On Monday, we told you about the performances in the 2018 class. Yesterday and today, we’re looking at the underclassmen who stood out at the Bill Hensley Run n Slam in Fort Wayne.
Here, in our final recap of the weekend, let’s delve into how the prospects from Southern Ohio fared.
Amari Davis (2019), 6’4” G, All Ohio Red EYBL / Trotwood Madison
Davis continues to be incredible in the lane. He hangs in the air for a long time, meaning he gets up very high. This leaping ability allows Davis to have clean looks that happen to be contested ones for other players. His mid-range jumper seems to improve every time we watch him play.
Demarco Bradley (2019), 5’7” PG, All Ohio Red EYBL / Cincinnati Taft
Bradley is obviously pretty short, but the unique size can actually cause problems for ball-handlers when he scrambles around defensively. He often was able to make guards uncomfortable on double-teams. Also, Bradley passes the ball exceptionally well. He rarely turns it over. Appears to have enough speed to guard full-court.
Andre Gordon (2019), 6’2” G, All Ohio Red EYBL / Sidney
Gordon continues to be one of the very best players in Ohio. He’s wildly fundamentally sound around the basket — just continually gliding past to defenders to the rim for soft finishes off the glass. His pull-up jumper and passing ability is continually impressive, also. The part that makes his fundamental game so spectacular is that he’s incredibly athletic in doing so. It’s a combination that makes for an elite prospect.
Noah Pack (2019), 6’7” W/F, OH-LBC-Black / Georgetown
As a solid 6’7” prospect, Pack impressed us with his versatility. Frankly, he caught us by surprise, as we’d never seen him play previously. The southwest Ohio prospect often grabs defensive rebounds, then calmly brings the ball up the court to begin an offensive possession. He’s a threat from the outside with his jumper, but can also bruise through the lane for tough finishes. Solid athleticism, but he wasn’t truly challenged when he was on defense. Pack had a lot of emphatic blocks on the help-side.
Pack is definitely a small-AAU team guy that is worth watching going forward.
Carl Blanton (2020), 6’2” G, All Ohio Red EYBL / Trotwood Madison
Blanton is clutch! He scored the winning basket against OBC on Sunday, by driving hard right and touching a floating lay-up off the glass. There was no hesitation on this play, which speaks to his self-belief. Also, in a different game, Blanton had a huge bucket down the stretch again, which was followed up by taking a charge on the other end. On a loaded grassroots team, Blanton is a must play in crucial situations. Impressive athleticism and size for a 2020 2-guard prospect.
Zach Loveday (2020), 6’11” C, Louisville Magic (sub from Mid Ohio Pumas) / Galia Academy
We didn’t see a ton of Loveday this weekend, opting to focus on teams with more Ohio players than just one. However, the bit we saw on Sunday morning was extremely impressive. Loveday hit a three-pointer from the wing. Although he’s adding perimeter skills, he remains much more effective inside at the moment. Loveday affects nearly every shot that comes within 10-feet of the basket — he has the mobility and arm length to get to most spots quickly. The kid moves his feet exceptionally well, and he’s comfortable being physical with other bigs.
Sammy Anderson (2020), 6’0” G, All Ohio Red EYBL / Trotwood Madison
Anderson has been super aggressive with the jump shot every time we’ve watched Red 15u this summer. He often receives the ball after side-to-side movement and takes advantage of the shifting defense by finding a quick gap. He gets to openings quickly, just doesn’t hit with consistency yet. Once that shot falls, he could average big scoring numbers. Anderson also has the looks of an elite on-ball defender, when you consider his speed and tenacity. Kid has a lot of moxie.
