Northern Ohio Elite Showcase: Early Sign-ups (Part 1)
It’s the final week for 2018-2020 prospects to , presented by Prep Hoops. Before the final rush of registrations in these coming days, we’re starting off our preview coverage by looking at some of the top early commitments.
In alphabetical order, here are a few of the top prospects you can catch in action on July 8 at Lima Senior. In this preview, we’re highlighting these prospects’ best skills and developments we’re checking in on at the NOE Showcase.
Drew Bench (2019), 6’6” F, Genoa / All Ohio Gold
Currently, Bench is a physical forward who runs the floor extremely well, which often ends in a secondary transition basket right at the rim. He’s also able to use this combination of effort, athleticism, and strength, to crash the boards.
In the spring with All Ohio Gold, Bench has shown the ability to hit jumpers on the catch. As he progresses his perimeter skills, Bench’s recruitment could see a big boost. We’ll be looking for him to be even more comfortable with the ball on the perimeter.
Keedrick Cunningham (2018), 6’1” G, Proctorville Fairland
We came away from Fairland’s State Semifinal game very impressed with Cunningham’s scoring ability. The dual-sport athlete (football) eludes defenders seamlessly on the attack, as he’s able to change directions without slowing down much at all.
In that game against Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cunningham was primarily a scorer and most of those buckets came on lay-ups. With that being said, we’re interested to check out Cunningham’s shooting and facilitating ability.
Alex Heath (2018), 5’8” PG, Cleveland Central Catholic / Another Level
With one Division II offer from West Virginia State, Heath is one of the most interesting early sign-ups. The quick point guard applies himself on defense and can spark an entire gymnasium with his energy. Heath controls a game’s tempo by speeding up the opponent. Yet, when he’s controlling an offense, we’ve seen him play at a range of paces. We hope to see Heath continue to hit deep jumpers off-the-dribble.
Chris Herbort (2020), 6’1” G, Beavercreek / All Ohio Elite
After a great spring with All Ohio Elite, we’re excited to catch Herbort back in action early this July. For Elite, Herbort tends to attack from the corner — whether that’s catch-and-shoot or off the dribble drive. He’s physical enough to bully his 2020 counterparts, especially since Herbort gets them on their heels with his shooting ability. But, we’re hoping to see Herbort be slightly more assertive on the 8th, with this opportunity to challenge himself against older competition.
Isaiah Kennedy (2020), 6’0” G, Huber Heights Wayne / C2K Elite
Kennedy blows other 2020 guards away with his explosiveness and strength, as he often resembles a running back in the way he hits gaps in the defense. We’ve seen the slashing guard convert on elite dribble-drives, even against premier competition at the Bill Hensley Run n Slam in Fort Wayne. While that part of his game is extraordinary, we’d like to see Kennedy score from the other two levels at the NOE Showcase.