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Tree of Life 59, International 40 - Prospect Scouting Report

By John Stampe, 11/30/18, 11:45PM EST

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Balanced and veteran Trojan squad wins the day over the Lions

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Tree of Life Trojans (1-0) showed some solid half-court defense and solid inside/outside scoring  in a dominating 59-40 win over the Columbus City League’s International Lions (0-2). The north-side battle between the Division IV teams at the former Columbus North High School, started fairly evenly with the Trojans forging a 13-10 lead after the first quarter behind five points each from guards Ian Leach and Andrew Konjevich.

The Trojans began to flex their muscle in the second stanza as they used an 18-9 period to jump to a 31-19 lead, behind two dunks off steals in transition by do-everything wing Josh Smith The first of which saw him fall hard flat on his back after holding the rim too long. Josh's twin brother, Isaiah, led the Trojans in scoring in the big second quarter run with seven points including an early trey.

International, led by their 6-foot-6 center Yayi Conde, hung in on their home court in the first half behind his 12 points and off-guard Javon Moses who contributed five points in the first half for head coach Mike Bell.

With the Lions needing their biggest offensive quarter coming out of the halftime locker room, The Trojans defense got stingy only giving up eight points and seeing their twelve point lead jump to 17 at 44-27 after three quarters. The Tree of Life defense was led by senior post player Shawn Scarberry who knocked in four of his nine points in the third.

The biggest surprise for the Trojans continued to be the offensive confidence of Konjevich, who knocked down five more points in the third and five in the final quarter to finish with a game-high 15 points.  

International kept their heads high and played hard through the final buzzer, despite being outscored in the final eight minutes 15-13, and falling to 0-2 on the season.

Seniors Conde and Moses ended with 14 and 11 points apiece to lead the Lions. International fell to Franklin Heights on Thursday night 72-49 in their season opener.

The win was the first for Bill Brown who is at the helm for his first season for the Trojans. Coach Brown is in good hands with long-time head coach Joe Arndt as his assistant, after the two switched roles after last season.
 


Josh Smith (6'2 G-F / Tree of Life / 2019):  The guard/forward will be one of the top defenders and finishers on the break in small division ball in Central Ohio. He will be a defensive stopper on opposing shooting guards and the size and length to match-up with forwards as well. His offense is raw but improving and creating looks should not be difficult for a player of his athleticism. He ended with eight points in the opener and two dunks.

Isaiah Smith (6'2 W / Tree of Life / 2019):  Josh’s twin is every bit as intimidating and nasty on the floor. Wing/post Isaiah Smith is all over the floor on defense and on the glass and his ability to get into passing lanes like his twin is exceptional. Like Josh, he is a bit raw offensively, but he is a finisher and his superior athleticism is gonna guarantee a lot of easy hoops off his defense and offense.

Ian Leach (5'9 PG / Tree of Life / 2020): Leach is a true point guard with plenty of experience for a junior. His three-point range is a team strength as he can hit up to 25-feet and is given the green light by his coaches. He is solid at getting an outlet and getting the ball ahead quickly off the pass, Leach isn’t going to over dribble trying to make stuff happen that isn’t there. He is looking to reverse the ball offensively and hit his share of bombs in the process.

Shawn Scarberry (6'3 F / Tree of Life / 2019): The Trojans returning pivot is a bit heavier and stronger this year, and likes to do his damage on the court in the paint and along the baseline, where he is a very consistent finisher and rebounder for the Tree. He is one of those double-double a game guys who brings his hardhat and lunch pale into the post to battle.

Andrew Konjevich (6'0 G / Tree of Life / 2019): Konjevich looks like he will be able to replace any scoring the Trojans lost from last year’s squad and then some. His opening 15 point performance had to be the highlight of the game for the Trojan coaches. Konjevich showed confidence, and some speed to get his shot off and get squared up to the basket. He is aggressive and is gonna be looking for his shot after his debut.

Raphael Hayes (6'2 W / Tree of Life / 2019): Attention Ohio State football: there is a young man fifteen minutes north of campus that looks like he is a budding division one football star for the Trojans. Hayes who is taking a bit of a lesser role it seems on the hardwood, looks like a Division I football star in the future. Despite his overwhelmingly powerful frame, Hayes can drive from the wing with a shockingly fast first-step and has shooting range to 23 feet.   

Yayi Conde (6'6 F / International / 2019): The big post has a little more help this year, but the rebound machine struggled to finish at his good looks inside against Tree of Life and he will simply be swarmed constantly this year with double and triple teams. When motivated, Conde will be a beast and will be the anchor of the front-line and team.

Javon Moses (6'3 F / International / 2019): Moses had a hard time finding his groove against the Trojans but still finished with 11 points despite an off-shooting night. His speed and athleticism will add a different dimension to the Lions backcourt this season.  He has excellent defensive potential but the Lions tend to use a 2-3 zone.

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