Havoc In The Heartland: Saturday 17 U Forward Standouts

<p>The Prep Hoops Circuit goes on the road to Indianapolis for the Havoc In The Heartland and Saturday was filled with talented prospects. This article will break down those players that stood out among the rest at the 17 U level.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="870224" first="Dayton" last="DeVaughan"], 6’9 C 2022 Mooresville (IN) GPP Black: DeVaughan was dominant on the interior with blocked shots and slam dunks, with his size there was nothing that Athlete Headquarters could do to slow him down. I was impressed with his finishing around the basket. Surprised this 2022 post prospect is still available, he’s got some upside and could be ready to go early as well.</p> <p>Joe Leonard, 6’4 PF 2023 Cincinnati Woodward (OH) Cincy Fire Elite: Leonard worked well off the Cincy Fire guards to have himself a great second half to see his team pull away and end up with the win. Not going to blow you away with a crossover, Leonard does the dirty work for his team which includes controlling the glass.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1215298" first="Mark" last="Nikolich-Wilson"], 6’7 C 2023: Rolling Meadows (IL) Full Package Black: Nikolich-Wilson and NEBC post Declan Ryan were going at it at both ends, with the pair of heavier set post players getting the best of each other multiple times on the offensive end. Nikolich-Wilson hit multiple 3-pointers and occasionally beat the entire defense down the court for layups. I was impressed with the skill Nikolich-Wilson showed with his heavy frame.</p> <p>Ben Golan, 6’4 PF 2023 Mason (OH) R4L Elite: In a battle of Ohio squads it went down to the wire but thanks to some late shooting from Golan, R4L was able to prevail over Team Takeoff. Golan was the dominant interior presence for his team, grabbing many rebounds and finishing with both hands around the basket. A true team effort from R4L with multiple players showing off offensively, it was the interior defense that got Golan a spot on our standouts list.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1077679" first="Hutch" last="Ward"], 6’7 PF 2023 Kalamazoo Central (MI) Michigan Cagers: Ward was on fire against CLP Elite, going for 39 points and seemingly not missing from downtown. If you need a stretch-4 to make shots from the outside, Ward is your guy! I was super impressed with his performance despite his team falling a point short in this thriller.</p>