X Simpson played in the TRAC in northwest Ohio with division 1 schools like Toledo St Johns, Toledo Whitmer, Toledo Central Catholic, Toledo St Francis, Fremont Ross and Findlay. Here are some athletes who played basketball at some of these schools. Nigel Hayes, Chris Wormley, Deshone Kizer, Louisville TE Keith Towbridge, Mark Loving, Charles Woodson, Ben Roethlisberger and many more. Probably tougher than any league in Michigan. Plus Lima Senior went to the division 1 state final last year. Donât think HS competition is an issue.
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Iâm obviously talking about high school comp. You questioned Xâs numbers based on his high school comp. JP is playing at the highest level of high school hoops.
And exactly how many of those athletes played HS during the same period as X? They went to the state finals, but that doesnât speak to the quality of the respective conference. I could literally list hundreds of Detroit PSL players who went on to play D1, but it doesnât mean a darn thing in terms of last year.
Agreed, but heâs also surrounded by teammates that make life really easy on him. Catch and shoot.
On the other hand, Greg is primary ball handler for EEVP on a good (not great team) playing against mediocre/above average comp.
All that said, when conditions were as equal as can be (both EYBL, both bad teams, same year), Greg performed much better. That holds more weight for me
I was just pointing out athletes from the league, I would take Toledo St Johns over any PSL team almost every time, and X found a way to beat them last year.
In your opinion is Toledo St Johns better than Lima this year?
And almost any time? Most PSL teams in the 90s wouldâve absolutely destroyed St Johns or any other Toledo area team.
You canât really recruit for one year, though, unless youâre taking a bunch of one and done kids every year. If youâre only going to take one of them, the question you have to ask is, by 2019 or so, which guy is the more valuable player?
If youâre open to taking both, then it doesnât matter.
Been a fan of Greg for a while, as you know, and I think Greg vs JP is a toss-up that comes down to coaching and intangibles getting the most out of their physical traits. The skill-level is high with both of them but most of it will go unused without adding mass, and I might favor Greg at the moment given his nose for the ball and versatility but JP could be devastating in a JB offense in time.
As for X, he was far more productive than Greg in EYBL in a far better class.
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Fair points for sure. I guess it depends on what you define as valuable. For me that includes defense, to which Greg is no doubt the better prospect. I actually think they would compliment each other quite well.
Hard to really say, cause in terms of upside, Greg certainly has the higher ceiling athletically. But JP has the potential to be a really skilled college player.
Are there any non-local visitors coming to any of our upcoming home games?
I highly doubt it with the HS season going on. Most of our marquee games are during the week if I recall correctly.
Yes, I think St Johns will win the TRAC and the PSL now is certainly different than it was in the 90âs. My point simply was that X actually played in a tough league not some small school league like say Austin Davis
Well, Lima actually beat St. Johns this year. Additionally, a few points of reference
*The same Lima team that beat St. Johns, lost to East English (PSL team) and Oak Park (a middle of the road Detroit suburb team that would probably be .500 in the PSL)
*St. Johns barely beat an Ann Arbor Skyline team 61-54. Skyline would likely be a pretty good PSL team, but certainly not within the top 3-4
All that indicates to me that Detroit area basketball>Toledo area basketball. Especially if weâre encompassing metropolitan areas.
Comparing scores doesnât always work. SJ lost at Lima and will play them at home later in the year. SJ is 8-2 and tied for 1st in the TRAC while Lima is 5-4. Really the only years Lima was able to compete with SJ for league honors, were Xâs years. I certainly donât follow as closely as you do, but I have seen SJ play many top Michigan teams like UD, Romulus and others. They have always more than held there own. Again, just making the point that X did not come out of a weak league.
Point taken. For me, I think of the PSL as a mediocre/slightly above average comp level. I think the Toledo area is a step back from that, so for me weâre probably talking below average/average comp level.
When I go home (LA) to watch HS ball, the quality difference is gigantic. The talent level and structure of the game is so far superior to anything in metro Detroit.
Michigan Basketball Recruiting: Jordan Poole Shining Among Stars
The video at the end of that article⌠YES please. Such a nice shot and his transition game looked good.
I work in the Toledo area and take in games every now and then. Went to all of Xâs playoff games that were played at Savage and watched lots of TRAC on BCSN (local sports station that plays UT, BGSU and Toledo area HS sports). The TRAC has some good individual players but the teams themselves arenât great. Remember, Toledo hasnât had a state champion in basketball in any division for either menâs or womenâs since Jim Jackson was playing for Macomber (a HS that no longer exists).
Rogers had a solid team a couple years ago with a couple guys going to Bethune Cookmam and another going to another mid major thatâs slipping my mind, Whitmer had Nigel Hayes, St Johns had a pretty good team with Brian Roberts, BJ Raymond and Zack Hillesland, and theyâve got a solid junior right now (name is slipping my mind). Buford and Miles had a good team at Libbey (another school that doesnât exist).
Xâs competition wasnât that great in high school. At least in conference. Best in NW Ohio but thatâs not saying much. The guy that guarded X from St Johns (the local power) was a mediocre role player.
This is not to say that X is no good. I think if he can find his niche, heâll be ok. Not a superstar or primary option but someone we can depend on to perform.
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I was literally just getting ready to ask you to chime in because I remember you providing updates last year when the playoff games were at UT.
Overall, it sounds like we agree, below average/average comp level in Toledo.
MSU and Pitt were both in the building tonight for Greg
Well rounded players are frequently undervalued. In all sports.