First time seeing Muncie Central this season. Muncie Central is led by junior, big man Nick Osborne. I wanted to see if he has developed his game since last AAU. That will be discussed in the evaluations below. It was my first time seeing Marion this year as well. The main reason I wanted to see Marion was their 6'7" freshmen Tyler Arens. Unfortunately, Arens is injured and did not dress for the game. Marion also features William Barnes who has received some D1 interest lately.
I was a little disappointed that I wasn't going to get to see Arens against Osborne. The first quarter was back and forth though. Osborne picked up his second foul with about 3 minutes left and sat out the rest of the period. The player that made the biggest impact on me was Muncie Central's Josh Mawhorr. The big guy had a nice cut, catch on the move, avoid a charge, and finished the play with an "and 1." More on Mawhorr in the player evaluation section. Muncie Central led Marion 16-13 after the first quarter.
Muncie Central head coach Matt Fine decided to start Osborne in the second quarter with two fouls and the move paid big dividends. Osborne asserted himself in the quarter showing nice post moves and a soft touch around the basket. Osborne would score 10 points in the quarter thanks mainly to shooting 6-7 from the free-throw line. Marion struggled big time on the offensive end. They had a bunch of turnovers and couldn't get any open looks against the Muncie Central zone. William Barnes was just 0-3 in the first half with 4 turnovers. Muncie started to dominate and led 36-18 at the half.
The second half was similar to the second quarter. Muncie Central forced turnovers that led to easy baskets. Muncie Central's lead would get into the 30's during the fourth quarter.
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Nick Osborne 6'8 PF 2012 Muncie Central
Osborne is starting to really develop nicely. He used to be a good athlete that would rebound and get most of his points off put backs and hanging around the rim. Now, he has some nice post moves along with a nice touch. He did finish with his right hand a couple of times at the end of a post move where the play would have been much easier with his left hand. His shooting form looks consistent and very good for a 6'8 player. He has a chance to be a HM player if he continues to develop.
William Barnes 6'4 SF 2011 Marion
Barnes struggled in every phase of the game. He didn't handle the ball well, he didn't pass it well, and he didn't shoot it well. He only scored 2 points and they were off of free-throws. He didn't show any ability to get his own shot by putting the ball on the floor. His shooting form was pretty good, but his shot wasn't consistent...missing left, right, long, short. I have heard that he has been inconsistent this season...having big scoring outbursts and then having a night like this. I'm more worried about the fact that he couldn't handle the ball at all and his passes were awful for the most part. He is the most talented player on Marion with Arens out, he needs to be able to get his shot and he couldn't do it. Off this look, I don't know if I would recommend him to the high level D2's let alone any D1's. I would put him as a LM- prospect.
Josh Mawhorr 6'6 PF 2012 Muncie Central
Like I said above, Mawhorr showed some very solid skills. He is not a very good athlete...below average foot speed and not a good leaper. He showed he could hit a mid-range jumper and had nice touch around the basket though. He played with a good motor and fought for rebounds. Likely a D2/NAIA prospect.
Randon Jackson 6'6" SF 2013 Marion
Jackson has nice length, runs well, looks like he plays hard. His shot is awkward and resembles that of John Shurna from Northwestern. It is like a push shot. He has a chance to be a good player if he continues to improve his skill set. Just a name to have on the radar for LM/D2/NAIA's.
Devin Weatherly 6'8" C 2011 Marion
Weatherly isn't a very good athlete, but is a big body with good hands. He finished around the rim and rebounded well when he wasn't in foul trouble. D2/NAIA's that need a big body/space eater should look into Weatherly. I hear he was suspended for a few games earlier this season for an in-game situation.
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