in assists (4) and added four rebounds, a block and a steal.  Schuler has a tall frame and long wingspan. That size is even more impressive when you factor in how well he sees the floor and can handle the ball on a fast break.  While he needs to add some muscle, Schuler isn’t intimated to get aggressive in the post, as tonight we saw a strong and-one finish in the fourth quarter.  If Schuler continues to sharpen his overall offensive game, we believe he can be a prospect to seriously keep an eye on in the 2022 class. 

Dejon Donnell (6'0 PG / Bishop Hartley  / 2021)

The best way to describe Donnell’s performance on Friday night -- tough.  Despite being one of the smaller players on the court, Donnell scored a majority of his 24 points around the basket, as he displayed a creative touch off the glass.  He also connected on three triples, that included a buzzer beater to end the third.   Donnell was also tough on the defensive end, as he drew two offensive fouls and recorded three steals.   While we would like to see him get the team offense a little more involved, we were really impressed with his alpha dog approach, overall speed and ability to score. 


Braden Blanchard (6'1 WG / Bishop Hartley  / 2021)

Even during warm-ups, Blanchard had a look that he was dialed in and would have a big game.  That intensity was apparent early as he scored eight points in the first quarter, en route to an 18-point total that included four from beyond the arc.   The sharp-shooting lefty was deadly accurate and consistently made a shot when Hartley needed it the most.  In addition to his efficient play, Blanchard showed body language that indicated he was a team leader and also of a player that simply enjoys basketball.    Despite being a bit undersized for his position, Blanchard has long arms and a basketball-frame body that resembles a smaller Kevin Love.  Blanchard has had conversations to play at the next level with Bluffton and Tiffin.  With a shot like his along with his enthusiasm to play the game, similar programs should think about having conversations with Blanchard too.