Ohio Valley Hoops Classic: Top Shooting Guards

<p>I continue my coverage from the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic by taking a look at the top SGs from the event. The below 5 players performed at a high level and found themselves on my radar as a result.</p> <p><strong>Isaiah Bales</strong> (2022) <em>Franklin</em></p> <p>Bales was one of the few bright takeaways for the Wildcats in their defeat against Lakota West. The 6-foot-0 son of Head Coach Brian Bales set the stage for the season for Franklin with his focus outside offensive/defensive plays. Bales was a vocal leader and talked on the defensive end, calling dead balls and communicating with his teammates. Took 3 charges in the game as well. Offensively he can shoot the ball and in warmups was hitting from all cylinders. Struggled once we got in-game as West’s defense was too much for him to get clean shots off.</p> <p><strong>Nate Dudukovich</strong> (2023) <em>Lakota West</em></p> <p>If you had asked me at halftime if Dudukovich would be a leading player, I would have been a little hesitant. The 6-foot-3 junior was primarily taking perimeter shots in catch-and-shoot situations and while he connected on several, he wasn’t doing much in the 1st half beyond this as Franklin’s defense was designed to shift and prevent him from getting shots up. Come 2nd half though, Dudukovich really filled the box score as he started to put the ball on the floor and finished a ton of shots in traffic. His offensive output was impressive but will be hard to mimic as many GMC teams were scouting and will likely adjust their defensive tendencies to contain him all together.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921807" first="Jadon" last="Coles"]</strong> (2022) <em>Lakota East</em></p> <p>Coles was the heart and soul for the Thunderhawks as they dominated Massillon Jackson on Friday. The Thomas More commit was instrumental as a defensive leader showing he could pick up whoever his assignment for the game is and shut them down. Coles has high level lateral movement and really impressed me cutting off the drives and attacks from the perimeter. He was aggressive when needed but not enough to foul or setup out of bounds plays. Offensively he can score and was a fantastic finisher through traffic. Acrobatic at times but still found a way to put the ball in the basket.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1045465" first="William" last="Layfield"]</strong> (2022) <em>Lakota West</em></p> <p>Layfield was amazing for the Firebirds especially in the 1st half as Lakota West dominated Franklin on Friday. Layfield has great size at 6-foot-4 and was a mismatch problem for the smaller Wildcats. Offensively he pulled down offensive rebounds and hit shots from all 3 levels. Sat down on the defensive end and defended on the ball with active hands and quick feet. Layfield was truly a difference maker in this game as he and teammate Nate Dudukovich put the ball in the basket in many different ways, forcing Franklin’s defense to adjust. Surely Layfield attracted some attention from college coaches after his performance.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809630" first="Logan" last="Woods"]</strong> (2022) <em>Fairfield</em></p> <p>Woods was a 3 &amp; D player for the Indians as he was playing with Midwest Basketball Club over the Summer. Woods has great size at 6-foot-4 and can defend both guard positions and smaller wings. His focus on the defensive fundamentals go a long way in why he is committed to Wright State. In their game against Richmond Heights, Woods drew one of the toughest defensive assignments covering West Virginia commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809590" first="Josiah" last="Harris"]</strong>. Woods not only took away Harris’ opportunities on the offensive end, he forced a lot of frustration which in turn caused Harris to find himself in foul trouble. Woods can contribute on the offensive end of the floor and showed he can be a solid perimeter player. </p>