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Dublin Jerome 51, Westerville North 42 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 12/22/21, 12:45AM EST

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Dublin Jerome picked up its fifth-straight win on the road

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- When it gets hard, how do you respond? Do you shrink or do you rise to the pressure? That was the theme of Tuesday's important non-conference matchup between two rising teams in Westerville North and Dublin Jerome.

When the game got the toughest, Dublin Jerome (5-1) responded stronger, using a 23-4 second half run to bury Westerville North (4-3), 51-42. The win for the Celtics is their fifth-straight, as they have yet to lose since dropping their opener against St. Charles. 

It looked as if things were going south in a hurry for Dublin Jerome in the early going, as Westerville North opened up in a fury. The Warriors were dialed in from deep and dominated the offensive glass, starting the game on a 17-4 run. 

The theme all day Tuesday was Dublin Jerome's resilience, as the Celtics responded with an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 19-12 after a quarter of play. 

Westerville North controlled the first half with its dominance on the glass, garnering every single 50-50 ball and converting when they had extra opportunities. Junior guard Carter Reese was on fire from deep, draining three triples in the opening half to help the Warriors take a 23-18 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Westerville North extended its lead to eight points on another three from Reese, leading 28-20 with 5:51 to go in the third quarter.

This was where Dublin Jerome made its game-defining run.

The size of Dublin Jerome seniors CC Ezirim and Daviyon McDonald, as the twin 6-foot-8 towers were imposing on the defensive end of the floor. Their impact, coupled with Ezirim's ability to score on the interior helped Jerome fuel a 13-2 run to end the quarter and take a 33-30 lead into the final frame.

The fourth quarter was the Ryan Nutter and Lachlan MacDonald Show, as the dynamic junior guards began to put the game away with their scoring prowess.

Nutter opened the fourth quarter with a breakaway dunk, which was a sign of things to come for the Celtics. The junior had two more physical scores on the interior, combined with another impressive finish from Ezirim and a pull up jumper from MacDonald, which helped Jerome complete its 23-4 run, leading 43-32 with 3:24 to play.

It was all over from that point, as Westerville North never seriously challenged again. Jerome's precision at the free throw line and defensive versatility helped put the final nail in the coffin, going away with a 51-42 victory.

The scoring was balanced for Jerome, as Nutter led the way with 15 points, while MacDonald added 14 and fellow junior guard Sasha Stavroff pitched in 12. Ezirim added eight points, coming alive in his best game of the season. While he didn't score, McDonald was a defensive Swiss Army Knife on Tuesday, erasing Westerville North's wings and helping Jerome lock down the defensive end of the floor in the fourth quarter. 

After making a defensive adjustment and switching everything in the second half, Jerome began to cause nightmares for Westerville North. The impact of Ezirim, McDonald, MacDonald and senior Jack Pinney helped fuel the major run. Jerome has the ability to heavily pressure the ball with switchable bigs who can contain guards and wings, while being able to protect the rim at a high level.

Nutter rose to the occasion and dominated the fourth quarter with his toughness, as his teammates rode that momentum and pulled out a game that this program was not tough enough to win just a few years ago. With a genuine passion and chemistry running from player 1 to player 15, Jerome needs to keep fighting hard together in order to reach the sky high potential that they possess. 

The Celtics will look to win their sixth-straight game when they host rival Dublin Scioto on Thursday.

For Westerville North, Reese led the way with 16 points. The junior guard is a dead eye shooter from the perimeter that can really punish a defense with his catch and shoot ability. Senior big man Malachi Peacock added an impressive 11 points, while freshman Micah Young had a terrific two-way showing with six points.

Young, despite only being a freshman, sets the tone for this Warriors team with his willingness to defend the best player on the opposing team and doing a damn good job of it. He was the player responsible for a majority of the 50/50 balls the Warriors got in the first half. 

Seniors Caleb Iheukwu and Noah Lawrence really struggled to get into a rhythm on Tuesday, combining for just seven points. Jerome's ability to stifle the two most experienced players on North's roster made a major impact in the Celtics' victory.

The Warriors will look to get back in the win column on Thursday when they host Logan. 

