NERR National Prep Showcase – Ohio Standouts

<p>This weekend I attended the Northeast Recruiting Report’s (NERR) National Prep Showcase at Albertus Magnus College in my own New Haven, Connecticut. While the games may have been muted in importance by the impending flock of Yale and Harvard alum attending The Game, the showcase brought together some of the nation’s best prep school talent. And as a fairly new New England scout, I couldn’t have been more excited to finally get to see some of the region’s best teams go at it.</p> <p>However, while the Northeast shined bright, I found a small cohort of Ohio hoopers who deserved all the recognition I could give them. These guys all repped Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. This was the first team from Ohio I have watched this season (or at all in my scouting career) and I was excited to see some of the best the state had to offer me! Here are the guys who stood out to me:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="959252" first="Carmelo" last="Adkins"], 6-4, 2023</strong></p> <p>The junior two-guard was firing on all cylinders in the game against Putnam Science. Despite the hefty loss, Adkins showed that he is up for any challenge presented to him. He has a silky smooth touch from beyond the arc and a lightning quick handle, leading to a combination of high quality looks from distance that puzzled the great Putnam defense. He finished with a team high 17 points in the outing and looked like a solid contributor from all angles. As just a junior, Adkins will show his shooting prowess over the next two years and end up comfortably at a D1 program. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1238513" first="Jacob" last="Theodosiou"], 6-3, 2024</strong></p> <p>When the going gets tough, it can sometimes surprise you who comes out to play. I feel like, despite the lack of pizazz on the statsheet, Theodosiou showed that he was ready for the challenge against Putnam Science. His high IQ was present from the moment he checked into the game, and he provided a much needed jolt of effort down the stretch to try to put WRA back into the game. He had a smooth and calculated handle, making him the only one on the team  able to break Putnam’s near impenetrable full-court press. His knowledge of the defensive scheme paid off, leading to some easy buckets and setting up teammates for some of the few points WRA was able to get in the half-court. While he could have benefitted from some additional physical tools and some craftier finishes, Theodosiou nevertheless caught my eye and will grow into a great player over the next few years.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="984508" first="Braden" last="Appelhans"], 6-6, 2022, New Mexico commit</strong></p> <p>This kid can flat out shoot it! There’s no wondering why he’s committed to a D1 program after watching him get shots off. He continues to shoot the ball through traffic and from distance, regardless of if he’s hot or not, and produces offense for his team as a result. He was a reliable option whenever WRA needed a quick bucket all weekend. He is a classic 3 and D kind of kid who will grow the other aspects of his game as the season continues and could make big waves in the NCAA in the future. </p>