Flyin to the Hoop preview: Friday/Saturday
Flyin to the Hoop in Kettering, OH returns in January with some great teams from not just Ohio, but in the entire country. In order to cover everyone, I will be splitting the preview into the 3 sessions. Today I will look at the Friday/Saturday sessions.
Top Players
Samari Curtis (Xenia)- Very athletic guard that will take over scoring in any game he plays in.
Braden Norris (Hilliard Bradley)- An incredibly accurate and deadly sharpshooter; committed to Oakland.
Jerome Hunter (Pickerington North)- Physical inside post player that dominates on the boards and defensively.
Darius Bazley (Princeton)- High scoring, high powered guard that uses his length to dominate the perimeter.
Amari Davis (Trotwood)- Lengthy guard that defensively takes over games on both ends of the floor.
Top 3 Games
Pickerington North vs. Princeton– We see the one of the top teams in Ohio face off against the top player in the state of Ohio in this showdown. Expect a lot of big plays from Bazley and Hunter throughout.
Orlando Christian Prep vs. Hilliard Bradley– One of Central Ohio’s top teams faces off with the defending champion out of Florida. The Jaguars are loaded with sharp shooters and have a great chance of pulling an upset.
Spire Academy vs. Fairmont– The tournament starts off with a great matchup between the host team and a loaded Spire team. The Firebirds will have plenty of attackers on the perimeter, but will need help inside to defend 7’7” post player Rob Bobroczky.
Superlatives
Best Shooter- Braden Norris
Best Defender- Amari Davis
Best Scorer- Darius Bazley
Best Team (Ohio)- Pickerington North
Best Potential Upset- Bradley over Orlando Christian Prep
Best Under the Radar Prospect- Jack Hendricks
Predictions–
Spire Academy vs. Fairmont– Spire wins 72-66
Findlay Prep vs. Huntington Prep– Findlay wins 88-83
Olentangy Liberty vs. Xenia– Liberty wins 59-57
Orlando Christian Prep vs. Hilliard Bradley– Bradley wins 63-60
Pickerington North vs. Princeton– Pick North wins 73-67
McEachern vs. Trotwood-Madison– McEachern wins 71-64
IMG vs. Prolific Prep– IMG wins 73-72