270 Hoops Proving Grounds Week 6 Sleepers

With Week 6 of the 270 Hoops Proving Grounds in the books, this writer has put the reader up on game about the best players and shooters at this week’s event, but there were players at the event that did not get the credit they deserved and this is their time to get some shine. Flying under the radar at events like this is easy to do because of how much talent ran up and down the court at Elevate Basketball Academy. These talents were slept on more than pillows on Sunday and their worth may not have shown up on the stat sheet. This is a list of the top sleeper players from this past week of the 270 Hoops Proving Grounds. [player_tooltip player_id="922602" first="Ryan" last="Nutter"]; 2023- Dublin Jerome: A prospect with Division 1 potential, Nutter already showed how well he can play in this event as he was MVP of week 2 and this past Sunday he came back with the same type of mentality. His perimeter defense stood out, cutting off opposing guards water faster than angry football coaches cut rest breaks short. As one of only five sophomores that attended, Nutter separated himself from his classmates with his ability to pass and constantly getting wherever he wanted on the court to make plays for himself and his teammates. Nutter proved he could finish over taller players, his perimeter jumpshot was not falling on Sunday but he showed his basketball IQ by getting easier shots going towards the rim. This young man will do nothing but get better over the next couple of seasons getting ready for the next level, schools should get on him early. Mehki Bloodworth; 2021- Columbus East: A transfer from Kalamazoo Michigan’s Loy Norrix High School, the lanky Bloodworth began to prove that he can adapt and possibly flourish in the Columbus City League’s north division. He defended every position on the court, using his 6-foot-6 frame to contest shots and bother ball handlers which will come in handy dealing with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"] at Beechcroft. Bloodworth runs the floor hard and understands how to keep the ball over his head on fast break catches to finish at the rim. Adding muscle to his frame will ensure that he will not get pushed around while trying to gather rebounds, a small issue he has now going against stronger forwards. Look for Bloodworth to make the Tigers an interesting team in the Columbus City League north in the upcoming season where he will be depended on to score and defend at a high level. Josh Whiteside; 2022- St. Charles: The commentators at Elevate Basketball Academy made sure to let the viewers know how well Whiteside looks now, slimming down and building a better body. Whiteside has an aura around him, with scouts not really knowing what his game actually is and where he would fit in their program but this past Sunday he began to explain his game better. He threw down a couple of dunks that had other players in the gym going wild, showing how athletic he is. The young man with offers from Ohio University and Miami (OH) also exhibited a capability to finish directly through contact, carrying defenders on his back a couple times to battle for a lay-up. Whiteside played hard all Sunday, sprinting up the floor showing unique speed for a guy his size. [player_tooltip player_id="921759" first="Javan" last="Simmons"]; 2022- Gahanna: Coming from the most talented high school team in the area, Simmons got to play with a teammate in [player_tooltip player_id="919037" first="Maceo" last="Williams"] and the chemistry showed. His interior defense was stifling for the majority of the day, patrolling the paint like a hall monitor. Simmons eventually stepped out and nailed a couple three-point jumpers early. What impressed some people most was that after he hit some three’s he began to attack the basket and not rely on the jumper. Simmons was a good roller to the basket, which starts with setting solid screens, having good hands on the catch and finishing in traffic. Scouts love this kid’s motor, he keeps coming like a 5-year old asking if you have games on your phone and that will make him a player schools better start getting in on now. [player_tooltip player_id="919013" first="Kade" last="Bafford"]; 2021- Newark: Defense rarely gets you noticed, which is why Bafford was the ultimate sleeper player this past Sunday at the 270 Hoops Proving Grounds. He played with guts and desire as if this was a playoff game which had to impress people that watched. His low center of gravity actually helps him defend because he combines that with outstanding strength to control how other guards get into their offensive flow. His on ball defense was tremendous, he could switch off and guard bigs while still contesting shots and making it hard for bigger players to score on him. Offensively, Bafford is able to knock down shots when given that chance and make plays for his teammates as well. Newark is known for hard-nose players and Kade is another one in a long line of those guys.