Boys Basketball

Scioto plans to showcase flexible style

Wednes= day, December 3, 2008 2:15 PM

By SCO= TT GERFEN

ThisWeek Contributor

The Dublin Scioto High School boys basketball team has built its success on an effec= tive transition game that enabled it to clinch the program's first Division I district championship a year ago and earn 22 consecutive league victories in three seasons.

With eight returning letterwinners, the Irish intend to be more flexible t= his season.

"We have a lot of guys back, and we're bigger and more athletic than we've ever been," said 5-foot-7 senior guard David McKinley, whose team will open Saturday at home against Worthington Kilbourne. "We can go with a s= mall lineup and try to press teams or we can put in a big lineup and play halfcourt and try to slow the game down." <= /o:p>

Scioto hasn't had a true post pl= ayer since Clark Crum, a 2006 graduate who still holds several program records. =

"It's a little different fo= r us to be able to do that," coach Tony Bisutti said. "We've made some adjustments, yet = we've got our base game plan with the ability to adjust and change."

Sophomore J= amare Mills (6-4) and senior Tyler Harrell (6-3, 225 pounds), a Division I footba= ll recruit, should give Scioto the size it needs to be productive inside.

Senior Marco St. John (6-3), a second-team all-league selection who averaged 9.0 points, and senior Deji Olatoye (6-1) also r= eturn from the group that finished 22-2 overall after a 54-39 loss to Westerville South in a Division I regional semifinal.

The Irish produced a memorable r= un through the postseason that included a 61-44 victory over Brookhaven in a district final.

The 10-0 finish in the OCC-Capit= al Division secured a second consecutive undefeated league title ahead of New Albany (7-3), Olentangy Liberty (6-4), Big Waln= ut (5-5), Franklin Heights (1-9) and Watkins Memorial (1-9).

Scioto will have to replace two = of last season's top scorers.

Ben Ashwill, who was the OCC-Cap= ital Player of the Year and honorable-mention all-state, averaged 12.5 points du= ring the regular season with 117 assists and 55 steal= s.

Also gone is Blair Gorniak, a third-team all-district and first-team all-league player who averaged a little more than 12 points with 137 reboun= ds.

Bisutti will be looking for senior guard Bradley McDougald (5-11), also a Division I football recruit,= to pick up where he left off last season as he averaged 14.7 points and a team-best 17 blocks.

"We've got athletes at every position so we should be pretty versatile," McKinley said. =

Seniors Destin Thomas (6-0 guard= ), Eric Stamets (6-1 forward) and Rainer Duzan (5-10 forward) will give Scioto plenty of depth= .

"We have high expectations,= and there's a lot of potential there," Bisutti= said. "On the other side of that, a wise man once said potential is the heav= iest burden a man can carry. There are no guarantees that we're going to come out and do what we've done the past years."

Scioto should be among the favor= ites in the OCC-Cardinal with a league schedule that includes Westerville South = and Dublin Jerome.

The shorter non-league schedule includes a matchup with state power North Canton Hoover at Wooster on Dec. = 14.

"I love the fact that our league games are more neighborhood games, but I don't like the fact that we have 14 league games," Bisutti said. "= ;It really limits your non-league schedule. I hope the Ohio High School Athletic Association listens to the coaches association and we make it a 22-game schedule."

At a glance

•Coach: Tony Bisutti, 14th season

•Opener: Saturday vs. Worthington Kilbourne

•Key players: Rainer Duzan, Bradley McDougald,= David McKinley, Jamare Mills, Eric Stamets, Marco St. John and Destin Thomas