All In Hoopfest Preview: Teams to Watch
In our final preview of the All In Hoopfest in Louisville, Kentucky, we’re taking a glance at the teams to watch from Ohio. Action begins tomorrow at 3PM at the Kentucky Expo Center. We’ll arrive shortly after the first tip to provide coverage all weekend long.
All rankings are according to our Grassroots Team Rankings.
#8 OH-NOVA (Rice)
This Nova team is comprised of a complete roster of college prospects who project from Division I to Division III. Also, there’s a couple guys from this team who we are surprised have not received a Division II offer, so it will be interesting to see how they are playing as a unit this weekend.
#16 OEBA Purple 17U
The Ohio Elite Basketball Academy’s premier group is one of the more interesting teams in Ohio. Their style of play, which tends to be inside-out for long stretches, is an outlier in AAU games. It often causes problems for the other team, as 6’9” James Anderson and 6’6” Jalen Bethel can erode an opponents’ energy with their physicality. Shooters and slashers, namely Ryan Rose and Brandon Maughmer, spread the floor for them.
OEBA Purple tallied just one win in Indy last weekend after a very strong spring. Expect them to have an added chip on their shoulder, even though nobody needs extra motivation to play hard in the Live Period.
#21 VCC-NOVA (Beard) 17U
We’ve watched this team in glimpses on a couple occasions this summer. But, much of this group resembles one of our favorite teams from their 16U summer: 270 Hoops Select.
Essentially what we’re saying here is that we’re excited to enjoy this group for one of the last times, here in Louisville. Prospects like Garrett Tipton, Hafiz Turay, Andrew Golda, and Nick Carlson, have bought into a free-flowing offensive system.
#24 OT Elite 2018 17U
We were informed first-hand earlier today that Noah Pedelty will be playing with OT Elite 2018 this weekend, joining Bryce Hunt as a two elite Division II prospects on one roster. In theory, their offensive skillsets should compliment each other.
#25 Hidden Gems Orange 17U
It’s quite simple: nobody plays harder than this team. In our observations, their hungry style is spearheaded by one of their point guards, Sean Tyson. Everyone follows suit, including two-sport athlete Craig Burt. Don’t be surprised if this team is playing late on Sunday because of their tenacity, which could allow their underrated prospects to pick up recognition.
#2 Pro Bound
Pro Bound jumped in front of nearly all of the 16U circuit teams in our springtime Grassroots Team Rankings because of consistency and a strong finish. This a roster filled with D-I and D-II prospects, many of which have immense upside (e.g. William Mfum, Na’elle Simmons, Sam Towns, etc.).
This is their first weekend playing together since May, as they took last weekend off.
#10 Cincy Lakers 16U
With the addition of Miles “Deuce” McBride, one of the best defensive guards in Ohio regardless of class, the Cincy Lakers 16U team has one of the best backcourts in the state. Packaged alongside McBride are Joey Edmonds and Greg Tribble. They’re also coming off a weekend in Indy where they went undefeated in pool play in a 17U division.
OH-NOVA (Bennett) 16U
Terin Kinsway and Cade Stover, who both could likely play at the Division I level in basketball and football, jump off the page with their athleticism and toughness for this Nova group. They’re surrounded by plenty of capable hoopers, like Ethan Heller, Brandon Haraway, Bodie Eberhart, Nick Nakasian, and Grant Heileman.
Basically, they’ve always had the talent to perform at an extremely high level. Their 4-1 performance in Indy last weekend tells us that they’re gelling at the right time and could have a strong performance here.
#2 Mid Ohio Pumas Elite 2020
As detailed in an article earlier this week, the Pumas have a strong argument as the best team in Ohio. Their talent speaks for itself, with the likes of Zach Loveday, Chris Mayfield, and Grant Whisman. This weekend, their primary ball-handlers Cameron McCreary and Jake Younkin, will also be extremely important to their success with a couple guys not making the trip. We’re also excited to watch two 2021 prospects run with the Pumas, Garner Wallace and AJ Mirgon, who will attend Pickerington Central and Hilliard Bradley respectively.