Monday’s Best from Flyin’ to the Hoop
Flyin’ to the Hoop, once again, provided a midseason opportunity for Prep Hoops Ohio to evaluate top prospects and get a look at State Title contenders. Monday especially didn’t disappoint with a tremendous amount of prospects raising their stock. More…
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Continue ReadingFlyin’ to the Hoop, once again, provided a midseason opportunity for Prep Hoops Ohio to evaluate top prospects and get a look at State Title contenders. Monday especially didn’t disappoint with a tremendous amount of prospects raising their stock.
More on the hoopers in a second; as for the teams, here’s how the games went:
- Thurgood Marshall over Pace Academy, 64-56
- Marion Local over Cardinal Stritch, 40-37
- Hughes over Cleveland Heights, 83-67
- Harvest Prep over Middletown Madison, 79-56
- Pickerington Central over Trotwood, 95-80
After Olentangy Liberty and Bradley cancelled Saturday, Harvest Prep and Pick Central ensured Columbus left an impression on Kettering. Both were dominant against local teams. A short-handed Pick Central may be the story of the day as they dismantled Trotwood’s infamous fullcourt defense.
Marion Local, 6-5, notched a confidence-booster of a win thanks to a last-second shot from Nathan Bruns. Although they trailed most of the game, the Flyers’ big-game experience paid off late. Don’t be surprised if they still win a District Championship despite a rocky start.
Hughes surprised us by beating Cleveland Heights. This was coming off a signature win over Taft on Friday. The Big Red’s underclassmen are maturing on the fly and their role players contributed at a high level.
Finally, Thurgood is going to be very tough in a year or two as their young guards get closer fulfilling their potential.
Anthony McComb (2021), 6’1” G, Thurgood Marshall
stats: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks
McComb flashed upside as a wing defender. On the ball, he optimizes his length by extending his arms and staying wide. Most impressive against the dribble drive where he changed shots and poked out balls on the floor. McComb is willing to come off his man to contest on help-side. He’s quick, too.
McComb showed tremendous footwork on his finishes, as always. His euro steps are long and effective. McComb will become even more dangerous when he catches on the wing as he develops his 3-point shot and handle in tight spaces.
Nathan Bruns (2019), 6’7” W/F, Marion Local
stats: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Tied at 37 in what was essentially the final possession of the game, the ball got kicked out to Bruns after an unlikely offensive rebound. He was wide open, 1.5 seconds on the clock. You know what happened next, we’ve seen it before. Ball game.
Offense didn’t come easy for Bruns on Monday, but he persevered with an outstanding fourth quarter. Made plays for others with crisp passes. He fought hard through physical defense to get to his spots. And, as always, the Findlay signee saved a little in the tank for a final second miracle.
Jordan Burton (2019), 5’10” G, Cardinal Stritch
stats: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Very encouraged by the progress shown by Burton, an unsigned sleeper in Toledo. The score-minded lead guard was the best shot creator in a game where baskets were hard to come by. Able to get into the paint against pack line defense. Herky-jerky game off the dribble. Tight handle and uses head fakes to freeze defenders. Showed ability to finish through contact. Much more selective shot choice since we last saw Burton.
Joey Holifield (2020), 6’2” G, Cardinal Stritch
stats: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Holifield held Bruns in check with a banner defensive performance in the halfcourt. The Division I guard prospect yielded five inches, yet held strong and resisted Bruns’s attempts to drive. Holifield has a strong upper body, which also showed itself on his powerful layups. He combines strength with craft when he picks up his dribble in the paint. Effective pump fake that would make Norman Dale proud. Expended a ton of energy on the defensive side of the floor and not the first time he has shown the ability to defend up.
Paul McMillan IV (2022), 6’0″ PG, Hughes
stats: 24 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Cleveland Heights just couldn’t stay in front of the freshman guard — he’s entirely too fast with the ball in his hands. McMillan is also smart enough to control pace by ensuring they get a quick shot off when the game bogs down. He’s a straight line driver because, really, changing direction would give the defense a chance to recover. McMillan can also stop on a dime. Makes the smart pass consistently. Favors his right hand on finishes but can dribble with either. Good body control in the air. McMillan’s speed also led to a couple turnovers when he was able to track down passes.
