Mychal Johnson
'14 ELITE 100 guard Mychal Johnson can be a lockdown defender at Notre Dame.
*Photo by Ty Freeman.
MASON, Ohio The Midwest Showdown has proven to be the premier non-certified tournament in the country. With close to 190 teams making the trip to the Magees Courts 4 Sports for Memorial Day Weekend, several of the nations top travel teams met up in the top bracket for a late spring test. In the end it would be the red hot Spiece Gym Rats from Indiana who would challenge the host program of All Ohio Black in the championship game of the Platinum bracket. Jay Bee Betheas All Ohio squad would run away with their first Midwest Showdown championship on Monday morning. Here is a rundown of a few players who positioned themselves for a big summer coming out of this weekend.
Mychal Johnson (Huntington, W.Va.) All Ohio Black - 2014
Johnson will split time with All Ohio as well as her West Virginia Thunder 2014 team this summer. The No. 25 ranked player in the 2014 ELITE 100 joined an already stacked All Ohio team. What is notable about this move is we get a peek into the future of what lies in store for the Notre Dame commit in South Bend, Ind. when she graduates. The 5-foot-8 combo guard played opposite of Kelsey Mitchell this weekend and showed that she is the perfect complement to any high scoring lead guard. Mitchell was able to power the offense with her series of electrifying moves, but Johnson was there to punish the defense when the defense over-helped. Johnson seamlessly transitioned from being a guard who was the engine of her West Virginia Thunder offense to being a high level complimentary player. She is a threat to score double digits while also filling up every other column on the stat sheet.
Notre Dame fans have to be ecstatic about the play of Johnson as she is slated to play alongside another high-scoring lead guard in Jewell Loyd, who will be a junior when Johnson steps onto campus. Johnson is capable of being a defensive stopper on any given night. Her athleticism and a picture perfect defensive stance will free up the aforementioned Loyd to focus on scoring points and not exert all of her energy on the defensive end. Couple all of this with the recent commitment of the No. 3 player in the 2014 ELITE 100, Brianna Turner of Pearland, Texas, and the Irish are poised for multiple Final Four runs in the immediate future.
AROUND THE RIM
♦ The ultimate mismatch player for the Indiana Spiece Gym Rats is Lamina Cooper of Indianapolis, Ind. The 2015 player is nearly impossible to guard with the ball in her hands in the open court. Her ability to finish around the bucket provides the perfect balance to an already skilled Gym Rats team.
♦ A point guard who turned heads this weekend was Jade Owens of River Forest, Ill. The quick point guard showed that she could score the ball in space while also running the offense in the half court.
♦ Class of 2014 post player Haley Lorenzen of Iowa City, Iowa, is a post defenders nightmare on the block. Her ability to seal the defense on the block makes her an impact player when she steps onto campus in Gainesville, Fla., as a Lady Gator in the fall of 2014.
♦ Our staff came away impressed with class of 2014 lead guard Daijia Ruffin of Louisville, Ky. The strong point guard used her body as well as anyone this weekend to create space in the lane to get a shot or a passing angle.
♦ Playing the role of backup point guard is not always an easy one. However, Tania Davis of Grand Blanc, Mich., a 2015 graduate, made the most of her time while on the court. She attacked the defense aggressively with the drive and in turn set up scoring opportunities for her teammates. Follow @JLHemingwayPSB
