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Madison Plains 40, Mechanicsburg 22 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Zach Fleer, 01/05/22, 8:30PM EST

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Madison Plains junior guard Michael Bearden showed out on Wednesday

LONDON, Ohio -- Wednesday marked the first time in 270 Hoops history that we watched Madison Plains play, as the Golden Eagles hosted Mechanicsburg in a cross division Ohio Heritage Conference matchup.

It was very apparent from the opening tip that Madison Plains junior guard Michael Bearden was different from everyone else on the floor. The dynamic junior guard powered the Golden Eagles (5-4) to a great win, going for 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a 40-22 victory over the Indians (2-5). 

Bearden scored the first five points in the game, helping Madison Plains establish a sizable lead early. The Golden Eagles kept up the pressure for the entire first half, relying on Bearden's four assists to go into halftime with a 26-15 lead. 

The third quarter set basketball back a little bit, as Madison Plains outscored Mechanicsburg 5-0 in a period where offense came at a premium.

The visiting Indians did not convert their first field goal of the second half until the 6:05 mark in the fourth quarter, where any chance of winning the game had been lost. Madison Plains rode the smooth playmaking of Bearden to a comfortable win at home.

Madison Plains will look to climb back to .500 on Friday when they head to Northeastern for a league game. 

Mechanicsburg will look to notch its second win of the year on Friday at home against Greenon. 

Michael Bearden (6'1 PG / Madison Plains / 2023): We love the confidence and swagger that Bearden plays with. The junior knows that he's uber talented and that rubs off on his teammates, raising the confidence level of everyone on the floor. We were really impressed with Bearden's ability to make plays, as he has a tight and shifty handle, while showing the ability to make plays for himself and other. Bearden sees the floor at a high level and can make great passes while on the move. He will need to cut down on turnovers and not take as many risks, something that he will improve on as his game matures. However, his talent level and understanding of the game is as advanced as any small school guard that we have watched in his class. He showed an ability to finish creatively at the rim and knocked down a top of the key three to begin the game. We look forward to seeing Bearden more, as he could have had 10 assists if his teammates were able to finish the plays he set up for them. This is a small school sleeper to keep on your radar going forward. 

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