McDonald’s Classic Top Performers

<p>Every year after the Christmas holiday, 4 schools in Southern Ohio meet up for a two day tournament. Manchester, North Adams, Peebles, and West Union may not be in major cities, but they bring small school atmospheres to the next level with large crowds present to support their schools. I was able to check out action on Friday at Manchester matched up with Peebles, and North Adams battled West Union. Below were my 5 top performers that impressed me at the event.</p> <p>Weston Browning (2021) Peebles- Arguably the top backcourt prospect on display on Friday, Browning is an attack minded guard that found ways to score the ball off the dribble drive. He got the ball out in transition and impressed me with his ability to advance the basketball in fast break situations. He has a high motor and crashed the glass hard on both ends of the floor. Being only a junior, he has the highest ceiling of all these prospects and could see a spike in his recruitment as he continues to grow.</p> <p>Hunter Ruckel (2020) Peebles- Ruckel was the most athletic player overall and he showed this off in Peebles’ dominating victory against Manchester. He has a strong upper body and was physical on the glass. He was not afraid to push around opposing Manchester players and really made an impact on the defensive end. A decent on-ball defender, he made his impact known on the defensive end and impressed with his ability to get physical at 6’3.</p> <p>Zane Kingsolver (2020) West Union- Last year’s Dragons team was loaded with seniors which made Kingsolver a role guy. This season he has had to become the primary member of the offense and defense. At 6’3, he has tremendous length and defensively disrupted passing lanes on a consistent basis. On the offensive end, he looks to advance the ball and is not afraid to get the ball to teammates. On the glass, he goes up with two hands and did a nice job of controlling the basketball and not allowing opposing players to take the ball from him.</p> <p>Austin McCormick (2020) North Adams- Without a doubt the top interior player on display, McCormick was physically imposing on both ends and literally had guys bouncing off of him. Possessing a high motor and having high energy, he plays hard on both ends of the floor, getting physical with opposing bigs and sealing off defenders on the block. He has a small arsenal of post moves which allow him to outplay smaller defenders, which allows him to be a high level player in the SHAC.</p> <p>Cameron Young (2020) North Adams- A 6’4 lengthy guard, Young wasn’t flashy and didn’t score a ton of points. That being said, he is a gritty player and he specifically made his impact known on the defensive end with his size and arm length. With the amount of talent on North Adam’s roster, he is sometimes forgotten about but he deserves credit for his hard work.</p>