Bill Hensley Run n Slam: High-Major/Mid-Major 2018 Prospects
The first day of recap coverage from the Bill Hensley Run n Slam in Fort Wayne will fill you in on top performances from the 2018 class. Of which there were plenty!
For those of you who are interested in following the very premier players in Ohio’s 2018 class, which is absolutely loaded, this article is for you. Here, we’ve identified eight prospects who should be considered high-major or mid-major Division I talents, one of which is already committed to a HM school.
Darius Bazley, 6’9” W, OH-NOVA Tillman / Cincinnati Princeton
Bazley recently de-committed from Ohio State and has received offers from Xavier, Maryland, Purdue, and Florida since then. It’s no surprise, as Bazley is a highly talented perimeter offensive player with incredible size. The 6’9” lanky prospect created separation consistently by getting guys in the air on pump fakes. Once in the lane, Bazley can rise with anyone. His off-the-dribble jumper needs work, but it has the looks of being a shot that will improve. Bazley is an elite defender. He uses his length and effort to affect a ton of shots and frustrate ball-handlers.
Jerome Hunter, 6’7” W, OH-NOVA Tillman / Pickerington North
Lot of intelligent folks thinking Hunter is the best player in the class, and they may be onto something. The HM prospect is dominate when he has his back to the basket between 10-15 feet. From that sweet-spot, Hunter is going into your chest for the contact or clean finish — either way he’s to the free throw line or scoring two-points. Hunter surprised us with his confidence from the three-point line.
Hunter appeared to be suffering leg cramps in the Platinum Championship and was hardly able to play.
DeVon Baker, 6’1” PG, C2K Elite / Dayton Dunbar
The referees let a lot slide around the basket this weekend, opting not to blow the whistle unless very necessary. With all that being true, Baker got to the free throw line a lot. He’s so quick side-to-side in tight spaces. When you add that to Baker’s aggressiveness, it’s nearly impossible for him to not draw shooting fouls at the rim. Strong, explosive athlete.
Caleb McConnell, 6’5” G, C2K Elite / Dayton Dunbar
McConnell is the truest of true combo guards in Ohio. He often spends time at the point guard position, where he will facilitate and spread the floor with catch-and-shoot ability from way deep. Also, McConnell can post-up, similar to what we mentioned with Jerome Hunter, and finish with finesse. McConnell is especially good at the one-foot fall-away from from the mid-range, which appears impossible to even contest. Super smooth in transition, as he weaves defenders without having to change speeds.
Darius Quisenberry, 5’10” PG, C2K Elite / Huber Heights Wayne
Not sure there’s anyone in Ohio who plays the old-school “true point guard” role better than Quisenberry. He’s an extension of the coach on the floor, always getting to the ideal spots and setting up his teammates for success. Quisenberry is coachable and he’s a coach on the floor because of it. He pushes the ball in transition with the pass. Capable scorer inside against better athletes. Shoots it well, but hardly forces anything.
Adrian Nelson, 6’6” W, VCC Ohio Warriors / Pickerington Central
Nelson not only is incredibly athletic, he also uses every bit of it. On defense, Nelson often contests shots at the rim, including on the help-side. In transition, Nelson is a nightmare to stop, as he’s looking to dunk everything. Smart player.
Dane Goodwin, 6’5” G, All Ohio Red EYBL / Upper Arlington
The Ohio State commit was quite easily the best player during the Platinum Championship on Sunday. Goodwin is another very coachable player, who consistently puts himself in the correct spots to score. Goodwin is capable of rattling off a series of buckets very quickly, whether that’s with the catch-and-shoot triple, pulling up around the elbow, bullying someone in a post-up, or a transition dunk.
Taevion Kinsey, 6’4” G, OH-NOVA Tillman / Eastmoor Academy
Of all the players in this particular article, nobody competed harder and more often than Taevion Kinsey. This kid is a big-time combo guard, who could make you believe he’s simply an athlete because of his thunderous dunks. Nope. Kinsey is also a super competitive kid who showed leadership ability all weekend. The emerged prospect was asking to guard the best opponent and having all sorts of positive dialogue with his team. And, as always, Kinsey was jumping out of the gym, especially when crashing the offensive glass. Reliable ball-handler and decision-maker.