Top performers of the week 2/8/21-2/14/21

<p>Because of the severe winter weather conditions, I was only able to make it to two games this past week. Likely going to be a similar situation again next week, as a majority of Ohio is expecting heavy snowfall. With that being said, here are the top performers from the two games I attended this week. The first being Linden-McKinley 61 @ Beechcroft 62 and the second was Centerville 66 @ Wayne 62.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"], 6’8 PF Beechcroft 2022: Lyles hit the game winning 3-pointer to push his team past their rivals and into the Columbus City League championship game against Africentric. This was my second chance to see Lyles this season and once again I came away impressed with his physical developments.</p> <p>Shamarion Rogers, 6’2 PF Linden-McKinley 2021: Rogers plays with an incredible motor. He might be undersized in the height department, but he makes up for it with effort and athleticism. A limited offensive player, Rogers does most of his damage around the basket. Small colleges looking for an absolute workhorse of an undersized PF should be getting their eyes on Rogers.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918966" first="Chance" last="Groce"], 6’5 SF Linden McKinley 2021: Groce had the highlight of the week with a slam dunk right before [player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"] could come from behind and block the shot. Groce is an impressive tough shot maker from the mid-range area, as he struggles to consistently create separation. Groce lived up to my expectations as this was the first time I’ve been able to catch the senior in person, I had previously only seen him on film a couple times prior to this game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="919035" first="Prophet" last="Johnson"], 6’4 PF Huber Heights Wayne 2021: Johnson has taken some huge strides since the last time I watched him in person, which was last season for Thurgood-Marshall. Johnson has become much more confident with the ball in his hands and is thriving in a primary scoring role for Wayne, as he is a leading candidate for GWOC player of the year. Johnson is a streaky shooter and he had it going in the second half against Centerville. Johnson has played himself into a legitimate scholarship level prospect this season, deserving attention from NAIA and Division II programs.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="809612" first="Tom" last="House"], 6’5 SF Centerville 2022: House is one of the easiest plug and play guys in the 2022 class when he arrives on a college campus. With his size, shooting and solid athleticism, I find it hard to imagine he’ll have much of a learning curve at the next level. A bonkers shooter, House has excellent pre shot habits, catching the ball with an intention to get a quick shot off from long range. House will likely become a mid major level target once colleges start putting more of an emphasis on the 2022 high school class.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="867949" first="Lawrent" last="Rice"], 6’3 PG Huber Heights Wayne 2023: Rice did what most people question most about his game, make jump-shots. Rice plays with incredible pace and rhythm for a Sophomore point guard, using excellent hesitation moves to get where he wants. Rice was a little quiet in the second half, deferring to Johnson in the fourth quarter offensively. I did walk away from this game encouraged by the strides he’s made, as I continue to be very high on the top of the 2023 class in the state of Ohio. I believe out of 2021, 2022 and 2023, the top 6-8 guys in the 2023 class are better than the top 6-8 in either 2022 or 2021.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="867934" first="Gabe" last="Cupps"], 6’0 PG Centerville 2023: Cupps was a warrior on Friday evening, getting banged up with an injury in the second quarter and playing through it the rest of the night. He made some huge plays in the fourth quarter, including a pull-up jumper to give his team the lead late. Cupps has really good instincts on the defensive end of the floor, it’s where his basketball IQ is most noticeable. I think any questions or concerns about Cupps ability to defend are silly, he will physically develop before enrolling at a college campus and already has great feet and defensive IQ.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="921745" first="Rich" last="Rolf"], 6’7 PF Centerville 2022: Rolf is one of the best rebounders in the state, grabbing 10.9 a game this season. Rolf really tracks the ball well off the rim and that was never more evident than when he sealed the game with an offensive rebound off a free-throw miss with five seconds left. Rolf can space the floor and put it on the floor, but it does take him a while to get downhill with the dribble. Rolf doesn’t always look like the most natural prospect on the floor, but his production is undeniable.</p>