Prep Hoops Ohio 250 Expo: Mike’s Forward standouts
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The Prep Hoops Ohio 250 Expo brought out lots of talent to the Fieldhouse USA on Saturday. In this article I’m going to look at some forwards who stood out in my eyes. Ben Menker OH #91 SF #21 HEIGHT…
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Continue ReadingThe Prep Hoops Ohio 250 Expo brought out lots of talent to the Fieldhouse USA on Saturday. In this article I’m going to look at some forwards who stood out in my eyes.
Menker once again was a standout at an event I scouted at, showcasing his high basketball IQ to be productive on both ends. Menker moves well without the basketball and finds himself open often when his team has the ball. There’s a reason why Menker has played at the 3SSB level at 15 and 16 U despite not being the most talented player on those courts, it’s because he knows how to play within a system and be productive without scoring the basketball. Very few high volume high school scorers will be high volume scorers in college, so Menker is already ahead of the curve with his transition to college by knowing how to produce without scoring. I’d like to see Menker become more consistent shooting it from the outside and get his handle tighter, but those are things you develop with reps in the off-season, the physicality and knowledge of the game are much harder to master and Menker’s a step ahead in both categories.
Highlights
Payne was one of the bigger and athletic prospects at the event and used his size and athleticism to finish around the rim often. Despite being a lefty, Payne prefers to use his right hand around the basket to finish. Payne also knocked down a few jumpers, showing his natural touch on jump-shots. Still a work in progress but Payne has the physical tools and desire to improve which makes me believe he will be a scholarship prospect when it’s all said and done.
This was the best I’ve seen Schnipke after he showed some impressive flashes on the Prep Hoops Circuit this spring and summer with CLP Elite. Schnipke made a handful of jumpers which caught my eye, as that was a skill only occasionally displayed by him before. Schnipke showed some promise at 6’9 defensively but still could improve as a rebounder considering how tall he is. Schnipke is a prospect that a local Division III program will want to take a chance on to see if he develops with college coaching as he has some interesting skills for his size. A stock riser from the event, look for him to jump in the next rankings update.
Taylor is another prospect who played the best I’ve seen from him at this Expo. Taylor was finishing efficiently around the basket and played with more aggression which was a huge positive in my eyes. Taylor was being physical with the other bigs on the court and won a couple battles of finishing through contact and fighting for loose balls. Already with college interest at a couple levels, Taylor can be a solid rotational big at the next level.
Jackson was doing what he usually does, knocking down outside shots and being physical on the interior. I thought Jackson looked more filled out physically, suggesting he’s been hitting the weight room hard this summer. Jackson wasn’t shying away from contact and battled with some opposing bigs. I’m expecting big things out of Lakota East this season as the addition of Jackson will only bolster their forward depth.