Ohio EYBL 16 U Prospect Breakdown
The NIKE EYBL made a stop in Indianapolis and hundreds of college coaches flocked to the Indiana Pacers facility to catch some of the top talent from all across the nation battle it out. We already broke down every 15…
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Continue ReadingThe NIKE EYBL made a stop in Indianapolis and hundreds of college coaches flocked to the Indiana Pacers facility to catch some of the top talent from all across the nation battle it out. We already broke down every 15 U prospect that competed from Ohio, click here to check out that article. Now it’s time for the 16 U action.
All Ohio Red 16 U
Calvin Little Calvin Little 6'2" | PG Garfield Heights | 2024 State OH , 6’2 PG Saint Ignatius 2024: Little had a second session similar to the first where he had ups and downs all weekend. Little is a great athlete who can look terrifying in the open court, especially when he uses his incredible passing ability. Little was near the top of the EYBL 16 U leaderboard in assists after the first session and once again passed the ball well. Little was a little loose with the basketball though, sometimes trying to make the highlight pass and throwing the ball away. It’s a weird line that as an evaluator you need to consider because you want your guards being able to make advanced reads and throw the pass through a tight angle, but you also need to limit turnovers to a certain extent. Little also makes the game more difficult than it needs to be with his infrequency of shooting outside the paint, a capable jumper to prevent defenders from backing off him will make him much more dangerous in the half-court. (Little was 0/2 according to EYBL box scores this weekend from the 3-point line)
Jackson Washington, 6’3 SG Christian Academy of Louisville (KY) 2024: Washington is an ELITE shooter with an absolute burner on his left arm. Washington was on fire in the first session in Orlando and continued that hot shooting in Indy this weekend. Washington doesn’t try and do too much with the ball in his hands as a majority of his shot attempts are spot-up 3-pointers. I’ll be interested to see how expanded his game looks during the high school season, but right now Washington has an elite skill that is very valuable in today’s game.
Dorian Williams Dorian Williams 6'4" | SF Princeton | 2024 State OH , 6’4 SF Princeton 2024: Williams didn’t get a ton of minutes or shot attempts but was efficient when he did get an opportunity this weekend. According to the box scores, Williams shot 9/14 from the field over a four-game span. Williams always plays hard and competes on both ends of the court. I’d like to see Williams improve his handle, which could allow him to take on a bigger offensive usage role in the future.
Sam Johnson Sam Johnson 6'6" | C Worthington Christian | 2024 State OH , 6’6 PF Worthington Christian 2024: Johnson has kept his starting place for All Ohio Red and does a lot of little things for his team. Johnson rebounded the ball well, including four offensive boards against Indy Heat. I’d like to see more expanded of an offensive game out of Johnson, he only made one 3-pointer and hasn’t grown in a year. If Johnson doesn’t grow any more, he needs to be more reliable from the perimeter.
AJ McBride AJ McBride 6'5" | SF Moeller | 2024 State OH , 6’5 SF Archbishop Moeller 2024: McBride had the ‘oh it’s starting to come together for him’ weekend and I couldn’t be happier for him. After a high school season that saw him only average 5.6 PPG, I was a bit concerned with McBride’s development. Then McBridge went out and looked super intriguing by shooting the ball at a solid clip from the outside and having some highlight reel dunks in transition, using his physical talents for production. McBride threw down an alley-oop and-1 dunk in their first game that got my attention and he kept me intrigued all weekend. I’m not sure if any prospect in the state of Ohio boosted their stock more this weekend.
Mason Shrout Mason Shrout 6'4" | SF Preble Shawnee | 2024 State OH , 6’4 SF Preble Shawnee 2024: Shrout lit the gym up in Orlando, getting my attention as well as the attention from college coaches. I think this weekend was a bit of a snap back to reality for Shrout, who couldn’t keep up his blistering 17.8 PPG on 52/47/100 shooting splits from two weeks prior. Regardless, Shrout is a stock riser because I saw noticeable improvement from the last time I watched him, almost a year ago. Shrout is more polished when attacking the basket and despite not being a good athlete, has counters to score inside the 3-point line. A big game against SFG to end the weekend shows that Shrout’s production on the EYBL circuit is here to stay and the Preble Shawnee product can compete with anybody.
