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Coaches for a Cure Classic: Top Performers

By Zach Fleer, 12/23/18, 1:00AM EST

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A look at the top performers from the First Annual Capital City Coaches for a Cure Classic

BEXLEY, Ohio -- Taking place at Capital University, the Capital City Coaches for a Cure Classic did not disappoint. With five games throughout the course of the day, the first year event went very smoothly, as we saw some great matchups all day long.

The results went as follows:

Pickerington North 98, East 43

Cincinnati Princeton 53, Reynoldsburg 45

South 56, Jonathan Alder 47

Hilliard Davidson 41, Logan 35

Hilliard Bradley 46, Springfield 36

Let's take a look at the top performers from the event.


Christian Gillilan (6'7 PF / Hilliard Davidson / 2019): A late blooming forward who has been a breakout senior so far this year, Gillilan had his best game yet against Logan on Saturday. Finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds, Gillilan put his freakishly long body to use, scoring around the rim and dominating the glass. With what looks like a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Gillilan is extremely long, moves decently well, has a functional handle, showed off a pure stroke on the one three that he knocked down and played a physical brand of ball around the basket despite not being incredibly strong. Gillilan is a prospect that Division III programs should be all over, as he should continued to develop and add to the intriguing tools that he already has. While Gillilan will have to put on a lot of weight when he gets to college, you can't teach 6-foot-7 with the ball skills that he has. 

Jack Sawyer (6’6 WF/PF / Pickerington North / 2021): I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Sawyer is Joey Bosa with a jump shot. While a five-star football prospect, Sawyer is arguably the best basketball PLAYER in Ohio in the 2021 class. A physically demanding forward who straight up bullies guys, Sawyer is a very skilled wing forward that can hit the mid-range shot with great consistency and touch. Sawyer is a great athlete that uses his huge frame to finish through defenders around the basket. Not many teams in the area have a matchup for Sawyer, as he will have every chance to finish among the area’s top scorers this winter. If Sawyer weren’t headed for elite Power 5 football, we might get to enjoy four years of him on the hardwood at the high school level, but with programs like Alabama and Ohio State pursuing him heavily, he could be an early enrollee in college football when the time comes.

Tre Watkins (6'0 G / South / 2019): This has been Watkins' breakout year and he was a major reason why South remained undefeated on Saturday. Going for 20 points, Watkins did his usual damage from behind the three-point line, knocking down four triples. None two were bigger than the back-to-back threes he hit in the final 10 seconds of the first quarter, which helped South overcome a slow start to take a lead into the second quarter that it did not relinquish. Adding to his overall game, Watkins has become a complete player and has greatly improved his feel, which is the reason why South has been so efficient to start the year. 

Jackson Izzard (6'2 WG / Jonathan Alder / 2021): Going up against an athletic backcourt of South, Izzard had his breakout performance, showing off the multi-level scoring ability that he has. Growing to 6-foot-2, Izzard has become stronger since last year and is now capable of getting by defenders and finishing at the basket. Scoring 22 points on Saturday, Izzard knocked down two threes, finished a few drives at the rim and knocked down a couple mid-range jumpers. Having the ability to score it off the bounce and possessing a knockdown three-point stroke, Izzard is a wing guard to keep an eye on in 2021. 

Keaton Norris (5'11 G / Hilliard Bradley / 2021): Lose one elite shooter and gain another. Fortunately for Hilliard Bradley, its new three-point marksman is of the same family from its last one. With Braden Norris moving on to Division I Oakland, where he is leading the country in three-point shooting percentage, sophomore Keaton Norris has turned into Hilliard Bradley's top shooter in his first year of varsity action. Norris started off fast on Saturday, hitting three of his four triples in the first quarter to help the Jags build a 13-5 lead after the first eight minutes. Much like his brother, Norris does not need much space to get his shot off, as he is an extremely confident shooter that is one of few floor spacers on the Bradley roster. With Matt Allocco's offensive game changing into less of a perimeter threat, Norris is extremely valuable for the Jaguars and will need to continue to shoot like he has lately for this team to compete at an elite level. Norris knocked down all four of his threes off movement, navigating off the ball and through the punishing screens of Zach Hummel and Chris Mayfield to help Bradley build its early lead. With a reliable handle and a great feel for the game, Norris is one of the breakout sophomores to keep an eye on in the OCC this winter.

