Weekend Warm-Up: Super 16
Is the Super 16 the best Ohio event of the season? Maybe. Is it the finale of the spring grassroots season for most Ohio programs? Probably. Bottom line — you can put whatever tagline you want — is that All Ohio is hosting a damn good event this weekend in Reynoldsburg.
Show up on Summit for 17U action, Livingston for the 16U, and Whitehall Yearling for 15U from tonight until Sunday afternoon. We’ll be jumping between the sites with most of our focus being on the two older age groups.
For a heads up on the action, keep scrolling for the latest recruitment news on May’s top performers from around the state.
17U
All Ohio Red went 1-3 in the third session of EYBL play and now stand at an overall 4-8 on the circuit.
Gahanna guard Josh Corbin continued his ascension over the weekend. Overall, Corbin is leading the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game. He boosted that scoring average to 17.3 in the four games in Atlanta.
Corbin is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arch in EYBL play on a large volume of attempts. Because outside shooting is becoming an increasingly valuable skill, Corbin’s stock should be at all-time high at the moment. This spring alone, Corbin has received offer from Robert Morris, James Madison, Kent State, and Boston. He tells Prep Hoops that Texas, UNC Charlotte, Wofford, and Winthrop are newly interested after Session 3 of the EYBL. Also, Ohio State, Dayton, Toledo, and VCU are still actively recruiting him.
Red’s 6’9” forward Brison Waller broke out with a 10-point 10-rebound double double against Houston Hoops last weekend. The athletic and defensively versatile forward from Garfield Heights has offers from Kansas State, Buffalo, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Miami (OH), James Madison, and Pittsburgh.
Another Columbus-based program, Miller Factory, also enters the hometown event with prospects on the rise. They’ve recently pulled up 2020 wing/forward Kaveon Ross from their 16U group. Navy has been in contact with Chris Boyle, N’Keeley Elmore, and Treohn Watkins.
The NEO Shooting Stars finished 2-2 last weekend at the Showdown in Massillon and were eliminated in the first round. Massillon 6’4” wing Brett Martin has drawn interest from in-state Division II programs like Lake Erie, Urbana, and Walsh. Mount Union has also reached out about Martin. Meanwhile, Massillon Jackson 6’2” guard Anthony Mazzeo also has D-III interest building.
Nova (Morgan) is another D-III goldmine, with a few players who could work their way towards a D-II evaluation. For example, Marysville 6’8” center Phil Hughes has impressed with his effort level, rebounding, and defensive impact. Watkins Memorial 6’3” guard Ethan Stearns recently had a promising visit to Otterbein. Also, guards Kayin Derden, JaJuan “Jay” Rodgers, and Evan Conley (West Liberty verbal commit) provide a balance of playmaking, shooting, and defense on the perimeter. To round it out, sleeper prospect Sheridan O’Neal from is a glue guy with constant effort and efficient scoring ability from the wing.
16U
Even considering Nova (Alleyne)’s 1-4 finish at the Run n’ Slam, they’ve been a top five 16U team in Ohio this season. Nova has been doing it at less-than-100-percent too. However, 6’7” forward Luke Lachey and 6’2” point guard Tahleik Walker will be suited up once again at the Super 16.
Ohio State hasn’t started a recruiting process with anyone from this Nova group yet, but we’re told that Qian Magwood, Lachey, and Hayden Stone are on their radar.
Meanwhile, All Ohio Cleveland has impressed in their opening season as a team. The word has travelled to MAC schools, who have reached out for their July schedule. Again, nobody is being recruited at that level yet. However, this will be a sleeper team to watch for the weekend.
15U
Surprisingly there’s a lot of news to report on the youngest age group. We consider the Pumas, Tru Game, All Ohio Red, and Ohio Hoopsters (Tillman) to be the clear top four 15U teams in the state right now. A possible Sunday final four of this group would be an opportunity to measure how Ohio’s rising stars stack up against each other.
To start, Mid Ohio Pumas 6’8” center Logan Duncomb took a visit to Xavier this week to talk with head coach Travis Steele. It is truly only the beginning for the Moeller post player, who turned 15-years-old just last month.
After a somewhat slow start to the season, All Ohio Red is quickly rising the charts. They finished 3-3 last weekend at the E15, with quality wins over Team Nike Florida, PSA Cardinals, and Vegas Elite.
We haven’t watched a better 2021 point guard this season than VASJ’s Jaden Hameed, who has early offers from Winthrop and Youngstown State. Hameed, the next D-I point guard out of Joe’s, has also heard from Ohio State, Northwestern, Dayton, and Davidson this spring. Dayton has also been in contact with his backcourt mate Ramelle Arnold, a quick slashing type guard.
On the wing, Canton McKinley’s Kobe Johnson also played well in Atlanta. He’s been in touch with Duquesne and UT Martin. Red’s new addition of 6’8” wing/forward Kalen Etzler has been a crucial pick-up. The versatile, long athlete provides mobile size on both ends of the floor. Bowling Green and Duquesne have already offered Etzler, who also has interest from Ohio State, Dayton, Iowa, and Miami (OH).
Ohio’s other E15 affiliate, NEO Tru Game, is also playing at the Super 16. They went 3-1 in their EYBL debut, but haven’t played since that Indianapolis session all the way back in late April.
Regardless, their St. Vincent-St. Mary talent has made a quick impression on Midwest Division I coaches. MAC programs — Akron, Kent State, Ohio specifically — have told Seth Wilson and Malaki Branham that they’d rather not even start the recruiting process with them at this time, because signs point to them landing at a HM program. Ohio State and Northwestern are already tracking the sophomores-to-be. Keep in mind that the versatile Branham just turned 15-years-old this week.
West Viriginia prospect and 6’2” guard Noah Rittinger leads their group of floor spacers with his knock-down shooting ability. He already has an offer from Marshall. Meanwhile, Clermont Northeastern 6’6” forward Skyler Schmidt is returning to full strength. He’s also being tracked by various D-I programs at this time.