Tyler McKinley Tyler McKinley 6'9" | PF Winton Woods | 2024 State #78 Nation OH , 6’9 PF Walnut Hills 2024: McKinley is currently leading the entire EYBL 16 U in points per game. For a prospect who does so much outside of scoring the basketball, that’s a remarkable statistic. McKinley is a weird case study because of his unique game, he has a bigger frame which he uses to bully defenders around the basket, yet he also is skilled enough to dribble the ball the entire length of the court to score. McKinley is a great passer with soft hands, on top of all his other skills at his disposal. He’s clearly the top Ohio prospect in the 2024 class and a potential riser in the national rankings after this weekend.
Delamarr Blanton Delamarr Blanton 6'0" | CG Trotwood Madison | 2024 State OH , 6’0 CG Trotwood-Madison 2024: Blanton got limited minutes and seemed to be adjusting to the talent and athleticism of the EYBL. Only shooting 2/8 from the field over the weekend, Blanton had most of his impact as a passer with five assists against CIA Bounce alone.
Cortez Freeman Cortez Freeman 6'2" | SG Africentric | 2024 State OH , 6’1 CG Canal Winchester 2024: Freeman is a prospect who seems to make his impact in bunches, scoring seven points in 12 minutes against CIA Bounce and only five points in the other three games combined. Freeman is a quick combo guard who can play on or off the ball. Freeman is also becoming more consistent of a catch and shoot threat from the outside, needing to space the floor for his teammates.
Bates Fundamentals 16 U
Jonas Nichols Jonas Nichols 6'3" | SG Hoban | 2024 State OH , 6’3 SG Archbishop Hoban 2024: Nichols played limited minutes this weekend, only making a big impact against Pro Skills 16 U, a game where he made three 3-pointers in eight minutes of action. Nichols shooting ability is legit but I’d like to see more of him against shoe circuit caliber competition.
Michael Johnson Michael Johnson 6'6" | SF Cincinnati Withrow | 2024 State OH , 6’5 PF Cincinnati Withrow 2024: Johnson didn’t get much playing time all weekend, finishing 1/3 from the field over four games according to EYBL box scores. Johnson seems like an intriguing run and jump wing forward, but I haven’t seen him play enough to feel confident in his college level.
Wendell Henry Wendell Henry 6'5" | PF St. Edward - Lakewood, OH | 2024 State OH , 6’5 PF Saint Edward 2024: Henry only attempted a shot in one game this weekend, but was productive against Team United 16 U. Henry makes good reads with the basketball and competes on the interior, just could use an opportunity where more minutes are available in the front-court.
Indy Heat 16 U
Ian Ioppolo Ian Ioppolo 6'6" | PF Mentor | 2024 State OH , 6’6 PF Mentor 2024: This was my first opportunity to scout Ioppolo and he played about how I expected after watching some highlights on film. He’s a stretch-4 who has a funky shot form, but the results don’t lie. I now have a better sense for how Ioppolo moves and likes to play, but will be making an effort to see him with Mentor this June and during his Junior season.
Jesse McCulloch Jesse McCulloch 6'9" | PF Lutheran East | 2024 State #136 Nation OH , 6’8 C Lutheran East 2024: McCulloch went through a huge body transformation, going from a chubbier big guy to a super skinny 6’8 post player. McCulloch is moving his feet better with the lost weight, but does seem like he could use a little bit of the weight strength back by the end of the off-season. McCulloch gave up position a few times and sometimes was able to recover to block the shot and other times beat for a layup. I’ll be intrigued to see how McCulloch continues to develop physically because he looks nothing like the prospect I watched last July or even back in January.
Vegas Elite 16 U
John Mobley, 6’0 PG Bishop Gorman (NV) 2024: Mobley plays his high school ball in Vegas, but grew up in Columbus, Ohio and still has ties to the area. I wanted to see how Mobley had progressed since the last time I saw him in person, the summer before his freshman year of high school. Mobley looked taller and has improved in the weight room with a better frame and more explosiveness. Mobley still isn’t going to put you on a poster dunk, but he’s more of a threat to drive to the basket now. What Mobley continued to do was shoot the ball at an impressive clip from anywhere on the court. 30 feet and in, you are in danger of Mobley splashing one on your team. Mobley splashed six 3-pointers on Seattle Rotary, showing off his shooting ability. Creighton Head Coach Craig McDermott was on hand for the Friday night game Vs Albany City Rocks that I also attended; Creighton are one of the few high major programs to already offer Mobley a scholarship as Mobley seems near the top of their priority list for 2024.