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Westerville Central 51, Cleveland St. Ignatius 42 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 03/20/21, 10:15PM EDT

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A look at the top performers from the Division I state semifinal

DAYTON, Ohio -- In a challenging matchup against Cleveland St. Ignatius in the final state semifinal of the game, Westerville Central relied on a big-time showing from Tasos Cook and excellent team defense to advance past the Wildcats and into the state final, 51-42.

Entering its first state tournament game in school history, Westerville Central was out to prove that they are indeed a team of destiny after a pair of miracle wins in the district finals and regional finals against Pickerington North and Gahanna Lincoln, respectively.

In their way was a massive Cleveland St. Ignatius team led by coaching royalty in second year coach Cam Joyce, the son of several-time state champion Dru Joyce. The Wildcats were making their first trip to the state tournament since 2001, finally getting out of a loaded Northeast Ohio regional where they survived stiff challenges against Lorain, Lakewood St. Edward and Lima Senior. 

Despite a cold start to the game, Westerville Central woke up behind a massive effort from Cook in the second quarter. Cook scored 11 of his 16 points in the period to power Westerville Central to a 23-20 lead.

From that point forward, Westerville Central dominated on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Going on a 22-9 run from the beginning of the second half until the 2:41 mark in the game, Westerville Central opened up the game and led by as much as 45-29.

While shaking free throw shooting helped Cleveland St. Ignatius get back into a puncher's chance of coming back, Westerville Central held on strong. Despite Cook battling cramping issues in the second half, the Warhawks rallied around their senior star and got the job done in the biggest game in school history.

Cook led all scorers with 20 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and providing excellent two-way production. Despite cramping issues limiting him for large stretches in the second half, Cook's monster second quarter was the difference in Westerville Central controlling the game. 

Senior guard Quincy Clark added 12 points, seven rebounds and three big steals. Senior MJ Davis knocked in two big threes and finished with 10 points, while senior guard Landon Tillman added five points.

Junior Brad Leonard and sophomore Donovan Hunter combined for two points, but were mightily important on defense, finishing with a handful of deflections, blocks, rebounds and steals. 

For Cleveland St. Ignatius, junior guard Jon Effertz led the way with 11 points. Westerville Central did an outstanding limiting Cleveland St. Ignatius' bigs on the inside, limiting Henry Raynor (6'7), Will Yonteck (6'8) and CJ Yarian (6'10) to just 16 combined points.

Westerville Central moves on to the state championship where they will take on a very good Centerville team. It will be a matchup between two programs who have never made it this far in their school's history. That game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. at UD Arena.

Tasos Cook (6'2 WG / Westerville Central / 2021): Cook began the game in attack mode, knocking down a tough mid-range pull up on the game's opening possession. With Westerville Central in a scoring drought in the second quarter, Cook took over, scoring 11 of his game-high 16 in the period alone to power a massive 8-0 run for the Warhawks to put them up 23-20 at the break. Cook is an impressive athlete with a chiseled frame, while also sporting a 4.0 GPA and tireless work ethic. That work manifested in the opening half, as Cook lived at the free throw line, scored through contact and even knocked down a three-point jumper to power the vast majority of Westerville Central's offense. Finishing with a game-high 20 points, Cook did what any big-time senior would do and willed his team to a victory. The 6-foot-2 senior is a man child, as a monster chase down block of his in the second quarter seemed to spark the Wildcats and power them through. It's a shame that Cook doesn't have a Division I offer at this point, but if he plays like he did tonight in the state final, that should be no longer. 

