Stock risers from Ohio Valley Hoops Classic Day 1
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The Ohio Valley Hoops Classic brought intense action to Mason Arena once again and some players improved their stock with impressive performances, in this article we’ll spotlight six players from Friday’s action. Bj Hatcher OH #31 PG #5 HEIGHT 6'1"…
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Continue ReadingThe Ohio Valley Hoops Classic brought intense action to Mason Arena once again and some players improved their stock with impressive performances, in this article we’ll spotlight six players from Friday’s action.
Dunbar had a rough first half but they came out of the locker room a different team and Hatcher’s game was tough to stop in the second half. Hatcher was knocking down 3-pointers off the catch after steals and made some impressive takes to the bucket. Hatcher has good burst and gets low to the ground when he turns the corner. Hatcher also had some acrobatic finishes around the rim that got the crowd buzzing.
Golan is a productive high school player who could break out this winter as a senior. Golan was productive getting what he wanted around the basket. I love the motor that Golan plays with and he’s showing that his summer and fall production will translate to the high school season. Expect Golan to compete for an all-conference selection in the competitive GMC this season.
Highlights
His team might’ve lost but Stavroff surprised me more than any other player on Friday. Stavroff was efficient with his shots, knocking down jumpers off the catch and doing a good job of getting to the rim off curl screens and cuts off the ball. Stavroff finished around the rim off two feet and with either hand. I’ve seen Stavroff play a few times and there’s no doubt that Friday was his best performance. If he can keep this level of play up he will see his recruitment and ranking rise.
The GMC is full of talented guards but too often Bolden doesn’t get brought up in the convo of best guards in the conference. Bolden made outside shots at a high clip on Friday and his energy and spark comes through on both ends of the court. If Bolden can continue to shoot the ball at this level it will be very hard to defend Sycamore this season. I was impressed with a variety of players on the Aviators but Bolden was rock solid from the point guard position in a key victory.
Abrams shot the crap out of the ball early as Harvest Prep was making it rain from downtown. Abrams has a smooth lefty jumper that was going right through the net as Harvest Prep built a double-digit lead in the second quarter. Abrams was also making simple passes to open teammates. If Harvest Prep can replicate the level of play they had in the first half they will be a tough team to beat, with limited bench production they need to find a way to play with that intensity for 32 minutes instead of just 16.
There’s very few kids in the state of Ohio tougher than Norris. It doesn’t matter who is in front of him, he’s going to put his team in a position to win the game and in crunch time Norris took over and got the job done for an impressive season opening win over St Xavier. Norris made a couple mid-range jumpers and one 3-pointer but it was his dribble drive game and finishing through contact that allowed him to lead the game in scoring. Hilliard Bradley isn’t the most talented team but whenever an opponent sees them on their schedule, they need to be prepared for a war.
Mitchell had the lone solid performance for Lakota East on a disappointing day. Mitchell’s jumper was working all game and he was getting to his spots impressively. After not scoring many points as a Junior, Mitchell exploded onto the scene this summer, he’s proving that he’s going to be a top player in the GMC this winter.