Top Forwards at Top 250 Expo
The Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo was the place to be for forwards, especially sophomore ones, this weekend. They were able to score with sheer force and size inside, but the event also provided an opportunity to test ball skills and the outside jumper for a change.
Nolan Burney (2021), 6’5” F, Carlisle
We may not have a full evaluation on Burney quite yet but he did enough to establish intrigue. Burney showed a nice combination of size and mobility, a nice mix for a rebound-focused big. He runs the floor well and flashed scoring ability inside.
Jainaz Cameron (2021), 6’5” F, London
Cameron, a D-I/D-II prospect who transferred from Lima Senior, played a surprising amount on the wing Sunday. The powerful athlete drove the ball from the perimeter and had no problem going into the teeth of the defense for contested finishes. He doesn’t shy away from contact and has a pretty quick first step. Cameron isn’t going to make highlight films for his crossovers quite yet, but he showed impressive versatility.
Logan Duncomb (2021), 6’9” C, Moeller
First of all, Duncomb is bigger than he was just two or three months ago. He looks to have sprouted up an inch while adding muscle to his upper body. It showed on the court, as he buried defenders under the basket on his post-ups and got buckets with ease. Keep in mind, there were other quality bigs on hand and Duncomb buried them under the rim. As usual, he played with good energy and took pride in controlling the glass.
Tyrese Hughey (2021), 6’6” F, Licking Heights
Hughey, similar to Cameron, extended his game to the perimeter and it looked pretty natural. He’s a capable ball-handler, developing outside shooter, and Hughey sees the floor well. He’ll need to become more confident in his handle to attack in tight spaces off the dribble, but it was a promising switch-up from the summer when Hughey dominated in the paint almost exclusively.
Josh Irwin (2021), 6’5” F, West Geauga
The state’s no. 3 sophomore had a little trouble meshing with his team, but that’s because Irwin was trying to play team basketball and work for quality shots. Meanwhile, there were no cutters for him to pass to and nobody looking for him on the block. Anyways, he reinforced his place on top of the rankings because of his basketball IQ, size, and shooting. Irwin found success as a spot shooter in the corner and a defensive rebounder.
Jonathan Manning (2020), 6’6” F, Midview
Manning was one of our more pleasant surprises at the Expo and would’ve been included in the New Names if we weren’t saving him to this piece. He’s a legitimate college prospect with mobility and an athletic build. The fundamentals of sealing in the post are there and he uses that discipline to make sound box-outs too. Manning has a nice shooting touch, runs the floor, and has basketball footwork in the post.
Carter McCorkle (2021), 6’4” F, Wheelersburg
McCorkle flashed a couple signs of college potential this weekend. Mostly positioning himself on the perimeter, he proved capable as a spot shooter. A mechanical athlete with decent feet, McCorkle will need to loosen up his hips to defend multiple positions but he’s strong enough to plays fives and power fours in high school. Good showing for the Southern Ohio big.
Anton Webb (2019), 6’7” W/F, Dayton Christian
Webb’s father told us that the lengthy senior is strongly considering a year at prep school following this season. A year more of development could improve his defensive instinct and shooting ability but Webb looks like he could be ready for college ball soon. The athletic combo forward handled the ball pretty comfortably and showed court sense on offense. He can shoot it outside but needs to rev up the motor consistently to become dominate.
Others mentioned previously in the week:
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Kalen Etzler (2021), 6’8” W/F, Convoy Crestview as Underclassmen MVP
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Alex Mangold (2020), 6’7” F, Lakota East as Upperclassmen Best Big Man
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Jack Pugh (2021), 6’6” W/F, Hilliard Bradley as Underclassmen Best Distributor
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Henry Raynor (2021), 6’6” F, St. Ignatius as Underclassmen Breakout Performance
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Skyler Schmidt (2021), 6’7” F, Clermont Northeastern as Underclassmen Best Big Man
- Na’Elle Simmons (2019), 6’7” F, Beechcroft as Upperclassmen Top Prospect
- Sahmi Willoughby (2019), 6’5” F, Reynoldsburg as Stock-Riser