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Fairbanks 43, Mechanicsburg 31 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 02/02/21, 10:30PM EST

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Braylon Green's double double powers Fairbanks to big win

MILFORD CENTER, Ohio -- Braylon Green is the best kept secret in Union County. The 6-foot-5 senior, who is committed to Navy for football, is a dominating force on the glass who powered Fairbanks (11-5, 7-4) to a big win over Mechanicsburg (5-8, 5-7) on Tuesday, 43-31.

Green's 16 points and 20 rebounds were exactly what Fairbanks needed to remain atop the north division of the Ohio Heritage Conference, as the senior dominated the first half to help the Panthers jump out to a 25-12 halftime lead.

Working the ball on the offensive end with crisp ball movement, Fairbanks got a plethora of great looks, hitting from all over the floor. Green and senior Trey Good combined for 26 on Tuesday, powering the Panthers from inside and out. With Green dominating the defensive glass and forcing Mechanicsburg into a litany of one-and-done possessions, Fairbanks was able to take a sizable lead.

Mechanicsburg came out in the second half in a 1-3-1 halfcourt defense which really flustered Fairbanks, holding the Panthers to a single field goal in the third quarter.

But while their defense was stout, the offense was nowhere to be found on a consistent basis, as Mechanicsburg was never able to really challenge the Panthers in the second half. Leading scorer and senior guard Kyle Smith, who came into Tuesday's game leading the OHC in scoring at 20 points per game, was held to just nine on a rough shooting night.

With Smith limited, Mechanicsburg was unable to find much offense outside of its 6-foot-4 senior. 

For Fairbanks, the Panthers picked up their fourth-straight win and seventh in the last eight games. A big road game in league play looms on Friday when they travel to Northeastern for a chance to take a commanding lead in the league. Fairbanks is a sleeper in Division III, as the Panthers are senior laden and are the only team outside of unbeaten Jonathan Alder to take down North Union this season, defeating the Wildcats on the road on Dec. 23.

For Mechanicsburg, Tuesday was the Indians' first loss since Jan. 16, as they came in as winners of their last four games. They'll look to get back to their winning ways on Friday when they hit the road to take on West Liberty-Salem.

Braylon Green (6'5 PF / Fairbanks / 2021): The 6-foot-5 Navy football commit is an absolute workhorse who leads the OHC in rebounding. That was clearly evident on Tuesday as Green came out with a vengeance on the glass, coming up with nearly two dozen rebounds. Getting out first look at him since his sophomore year, it was nice to see Green's skill set improve, as he hit three jumpers, had a tough up and under finish and finished an open floor dunk. Green is a high-level passer out of the post who has great IQ, vision and feel. The senior is very patient on the block, as he is never rushed and constantly makes the correct decision. Green plays bigger than his size, as he truly dominates on the interior on both ends of the floor and is as vital to this team as any player in small school basketball in the area. If he weren't a Division I football commit, Green would be a small college beast on the basketball interior. 

Kyle Smith (6'4 WG / Mechanicsburg / 2021): One of the top scorers in the OHC, Smith had a target on his back in Tuesday's game, as Fairbanks made it their mission to shut off his water. Being held to nine points, Smith showed flashes of his offensive game, as he is an athletic guard who can really shoot it from the perimeter. Only playing organized basketball for one season, Smith is still relatively raw and inexperienced, however, he has a really good feel for scoring and has a lot of natural ability. At a Mechanicsburg school that is located in the exact middle of Dayton and Columbus, Smith goes a little unnoticed, however, he should be a major target of small college programs looking for a big guard who can score it. 

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