All Ohio Super 16: Central Ohio Guards/Wings

NIt’s only right that Ohio programs were in control all weekend in Reynoldsburg at the All Ohio Super 16. Not only did a program from the Buckeye State win all of the high school age levels, we were also often represented on both benches during the Gold Championship matchups.

On a player-by-player basis, some guys really stepped up to the competition and turned some heads with their play. From Monday-Wednesday, we’re recapping those individual performances, segmented by region.

Today, we’ll be focusing on Central Ohio prospects; now, let’s check out the perimeter wings/guards.

Craig Burt (2018), 6’4” G/W, Centennial / Hidden Gems Orange

Burt can bring athleticism and intangibles at the two-guard position. Early Saturday morning, Burt came off the bench for this team, and was providing value in a number of ways. Burt took a charge, sought contact on drives, and made good passes the entire game. Again, a consummate energy guy who is a very nice athlete.

Justin Curtis (2018), 6’3” G, VCC Ohio Warriors Pro Bound / Walnut Ridge (transferring from Columbus East)

Curtis is a bucket-getter from the wing spot. He excels at catching on the angle after coming off movement, then ripping through and attacking from there. In these situations, Curtis has shown the ability to score in a number of ways: all the way to the rim off the glass, a floater, a runner, a one-dribble pull-up, or just side-stepping for a shot. Regardless, the kid is a flat-out scorer who requires a long, athletic defender to be slowed down.

Michael Woods (2018), 6’2” G, Hidden Gems Black / Central Crossing

An underrated athlete who shows bursts of speed on his way to crashing the offensive glass. The only issue is that he sometimes over-extends his effort on these rebound attempts, which hurts the transition defense when he doesn’t snag the ball.

Otherwise, off-ball activity is where Woods excels. He comes off-ball in the half-court, and does a great job of finding pockets in the defense, especially around the arch. Woods shoots it confidently on the catch from deep. He’s also an above-average transition finisher.

MJ Rasoul (2018), 6’4” W, Ohio Freedom / Hilliard Davidson

First time watching Rasoul, and it’s safe to say we like his potential as a Division III/NAIA prospect. The calm wing spent time as a primary ball-handler for large portions of games — Rasoul hardly turned the ball over, often avoiding some aggressive defense. Rasoul is also a strong passer from that lead guard role. Rasoul is limited by lack of athleticism and a questionable left-hand, but he is physical enough to get to the rim. Unorthodox shooting stroke, but the jumper went in pretty consistently.

Cameron Brooks-Harris (2018), 6’7” W, OH-NOVA (Tillman) / Zanesville

At this point, everyone knows the name and face, but Brooks-Harris continues to explode on to the scene. To the point that it’d be shocking if he doesn’t receive a Division I offer by summer’s end.

When you watch the 6’7” slender freak, the athleticism and defensive tools are clear as day. The question has been jump-shooting, and he’s steadily improving that. This weekend, Brooks-Harris hit a couple triples off the dribble in the half-court after avoiding defenders. When he’s open, he’s now shooting it every time on the catch. High ceiling kid who was somewhat off the radar last spring.

Dondre Palmer (2018), 6’4” G, OH-NOVA (Rice) / Pickerington North

Palmer announced on Twitter recently that he was offered by Shawnee State, a Division II program deep in Southern Ohio. It’s not too surprising, given his effort this spring. He consistently puts his imprint on every game, which consists of a high volume of communication and help defense.

Besides the intangibles, Palmer is also an excellent defensive player and mid-range shooter. Palmer also got out in transition and put down a surprisingly athletic one-handed flush, something we hadn’t personally witness Palmer do.

Isaiah Speelman (2018), 6’6” W, OH-NOVA (Tillman) / Hilliard Bradley

Speelman is yet another defensive force in the Nova program. This 2018 prospect is highly competitive, which helps given that he’s asked to defend a number of types of players with this team. Speelman has shown versatility in being able to defend multiple spots. He’s a crucial member of one of Ohio’s finest teams, as he neutralizes some bigger opponents by boxing out post players and grabbing defensive rebounds.

Kayin Derden (2019), 6’2” G, DeSales / Pro Bound

The long 6’2” aggressive wing has a very smooth style with the ball. Derden seamlessly avoids defenders in the half-court with a pump-fake. Off that ball fake, Derden has an effective one-dribble pull-up. Part of the reason this move works is because he’s a threat to catch-and-shoot threes all day if left open. Without the basketball, Derden is another Pro Bound guy who plays with good energy the entire game.

Morgan Safford (2019), 6’4” G, C2K Elite / Bishop Hartley

Down the stretch of close games on Sunday, Safford was crashing the offensive glass and turning second chance opportunities into and-ones. He routinely made himself impossible to box-out by hustling by opponents. Once inside, whether it was via rebound or otherwise, Safford is a physical finisher who seeks contact.