Best Junior Prospects of Week 9
This week, I watched six games over the course of three days. We started in Columbus, stopped in Lima, ended in Canton for the Kosta Koufos Classic. Ohio, we are entering the most compelling portion of the basketball calendar. There…
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Continue ReadingThis week, I watched six games over the course of three days. We started in Columbus, stopped in Lima, ended in Canton for the Kosta Koufos Classic.
Ohio, we are entering the most compelling portion of the basketball calendar. There are 47 days until March 21, when four state champions will be crowned at the Schottenstein Center. What happens between now and then is the fun part. Legends will be made.
For several of the teams we saw this week, juniors led the way…
Teddy Brown | 5-10 PG | Whitehall
stats: 12 points
Brown cares. More than anything, what has stuck about Brown in watching his twice in the last few weeks is his effort, level of care, and competitiveness. He’s undersized, there’s no question about that. But even if it’s just as a program guy who is going to inspire the other players on your team to play harder on a daily basis, Brown is interesting for that reason. Vocal.
Beyond easy-to-spot intangibles, Brown made crafty shallow mid-range shots while fading away to avoid shot-blockers. Plays with a sense of self-awareness when it comes to shot selection. Impactful point-of-attack defender who sits down when on the ball.
Brady Lichtenberg | 6-2 PG | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 13 points, 1 rebound, 7 assists
Lichtenberg, a Cincinnati football recruit at the quarterback position, plays with a good feel. He shows vision while dealing with ball pressure and made timely passes to cutters. Dynamic right to left crossover. Good body control. Uses a sound step-through move inside after jump stopping, often drawing a foul against a defender who is now out of position.
Josiah Mobley | 6-1 PG | Whitehall
stats: 19 points, 3 rebounds
Mobley is another energetic defender in the Whitehall backcourt. Often dives on the floor and closes out with purpose. He found a rhythm in the second half shooting the ball, connecting on a total of five catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
Sam Oliver | 6-0 PG | GlenOak
stats: 12 points, 3 rebounds
Oliver continues to impress as a physical combo guard that possesses elite shooting ability with his feet set. He’s thick and uses his strength to handle ball pressure and get on the floor for loose ball battles. Very consistent shooter. Competes.
Royal Sibley | 6-6 PF | Whitehall
stats: 16 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists
Sibley is certainly a scholarship-level prospect, and he may even be a D-I guy. He carries a broad, lean, and long frame and moves pretty fluidly. Sibley is both assertive around the basket, yet showcased ball skills in a variety of ways.
Unselfish passer who pitched several assists on long outlet passes. Also showed ball-handling capability off the defensive glass. He occasionally broke the press with blow-bys after catching the inbounds pass — primarily because he was the best athlete on the floor by a mile. Faces to attack and score on impressive one- and two-dribble moves. Sibley added an athletic put-back dunk.
Defensively, his best trait is defending in space at 6-foot-6. He can stay in front of wings and uses his athleticism to bother shots. We’d like to see him become more solid around the rim by consistently being in position to defend shots — he’s a bit late on rotations, but that will improve with more experience.
Very interested to see where Sibley plays his 17U ball, with the hopes of him playing against other elite athletes.
Marcus Stewart | 6-3 SG | The Wellington School
stats: 14 points
Stewart has great size and a rhythm pull-up that he can get off any time. He has no issue creating space for his pull-up but can shoot it with bodies near him, too.
Jourdyn Rawlins | 5-8 PG | Lima Senior
stats: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Offensively, Rawlins’ unselfishness and drive-and-kick finds impressed. He wants to get the ball to one of Lima’s scorers, an important role given their deep bench of talent. On defense, the junior stayed glued to Toledo St. John’s ballhandlers, often sliding his feet with them up the entire court. Plays hard and thrives in his role.
Kievon Wiggins | 6-3 PF | Whitehall
stats: 13 points, 8 rebounds
Wiggins is super long with strong shoulders. The recipient of several Sibley outlets, he scored mostly by leaking out. Defends multiple spots at the high school level because of his athleticism and length. Strong finisher.