OHSBCA Showcase: Northeast Ohio Report
Capital University — which is just a quick turn off Main Street in Downtown Bexley — housed the OHSBCA Showcase on Saturday. The Columbus suburb that played host is charming and the streets were quite calm on Saturday morning when…
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Continue ReadingCapital University — which is just a quick turn off Main Street in Downtown Bexley — housed the OHSBCA Showcase on Saturday. The Columbus suburb that played host is charming and the streets were quite calm on Saturday morning when we rolled in. I’m guessing it’s always that way.
But if you happened to take that right turn and stumbled into Capital’s gymnasium, you would’ve entered an environment that was anything but calm. It was energized.
About 100 of Ohio’s prized basketball recruits were playing in front of a large crowd of college coaches. Stakes were high. One good day at the office for one of these kids could be life-changing.
We were also in the crowd, scouring the courts for college talent of all levels. Throughout the week, we will reveal what stood-out to us, one region of Ohio at a time. Let’s get started…
Top Three 5-on-5 Performers
Montorie Foster (2020) | 6-2 PG | St. Edward
Foster’s freaky bounce and hang-time made my eyes bulge a couple times. The lead guard is a plus rebounder who always crashes and absolutely soars through the air. Likes to push pace. Sprinkles in a rhythm pull-up to go with his ability to score at the rim.
Luke Frazier (2020) | 6-4 SG | Lake Catholic / Wildcats
Similar to Foster, Frazier flashes some incredible stuff attacking the basket at times. The Dayton commit knifes through defenses and has a lot of craft to his off-the-dribble game. Uses hesitation dribbles and is very creative in the air on finishes. Stays in front of guys defensively.
Henry Raynor (2021) | 6-6 PF | St. Ignatius / TNBA Ohio
Raynor has a terrific mid-range scoring arsenal and he knows how to get to his spots with footwork and handle. The skilled 4 also took the ball off the defensive glass and was able to initiate offense.
5-on-5 Standouts
Luke Howes (2020) | 6-1 PG | Fairview / TNBA Ohio
The Walsh commit’s ability to handle pressure and get past Division I guard prospects was quite impressive. Active off-hand and a wealth of skill allows him to slide past defenders and make plays in the lane. The compact guard was also one of the best defenders we saw today.
Adam Chaney (2020) | 6-4 SG | Carrollton
Our first impression of Chaney: he’s an elite shooter who flashed athleticism at the rim. Quick-release and a high-arching jumper. Good positional size.
Shammah Scott (2020) | 6-2 G | Shaker Heights
This combo guard has all of the skills to be an elite creator. When harnessed, his shifty handle and shooting ability is a deadly combo. Scott will need to become more efficient, though, specifically just dribbling less and making quicker decisions. There’s time to improve for Scott and we’re confident he will get there.
Amarion Dickerson (2021) | 6-6 SF | Rhodes / Ohio Basketball Club
Dickerson was more of a power forward for his group, spending most of his time cutting towards the basket for passes and offensive rebounds. He’s a special athlete who rises above guys for boards and layups.
Josh Irwin (2021) | 6-6 PF | West Geauga / TNBA
First time seeing Irwin for a while as he recovered from injury this spring. The D-I forward prospect appeared healthy and has even improved as a shooter in the meantime. Pick-and-pop extraordinaire who rebounds the ball at a high level. Throws outlet passes on a rope. Very communicative on the defensive end.
Jalen Wenger (2022) | 6-4 SG | Dalton
Wenger was a new name that really stood-out. Rising sophomore with terrific positional size and shooting ability. Showed ability to efficiently create shots from the wing with a crafty turn-around jumper and another pull-up. Very solid athlete who defended well.
Nehemiah Benson (2020) | 6-6 F | Lutheran East / Oho Basketball Club
Benson has improved athletically, showing more bounce in his legs and becoming more mobile. The improvements helped him track down offensive rebounds across the lane and punish people inside — it also suggests upside as a wing. Effective short-range shooter on turn-arounds.
Luka Eller (2020) | 6-8 PF | Lake Catholic / C2K Elite
Eller defended in space and scored in transition — two impressive qualities for a 6-foot-8 forward. It didn’t stop there, though, as Eller sunk on help-side and was able to recover on close-outs.
3-on-3 Standouts
Jalin Billingsley (2021) | 6-7 F | Lutheran East / Ohio Basketball Club
Billingsley actually didn’t convert many shots but his rhythm pull-up really stands out competing against other forwards. His upside is through the roof when you consider the shot-creation for a guy of his size. Light on his feet.
Dominick Moegerle (2020) | 6-4 F | Hoban
The Walsh commit is a jackrabbit around the basket who showed more skill in his low- to mid-post than we expected. Rebounds the heck out of the ball and is able to track down boards all over the floor.
Henry Raynor (2021) | 6-6 PF | St. Ignatius / TNBA OH
A noticeable mismatch against centers, Raynor put slow-footed bigs in a blender with his face-up game. He scores the ball in a number of ways once he puts it on the floor out of the triple threat. Skilled.
Luke Howes (2020) | 6-1 PG | Fairview / TNBA Ohio
Using an active off-hand and strong rip-throughs, Howes blew by defenders on the wing. He also swished contested mid-range jumpers and showed off his quickness on defense.
Omar Abuhamdeh (2021) | 5-10 PG | North Royalton / TNBA Ohio
Abuhamdeh makes the simple play and can hit shots. Converted mid-range pull-ups and catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Compact guard doesn’t have a ton of shake but a quick first step allows him to beat guys.
Luke Frazier (2020) | 6-4 SG | Lake Catholic / Wildcats
The Dayton commit feasted against defenders who were stuck on an island with him on the wing. Combines ball-handling skill, athleticism, and scoring touch better than any 2020 guard in Ohio. Springy legs. Quick decisions. Frazier was simply too much for anyone in his group to contain.
Grant Huffman (2020) | 6-4 G | St. Edward / C2K Elite
Huffman uses his eyes well. When he receives passes, he often shifts defenders’ feet or gets them to jump by simply looking at the rim and throwing a ball fake at them. Finished possessions on the defensive glass, too.
Seth Wilson (2021) | 6-2 PG | Lorain / Ohio Basketball Club
Wilson took advantage of a notable strength advantage when competing against other point guards. Bothered others by crowding their dribble and scoring with physical moves in the paint. It also felt like he knocked down every open jumper. Outstanding showing.