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Canal Winchester 82, Briggs 71 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Connor Harr, 12/15/18, 11:10PM EST

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Canal Winchester junior Bilal Sow went for 24 points in a road win at Briggs

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The dynamic duo of Brady Snyder and Bilal Sow remained hot as Canal Winchester stayed unbeaten in an 82-71 win over Briggs on the road on Saturday. 

Canal started the game with a strong first quarter performance from the senior guard Snyder. The rest of the first half was not as kind with Briggs switching to a box and one denying Snyder the ball anywhere in the half court. With one star out of the flow of their offense, Canal then lost their rising junior big man Sow to foul trouble.

Briggs sophomore forward Javion Williams seized the opportunity and dominated in the middle of the Canal 2-3 zone without their best big man. Briggs contained Snyder throughout the third quarter with their box and one, but Canal’s role playing junior’s Cole Metzler and Avery Musick played a huge part in the win contributing 15 and nine points combined.

Along with a solid defensive performance from senior guard Jake Howard at the top of their zone. 

Unfortunately, Briggs was on the opposite end of role playing help. Once Sow returned back into the game and junior guard Domenic Farley fouled out early in the fourth quarter, the gap between the two slowly grew and Canal Winchester’s depth took over in an 82-71 win. 

The Indians were led by 24 points from Sow, who continued what looks to be a breakout junior season. Snyder added 19 points, while Metzler rounded out Canal's double figure trio with 15 points. With yet another win, Canal Winchester is off to a hot 5-0 start and will look to keep rolling next week with games against Franklin Heights and Central Crossing.

The top breakout sophomore in the City League to start the year, Williams finished with a dominant 26 points and 14 rebounds. Farley added 18 points before fouling out, while senior guard Quienton Johnston added 16 points for the Bruins.

For Briggs, Saturday's loss is their third in four games to start the season. The Bruins' road does not get easier, as they will head to Walnut Ridge on Tuesday before hosting Marion-Franklin on Friday.


Brady Snyder (6’1 G / Canal Winchester / 2019): After knocking down four three pointers in the first quarter, Snyder found ways to create team offensive value without needing to be a high usage handler. He made some phenomenal low usage passes that led to fouls and hockey assists. Along with a beautiful pocket pass to a rolling Metzler to the hoop off a dribble hand off on a baseline out of bounds set. When Snyder did get the ball he was blitzed handling in ball screen situations, but  was unfazed making some beautiful passes showing off quality passing vision and quick decision making. 

Snyder is not an elite athlete, but can get his shot off at any time and is comfortable shooting both off movement and off the dribble. When he gets into the lane he makes quick and advanced reads to find open shooters. He should have some Division III interest as an intelligent scoring lead guard that should be a match made in heaven within a read and react offensive system. 

Bilal Sow ( 6'4 WF / Canal Winchester 2020): At 6-foot-4, Sow combines a long wingspan and strong frame that allows him to play much bigger than he is. Despite his foul trouble in the first half, Sow showcased a phenomenal motor, running the floor for easy baskets, and willingness to power his way inside to obtain positioning on the offensive glass. A below the rim right hand dominant finisher down low, Sow has a knack for finishing through contact with exceptional body control. His second half defensive performance was the highlight of his night. Sow did a fantastic job containing Williams dow low playing with three fouls challenging his attempts at the rim with verticality to prevent himself from fouling out. 

Sow is slightly undersized to be a full time Division III big, but his physical tools definitely make that a plausible outcome with added explosiveness, which combined with what we estimate is a 6-foot-9 wingspan, could turn him into one of the area’s more intriguing late bloomer players a year from now. He knocked down all of his free throw attempts at the line and looked comfortable shooting his only shot from outside. The continued shot development could make him a 4 which would be huge for his translatability to the collegiate level. 

Javion Williams (6’4 WF / Briggs / 2021): The sophomore had a highly productive outing as the leading scorer in the game with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Williams is an explosive leaper off his initial jump, but especially off his second jump which led to a lot of easy put backs and trips to the free throw line. His movement skills are guard-like and he flashed some solid weakside rim protection out of the Brigg’s box and one. He showed some natural touch at the free throw line making eight of his nine attempts as well. 

Williams has potential with his physical and athletic gifts, making him a collegiate prospect with good upside. In order to maximize that potential, he will have to be able to back up his wing-like movements and coordination with a wing-like skill set. Still with plenty of time to develop that skill, Williams could eventually become a scoring wing that is an extremely switchable defender. 

For the time being, Williams has been the most productive sophomore in the City League and is a breakout player that coaches in the region should familiarize themselves with. 

Domenic Farley (6'0 G / Briggs / 2020): The junior guard was very streaky throughout the game shooting the ball. He did showcase what he could do if he consistently gets hot for stretches of the game. His most translatable offensive skill right now is his pull up jump shot. Despite not having blazing speed, Farley understands how to angle himself around a defender and slither his way into the lane. He has a good understanding for his pace as well being able to change speeds and decelerate on a dime to create space for his jump shot. 

It’s hard for a lot of guards to hone in on that skill and it is probably best utilized in a heavy ball screen spacious offensive style. He still needs to improve as a decision maker and defender throughout the season, but if Farley can start becoming a consistent spot up and pull up shooter he should be able to obtain some JUCO interest. 

Quienton Johnson (6’0 G / Briggs / 2019): The senior guard had a tremendous game today scoring a very efficient 16 points. Johnson’s game is centered around his intelligence since he is not the best ball handler or elite athlete, but he knows how to play the game. Johnson was the only Briggs guard that was able to make quality passes throughout the Canal zone, understanding that skip passes were necessary to open up driving lanes. He also was able to make some quick reads on the move attacking the zone. He  knocked down three shots from the outside where he has a picture perfect release off the spot up and one off movement where he was able improvise his own off ball movement relocating to an open spot. He is a willing and tough team defender as well that anticipated the passing lanes well. 

Johnson was a pleasant surprise in this game. He adds plenty of value to on the offensive end of the floor as an off ball guard with a high IQ. His defensive value is also centered around his off ball awareness as well. Any JUCO looking for a highly intelligent guard that can add team value should be looking at the senior. 

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