The Oak Hill Warriors came down to Fort Mill, South Carolina without their Head Coach Steve Smith and they still took care of business against a short-handed, although tough Dorman squad, playing without South Carolina’s #1 2020 PJ Hall, that is arguably the best Public School team in The Carolinas at full strength.
Dorman hung around in the first half, largely due to the play of Morehead State Signee Ta’lon Cooper, he was sensational throughout the contest finishing with 24 points, looking like he completely belonged playing with the best players in the country. Cole Anthony was clearly playing with the distributor’s mindset, finishing with 11 assists and only taking 7 shots in the game, he was in total control of the game throughout the contest, showcasing his adaptable skillet, willing to do whatever is needed that night, and being able to assess early on what kind of game he was going to have to play.
Dorman made a late push in the 2nd half, getting it down to single digits with about five minutes left to play behind Ta’Lon Cooper and Myles Tate, but Oak Hill eventually separated itself once again behind the super trio of Thomas, Anthony, and Kofie Cockburn.
3 Stars of the Game:
6’3 2020 Cam Thomas: Oak Hill Academy (26 Pts, 3 Reb, 10/19 From the Field, 3/7 From Three, 3/3 From the Line)
Cam Thomas showed why a lot of people consider him one of the best scorers in America, he finished with 26 Points, showing that he can get his shot off wherever and whenever he wanted. He’s lethal from the perimeter and is in the conversation as one of the best pure scorers at the high school level I’ve ever seen. He was persistent in his attack, taking advantage of every mis-match he could and pouring in bucket after bucket. He does more than just hold his own at the other end, guarding multiple backcourt spots on that end of the court, and also showed the capability of initiating offense as a secondary ball handler. It’s clear as to why he holds the offers that he does from quite a few high majors around the region. Expect those schools to be really pushing for Thomas to suit up for them in a couple years.
2. 6’4 2019 Ta’Lon Cooper: Dorman High School (24 Pts, 4 Reb, 8/15 From the Field, 3/7 From Three, 5/6 From the Line)
Cooper was the best player on the court for Dorman as an everlasting offensive presence, carrying his squad in the first half with Myles Tate struggling. He gave Oak Hill trouble all night with his craftiness around the rim, and smooth touch from the three point line. He’s an extremely versatile wing guard that should excel at Morehead State as he further develops his skillset. He’s an excellent teammate that has the total trust and respect of his teammates and coaches, it’s extremely apparent when watching him, that translates to the next level, he translates to the next level.
3. 6’3 2019 Cole Anthony: Oak Hill Academy (7 Pts, 12 Reb, 11 Ast)
Cole Anthony was poetry in motion on Saturday Night, super smooth, extremely controlled, and was arguably the best player on the court despite only scoring seven points. With Steve Smith absent, he was the coach on the floor, running his team to the best of his abilities, he had a couple passes that just made your jaw drop. A one handed half-court lob to Christian Brown, and a between the legs drop off to Kofi Cockburn for the big slam. He continues to impress in all aspects of the game, and I haven’t even seen him when he takes the game over scoring the ball. Soooooo much fun to watch.
