Summer Recap: Ohio Unity 16U/17U
Photo credit: Ohio Unity Twitter page (@Ohio_Unity) Unity is defined as being joined as a whole. An athletic team that is united, is a team that is together. In AAU basketball, that is an understatement. With days where…
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Continue ReadingPhoto credit: Ohio Unity Twitter page (@Ohio_Unity)
Unity is defined as being joined as a whole.
An athletic team that is united, is a team that is together. In AAU basketball, that is an understatement. With days where a team can practically spend 12 hours in a gym playing games back to back, and the travel across the country, there is a special chemistry that forms.
Ohio Unity, a program based out of the Southwest Ohio area, is one of those clubs that instills the importance of being a team player. The message that the organization sends, translates to the court, especially this past season.
Both the 16U and 17U teams competed in excelled tournaments across the country this season, while winning the state championship in their respective age groups. Let me not forget to mention that the 16U team won the national tournament in Orlando, Florida on a game winning 3-pointer by Jackson See (2018). The 17U team placed third.
Take a look at the game summary from Ohio Unity’s 16U national championship victory here!
The organization was founded, and managed by Rob Nelson, who now is strictly in charge of the administrative side of the club. They started out with eight different teams, but through the years Nelson boiled it down to just two squads to keep a focus on the kids that were beginning to get interest from college basketball programs.
“We changed from eight teams down to our two best teams that are well coached, and we are about to place a lot of kids in some big time college programs,” Nelson said.
The 17U head coach, Troy Holrey, and the 16U head coach, Marty Beaugard, are excellent leaders on the sidelines and are influential to their players. Both coaches understand the importance of development during the AAU season, but also know that it is nice to win.
The schedule that Unity plays has changed over the years when it comes to travel. With the teams being as good as they were, Nelson knew that to be the best, they needed to compete against the best. Naturally, this mentality expanded the teams’ boundries for their tournament selection for the season.
“We started out with a lot of local and Midwest tournaments, and that was to get out feet on the ground,” Nelson said. “Every year we ramped up the tournaments to where this year we only play in college certified tournaments.”
The agenda that Ohio Unity has gives both teams ample opportunities to showcase their talent to college coaches. The tournaments include the Pittsburg Jam Fest, the Adidas May Classic, the All Ohio Nike Super Sixteen, the Chicago Classic and the AAU National tournament in Orlando. Not only did they expose that they had good players, but that they can compete, and beat, some of the top AAU teams in the nation.
Here are some of the highlighted prospects on Ohio Unity’s rosters, and how their recruiting situations look after running through the AAU circuit the past few months.
17U
Brady Wildermuth 6’5” 215 lbs. Forward – Jackson Center High School (2017)
- Interest: University of Findlay (DII) commit
- The Findlay commit dominates the boards on both ends of the court and is extremely athletic, allowing him to defend every position. Wildermuth made a killing this year grabbing offensive rebounds after crashing from the high post.
- Check out our Recruiting Report on Brady Wildermuth here!
Eddie Puisis 6’2” 190 lbs. Shooting Guard – Mason High School (2017)
- Interest: Majority DII interest, but also DI interest coming from Ivy League
- Puisis is a marksman from every spot on the court and has a lot of speed for the shooting guard position. He is a hard-nosed player that always gives 100 percent effort whenever he is between the lines. Along with his impressive play on the court, Puisis is a scholar in the classroom earning a 4.1 grade point average.
Eddie Puisis
Photo credit: cincinnati.com
Nick Pluta 6’5” 215 lbs. Power Forward – Springborro High School (2017)
- Interest: Low DI and high DII interest
- Pluta was an anchor for Ohio Unity in the post, defending every big man that they faced up against. On the offensive side, he is able to bring the bigger defenders outside and force them to cover his outside shot, as he showcased consistency with his 3-pointer. Pluta has the potential to become an undersized big at the college ranks.
- Check out our Recruiting Report on Nick Pluta here!
Evan Kuhlman 6’6” 210 lbs. Forward – Lakota East High School (2017)
- Interest: Mid-Major DI interest
- Kuhlman has developed into a proficient scorer and has range that has turned him to a fantastic stretch forward. He was able to perform his best against high DI prospects this year to earn himself a lot of college interest.
Evan Kuhlman
Photo credit: journal-news.com
Matt King 6’5” 195 lbs. Small Forward Mason High School (2017)
- Interest: Low DI and DII interest
- With the incredible length that King he has, Ohio Unity was able to run any type of play offensively, and set up in multiple defensive formats. King also has great range from behind the arc and can finish around the basket well.
Alec Holtrey 5’10” 170 lbs. Point Guard – Springborro High School (2017)
- Interest: Smaller DII interest
- Holtrey is referred to as the heart and sole of the team. The IQ that he displays on the court defines him as the coach on the hardwood. Being a floor general, he is able to set up his teammates in the perfect position to score the basketball.
- Take a look at our Recruiting Report on Alec Holtrey here!
Alec Holtrey
Photo credit: journal-news.com
Check out the ESPN broadcast from Ohio Unity’s 17U AAU National Championship consolation game here!
16U
Thomas Arrington 6’5” 210 lbs. Forward – Springborro High School (2018)
- This year was Arrington’s first season running with Ohio Unity and he is referred to as a rebounding machine by head coach Marty Beaugard. With his shooting and rebounding ability, Arrington has the potential to be a solid DI prospect.
Dylan Beaugard 5’10” 175 lbs. Guard – Willmington High School (2018)
- Beaugard’s athleticism makes him one of the best players on the floor when ever he is in the game. He started on Willmington’s team as a freshman, and then in his sophomore campaign helped lead the Hurricanes to the state final four. Beaugard may even make the case of being one of the top guards to come out of the state of Ohio in the class of 2018.
Dylan Beaugard
Photo Credit: topbillingsports.com
Terry Durham 6’4” 225 lbs. Forward – Mount Healthy (2018)
- An incredible force on the boards, Durham has a true talent in rebounding the basketball. Durham is also a high riser, grabbing alley-oops out of the air, and dunking the ball whenever given the opportunity.
Michael Nelson 6’0” 170 lbs. Point Guard – Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (2018)
- With Nelson playing along Beaugard, Ohio Unity forms a superb backcourt. Nelson is a sharpshooter that has a great skill set for a point guard.
Noah Pedelty 6’4” 180 lbs. Guard – William Mason High School (2018)
- Pedelty is another freaky athlete on this roster that has become a prospect that deserves attention from college coaches with the skills, and confidence, that he has acquired over the years.
With the season wrapping up, Ohio Unity’s players will begin to focus on their respective school seasons. Look for these prospects to be mentioned in future recruiting news.