Ethan Royer (6'3 WG / Hilliard Davidson / 2019): When it comes to the best perimeter defenders in Central Ohio, Royer undoubtedly needs to be in the conversation. On Saturday, he was tasked with defending 6-foot-5 Logan wing Bo Myers, one of the area's elite scorers. Royer played an excellent game on the defensive end, locking down Myers and not allowing the Malone commit to score on him in one-on-one situations. Royer is a physical guard who is as strong as they come. With quick feet from playing middle linebacker on the gridiron, Royer can stay in front of just about anyone and is a very high IQ defender that knows how to bother opposing players without fouling. Royer was the key to the Davidson defensive attack, forcing Myers into plenty of tough shots, while also finishing with nine points and seven rebounds. On a Davidson team that thrives on controlling the tempo and making it difficult to execute on the offensive end, nobody is more important to the Wildcats defense than Royer. 

Taquan Simington (6'2 CG / South / 2020): Simington played one of his best all-around games on Saturday, giving South a spark on both ends of the floor. Making an impact as the Bulldogs primary ball handler, Simington created off the bounce, using his quickness and explosiveness to get into the lane where he had plenty of attempts at the rim. While he did not finish every chance at the basket, Simington made more than he missed, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals, leading the team in the final three categories. The big-time athlete plays with a great motor complete with signature south side toughness, which gives this Bulldogs team an edge on the perimeter. Simington reminds us a lot of former Beechcroft guard Datrey Long, as he is a hard-nosed and athletic guard who has an old school City League feel to his game. Simington has matured on the court and is turning into a player that South can rely on for 32 minutes. 

Matt Allocco (6'4 PG / Hilliard Bradley / 2020): Getting my first look at Allocco this season, it was nice to watch the skilled lead guard on Saturday. With Allocco stretching out to 6-foot-4, he is a big matchup at the point guard position that plays a physical brand of ball. As we mentioned earlier, Allocco's offensive style has drastically changed since his freshman season, as he did not even look to shoot from outside five feet on Saturday, attacking Springfield off the bounce and drawing fouls, while utilizing his size and strength in the post-up game on the block. The junior Allocco is a physical ball handler that has a great feel, as he does not force bad shots, knows how to draw fouls and is a master communicator that always has his teammates in the right spots. Allocco finished with 10 points, two rebounds and four assists in the win over Springfield, showing an ability to get past the athletic guards of the Wildcats, while not being sped up or disturbed. 

Caleb Bell (6'0 G / Logan / 2019): With Myers struggling on Saturday, Bell stepped up for Logan and nearly had them in a position to win the game. The 6-foot guard scored eight of his team-high 11 points in the second half, knocking down two healthy triples and completing a hustle play And-1 that briefly gave Logan a lead. While the Logan offense thrives on Myers putting up points, Bell filled in nicely on Saturday and took home the team MVP award in the loss. 

Hunter Shedenhelm (6’4 WG / Pickerington North / 2020): Shedenhelm has fully accepted being a go to guy for this team. Recently scoring 33 points in a win at Gahanna, Shedenhelm is a shooter who hasn’t seen many shots that he doesn’t like. The 6-foot-4 wing had it going on Saturday as he poured in 17 points in a blowout win. We were impressed with Shedenhelm’s confidence on Saturday, as he played as physical on both ends as we’ve seen out of him, snatching rebounds out of the air, finishing through contact at the basket and as usual, knocking down shots from all over the perimeter. Shedenhelm will have his pick of good Division II offers by this time next year.

Armon Mackey (6’0 G / East / 2019): The senior Mackey is the leader of the East team. The max effort he gives on both ends of the floor is infectious. In a game where East was just outmatched, he never stopped playing heard until the final buzzer. He chipped in 13 points for East, knocking down four of the Tigers’ six threes, helping East stay competitive in the first quarter before the depth and talent of Pickerington North took control. In a City League North division where every team already has at least one loss, Mackey and the Tigers will be a major player for a division title this winter.

Sean Moore (6’4 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2020): Moore was Reynoldsburg’s team MVP on Saturday, finishing with 11 points. Read all about Moore from Friday’s report here.

Ty’Lei Tate (6’3 F / East /2019) One of the lone bright spots in the lopsided loss, Tate played well, as he was aggressive attacking in the paint for the majority of his points. Tate played hard the whole game no matter the score, which was really encouraging, as a lot of high school players would’ve given up by that point. The 6-foot-3 senior led East with 19 points and continued what has been a breakout senior year.

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