Ohio Wizardry

Mid Major Player of the Week

The 6’4 Ohio junior has had a strong start to the 2020-21 season. Preston had an impressive double double performance in a win over PNW December 10th. He was able to score 22 points on 66 percent shooting as well as record an astounding 11 assists and five steals. Getting it done on both ends like that for your team will surely get you noticed. Preston had another nice all around game at Marshall on December 12th. Although Ohio lost, it should not be blamed on Preston. He had a 19 point night to go with five boards, five assists, and a blocked shot.

If this young man can continue doing whatever his team needs him to do on any given night, he has a bright future. Being a two way guard with his size is so valuable especially nowadays. This young man made a massive jump from his freshman year to sophomore and then another significant jump from sophomore to junior year. If he continues this linear progression, watch out.

Who’s Hot

Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are currently the number one team in the nation having beaten some strong competition to start off the 2020-21 season. They started by taking down number 5 Kansas 102-90. Three players contributed at least 23 points for Gonzaga including Jalen Suggs as well as Corey Kispert and Drew Timme. Suggs had 24 with eight assists and two steals on 9-15 shooting. Kispert had 23 points on 8-13 shooting, 3-8 from beyond the arc. Drew Timme had a team high 25 on 11-15 shooting with six boards and two steals. Any trio of teammates that can produce like this against a strong Kansas squad and win by double digits should have plenty of attention on them for the remainder of the season.
Gonzaga went on the very next night to take down Auburn 90-67 on November 27th. Most recently, number one Gonzaga beat an 11th ranked West Virginia team on December 2nd. With some more tough matchups ahead for the Bulldogs, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how consistent they can stay.

Who’s Not

The Howard big man has not had a strong start to his freshman season thus far. In back to back losses, the 6’11 center had just had just 11 and 12 points and combined for 12 rebounds for both games. A groin injury in preseason practice must be to blame for the somewhat subpar performance from the 5-star recruit. According to his coach, he will be shut down until he is healthy again. The injury has limited Maker to just 19 minutes per game. “He’s not able to move, I don’t want him to be counterproductive right now,” said Maker’s coach. Maybe he can bounce back after having a chance to get healthy.

Top 5 Names in Mid Major to start the season not named Jason Preston

1. Terry Taylor

The 6’5 Austin Peay senior has put up some impressive numbers so far this season. Taylor is averaging just under 19 points per game on 61 percent shooting from the floor. What is particularly impressive about his game is his rebounding. He is a strong 6’5 weighing 230 lbs which shows in the rebounding column as he averages 11.8 boards per game this season. This kid is an absolute force with his scoring and rebounding alone. If he can improve his outside shot, he can be special.

2. Tre Mitchell

The 6’9 sophomore has shown so far this year he is capable of some big time double double performances. Mitchell has made a significant jump in every stat column from last season which is a great thing to see. This year he’s averaging over 20 points per contest on 57 percent shooting and 66 percent from downtown. While only a 2-game sample size, it is still worth noting his production. UMass has itself a nice two way player in Mitchell who can do a lot of things, but still has room to improve in a couple areas.

3. Colbey Ross

This senior guard has been an offensive machine for his team in each of his four seasons. In six games this year, the 6’1 Pepperdine guard is averaging 20 points per game to go with 7.8 assists. Ross had himself a huge performance in an unfortunate loss against CSUN. He scored 29 points to go with nine assists, five boards, as well as a steal and a blocked shot. At just 6’1 it’ll be interesting to see what kind of attention Ross gets from NBA scouts. If his outside shooting improves, it would certainly help his stock.

4. Jalen Suggs

Though having cooled off in his last two games since playing great against Kansas, this young man warrants some attention. The 6’4, 200 lb. Gonzaga freshman has faced some super strong competition to begin his college career and he has not backed down. In the 12-point win over Kansas, Suggs scored 24 points on 60 percent shooting and 66 percent from downtown. He also recorded eights assists, four boards, and two steals. Being on Gonzaga, this young man should receive a lot of attention as the season goes on.

5. Jalen Pickett

The 6’4 junior guard for the Siena Saints is looking to build off a strong freshman season. Pickett is currently averaging 15 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting from the floor. He does a little bit of everything for his team averaging six assists per game as well as 4.6 boards, a steal and blocked shot per game. At just over 37 percent shooting from beyond the arc, if Pickett can get that up, he can become quite a valuable commodity among mid major squads.