Ohio EYBL 15U Prospect Breakdown

<p>The NIKE EYBL made a stop in Indianapolis, and I was there to watch some of the top prospects in the nation battle it out in front of hundreds of Division I college coaches. In this article I'll be breaking down each of the Ohio prospects I saw and some out of state prospects on local teams who stood out.</p> <p>Nj Scholars 15 U</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432004" first="Darryn" last="Peterson"], 6'5 CG CVCA 2025: Want to know what the EYBL looks like on rookie mode? Watch this <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcvtlMcrton/">video</a> of what [player_tooltip player_id="1432004" first="Darryn" last="Peterson"] did against Bates Fundamentals in the game I watched baseline on Sunday. Peterson is the most skilled freshman I've ever scouted with elite stop-start-stop change of speed and a pull-up jumper that needs zero space to go through the net. Peterson makes the game look so effortless and has counters for anything that a defense might throw his way. Peterson is a special prospect and 100% deserving of his top five ranking in the nation.</p> <p>Bates Fundamentals 15 U</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432029" first="Braylyn" last="Irby"], 6'3 SG Cleveland Heights 2025: Irby showed some scoring flashes coming off the bench for a Bates Fundamentals squad that went 3-1 this weekend. Irby can knock down open shots and has some creation upside. Irby was occasionally pushed off his spots when attacking the basket, an off-season in the weight room should do wonders for his balance and strength when driving downhill.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432054" first="Kieran" last="Granville-Britten"], 6'7 C Cincinnati Taft 2025: This weekend was a good evaluation setting for me to watch Granville because it was the first time I saw him against players of equal size his age. It was a bit of an adjustment early for him as he couldn't just bully defenders on the block and needed to show some more patience with the ball in his hands. After getting blocked a few times early, Granville used pump-fakes and both hands to finish in traffic. Once Granville adjusted to the size of his counterparts, he once again controlled the paint and battled on the interior. Granville is a prospect who will benefit greatly from the level of competition that the EYBL offers and will become a better player because of it.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432039" first="Makhi" last="Leach"], 6'2 SG Toledo Central Catholic 2025: Leach is a energy guy who made some winning plays for Bates in each game I watched of his. Leach has a high motor and grabs a lot of rebounds for a prospect his size. Leach also knocked down some open shots and didn't turn the ball over. Leach is a solid complimentary piece on this roster who is learning how to play without the basketball.</p> <p>All Ohio Red 15 U</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432005" first="Arness" last="Lawson"], 6'1 PG Pickerington North 2025: Lawson's defensive talents really shined in the up-tempo EYBL game. Lawson has excellent hands defensively and a solid body for a young guard. Offensively you saw some shooting flashes from Lawson and he was able to handle the basketball more than during the high school season playing with a trio of senior guards. I expect Lawson to be one of the most heavily recruited guards in the 2025 class in Ohio by mid and high major programs.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432015" first="Dorian" last="Jones"], 6'4 SG Richmond Heights 2025: Jones really shot the ball at a high level from downtown and flashed his open court athleticism often throughout the weekend. There are some clear weaknesses in Jones game, his loose handle and lack of left hand prevents him from getting where he wants to in the half-court, but the upside on Jones is through the roof. A clear stock riser from this past weekend, Jones has all the tools to be a highly coveted high major prospect when it's all said and done.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432018" first="Antione" last="West Jr"], 6'4 SF Toledo Whitmer 2025: West didn't play his best game to open the weekend against Mac Irvin 15 U. I didn't think anything was wrong with West, he was just missing shots he usually makes and not having the impact I'd expect. I watched him the next day against Meanstreets and West was back to his usual self. West had some impressive takes to the bucket showing the patience to be under control and finish with two feet. West also started making outside shots, which got his confidence up and increased his defensive intensity. It's always good to see young prospects as much as you can and West's performance on Saturday helped remind me of the potential that he has.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432033" first="Kingston" last="Land"], 6'7 PF Archbishop Moeller 2025: Land right now is far from a finished product, but the upside is obvious when watching him. Land runs very smoothly in the open court with his 6'7 frame with a plus 3-4 inch wingspan. Land has had some impressive moments knocking down shots from the outside as well. Land had a few dunks and a couple near posters on putbacks as well. Land right now isn't very productive against this level of competition, but the upside makes him one of Ohio's top 2025 prospects.</p> <p>Alier Maluk, 6'9 C Imani Christian (PA) 2025: Maluk missed the Friday night game, and with him I expect All Ohio would've won against Mac Irvin. On Saturday, Maluk was dominant and showed exactly why he appeared in ESPN's initial top 25 rankings for 2025. Maluk has soft touch at 6'9 with some insane fadeaways. Maluk protected the rim and grabbed offensive rebounds with his size advantage over the Meanstreets frontcourt. Maluk looks like a potential five-star recruit and will be very sought after in the coming years.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432007" first="Bj" last="Hatcher"], 6'1 PG Dayton Dunbar 2025: Hatcher is a talented guard prospect who had to simplify his game against the EYBL talent level. Hatcher has a good handle that allows him to get to the basket, with the size and athleticism of the shot-blockers in the EYBL, Hatcher was mostly driving to either pull-up from 6-12 feet or dish to an open shooter on the outside. It was good seeing Hatcher find counters to be successful against this level of competition. Hatcher is likely going to be one of the top scorers in the Dayton area next season.</p> <p>Ej Walker, 6'7 PF Lloyd Memorial (KY) 2025: Walker is a Cincy native who plays for his Dad across the river in Kentucky during the high school season. Walker has good size for a 2025 prospect, with wide shoulders and a body that can really bully skinnier forwards on the block. Walker's size came in handy against Mac Irvin's 6'10 240 LB C Stefan Cicic on Friday night. Walker has polished post moves and passed the ball well for a forward. Walker is one of the top prospects from Kentucky's 2025 class and was productive for All Ohio Red this weekend.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432045" first="Jagger" last="Hutchins"], 6'5 PF Lima Sr 2025: Hutchins was on fire this weekend, knocking down around nine 3-pointers on great efficiency and even stretching his range to well beyond the 3-point line. Hutchins was a player who I know could shoot, but the volume and consistency was very impressive this weekend. If Hutchins can develop some ball-handling moves to make him more than a specialist, he is going to be a valuable piece for All Ohio Red moving forward.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432060" first="Landon" last="Vanderwalker"], 6'6 PF Northside Christian 2025: The only Ohio prospect I hadn't previously seen in person before this weekend, I left very impressed with Vanderwalker. Vanderwalker has good size at the WF position and grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds on the interior. Vanderwalker passed the ball at a high level and looked like he belonged in the starting lineup and produced in each game. The jumper had some bad misses, so I'm still not sure how well he shoots it from the outside, but a lot of the other skills are very polished for a 2025 prospect.</p> <p>Indy Heat 15 U</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432041" first="Aaron" last="Phipps"], 6'5 SF Lakota West 2025: Phipps was a prospect I only got to see very briefly during the high school season, this was a good chance to see more of him in a big-time evaluation setting. Phipps looked more relaxed on the court in serious minutes instead of just garbage time and grabbed an offensive rebound and putback right when he was subbed into the game. Phipps looks the part athletically as a 6'5 wing and made the right play. I still haven't seen enough of Phipps to get a clear read on his level of a prospect, but I'll try and catch him again this summer for either Indy Heat or Lakota West.</p>