While Ohio State is about a month deep into its season, many high school teams are just beginning to ease into their schedules.
Dayton Dunbar, led by OSU signee A.J. Harris, has played three games – the most recent of which ended on long three by Harris and a Chris Webber-esque timeout situation:
AJ Harris drills the forty footer!66-66 with .9 seconds left. Technical on Pickerington call TO didn't have one Harris at the line
— Lorenzo Smith (@hoop4u) December 7, 2014
Austin Grandstaff has played, at least, six games. According to MaxPreps.com, he is averaging 25.3 points per game and, yet, still only shooting 24 percent from three. Expect those numbers to rise.
His fellow Texan and future Buckeye teammate is dealing with a rigorous stretch of games, resembling an NBA schedule. In a third game in four nights, Mickey Mitchell's squad played a nationally televised game, Monday.
Plano West, returning to Texas from a West Virginia tournament where the Wolves played Montverde (Florida), took on another high-powered opponent in Lancaster. The matchup also featured three Texas A&M signees – Tyler Davis, D.J. Hogg and Elijah Thomas – all of whom are four-star recruits.
In going 2-9 from the floor, it wasn't a particularly sharp shooting performance by Mitchell – he still needs to improve finding his shot in the half court. Mitchell's instincts are solid, but he did not have the necessary explosion or body control to finish over the 6-foot-9-inch Nate Morris:
Lancaster's zone-trap press scheme – resembling a more aggressive version of Ohio State's defense – stifled the Plano West offense, which is usually quick to get out in transition. That and a lack of rest resulted in the Wolves shooting 34-percent from the field.
The opportunities were rare but Mitchell displayed his innate ability to read the floor in the open court. Here, on the break, he had a layup opportunity but, instead, hit the open man for a corner three:
Mitchell finished the game – a 56-55 win for Plano West – with 10 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end. He displayed a nose for the ball and, on one possession, had enough awareness to go back up and draw a foul:
Daniel Giddens, You the Real MVP
The Marshall County Hoops Fest in Nashville, Tennessee featured Buckeye signee Daniel Giddens and target Braxton Blackwell.
Giddens' Oak Hill Academy squad, which is always loaded with D-I college talent, took on Our Savior New American (New York). This matchup proved why Giddens transferred to Oak Hill. Cheick Diallo, a five-star recruit rated as the top power forward in the country, opposed Giddens on the front line for Our Savior.
With his performance on the defensive end, in addition to his 11 points, Giddens took home the game's MVP honors. Assuredly, most of the votes swung Giddens' way after he dunked on Diallo:
Buckeyes offer Zach Brown
As reported by Rivals.com contributor Russ Wood, Ohio State officially extended an offer to 7-foot-1-inch center Zach Brown.
The Miami native is ranked as the No. 2 center in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. As I wrote in October, Ohio State was heavily recruiting Brown prior to the offer.
To get a feel for Brown's game, check out this highlight tape. My favorite part is the instrumental, which you'll recognize if you've seen this popular Vine meme:
