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Gahanna 77, Groveport Madison 43 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Greg Glasser, 12/22/21, 11:45PM EST

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Lions deliver a dominant team performance from start to finish over Cruisers

GROVEPORT, Ohio -- One month into the season and undefeated Gahanna continues to stand out as the area's best team. That widespread opinion was further solidified after the Lions dominated an athletic, but ultimately overwhelmed, Groveport Madison team with a 77-43 victory on Wednesday night.

The Lions were transparent in the first quarter that it would be a long night for the Cruisers. Driven by superstar senior Sean Jones, Gahanna took an early 16-5 advantage led behind Jones' nine points and two assists and a Lions defense that pressured Groveport's ball handlers and eliminated easy scoring opportunities.

The bully-like performance would only continue throughout the game as Gahanna simply outperformed the Cruisers in every facet. Groveport threw out a zone defense, which allowed Gahanna to execute wide open long distance opportunities as the Lions poured in eight triples. Seniors Cam Johnson and Eljae Deas both had three each, while Jones had two of his own.

On the glass, the Lions took ownership of both ends and out-rebounded the Cruisers 23-11, which Included an assortment of offensive put-backs, most of which came from senior Josh Whiteside who led all players with 9 boards.  

Any momentum Groveport would try to spark would quickly be met with a fast-break response from the Lions, as Gahanna was excellent in transition and seemed to score at ease during all points of the game. 

Jones would finish with a double-double and led his team with 20 points and 10 assists. Seven games into the season and it's rather evident the Marquette commit is on a different level than his peers as the 5-foot-11 point guard seemingly got whatever he wanted. Nearly half of his assists came from making an extra pass to a wide-open shooter, while the other half came in highlight-worthy fashion, whether it was an alley-oop or finding an open man through traffic. 

Senior Javan Simmons was once against a difficult matchup and had his way towards a 17 point and five rebound performance. The Toledo commit also did a strong job of earning and converting trips at the charity stripe, as he made all five of his free throw attempts. Defensively, he continued to be an intimidating presence, altering shots from inside the paint and up to the three point arc.

Deas and Johnson finished with 16 and 14 points respectively and continue to add a critical versatile scoring element that truly fills out the Lions rotation. Whiteside finished with six points. 

Despite all the fantastic individual performances from the Lions starting five, its ultimately Gahanna's commitment to defense, an understanding of their roles and overall unselfishness that separates them from being great to elite. Coach Tony Staib has done a fantastic job of getting his talented team to buy in and remain focused on each performance as the ultimate goal is still a few months away.

While Groveport Madison will not want to dwell on the final score, the Cruisers did receive some quality performances, most notably from senior Kenyatta Whiteside. While the Cruisers struggled to find any offense, mainly in the first half, it was Whiteside that kept things from getting out of hand even sooner. The 6-foot-4 wing scored 15 of his 23 points before halftime, which included three triples. 

Also having quality moments were seniors Duane Davis and Marlon Elliott Jr. Davis showed off an impressive skill set in the third quarter with a made three-pointer and a couple athletic drives to finish with eight points. Elliott Jr. added seven points, but also made contributions with his five rebounds and four assists and played an overall aggressive game.  

The Cruisers (4-4) have now lost back-to-back games to arguably the area's best two teams in Gahanna and Pickerington Central. Unfortunately, the road doesn't get much easier as they travel next to undefeated Upper Arlington on Tuesday.

Gahanna (7-0) looks to remain undefeated as they take on Licking Heights next Wednesday. 

To read more about the top performers, scroll down below. 

Note: It goes without saying that Sean Jones and Javan Simmons were two of the best players. They'll continue to get recognized throughout the season, but for this article, we'll highlight the best unsigned players from Wednesday night.

Eljae Deas (6'0 G / Gahanna / 2022) - The senior guard continues to impress and prove he is a top talent player of his own right. Deas has fantastic versatility and above average athleticism. On Wednesday, he showed an ability to hit from deep as he connected on three triples. His attention to defense was on display as he stole two inbound passes that both resulted in easy buckets. You can tell Deas is a highly capable player by the way he and Jones play off each other so well, as the two make up as the best backcourt in Central Ohio. As Gahanna continues to garner major headlines, regional Division I and Division II coaches should make Deas a priority to follow.

Cam Johnson (6'2 SG / Gahanna / 2022) - The most elite teams that find their way towards a state championship typically have a roster of players that can excel and fill various roles. Heading into the season, a consistent long-range threat was an area of growth for Gahanna and as the season has progressed, Johnson looks capable of being that deadly deep threat. Johnson connected on a trio of threes towards his 14 points. Not to just be positioned as a shooter, Johnson showed effort crashing the glass, which included two offensive rebounds that resulted in put-backs and had six rebounds overall as the 6-foot-2 senior did a good job of tracking down the ball. Johnson's confidence seems to continue to grow, which should make opponents worry as that will only make Gahanna an even tougher team to beat.

Josh Whiteside (6'7 PF / Gahanna / 2022) - Long considered a prospect with strong potential, and after two years at St. Charles where he wasn't able to play the full seasons, we're now starting to consistently see the glimpses of significant upside that Whiteside possesses. The 6-foot-7 forward has a college-ready frame, as he's slimmed down, but offers great athleticism to go along with his length. Whiteside is a high-volume rebounder, using his size to his advantage to be the first to get his hands on the board. His contributions in particular on the offensive glass is where he made the biggest difference on Wednesday, as the senior scored on multiple second chance attempts and kept even more possessions alive. Whiteside also runs the floor tremendously well and is a perfect fit for an up-tempo pace as he is capable of getting easy buckets in transition. With a continued effort to use his motor in an efficient and consistent manner, Whiteside's size and athleticism provide significant intrigue to his true upside as his best basketball should still be ahead of him.

Kenyatta Whiteside (6'4 WF / Groveport Madison / 2022) Even as the Cruisers were already down double digits, Whiteside looked every bit as one of the best players on the court, in particular in the first half.  The left-handed wing showed a confident ability to hit from deep, nailing three threes in the first half. Whiteside was also really the only player able to score in the post for the Cruisers, a difficult challenge for anyone that goes against Gahanna's bigs. The senior finished with a game-high 23 points and did so in each way; from deep, in the post and in transition. If there were five Kenyatta Whiteside's on the roster, this would have been a much closer game. Nonetheless, Whiteside should be a prospect on the radar for Division II/NAIA programs.

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