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| Julian Malone, Corey Davis, Dylan Carter, Cameron Carlisle, Steve Stewart & Malik Johnson |
Although
the numbers were a little smaller than normal for the spring event, there definitely
was no shortage of talent at Otterbein University last Saturday for the spring
edition of Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase.
Not only were there some of the more established players in the gym, we
had the opportunity to get our first look at some really talented kids.
Late
in day on Saturday, Julian Malone
(5’9/PG/2018/Westerville) put on a show with his ability to score the ball. In
fact, at one point, Malone scored at least 14 straight points. Highly skilled with ample athleticism, Malone
had the gym buzzing. Cameron Carlisle
(5’10/SG/2018/Gahanna) had a breakout season for Gahanna Lincoln High School
this past year as he lead his freshman team to an undefeated season and a
tournament championship. Carlisle’s play
on Saturday was just as impressive as he took command of his team. He scored the ball, distributed to his
teammates and demonstrated an all-around game. We were also really impressed
with Alex Johnson
(6’4/WF/2017/Cincinnati) who has good size, great footwork and can step outside
and knock down a jump shot. Cory Davis
(6’4/SG/2018/Cincinnati) arrived late, but his performance was right on time.
We’ve seen Davis play on several occasions and he continues to get better every
time we seem him. Davis can either get
to the cup or he can shoot from the perimeter. One of the most athletic players
we saw all day was Dylan Antoine
(6’0/P/SG/2015/Akron). In addition, Antoine plays hard and has a consistent
motor. Some of the other standouts in
the high school division included: Steve
Stewart, Malik Johnson, Dylan Carter and Collin Woodside.
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| K. Martin, Z. Loveday, D. Blanton, R. Hampton, I. Kennedy, R. Bryant, C. Painter & M. Key |
We
saw him 2 weeks ago in Cleveland and were very impressed, but the work he put
in on Saturday was nothing short of amazing.
As was the case 2 weeks ago, Kaleb
Martin (5’5/PG/2019/Green) had the gym buzzing. We knew he was a wizard
with the rock and we knew he had great vision and was a willing passer, but we
were amazed with Martin’s ability to shoot from deep with great accuracy. If that wasn’t enough, Martin is also a great
defender who plays extremely hard. Pound
for pound, Martin has convinced us he is one of the top 2019 floor generals in
the state! You know the old saying, “you can’t teach size.” Well, Zach Loveday (6’7/C/2020/Gallipolis)
has plenty of that, particularly as just a 7th grader. He’s not just big, but Loveday demonstrated
the ability to knock down the 12 footer with consistency. He still has a lot of
work to do and will need to continue to develop his thin frame, but we would
not be surprised to see Loveday as a high major prospect in a few years.
Two
weeks ago at the Buckeye Prep Winter Showcase Ronald Hampton (5’7/PG/2019/Huber Heights) was one of the best
players at the event. On Saturday,
Ronald Hampton was one of the best players at the event. The last time we saw
him play we were impressed with his ability to score; this week we were
impressed with his on ball defense and toughness. Oh yea, he still scored on Saturday, but his
motor and athleticism are equally as impressive. Hampton scored a team-high 9
points in the all-star game. We also saw Jason
Morton (6’6/C/2020/IN) for the first time. We had heard some good things
about him, and his play on Saturday confirmed what we had heard. Great size, strong, finishes around the cup
and moves well for his size. Morton’s play garnered him a spot in the all-star
game where he finished with a game-high 12 points. We had not seen Russell Cooper (5’5/PG/2019/Akron)
before, but the strong, athletic guard was really impressive. Although Cooper
was quick and relentlessly attacked the basket, he played under control and
made good decisions with the ball. There were several quality bigs at the event
and that list should include Michael Key
(6’4/PF/2019/Toledo). Key is a big, strong lefty who is aggressive around the
cup and finishes with contact. Ryan Bryant (6’3/SG/2019/Ironton) is
not a “big,” but he is big and handles the ball as well as many of the smaller guards we have seen. Great footwork and his ability to pass the ball at his size
separated him from other shooting guards on Saturday.
Isaiah Kennedy
(5’8/PG/2020/Beavercreek) had another impressive showing on Saturday as
evidenced by his all-star nod and Top 5 Award.
Kennedy’s skill set coupled with his size gives him an advantage over
smaller guards. When his motor is
running and he chooses to play closer to the bucket, Devonte Blanton (6’3/PF/2020/Cleveland) can be a problem. Good size, strong and skilled, Blanton has
all the tools to be a star. He has
proven he can hit the outside shot, but he can make more money right now
finishing near the rim. The younger
brother of Delvon Roe, a Michigan State standout, Blanton has the genetics and
raw materials to be a good one. Darrion Henry (6'3/PF/2020/Cincinnati) logged in another solid
performance in Columbus last weekend. In
Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago Henry impressed us with his size, athleticism
and ability to get up and down the court. Henry should be a great addition to
Malcom Walter’s Kings James squad this season. He’s only a 6th
grader, but Noah Peeoples (5’8/PF/2021/Akron)
played up in the 7th/8th grade divisions and more than
held his own. He was still strong in the
paint and was still able to finish against bigger and stronger defenders, but his
perimeter shot surprised us. It’s no wonder
he is virtually unstoppable at the 6th grade level! We also really
liked Alex Pfriem
(6’3/SG/WF/2019/West Chester), Andre
O’Danial (5’7/PG/2020/Kettering), Payton
Harris (6’1/PF/2019/Springfield), Kyle
Adkins (5’10/SG/2019/Ironton), Jake
Younkin (5’2/PG/2020/Loveland) and Sammy
Anderson (5’8/PG/2020/Dayton).
