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Beechcroft 80, Columbus East 50 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 01/25/21, 9:45PM EST

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Amani Lyles and JJ Simmons combined for 39 in an opening win

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- City League basketball is back. It may have taken two months but the area's oldest league began its season on Monday as we were live from Beechcroft to watch the Cougars host Columbus East.

Jumping out to an early lead, Beechcroft never looked back as it rolled past East, 80-50. Juniors Amani Lyles, JJ Simmons, Jamari Strickland and Javo Jordan combined for 60 points as the Cougars were never in trouble on Monday.

Simmons led all Cougars scorers with 20 points, while Lyles added 19 points and a handful of rebounds, blocks and assists. For East, senior wing Mekhi Bloodworth, who transferred in from Kalamazoo, Mich. over the summer, led all scorers with 23 points.

Beechcroft will get a chance to establish early dominance in a full court sprint of a City League North season on Wednesday when the Cougars travel to rival Northland, who won by 40 over Whetstone on Monday.

For East, the Tigers will look to get back on the winning track when they host Whetstone on Wednesday.

Amani Lyles (6'7 PF / Beechcroft / 2022): After dominating every 270 Hoops event that he played in from June until October, it was nice to see Lyles play basketball for the first time in three months. The 6-foot-7 forward did not show any signs of rust from being off for so long, as he was an absolute force on both ends of the floor. Lyles is a chiseled 6-foot-7 forward who plays with a ton of physicality, confidence and toughness. The junior knocked down back-to-back threes in the third quarter, had a big alley-oop and finished through contact at a high level both in the half court and in transition. Lyles is a dominant defensive rebounder that is able to push the break with his ball handling, shooting and passing abilities at his size. The 6-foot-7 junior is a big rim deterrent on defense, as he swatted a handful of layup attempts around the basket on Monday. With a great academic profile and a great deal of talent, Lyles is a no brainer for Division I programs in the region, as he can do just about anything on the floor. Don't overthink this one - Lyles can go!

Mekhi Bloodworth (6'6 WF / Columbus East / 2021): A move-in from Michigan, Bloodworth proved why we were so excited to see him in the East program. Going for 23 points, the 6-foot-6 senior was very effective in attacking the rim, as he is a really talented finisher with excellent length. While his outside shot wasn't really falling on Monday, Bloodworth was still able to take defenders off the bounce where he finished at a high level through and around contact. Bloodworth is still rail thin, however, he can play and defend multiple positions and has a great deal of upside. If he can add weight and shore up his outside shooting, Bloodworth will be a very good two-way player in college thanks to his length, natural ball skills and defensive versatility. 

JJ Simmons (5'9 PG / Beechcroft / 2022): Simmons is one of the most experienced lead guards anywhere in the City League, as he has started every game in his career for the Cougars. The 5-foot-9 lead guard is one of the best scorers off the dribble in the City, as he showed the ability to create any shot he wanted in the half court. The junior is a reliable three-point shooter with a great pull up game, but is perhaps most talented on the defensive end of the floor where his quickness, strength and ability to move in space help him cause problems on opposing ball handlers. 

Jamari Strickland (6'0 G / Beechcroft / 2022): Getting out first look at Strickland since he participated in The 270 Hoops Intro as a freshman at St. Charles, it was nice to see him come off the bench and provide Beechcroft with a spark. Strickland is a talented scorer who can really finish at the rim. The junior was highly efficient in transition as he finished at a high level and created advantages for his teammates. With Aamir Carter transferring to Walnut Ridge, Strickland is filling a big role for the Cougars off the bench and will be vitally relied upon to provide additional scoring around Lyles and Simmons. 

Caeden Swanson (6'4 PF / Columbus East / 2023): Swanson is one of the young players that the East coaches are excited about, as he is a big bodied forward who can really defend the post and score through contact. Swanson is a strong rebounder, can finish through the chest of defenders and plays with great energy. As Bloodworth is one of the few offensive threats on the team, Swanson will be relied upon to step up his production as the season goes on. Keep an eye on this rising forward as he has a chance to develop into one of the Tigers' better interior players in recent years. 

Javo Jordan (5'11 PG / Beechcroft / 2022): Jordan is a strong ball handler who likes to attack off the bounce. He had no problem getting into the lane where he showed the ability to finish through contact. Jordan has been in the program all three seasons and looks to have the chance to really breakout this season, as he handled a large portion of the point guard duties on Monday. The junior plays both ends of the floor and is a physical on-ball defender that forms a terrific one-two punch with Simmons.

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