skip navigation

Eastmoor Academy 67, Linden-McKinley 64 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Mark Francis Jr., 12/02/21, 9:00AM EST

Share

EA survives its home opener behind the play of Dennis Asoro

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After back-to-back missed three-pointers from Philip Towns and Malakhi Armstead at the buzzer, Eastmoor Academy (1-0) breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled out a victory in their home opener over a tough and gritty Linden McKinley (0-1) team who was missing their senior leader, point guard LB Towns.

The Warriors used their bench in the first half along with a dominant performance in the paint from Dennis Asoro to defeat the Panthers 67-64.

Every time the Warriors would go on run, the Panthers would follow up with a run of their own and showed the heart of a real contender in the City League North. Eastmoor used its size advantage inside to wear down Linden-McKinley, seeming to grab the basketball every time it bounced off the rim and blocking multiple shot attempts on defense. 

Eastmoor Academy was sparked by its bench, with two contributors coming in and scoring eight points each in the first half and finishing with 20 overall. Tramon Hairston electrified the crowd with two three-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 10 total points. Meanwhile, Terrion Hale came in and provided energy on both ends while getting his 10 points along with his hands on the basketball multiple times for deflections and steals. 

The Panthers were led by the combo of Philip Towns and senior LA Walker, who combined for 50 points between the two. Towns ignited his team in the second quarter, scoring nine of his 24 points in that frame, cutting an early deficit and giving the Panthers life. Walker consistently attacked the Warriors defense, getting to the free-throw line 16 total times and hitting 10 of those in route to a game-high 26-points. Malakhi Armstead finished with nine points as well. 

The Warriors were led by senior Dennis Asoro, who controlled the paint on both ends and finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Senior point guard Aaron Lawson, who finished with eight points, controlled the offense by getting the ball in the correct places and coming up with a big fourth quarter steal and dunk.

The excellent sophomore James Nowell used the second half to score all 11 of his points, including three big-time three-point jump shots. Alonzo Thorpe pitched in with six points and his size made things difficult inside for the Panthers every time they wanted to drive.

Eastmoor takes the floor again next Tuesday at South in their City League South opener. Linden-McKinley will play again on Saturday, as they take a trip to Northeast Ohio to go up against Maple Heights. 

Dennis Asoro (6’7 C / Eastmoor Academy / 2022): The most effective player on the court, Asoro had his hand in everything that happened on the basketball court. He scored 20 points by displaying a soft touch around the rim and throwing down a couple of dunks in the process. Everytime the ball bounced off the rim Asoro seemed to be the one grabbing it, including a huge offensive rebound off of a missed free throw with under 25 second left in the game that gave him 15 for the night. The senior had two blocks, pinning one on the glass and swatting one in the crowd (which seemed to land on a scouts lap). Asoro first showed his growth in the summer time and he has a chance to be the best big man in the Columbus City League.

LA Walker (6’5 SF / Linden-McKinley / 2022): His aggressive ways put him at the free throw line 16 times and that is always a welcomed sight. Walker also hit numerous mid-range jumpers and showed his strength by going through defenders down low and finishing despite getting fouled. The senior has always been a reliable scorer for the Panthers and he picked it up even more in this game, leading all scorers with 26 points. His size makes him a matchup nightmare, with him being big enough to take smaller defenders on the block but the perimeter game to take bigger guys out, put them on an island and taking them to the rim. Walker is an interesting prospect who can fit in and score in different ways.

Philip Towns (5’9 PG / Linden-McKinley / 2024): The reason that the Panthers stayed in the game in the first half, when the game was teetering on a blowout, this young man stepped his game up and showcased the entire repertoire. Towns hit a couple of corner 
three-pointers to get him going then put the ball on the ground and finished at the basket. Of course he was really good in the open court, that shouldn’t come as a surprise given the last name, he flashed past defenders in transition and rendered Eastmoor’s height ineffective. He was poised beyond his years in an intense game and was also perfect at the free throw line, knocking down all five. His development over the next couple of years will be fun to watch as he continues the legacy at Linden-McKinley. 

Recent News


Get the 270 Hoops Preview Magazine today!

Subscribe to 270 Hoops Mailing List!

Email Address:
Favorite High School:
First Name:
Last Name:
Subscribe