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| S. Jones, D. James, C. Livingston, N. Rittinger, Q. Clark & P. Daniels |
For
the second time in as many weeks we had the opportunity to evaluate Chris Livingston (5’7/PF/2022/Akron)
and his play on Saturday proved that he was who we thought he was, a big time
prospect. Although he competed against 6th graders, Livingston’s
length and athleticism were still evident. Livingston is fluid and runs the
floor like a deer. His consistent play
warrants a statewide ranking, and national recognition should not be far
behind. Sean Jones
(4’10/PG/2020/Reynoldsburg) had another big weekend. Everywhere we went people were talking about
the dynamic PG. Jones has the ball on a
string and has a box full of dribble moves he use to get by his defender. With continued work and development, Jones
should be a great looking prospect going forward. We had not seen him before,
but Malaki Branham
(5’9/WF/2021/Columbus) is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. Long, athletic
with a high motor best describes his game right now. In addition, we were
really impressed with his ability to attack the basket and finish with a bump
at a high rate. From what we saw,
Branham has the potential to be ranked among the best in the state. Noah Rittinger (5’4/PG/2021WV) was one
of the better young guards at the event.
Rittinger does a great job of running a team, he makes great decision
with the rock and he can shoot and pass at a high level.
We
saw him in Lima several weeks ago and his performance in Columbus was equally
impressive. Quincy Clark
(5’0/PG/2021/Gahanna) has an elite handle; he easily gets into the paint and is
adept at creating his own shot or good looks for his teammates. One of the better lead guards in the
showcase, Clark has a bright future with continued work and development. The showcase was loaded with elite guards,
and two such guards were Derrick James
(4’0/PG/2020/Columbus) and Khalil Luster
(4’6/PG/2020/Lima), both of who are highly skilled, quick as lighting and excel
at finding open teammates. John “The
Show” Mobley did it again on Saturday.
Although the kid is only a 3rd grader, and is forced to play
up against elite 4th, 5th and 6th graders, the
kid finds a way to separate himself from the pack. I guess it doesn’t really matter how big you
are, if you can handle that rock, shoot the ball with range and make good
decisions you can compete with anybody.
Mobley’s reputation and national ranking are well deserved! We have to
add Tae Perie (5’3/PG/2021/Akron) to
the list if elite guards at the event. Perie, a lefty, played with poise,
showed great vision and was strong. We have to acknowledge the play of Patrick Daniels
(5’2/W/PF/2021/Columbus). Daniels displayed great footwork, nifty post moves
and the ability to finish at a high rate. For his efforts, Daniels was selected
to the all-star game where dropped a game-high 14 points and received Top 5
honors. Other standouts included Travon Jackson (5’5/PG/2021/Columbus, Azzon Daniels (5’2/PG/2021/Columbus), Jaden Hawkins-White (5’4
SG/2021/Columbus), Damaryea Gadson
(4’11/PG/2021/Akron), Collin Albert
(5’3/PG/2021/Cleveland) and Trey
Robinette (5’3/SG/2021/Cincinnati).
Top 5 Award Winners
(HS)
Dylan Carter, Corey Davis, Cameron Carlisle, Steve Steward and Malik Johnson.
(7th/8th Grade): Kaleb Martin, Isaiah Kennedy, Ryan
Bryant, Chris Painter and Michael Key. (4th/5th/6th
Grade): Derek James, Quincy Clark, Patrick Daniels, Trey Robinette, and Sean
Jones.
Other Players to Watch
Derick
Jones, Caden Johnson, D’Marco Howard, Nick Morris, Jordan Pomroy, Lucas Thopmson, Noah Thomas, Arian Smith, Tyrus Tony, Derick Jones, PrinceDemonte Antoino, Trey Mack, Anthony Garrett, Carlton Wilks, Malik Lewis, Omar Abuhaamdeh, Devin Myers, Evan Leist,
Micah Wallace, Jared Moman, David Miller, Braylon Wenger, Grant Huffman, Luke Frazier, Chris Painter, Dominiq Penn, Josh Thomas, Austin Speed, Josiah Mobley, Elijah English, Jarious Jones, Will Miller,
Showcase Rankings
Showcase Rankings
Anybody know what AAU team Ronald Hampton plays for? I would love for that kid to join "TEAM ADIDAS ELITE"
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