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Tri-Valley 58, Mifflin 45 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Connor Harr, 12/28/18, 12:39AM EST

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Tri-Valley’s upperclassmen trio combines for 48 points in an impressive win over Mifflin

Columbus, Ohio-- On Thursday night, Tri-Valley was victorious while traveling over an hour away to take on Mifflin, as they won 58-45.

Mifflin came out strong, knocking down four three-pointers in the first quarter. Three of them came from sophomore guard Mehki Jarrett and one from senior big man Abdul Mohamed. After that hot shooting start from the Punchers, they struggled to find a flow in their offensive game. They were unable to run any kind of half-court offense or find a secondary scorer to junior wing Mikal King, who finished the game with 16 points.

Tri-Valley easily navigated through Mifflin’s series of full court traps and presses, resulting in a scrambling defense that struggled closing out, leaving the Scotties with a plethora of open jump shots, driving lanes, and weakside offensive opportunities. They were led by standout junior Jack Lyall, who contributed 18 points. The Scoties also received a 14 point contribution from junior Keaton Williams, who was relentlessly driving into the lane and finishing at the rim. Senior guard Matt King also ended the game with a trio of three-point shots from the outside and 15 points.

Mifflin now moves to 3-6 on the season and will look to bounce back next Saturday at New Albany.

Tri-Valley will ride their momentum into Granville this Saturday, as they recovered from a double-digit loss to Westerville South with a win tonight.

Jack Lyall (6’4 WG / Tri-Valley / 2020): The junior had an extremely productive game tallying 19 points and was easily the best offensive player on the court. Lacking elite speed, Lyall navigates his way into the lane with exceptional change of pace dribbling and is an ambidextrous finisher at the rim with solid body control. He knocked down pull-up jump shots off the dribble and a spot-up three as well showcasing a three level scoring skillset. Many of his points came within the flow of Tri-Valley’s offense and he really took advantage attacking Mifflin closeouts. Late in the game, Lyall flashed some passing ability making both simple dump-offs once the Scotties broke the Mifflin press and an easy kickout to the strong side corner. Lyall’s scoring output was impressive, but we did not get to see much from him on the defensive end of the floor in the game. Nevertheless, the scoring minded guard should build on what should be a productive season for him. The junior should be worthy of high NAIA/low D3 looks if a program is in need of a scoring wing that could help an offense immediately.

Mikal King (6’4 W / Mifflin / 2020) :This was my second indulgence of King’s game, where his first impression as a wing with collegiate potential did not disappoint. The junior is an above average team defender that normally makes correct rotations within Mifflin’s various full-court presses and traps. These defensive instincts led to a steal and transition opportunity late in the game. On-ball, the wing was easily the most effective defender on Lyall, but infrequent possessions resulted in a very limited sample size. He consistently knocked down three point shots throughout the game, and that will continue to be a valuable skill when projecting his offensive outcome at the next level. Even showing one three-pointer off of slight movement when he faded into the corner working off of a screen once his defender cheated it. Continuing to build on his offensive repertoire, King has a functional handle that he showcased on a drive to the rim with a quality first step getting from the three point line to the rim in one easy dribble. Then, following that drive up with a grab-and-go possession in the fourth quarter hesitating at the three point line, getting to the rim, and drawing a foul. Even though he plays out of his ideal role, the potential in King is evident. If he stays engaged and aggressive throughout the game and becomes a consistent three point shooter, the Mifflin junior is a legitimate Division 3 three-and-d wing prospect with positional versatility on the defensive end of the floor.