State tournament runs were the last thing on Adonus Abrams and Brandon Roddy's minds as they grew up on the East Side, playing basketball at every opportunity.
With Roddy at point guard and Abrams at shooting guard, they honed their games at open gyms put on by Abrams' father, Tony, and anywhere else they could find a hoop.
"We'd hoop from 8 to 10 or 10:30 (p.m.)," Roddy, now a junior at Harvest Prep , recalled. "I'm more the general creating for my team and he's more the scorer. It's always been competitive between us."
Their combination of scoring and playmaking is the biggest strength for the Warriors (23-4) entering a Division III state semifinal against Ottawa-Glandorf (24-3) at 5:15 p.m. Friday at University of Dayton Arena. It's the team's second year in a row at state.
"I think I've made (Abrams) better … by helping him come out of his shell," Roddy said. "He used to be the quiet one of the group. We've made him more talkative. We'd have to nudge him to say something. I'm a talkative person, a goofy person, so I think he's picked up on that."
Abrams, a 6-foot-1 senior and three-year starter at shooting guard, still chooses his words carefully.
"I feel like I'm playing my role better this year and contributing more," he said. "I go everywhere, offensively and defensively, helping the team out."
Harvest Prep coach David Dennis Sr. lavishes praise on a backcourt duo he calls "the face of our program" as his team enters its eighth state tournament in 17 years and sixth since 2014.
Reflecting the team's balance as a whole, Abrams averages a team-high 14.7 points along with 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 steals, and the 6-0 Roddy is second in scoring (13.0) while adding 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 steals.
"We don't have any candidates for Mr. Basketball ," Dennis said. "We don't have anybody averaging 25 or 30 points a game, but to me we have the best backcourt in the state of Ohio. Brandon and Adonus play hard, they play smart and play selfless. They feed off each other. Both of them can pass. Both of them can shoot the ball. They can attack the rim and what I like the best, they can both defend. …
"The state tournament is about guards … and I believe we have two of the best."
Abrams, who in February became the fifth Harvest Prep player to surpass 1,000 career points, played point guard for a stretch in December and January when Roddy was sidelined by a sprained ankle. Abrams is scoring five more points on average than a season ago, when the Warriors lost to eventual champion Cleveland Heights Lutheran East 65-44 in a state semifinal .
Harvest Prep is 86-16 in Abrams' four seasons and went 50-0 in MSL-Cardinal play.
"I feel like I've been playing my best basketball this year," Abrams said. "My confidence is up. I'm staying out of my head and just playing basketball. I'm not overthinking, playing nervous (or) being scared of situations. I've just stopped worrying about that and play."
Ottawa-Glandorf coach Tyson McLaughlin said Harvest Prep's guard play presents immediate challenges.
"They bring some quickness and athleticism, especially on the perimeter, that we haven't seen day in and day out," McLaughlin said. "We have to stay true to who we are. We know our hands are going to be full."
Friday's winner will play Camden Preble Shawnee or Lutheran East in the final at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Roddy admits deriving motivation from a 63-61 loss to Ottawa-Glandorf on Feb. 6, 2022, when now-Ohio State signee Colin White caught a lob over him as time expired and made the game-winning layup. White was named Mr. Basketball on Wednesday.
"It's a redemption week for me," Roddy said. "They can shoot, they're fast, they're big and tall … (but) I'll just let our game do the talking."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Harvest Prep to face Colin White, Ottawa-Glandorf in state semi
