Ohio Prep Top 250 - Top Post Players

Below is the first of many articles talking about players from Saturday, September 7th Prep Hoops - Ohio Top 250 event. In this article, we will be talking about some of the top post players that were at the event. Some of these have been on people's radar for a while, but a couple have come out of no where, including one that may have a high ceiling as anyone. Brenton Walker 6'7" Jr. C/PF (Akron McKinley) - Brenton is #22 on Prep Hoops top 2021 list. This is my first time I have saw him, but he could have arguably been the top player at the event. Brenton is already a man. Probably 220+ and build like a man. Brenton is super athletic and very strong and explosive. The biggest take away from me is that he really struggles scoring outside 10', but he can be an elite defender and rebounder and can run like a deer. I really like him despite his lack of skill, IF he can realize who he is and plays to his strengths, which is to run and get easy baskets, be a monster on the boards and become an elite defender. His strength and athleticism is off the charts and if he realizes who he is, could play at for the right team at any level on the D1 circuit. Cliron Hornback 6'9" Jr. C (Toledo St. Francis De LaSalle) - Cliron is #119 on Prep Hoops top 2021 list, and is by far not a finished product. However, he is someone that EVERY D1 school should plan a trip to Toledo if they need a big in 2021, but especially all LM-MM. Cliron has grown 2 inches since the summer and to me, does not look like he is finished. By the time he enrolls in college, he maybe 6'10-6'11 240+. The things I like about Cliron is for a big man, he has good hands, a nose for the ball and a soft touch. He is strictly a 5, but knows how to post, can score a little on the block when people throw it to him. He reminds me of a young David Simon, I player who I coached at IPFW. He came to us as a walk-on in 2001 after 1 year of playing volleyball. He is starting his 15 year as a professional this winter. The thing I think he, along with others in this generation, is to get a nasty streaky when on the court. If he realizes that he is the biggest player on the court and starts to assert his physicality, he could be a beast in 4-6 years from now. Again, he maybe a kid that just plays and ends up at a D2 or LM, like a lot of big's out there, he could be a late developer and the sky is the limit. Henry Raynor 6'7" Jr. PF (St. Ignatius) - Henry is #26 on Prep Hoops Top 2021 list. Unlike the 2 above, Henry is very skilled and is more of a finished product then the other 2. He is very skilled with the ball and is a ideal 4 man at the LM-MM level. He is a good athlete who likes to dunk a lot when around the rim. He can play on the perimeter and is able to drive and pass. He can finish inside either in the post or off the bounce. In addition, he has a nose for the ball and is a very good rebound on both ends of the floor. The one thing I did not see do was shoot from behind the arc, but I feel he could develop that part of the game. With EVERY wanting to jack up 3's all the time, it was a pleasant surprise to see someone he takes good shots, not just hunt for shots, which is a role he will need to play at the next level. Ben Westrick 6'7" Sr. C (Ottawa-Glandorf) - Ben is #45 on Prep Hoops Top 2020 list. Ben is very strong and decent athlete. He plays very hard and his biggest strength right now is his ability to rebound the basketball and he does play hard, even when he does not get the ball on a consistent basis. His skills and ability to score is not great, but he does not try to do things that he can't do. He needs to either continue to add to his offensive game and be able to at least be a threat when going against similar size. However, any D2 program in need of a 5 needs to make sure they go and see Ben and monitor his development. Troy Scowden 6'7" So. C (Buckeye Valley) - Troy is #30 on Prep Hoops Top 2022 list. Troy plays very hard and right now I look at him more of a 5 than a 4. He still has 3 years before he enters college, he depending on how much he grows and develops his skills, he will stay as a 5 or become more of a 4. Right now his strength on the offensive end (at least what I saw on Saturday) was his ability to post and score inside. I am really excited to see where he is at next summer and the progress he makes in the next 10-12 months. Frank Waganfeald 6'8" Jr. C (Clay - Oregon??) - Frank is #41 on Prep Hoops Top 2021 is. He is thick and very mechanical post. While I don't see him being able to defend on a consistent level on the perimeter right now, he is an ok on the perimeter. He can shoot to about 16', but is not a great passer/decision maker. He is not a great athlete, but his strength helps him offset that. London Maiden 6'6" So. C (Benedictine) - London is a classic sleeper, but he is young, being only a sophomore. He is very long, an ok athlete right now. However he does a couple things I really liked, he rebounds and plays extremely hard. However, he is still very raw and must get stronger. The things he needs to do right now is to get stronger, continue to improve his skills and continue to work. Like Cliron, he can't teach 6'6" with the ability to continue to grow. Right now he is a D2 at the top, but you never know what he could develop in in 3 years. Continue to monitor and put him on the must see list in a year.