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Olentangy Liberty 80, Wayne 57 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Connor Harr, 01/06/19, 12:00AM EST

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Olentangy Liberty's hot outside shooting powers them over Huber Heights Wayne

Powell, Ohio-- The second quarter for Olentangy Liberty was the deciding factor in a big 80-57 win over Huber Heights Wayne on Saturday night. After a close first quarter, the Patriots outscored Wayne 34-19 in the second quarter and never looked back.

On top of a clear talent advantage, the highlight of the night was the Warriors relentlessly sticking with a 1-3-1 zone in the second quarter. Liberty had their way with the zone, knocking down eight of their 14 three-pointers with Wayne in it.

By the time the second half started the Warriors were already defeated as Liberty cruised to an easy victory. Unsigned senior Ben Roderick put on another dominant scoring night with 27 efficient points, leading the game in scoring. Liberty also received major contributions from their backcourt duo of sophomore Henry Hinkle and senior Joey Thatcher, who commanded the second quarter three point barrage and combined for 30 points. Senior wing Nick Nakasian rounded out the double figure scorers with 11.

The Patriots are now riding a five game winning streak heading into a matchup with the fellow 8-2 Gahanna Lincoln Lions on Tuesday.

Huber Heights Wayne were led by their senior duo of Cameron Fancher and Rashad McKee who provided 31 total points. The Warriors now move to 6-5 on the year and will look to remain above .500 against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary next Sunday.


Ben Roderick (6’6 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2019): The 6-foot-6 senior is a true collegiate wing with an exceptional frame, and was clearly the best player in this game. Scoring from all three levels tonight, Roderick finished at the rim with both hands in transition, driving to the rim, at the rim off set pieces, and off movement on a backdoor cut. He converted almost all of his attempts at the rim with fantastic body control, unfazed through the contact from the Wayne defenders. His natural shooting touch was on display from mid range as well, knocking down a faceup mid range jumper. Perhaps my favorite and most marketable future attribute is the southpaw’s pull up shooting, where he can create space, but can also make contested shots, which he did  by knocking down a pair of pull up three’s in this game along with a few in-and-out quality misses. His handle was on display when he made a smooth behind-the-back move leading into a step-back three. As a playmaker, Roderick can make decisive reads within an offense and in transition, where he made simple reads as a transition ball handler.

Defensively, Roderick should have no problem guarding future wings on ball. However, he was more impressive off the ball, where he had an easy rim rotation for a block, a charge covering a good amount of ground coming from the weak side on a drive, and a steal in the passing lane, flashing some anticipatory instincts.

The senior wing already has a host of D1 mid-major offers, and he has backed up the hype every night as the second leading scorer in Central Ohio this season. Possessing prototypical size at the wing position for the next level, the smooth lefty holds loads of value on the offensive end. Probably best suited off of the ball in a half-court offense, Roderick can do anything you need him to. Whether it is coming off curls, flare screens, back screens, or improvised cutting, the three level scoring ability should allow him to work off any action. He could also improvise his own offense as a spot up shooter that can put the ball on the floor, get to his one to two dribble pull up, and finish at the rim in spacious situations. He will likely be better suited as two position defender on the ball, but his team defensive value is something that every program needs.

Nick Nakasian (6’3 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2019): The Carnegie Mellon commit is Liberty’s second leading scorer this season, but was relatively quiet tonight scoring the basketball, with just 11 points. However, I thought the wings points built on the strengths in his game. Nakasian is clearly a solid spot up shooter even though he only made one in this game. He worked off movement frequently, where he ran off screens that were looking to set him up for finishes at the rim. The senior maneuvered the off-ball screens like a veteran, waiting for the screener and rubbing shoulders with them. His off movement and spot up scoring mix in perfectly with his low usage passing ability, where he showed a tremendous feel for the weak side of the floor in low usage actions. He can also attack the lane on spot-ups where he covers a large amount of ground with lengthy strides.

Nakasian was solid on the defensive end as well, in particularly on the ball, where he stayed with Wayne’s much quicker guards off the dribble, showcasing some deceptive athletic ability with quick lateral movements and hip turns. The next step in Nakasian’s game would be shooting off movement and looking to develop as a decision maker off the dribble, both of which  are quite practical and should make his collegiate transition as smooth as possible.

Henry Hinkle (6’0 G / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): While I was attending tonight to see both Roderick and Nakasian, the sophomore guard was a fantastic surprise. Hinkle is an offensive minded scoring point guard, and did exactly that by matching his career high with 18 points. Mostly working off of the ball today, Hinkle had a blazing first step off and burst off of the dribble that allowed him to get into the lane at will. Once past his matchup, the sophomore knows how to angle his body past the defender, putting him on his hip and making it nearly impossible to block his shot in spacious settings. That’s an attribute that some players do not develop throughout their entire career, but Hinkle has already at such a young age. His offensive output continued with four shots from deep, all spotting up. He flashed some tight handling as well by performing as a transition ball handler and making simple reads to shooters in the strong side corner.

Hinkle is definitely a name to keep an eye on. The sophomore is already a major contributor in this Patriots offense. It will be interesting to see what he does in a significantly higher usage on ball role with Liberty losing all four of their other starters next season.