Tre Darden
It’s only right that Ohio programs were in control all weekend in Reynoldsburg at the All Ohio Super 16. Not only did a program from the Buckeye State win all of the high school age levels, we were also often represented on both benches during the Gold Championship matchups.
On a player-by-player basis, some guys really stepped up to the competition and turned some heads with their play. From Monday-Wednesday, we’re recapping those individual performances, segmented by region.
Today, we’ll be focusing on Central Ohio prospects; now, let’s check out the interior wings and guards.
Adrian Nelson (2018), 6’7” W/F, VCC Ohio Warriors Pro Bound / Pickerington Central
Nelson dominates smaller, weaker defenders on the dribble-drive. Even against fundamentally sound defense from Division II prospects, Nelson bodies through contact for dunks and and-one layups. He mostly scores in transition and from the wing on straight line drives.
The questions on Nelson are all about ball-handling and shooting ability. While Nelson has proven that his shooting stroke isn’t broken, and that he can beat defenders up the court, doing it with consistency will likely determine his recruiting ceiling. Regardless, he’s an interesting Division I prospect. Could be a potent small-ball four at the next level, as Nelson has the physical traits to challenge bigs.
Caiden Landis (2018), 6’6” F, Hidden Gems Black / Logan
Landis, a D-II/D-III prospect, built upon a nice spring by setting the tone for this HG-Black team against the VCC Ohio Warriors Pro Bound. Most of Landis’ teammates didn’t raise their games when challenged by a more athletic group. However, Landis was still beating opponents up the floor on the secondary break and cutting to spots in the half-court for open looks. Landis missed on a couple contested layups, but stayed confident in his ability to rise high and finish with two hands at the rim.
Coleton Landis (2019), 6’6” PF, C2K Elite / Pickerington Central
Landis is continually proving himself as a versatile power forward. His combination of physicality and shooting touch allows for him to play many roles throughout the game. Really, his threat (whether it be as a scorer, rebounder, or defender) varies on a possession-by-possesion basis, as he simply takes whatever the defense gives. For example, on Sunday in a tight game, he was being guarded by 6’7” forward/center Justin Stephens for large portions of the game. Stephens would continually sink down when Landis set an on-ball screen. Naturally, Landis stayed aggressive from the three-point line. Then on the other end, Landis was winning a lot of rebounding battles while defending the basket.
Max Mollman (2020), 6’7” C, Wooster Warriors / Upper Arlington
In our first time watching Mollman this spring, we came away impressed with his selflessness. Mollman uses his very large body to draw the defense’s attention, which opened up some great three-point opportunities for his teammates. On the glass, Mollman provided energy throughout the contest. In AAU, sometimes it can be difficult to have a big scoring game as an interior scorer due to lack of post entry passes, but Mollman was effective at capitalizing on second-chance looks.
VonCameron Davis (2020), 6’4” W/F, C2K Elite / Walnut Ridge
Davis is one of the most athletic forwards we’ve seen in this class — to the point that he could transition into a premier wing given some reps and skill work on the perimeter. However, currently he’s causing problems in and around the basket for defenses. Particularly on Saturday, he was sneakily cutting in the defense’s blind-spot from block to block. On these catches, Davis is a quick leaper who can finish even when a defender does challenges.