Ryan Nutter (6'3 PG / Dublin Jerome / 2023): Urban Dictionary defines "Foxhole Guy" as "somebody you generally trust or would rely upon. If you were in a foxhole, taking grenades, you would want this person to be with you." Nutter is a foxhole guy. Jerome's rise as a program in his three years has been influenced greatly by his passionate desire for the game and for winning. When it got toughest and big plays needed to be made in the championship rounds of the game, Nutter showed up. He thoroughly dominated the fourth quarter and erased all doubt if Jerome could pull it off. The 6-foot-3 junior lead guard is an elite level passer and playmaker that has really found his niche on the offensive end. Nutter does not waste any possessions, as he knows how to get to his spots and does an outstanding job of using his physical frame to punish smaller defenders. While Young did a great job containing him on the perimeter, Nutter introduced the freshman to high school basketball with a couple tough post ups that gave the Celtics great momentum in the fourth quarter. Nutter's energy, leadership and ability to rally his teammates was apparent all game long, as he never stopped communicating and encouraging. If you want to win, Nutter is a guy you want to play with. He is any coach's dream, as he will sell out 110 percent for the team and can be relied upon to make the tough plays that need to be made in order to win big games. Jerome will go as far as Nutter will take them. And we are confident that he can take them far. 

Micah Young (6'1 hybrid guard / Westerville North / 2025): Young is special. This young man was an absolute joy to watch on Tuesday. It's not often that you see freshmen accept the responsibility of top point of attack defender on a good team, but Young does just that. North clearly feeds off his energy, as he provides a genuine toughness in the backcourt that they haven't had since Julius Brown in 2018. The freshman is a talented scorer with takeover ability, as we've seen him time and time again fill it up from all over the floor. He got the game started with an impressive baseline driving score where he immediately picked up Nutter full court and made him work hard. Young is a talented defender that can move his feet and play physical defense without fouling. We were blown away by his feel and IQ, as he was EVERYWHERE off the ball, coming up with a handful of hustle plays that may not show up in the box score, but greatly impact winning. This is a kid that you WANT to go into battle with, as he will not back down from any challenge and will not face a moment that is too big for him, despite not even being old enough to drive a car. Westerville North has a ton of young talent including Young's brother Tai Perkins, as this duo will be a nightmare for OCC opponents for years to come. Don't be surprised if you see Young as an upperclassmen revolutionize this program and lead them to the heights they enjoyed in the early 2010s when the Warriors were a legitimate district title threat every single year. 

Lachlan MacDonald (6'1 combo guard / Dublin Jerome / 2023): Jerome is at their best when MacDonald is in a rhythm. That was the case on Tuesday, as he, Nutter and Stavroff powered an impressive second half run for the Celtics. The junior is as smooth as they come on the perimeter, as he has unique finishing ability, is a very dynamic ball handler and is most impactful on the defensive end of the floor where he is seemingly always in the right place at the right time. MacDonald led the game in steals and deflections, living in the passing lanes and doing a great job disrupting the North offense. MacDonald's two-way production on the perimeter is vital for this team, as they seem to match his energy when he's rolling. 

Carter Reese (6'2 SG / Westerville North / 2023): Reese's father Mike played Division I basketball at Ohio back in the 1990s with legends Gary Trent and Jeff Boals. The younger Reese clearly got some of those same genetics from his father, as the junior guard is a flame thrower with the ability to dominate a game with his scoring ability. Reese was on fire on Tuesday, knocking down four threes and giving the Warriors the scoring boost they needed to take control of the game early on. You can run Reese off screens all day long, as he is one of the best guys in the area at setting his feet and knocking down jumpers off movement. That's a skill that every college program needs and Reese certainly has it. The next step in his development will be to evolve as a scorer off the bounce and use some of his physical and athletic tools to become a lockdown perimeter defender. Improvement in those areas will really help him attract the likes of scholarship programs, as his outside shooting ability is enough on its own to garner next level interest. 

CC Ezirim (6'8 hybrid big / Dublin Jerome / 2022): Ezirim has been a highly impactful player for this Dublin Jerome program for the three years he has been with the team. While he will never be their go-to scorer, his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor will never be lost on us. With Ezirim on the floor, Westerville North did not even think of going inside on him, as he is a highly athletic hybrid big that can move his feet, defend the rim and control the glass. While he is committed to Buffalo for football, Ezirim is a unique post that gives Jerome such a boost with his ability to make high level athletic plays that are just hard to find elsewhere. Ezirim combined with fellow 6-foot-8 big Daviyon McDonald has turned Jerome into one of the most dynamic front courts that anyone has to offer in the area. 

Malachi Peacock (6'4 PF / Westerville North / 2022): Tuesday was my first time getting to really evaluate Peacock and I enjoyed watching him compete. He was a force around the rim, finishing through contact consistently and fighting hard for rebounds. Peacock has a great frame, broad shoulders and is a high motor high school big that made a big impact for Westerville North on Tuesday. The Warriors are a perimeter oriented team who really needs the inside presence that Peacock brings them. 

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