Listen live: Russ Snyder and Jimmy Flint will have the call on 1600 AM, 93.3 FM, or online at www.wttf.com. Pre-game will start around 7:10 pm.
* All statistics for the Flashes are based off of the 5 games we have record of.
Projected Starters:
TC Tornadoes: 4-1, (1-1 in the NOL)
PG: #1 Jonah Boyer
SG: #2 Bryce Lonsway
SF: #23 Nick Loura
PF: #12 Deker Kneeskern
C: #50 Kyle Heminger
Willard Flashes: 3-4, (1-1 in the NOL)
PG: #11 Kolin Phillips
SG: #4 Kyle Fluharty
SF: #42 Marcus HahlerPF: #22 Hayden Adams
C: #40 Scott Buurna
TC player to watch: Jonah Boyer- Boyer has had a solid season thus far, but in a match-up where the Tornadoes are the smaller team, his quickness, speed, and most importantly decision making will have to be at its best in order for the Tornadoes to seize victory in this contest. Boyer must set the tempo early and often and the senior must especially send a message on the defensive end.
Willard player to watch: Kolin Phillips- Philips leads the Flashes in scoring this season with over 13 points per contest, and he will need to take care of the basketball in order to lead his flashes to victory tonight. Phillips has turned the ball over 23 times in 5 games this season. The 6'3 senior must use his height advantage to best the smaller Tornado guards.
Key match-up: Willard's bigs vs TC's bigs: Other than the match-up of our two key players, which will certainly be a fun one to watch, this seems to be the most important match-up. Willard has 3 bigs of 6'4 or taller, while TC has two-6'4 post players of their own. Kyle Heminger, Deker Kneeskern and Isaiah Moore will need to all play well on the defensive end and will also have to limit Willard's second-chance opportunities. The most important player for TC is probably Heminger on the defensive end.
Game outlook:
Willard comes into this game with a 3-4 overall record, 1-1 inside the Northern Ohio League. This records certainly doesn't reflect how talented of a team they can possibly be. Tiffin Columbian is at 4-1, and head coach Bill Beaston doesn't think that his team has hit its stride yet either. So this clash of two strong NOL teams should certainly prove to be an exciting one. Willard is a team who has great post play, but lacks a true PG. Kolin Phillips will get most of the time for the Flashes at the '1', but plays more like a shooting guard. His height, at 6'3 is very helpful though and just adds another tall and lengthy body on defense.
Willard's length on defense could cause a lot of problems for the Tornadoes, who will need big play out of sophomore post player, Isaiah Moore, as well as senior center Kyle Heminger. TC will need to limit Willard's offensive rebounds and second-chance point opportunities. The biggest key though in this game for TC will be to force turnovers and get out in transition on offense. Boyer, Lonsway, and Ben Davis off the bench will need to be ready to run and get buckets off of steals and forced turnovers.
The Willard defense will block shots, especially #22 Hayden Adams, but luckily for the Tornadoes, Willard has a serious weakness in giving up the 3-ball. TC leading scorer Nick Loura will have to have another day's work at the office and put up some solid scoring, including good shooting from beyond the arc. Deker Kneeskern, with there 3-pointers against Fostoria will also need to chip in from beyond the arc against a team weak at defending the three. Connor Conley will also likely get a couple of looks from long-range. The Tornadoes can definitely win this game, but not if they take the Flashes lightly.
Jimbo's keys to the game:
1.) - Overcome the height advantage- Willard has the height and length advantage, but TC can overcome that with speed and quickness from players like Boyer and Lonsway. They can also outwork the Flashes on the board, because Willard will often rely too much on height for rebounding.
2.) - Beware of record- Willard is much better than it’s 3-4 record, the Tornadoes must play their best to get a victory.
3.) - Force Turnovers- The flashes lack a true PG, and if the Tornadoes can pressure an offense that already averages 17.2 TO’s/gm into a lot of mistakes, than they’ll have a big advantage in this one.
Jimbo's fearless prediction: TC 56, Willard 52
Happy New Years to everyone from the Jimbo Says! Blog. Be sure to tune into the game tonight and check back to the Jimbo Says! Blog for more sports news and analysis!
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