2 WSU recruits square off

[Big D]

Northmont defensive shift throttles Troy
Box-and-one switch turns game around for Thunderbolts

By Ken Paxson

For the Dayton Daily News

TROY | Northmont coach Jim Brown says he isn't a fan of "junk" defenses, but the Thunderbolts were winning plenty of praise at that end of the floor Friday night.

Troy guard Michael Hall, one of the area's leading scorers, was held to just two second-half points as Northmont rallied to post a 48-44 win in a meeting between two of the top boys high school basketball teams in the Greater Western Ohio Conference's West Division.

Hall scored 12 points, but was shut down by the Bolts' box-and-one defense after Brown went to it late in the second period trailing 18-9.

The victory lifts Northmont to 8-2 in the GWOC and 11-5 overall. Troy falls to 6-5 in league play and 10-7 overall.

"They ran a box-and-one that looked different from most I see," said Hall, who averages 21.8 points. "Everywhere I went, they had a guy following me. I was going against three defenders every time down the floor.

"They tried to take me out of my game and did a good job of it. I just wasn't able to get the ball as much as I usually can."

That was the idea. After watching Hall score 10 quick points, Brown shifted his defense. Northmont rallied to within 23-22 at the half.

While Hall was struggling, his counterpart — Northmont senior Kenny Hayes — was just getting started. Hayes, a 6-foot-1 senior guard who leads the Bolts in scoring, scored a game-high 22 points.

Fifteen of those points came in the second half and eight in the crucial fourth period, including a floater with 40 seconds left for a 44-40 lead. Hayes then went to the line twice in the final seconds and made all four free throws.

"There is always a lot of talk about me and Mike (Hall) battling, but I wasn't thinking about all of that," Hayes said.

"I just wanted to go out and win because they beat us by 20 at our place last year. I wanted to win this game bad."

"(Mike) Hall gets a lot of publicity and I think Kenny might feel like he deserves some, too," Brown said. "He's a marvelous player and he showed it tonight. He made some big baskets."

Senior guard J.T. Thompson added 11 points for Northmont. Senior guard Shane Carter led the Trojans with 17. Troy, though, made just 2-of-16 threes.

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/preps/daily/0129troy2.html

[Big D]

Kenny Hayes and Mike Hall are both being recruited by WSU. I have seen them both play several times this year and the more I see Hayes, the more I hope we use our last scholarship on him. He is a very complete pg. He plays good defense, which we all know is important for coach B's system. He is a pass first, score second pg. He is quick, smart, and shoots well--everything you want in a pg. Another bonus is he is coached by former WSU Coach Jim Brown.

[Raiderfan]

Big D, thanks for the scouting report. It sound like either on of these kids wouldn't be a bad get for us.

Who has better shooting range, Hall or Hayes?

Which one can handle the ball better?

Which one is the better defender?

Which one seemed to be able penetrate with the ball better?

A lot of questions I know but any insight would be welcomed.

[WSUGRAD]

As much as I hate to say it if we get Hayes we will not have any extra help next year.

These theree players that we would have gotten are not of the same quality as PB has gotten his first 2 years. I think they will be good players just not for a couple of seasons.

[Big D]

Raiderfan said:

Big D, thanks for the scouting report. It sound like either on of these kids wouldn't be a bad get for us.

Who has better shooting range, Hall or Hayes?

Which one can handle the ball better?

Which one is the better defender?

Which one seemed to be able penetrate with the ball better?

A lot of questions I know but any insight would be welcomed.

Hayes is the better overall player in my opinion. He is a much better shooter than Hall. He hits 49.6% from the field, 44.6% from 3 pt range, and 76.2% from the free throw line. Hall is shooting 46% from the field, 34.6% from 3 pt range, and 78.3% from the free throw line. He is a better passer. He averages 3.86 assists compared to Hall's 1.42 assists. I averaged more than 1.42 assists in high school, and I was a power forward. Hayes is a better defender. He has better defensive skills and he puts forth more effort on the defensive end of the court than Hall. Hall is probably the better penetrator and he is also a slightly better athlete than Hayes, but not by much. Out of the two, I think Hayes would play earlier than Hall, due to his defense and ability to fit into our offense better. Hall might have the greater upside if he becomes less selfish with the ball.

Here is a link to their league page where you can follow their stats.
www.gwocsports.com/boys_basketball.htm