Kenny Jackson (2019), 6’9″ C, Hughes
stats: 17 points, 12 rebounds
Jackson, an unsigned senior, may have a busy phone with colleges checking in on him after Monday. A graceful, powerfully built 6’9”, Jackson may have played the best game of his season on the right day. Showed his mobility by staying active on the glass on both ends and defending Louisville signee Jaelyn Withers in space with some success. Very promising physical tools. Soft touch around the rim for the lefty.
Camron McKenzie (2021), 6’1″ G, Hughes
stats:17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
McKenzie is a talented finisher — and I mean, this kid finishes from impossible angles on a consistent basis — who is showing signs of becoming a threat from outside. Converted a couple triples on the evening to go with a midrange jay, all with plenty of space. McKenzie uses the glass well. Intriguing prospect to monitor who will draw attention with gaudy scoring numbers in the CMAC.
CJ Anthony (2020), 6’0″ PG, Harvest Prep
stats: 32 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Anthony led the first half blitz of an unsuspecting Madison team by scoring 23 first half points, a statement of sorts for a team that was 3-2 in their last five. A strong guard, Anthony also showcased tremendous speed in the open floor after racing to loose balls. Impressive creativity in the air where he can finish on either end of the basket after avoiding shot-blockers. He hustles like a role player who needs to earn minutes.
More than anything, though, Anthony was red hot from deep. He made defenders pay for going under screens both off and on the ball. Anthony has a quick release and makes defenders remain attentive all over the floor.
Brandon Beavers (2019), 6’2″ PG, Harvest Prep
stats: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Shawnee State is the only program to offer Beavers, a tall point guard who can definitely play at the NAIA level. He came into the season without a ton of name recognition and colleges may be overlooking the floor general. Left-handed kid who excels playing both a fast and slower pace. He hardly turns the ball over and has court vision. Beavers is a good scorer at the second level of the defense with floaters. Doesn’t have blazing speed but can beat the first line of defense. Knocked down a couple open 3-pointers against Madison and shot 34 percent from deep last year.
Javohn Garcia (2019), 6’3″ PG, Pickerington Central
stats: 32 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
It could be argued that the best was saved for last. Garcia had as impressive of a performance as anyone all weekend. We were shocked he wasn’t named First Team All Tournament, to be honest. He controlled the Pick Central offense against Trotwood’s pressure with both his handle and by hitting the up man on the primary break. Garcia is getting to the rim much better this season and his athleticism took a step forward. Drained a couple mid-range pull-ups and got to the free throw line at will in the fourth. Finished through contact.
Garcia was equally impressive as a help-side defender. Flew in for highlight reel rejections from the blindside. Tremendous reaction time and instincts to go block shots and cut off balls in the passing lanes. Long guard. De-committed from Miami (OH) and is probably the best available point guard in Ohio.
Garner Wallace (2021), 6’5″ W, Pickerington Central
stats: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists
We should’ve known Wallace was going to have a showing against Trotwood, a team who dares opponents to run. The track star is a walking press-breaker with his speed from baseline to baseline. Beat defenders up the floor, once again, and made the simple play when the Tigers had numbers. Although he doesn’t have separation moves in the halfcourt yet, he’s a playmaker in space.
Wallace also rebounded and defended well. He has a unique ability to slide his feet quickly while keeping his hands high — a real asset against a quick, slashing guards.
Elhadji Thiam (2021), 6’6″ F, Pickerington Central
stats: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
In the place of sidelined senior forwards, Thiam took advantage of his insertion into the starting lineup. He used his length at the rim to block shots and rebound. He has upside once his body develops, but Thiam proved stronger than he looks while defending against power in the post. The wiry forward is also mobile enough to switch on guards and run the floor. Made one particular spin move in the post that impressed — could be a sign of things to come as a face-up 4.
Tahleik Walker (2020), 6’2″ PG, Pickerington Central
stats: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists
Walker is close to perfect within the construct of this talented Pick Central team. He’s a selfless hustle guy who provides secondary ball-handling to Garcia. Doesn’t need the ball to be effective because of his effort on the boards and defensive ability. Against Trotwood, he slowed the game down to a run a set occasionally when there was nothing there quickly. Has a good hesitaiton move where he turns his back to the defender before accelerating. The junior has solid length and height, yet a very thin build at the moment.