Weekend Warm Up: adidas Invitational
In an effort to inform the college coach audience on this website, we’re back with our first series of Weekend Warm Up articles in July.
The point is to provide recruiting insight on Ohio prospects at the various tournaments around the country for a given weekend. As you scroll and click around to other WWUs, you’ll find scoops on top performers from most of Ohio’s teams.
Tournaments this week include the three shoe events in Augusta, NYC, and Atlanta. Non-sponsored teams are playing in Indianapolis, Louisville, and Atlantic City.
As you’ll see below, the greatest cluster of teams is traveling to the center of the Hoosier State, which warrants its own article.
adidas Invitational
17U: No. 11, Apex Basketball Club
No. 12, Ohio Hoopsters – Nakasian
No. 13, Mid Ohio Pumas
No. 15, Nova (Morgan)
No. 16, Dayton Metro
No. 19, Ohio Reign
No. 20, Ohio Hoopsters – LBC
Cincy Classics, Dayton Nets, Hidden Gems Black, Hidden Gems Orange, Nova (new team), Ohio Ballstars, Ohio Crossover Athletics, Ohio Hoopsters – Bennett, Ohio Hoopsters – Columbus Kings, Ohio Hoopsters – Running Rebels, Shining Star – Mitchell, Shining Star – Price, Team One Phenoms
16U: No. 4, Mid Ohio Pumas Black (Staib)
No. 11, Mid Ohio Pumas Elite (Mirgon/Younkin)
No. 12, Hidden Gems Black
No. 15, Apex Basketball Club
Cincinnati Royals, Club Ohio, Mid Ohio Pumas Silver (Justice/Fenner), Mid Ohio Pumas White (Beard), Mid Ohio Pumas Blue (Jayaraman), Mid Ohio Pumas Grey (Sullivan), Miller Factory, Ohio Ballstars, Ohio Hoopsters 2020 – Jones, Ohio Hoopsters – Running Rebels, Shining Star – Red, Shining Star – White
15U: All Ohio Wolves, APEX 2021, Cincinnati Royals Blue, Mid Ohio Pumas White (Seeman),Mid Ohio Pumas (Kennedy), Miller Factory, Nova (Douglas), Ohio Crossover Athletics, Ohio Hoopsters – LBC, Shining Star – Red, Shining Star – Price
The 2019 Apex group has a blend of power and fundamentally strong players that should interest colleges at the D-II, D-III, and NAIA levels. Even Miami (OH) told players at their elite camp that they’d check Apex’s 17s out in July. Their 6’8” floor-running forward Michael Berner jumps off the court physically and will be watched by Capital and Ohio Northern, who are both trying to bring him on campus for visits. Meanwhile, point guard Landen Long brings Goshen into the stands, a school he was offered by in May.
Ohio Hoopsters – Nakasian also mixes individual talent with a cohesive motion offense. They’re one of those teams who boasts strictly college-level talent, including spring stock-riser Bo Myers. Myers holds offers from Air Force, Malone, and Concord. Others interested are West Liberty, Ohio, UT-Chattanooga, and Marshall. His teammate Bodie Eberhart could be in for an exciting July with the likes of Ohio Dominican, Malone, Heidelberg, and Ohio Northern tracking his progression.
The Mid Ohio Pumas 17U group saw their first offer in June as Sean Marks received a bid from Ohio Dominican. We’re also interested to see what happens with their off-ball wing shooters Brice Hill and Payton Jutte. Hill is a high-academic shooting specialist with size who will be looked at by Bellarmine, Findlay, Hillsdale, Ashland, Christian Brothers, Univ. of Chicago, Wooster, Wittenberg, Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, and others this month. Jutte is likely to be watched by Findlay, Otterbein, Ohio Wesleyan, and Heidelberg this month.
Hidden Gems Black is headlined by Bellefontaine point guard Jack Clement. The 5’11” playmaker will be watched by Findlay, Goshen, Stonehill, and other small colleges in Indy, per Hidden Gems program director Lucius Jones.
Ohio Hoopsters – Columbus Kings also could draw a crowd for their point guard, Jordan McMilian, throughout July. The kid has a ton of quickness with the ball in his hands. He’s in contact with Malone and Asbury currently.
Dayton Metro has a couple surefire scholarship level prospects in our opinion with their all-Dayton-area Ethan Conley–Anton Webb combination. Coach Dan Gudorf tells us that Ohio, Ashland, Findlay, Goshen, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Ohio Northern, Anderson, Bluffton, and others will be in for the squad as a whole. Webb specifically is communicating with Catawba, Loras, Washington & Jefferson, Charleston, Malone, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Muskingum, Urbana, and Heidelberg. The 6’7” combo forward from Dayton Christian enters July with a ton of intrigue because of his versatile set of physical tools and effort level.
To wrap up the 17U, CJ Napier with Price’s Shining Star group also has a range of college interest at the moment. Napier attended Army’s elite camp in June. From there, he began building relationships with Gettysburg College and Wittenberg. He also has interest from Air Force and Capital. Napier plans to visit Capital and Gettysburg down the line.
Hidden Gems Black 16U added Trevon Ellis after an already strong spring. Last weekend, they won their event’s 17U division and knocked off quality opponents along the way. Utah State, High Point, Pikeville, Longwood, Indiana Tech, and others will begin doing early homework on this group in July.
Also at the 16U level, watch out for the new-look Mid Ohio Pumas Elite. They’ve decided to have everyone from their 15U group play up a level and combined them with 2020 prospects Jake Younkin, Alex Mangold, and Grant Whisman. However, Jack Sawyer won’t be around in Indy because of football. This blend of 2020 and 2021 talent has over 30 programs stopping into watch them in Indy, including several at the HM/MM+ level.