Toledo Top 64 Preview: Dark Grey
In this article:
The annual Toledo Top 64 is back for its 3rd year! It will be played at Lourdes University on Sunday, October 1st, 2023. This Sunday! This event brings some of the best players in the NWO area under one roof…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe annual Toledo Top 64 is back for its 3rd year! It will be played at Lourdes University on Sunday, October 1st, 2023. This Sunday! This event brings some of the best players in the NWO area under one roof for college coaches to come to watch them compete against each other. This article will talk about one of the eight rosters made up of eight players who will be at the event.
The last team to be announced for the event this year is Dark Grey. This Dark Grey team is highlighted by the biggest name and possibly the best player in the event, Jerry Easter. He will be in town this Sunday from La Lumiere (IN) and plans to represent Toledo again! This team is surrounding him with very good guards like Jalen Brown Jalen Brown 6'4" | SG MASE | 2021 State TN , Jaylen Murphy Jaylen Murphy 6'2" | SG Toledo St John's | 2024 State OH , and CJ Majors CJ Majors 6'2" | CG Maumee Valley Country Day School | 2024 State OH . These 3 all bring something different to the table. Then they have some skilled wings Spencerville’s Carder Orr and Elmwood’s Kade Lentz Kade Lentz 6'4" | SG Elmwood | 2024 State OH . Then they got the big fella in the paint creating a presence around the rim at both ends. Then this team ended with Start’s Deyontae Spearman. Make sure to read about each player in depth below.
Easter is a household name in the Toledo Area and at this point is a name to know nationally. He is currently ranked 24th in the country according to ESPN. He holds over 30 D1 offers, is a 5-star prospect, and has won almost every Player of the Year in the Toledo area you can imagine. This kid is the real deal. He has college-level size already as a junior in high school. He is listed at 6’5 and has a very strong build. He is getting more and more athletic, so he has gained the ability to finish over you as well. Easter is a very good athlete. Very strong point guard who uses contact to his advantage. He gets to the rim whenever he wants but never forces, he finds the open teammate when the defense collapses. His jumper just keeps getting better. It’s coming off his hands smoother every time he plays. He gets a ton of college attention already and at one of the top prep schools in the country, it will only take his game to the next level.
Brown was on the rumor mill a lot about where he was going for his senior year, so he decided to finish what he started and stay at Emmanuel Christian. Brown is a freaky fast twitch athlete. This kid just explodes all around the court. He is ultra-quick and fast, changes speed well and is super bouncy. His defense is phenomenal. He can apply all the pressure in the world and get into your shorts. He has good length as well which helps him poke the ball loose. Brown turned a lot of heads last year at this event with his shooting. This kid can knock it down from wherever. He has a high-elevated jump shot. It’s a quick shot that is hard to time so it’s difficult to contest.
Highlights
Murphy played a crucial role in the St. John’s Titans making it down to Dayton last year. During the postseason run, he showed great confidence from beyond the arc, and I believe he will continue that into this year. He had a super quick and high release on his shot. When he is feeling it he will shoot it with little to no space at all and it will go in. It is usually all net because of his high-arching shot. He is a sneaky good defender who uses his length well at poking the ball out.
Wood is a big boy. He is listed at 6’10, the tallest player in the event. He is not a skinny big kid either, this kid has some size to him. He is a big kid who moves well too. He has good footwork around the rim and moves. He is good at second-chance points. He is a monster on the board and is tough to box out with his size and strength. He can finish with both hands effectively. He plays hard as well. His size and skill will turn heads on Sunday.
Majors is an ultra-long guard who scores the ball. He had his best high school season last year at Maumee Valley and plans to have an even better Senior year. This kid is a skinny but super long guard who has a wide but quick game. With his crossovers and ball-handling moves, he covers a lot of ground because of his length but it is quick. He has a quick release on his shot. Majors is a high-volume shooter. I believe this event will give Majors good momentum into his senior year at Maumee Valley.
Lentz is a good-sized wing who is a sniper. He is a wiry athlete who has some wide shoulders and explosive athlete who can shoot the lights out. He is a bouncy player who can get up there. He is a good finisher at the rim but would rather shoot the ball. I understand why, he can knock down 5 threes a game if he gets the open looks. He has a very pretty jumper that goes in consistently.
Carder Orr
Carder Orr
Orr is a 6’3 guard who has a midrange game that is tough to stop. He consistently makes very contested jumpers from the midrange. He gets to his spot and makes the shot. He is a one-dribble pull-up; sounds easy to guard right? Not with Orr. He will make it all game long. He can get all the way to the rim and hit the three if you anticipate the midrange pull-up so he can hurt you from multiple different areas of the court.