Top 2023’s from Holiday Hardwood Classic
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The Holiday Hardwood Classic featured four games, three boys and one girl’s game at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University. In this article we’re going to take a look at the standout 2023 prospects from the event.…
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Continue ReadingThe Holiday Hardwood Classic featured four games, three boys and one girl’s game at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University. In this article we’re going to take a look at the standout 2023 prospects from the event.
Hardewig willed his team to victory, making clutch shot after clutch shot, finishing with 28 points in a one point win over La Salle to get the day started. I was impressed with Hardewig’s toughness and ability to work past the high pressure defense that was thrown at him, with lots of defensive attention solely focused on slowing him down. Hardewig did have to work for almost every bucket he got, using multiple dribbles and combo moves to create any space. One of the elite shooters in Ohio, Hardewig does have a translatable skill to the next level and is one of the most productive guards in the Cincinnati area.
Bolden is a great example of a prospect who has taken clear steps in his game as he’s matured and is a much more polished and overall player than he was when he was younger. There were a few plays on Tuesday where Bolden either made a great pass or dribbled the ball out instead of forcing the issue, showing growth in the maturity of his game. Bolden is still one of the quickest players on any court he steps on and had multiple drives to the bucket where nobody could catch him, but Bolden’s improvement at taking care of the basketball could be the key to Sycamore making a deep playoff run.
Both Darbyshire and Austin Southerland Austin Southerland 6’1″ | SG Sycamore | 2023 State OH made timely shots for the Aves but I decided to give the nod to Darbyshire for a spotlight after his sweet shooting game. Darbyshire is a winning high school basketball player, who can do a variety of things on the court. Excellent at making the extra pass, stepping in the passing lanes for deflections or getting a loose ball, a lot of things Dabryshire does leads to winning games. When he’s also knocking down shots from the outside, that just adds to the value he provides for his team.
Highlights
Crim has been a killer all senior season and Tuesday night was no different. Whenever his team needed a big play, it was Crim who stepped up when the lights shined brightest. Crim has improved his outside shooting ability and his explosiveness, making himself a no-brainer scholarship point guard. Recently receiving a Division II offer from a school in Florida, I’m surprised more local programs haven’t shown interest in Crim. His timely shot making, leadership from the point guard position and ability to make an impact at both ends is valuable at the next level. Crim has been one of the best guards in Cincinnati this year and despite taking a tough overtime loss, Fairfield is proving they belong with the best of the best in SW Ohio.
Another one of the top unsigned seniors in the state, Carson Browne Carson Browne 6’8″ | C Elder | 2023 State OH showed some of his versatility on Tuesday in Elder’s statement victory. Browne can space the floor from the outside, shown by the three 3-pointers he made in the game. Also can do some ball-handling in the open court and make a skip pass, Browne can do a lot offensively for a guy his size. Where Browne needs to improve is punishing smaller defenders that switch onto him in the post. If Browne can score consistently over guards with his back to the basket, he could average another 3-4 points per game. Currently holding a few Division II offers with low to mid major programs closely monitoring his progress, it’ll be interesting to see where Browne ends up.