MJ Davis (6'4 WF / Westerville Central / 2021): Simply put, Davis is the best role player in Central Ohio. The 6-foot-4 senior was the silent MVP in Saturday's semifinal win over Ignatius, finishing with 10 points and hitting two MAJOR threes after the Wildcats tied the game at 25 and Cook laid limp on the sideline with a bad cramp. Those triples, which came at the most important time, put Westerville Central ahead for good and shifted the momentum in the game. Davis is an ELITE teammate who gives 110 percent every time out, as he played an excellent defensive game, locking down Ignatius' post players while also providing lockdown perimeter defense. You need elite role players to win big games and Davis is exactly that, as Westerville Central is not here without him. Any time the Warhawks need a big three, Davis delivers. He did it in the program's first district title last year, he did it to force a tie against Gahanna Lincoln in the program's first regional title win last week and did it again tonight in the program's first state tournament win. Sources say Otterbein has landed Davis' commitment, which means good things for Andy Winters' Cardinals program, as the senior is a flat out winner. 

Quincy Clark (6'3 PG / Westerville Central / 2021): Clark is a lengthy lead guard who offers great point of attack defensive value. He had an instant impact in the game with his on-ball pressure of Cleveland St. Ignatius' guards. Clark was an absolute game wrecker in the second quarter, forcing three steals and helping Westerville Central get out into transition where they were able to negate Ignatius' size advantage. The senior is a skilled finisher who has great body control and touch inside. While he struggled from the field, Clark did not let that affect his performance, as he remained a stout defensive presence and hit 8-of-13 free throws, many of which in crunch time. Good guards win in March and Westerville Central has that.

Landon Tillman (5'10 G / Westerville Central / 2021): Tillman is simply a winner. The 5-foot-10 senior is a talented on-ball defender who has routinely defended the opposing team's best player throughout the season and held them well below their average. Tillman may be a bit inconsistent offensively, however, he's as reliable as they come on defense with his ability to shut down top guards both on and off the ball. 

Donovan Hunter (6'8 PF / Westerville Central / 2023): Most outlets would not write about a kid who finished with 0 points and four rebounds, however, Hunter's performance far exceeded the box score. The 6-foot-8 sophomore was as important as any defensive player for Westerville Central on Saturday, as his length and activity on and off the ball was a major turning point in the game. Hunter has great mobility and athleticism, as he had a few big blocks, steals and deflections in the second half. Hunter did a great job on the defensive glass and played his role to perfection, as he provided Westerville Central with exactly what they needed. Hunter has more offensive ability than he has shown this season, however, on a team full of scorers, the sophomore is doing what any good teammate would do and sacrificing for the best of the team.

Calvin Little (6'1 PG / Cleveland St. Ignatius / 2024): The 6-foot-1 freshman played a very solid game against a senior backcourt that defends the ball as well as anyone in the state. Finishing with eight points on 3/4 shooting, seven assists and only one turnover, Little looked like a guy who was a few years his senior in the state semifinal. Little has great size, plays with good pace and showed the ability to knock down jump shots off the bounce. Look for the freshman lead guard to develop into one of the better players at his position in the class statewide after leading Ignatius in the state semifinals. 

CJ Yarian (6'10 C / Cleveland St. Ignatius / 2022): Yarian is every bit of 6-foot-10, as the slender post offers size that is just hard to come by anymore.  The 6-foot-10 junior stretched the floor and buried an important three in the second quarter, showing great touch from long range. Yarian with his mobility and lengthy frame, looks the part of a stretch big that can extend a defense. 

Henry Raynor (6'7 PF / Cleveland St. Ignatius / 2021): Raynor is a Hillsdale commit who has intriguing length and versatility on both ends of the floor. The Wildcats struggled to get him open looks in the game, fronting and denying the post at a high level. The senior finished with seven points and six rebounds in the loss for Ignatius.

Jon Effertz (6'0 G / Cleveland St. Ignatius / 2022): Effertz is a talented long range shooter who does not lack for confidence. The 6-foot guard got Cleveland St. Ignatius on the board with a deep triple to start the game and would not be denied from there on out. Finishing with a team-high 11 points, Effertz was one of few sources of consistent offense for the Wildcats. With Ignatius graduating a few talented pieces, look for Effertz to develop into one of the better senior shooters in Northeast Ohio next year.

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