D1 District Semifinal Standouts
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The OHSAA playoffs are in full swing and the district round of the tournament is where basically the entire state sits at the moment. Over the past few days I’ve caught three Division I district semifinal games. Those featured Toledo…
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Continue ReadingThe OHSAA playoffs are in full swing and the district round of the tournament is where basically the entire state sits at the moment. Over the past few days I’ve caught three Division I district semifinal games. Those featured Toledo Whitmer Vs Toledo Start, Findlay Vs Toledo St John’s and Westerville North Vs Westerville South. In this article I’m going to break down my standout performers from those games.
A late blooming wing prospect, Ray played the best game I’ve seen him play on Wednesday night in Westerville South’s victory over rival Westerville North. Ray has really come into his own this season, figuring out how to impact the game with his natural talent. A good shooter from the outside, when Ray has his feet set it is likely going in. With his size Ray can finish around the basket and did so with both hands. Still very young in the face and still developing, Ray is the type of prospect a college program could redshirt and see the benefits later on in his career. I think scholarship programs should be all over Ray because his best basketball is going to come later in his college career but the upside is obvious.
Young was Westerville North’s most reliable offensive option with his efficiency attacking the rim. Young can finish with either hand and despite being a lefty, seems to prefer finishing with his right hand. Most importantly Young attacks the basket with good pace and doesn’t turn the ball over very much. Young’s major developments will come from improving athletically with his quickness and explosiveness and also becoming more consistent as a 3-point shooter. Young is already one of the more polished and productive guards in central Ohio’s 2025 class, it’ll be interesting to watch him develop over the next two years.
This was actually my first chance to watch House in an organized setting after only previously seeing him at the Toledo top 64 event. I walked away very impressed by his size, ability to put the ball on the floor and how well he moved his feet. House has been a key contributor on one of the best teams in Toledo this season and Tuesday night he showed me how he plays in a competitive environment. A prospect who is figuring things out and seeing his stock rise with a deep playoff run, I left intrigued by what House could be down the line. An interesting swing for a JUCO, Division III or scholarship program with the tools House has to work with.
Jaynes had a pretty eye-catching performance just based off his explosiveness that he showed on Tuesday. I always knew Jaynes was a quick guard, but his burst stood out in a game filled with impressive athletes on both ends. Jaynes was able to get into the lane whenever he wanted to and scored at the 3–8 foot range with floaters and two footed shots. Jaynes has a little ways to go in terms of decision making with the ball in his hands but the more reps he gets in college the more this skill should improve. Our final 2023 rankings will come out after the OHSAA tournament ends but Jaynes made a case to make a pretty substantial jump on Tuesday evening. Division III programs I believe Jaynes could have a lot of upside and make a huge impact as an upperclassmen.
Bishop is one of the toughest guards in NW Ohio and showed exactly why in his last career high school game. Findlay struggled to score for the entire first half and then eventually made a run solely on the scoring and leadership that Bishop showed. In the third quarter, Bishop actually used his back to the basket game showing off his patience and strength to score seven points on three possessions with two layups and an and-1. Bishop was one of the top players in the toughest league in NW Ohio and will bring his elite shooting, toughness and work ethic to whatever program grabs him at the college level.
Highlights
Toledo St John’s got a gritty win and one guy who stood out was freshman Race Kowalczyk Race Kowalczyk 6’6″ | PF Toledo St John’s | 2026 State OH . Race is the son of Toledo men’s basketball head coach Tod Kowalczyk. Race knocked down a corner 3-pointer and finished two layups around the rim. With good size and the ability to move his feet, Kowalczyk is a player to watch in Nw Ohio’s 2026 class.