Top new forwards from 2024 Rankings Update
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Our 2024 rankings update saw around 30 players make their debut after strong spring and summer performances, in this article we’ll finish off the recap of this update with five forwards making their debut. This recaps our transition from summer…
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Continue ReadingOur 2024 rankings update saw around 30 players make their debut after strong spring and summer performances, in this article we’ll finish off the recap of this update with five forwards making their debut. This recaps our transition from summer recap posts to now looking ahead at the fall and winter seasons that are rapidly approaching.
Moeller always has talent that emerges as a senior and that’s exactly what I expect from George this winter. After scoring 3 PPG with three starts as a Junior, I think George is set for a breakout senior season. A guy who does a lot of small things to help his team win, George boxes out and is usually in the right spot as a help-side defender. Also skilled with the ball in his hands with soft touch that stretches out to mid-range and the occasional 3-point shot. Small college programs should check George out as a skilled forward coming from a great high school program.
I actually caught Smyers against George in one of the best games I watched all summer when Lakota East took on Moeller at the KABC Titans Shootout. Smyers really caught my eye with his activity around the rim, finding himself in the right place at the right time for a couple easy buckets. The lefty is a capable shooter from the outside but seems to prefer finishing at the rim with his right hand, making him a bit of a unique cover for defenses. I think Smyers will surprise people in the GMC after scoring just 2.9 PPG as a Junior. Breakout candidate in the Cincinnati area!
Spalding is a guy who first got on my radar playing with Midwest Basketball Club Brooks this spring. With a good body and the motor to really impact the game with his rebounding and interior scoring at his size, I was curious to see how he’d look with Hilliard Bradley. The Jags are projected to be one of the top teams in central Ohio and Spalding found ways to help out his team in June when I caught Bradley that month. With a strong July as well, Spalding has now racked up five Division III offers from regional programs.
Highlights
A prep hoops circuit standout, Echelmeyer has good size from the forward position and the ability to move his feet and defend both inside the paint and on the perimeter. Showing continued progress as an athlete and developing physically, Echelmeyer has come a long way since I first watched him at the tail end of a blowout playoff victory when he was a Sophomore. With his size and length plus continued improvement with the ball in his hands, I expect some small college programs to take a chance and develop him.
Highlights
Milford has some of the most size in the greater Cincinnati area with their 2024 forward duo of Matthew O’Donnell Matthew O’Donnell 6’6″ | PF Milford | 2024 State OH and Gavin Dalen Gavin Dalen 6’8″ | PF Milford | 2024 State OH . We just spotlighted Dalen as a stock riser and O’Donnell finally cracks our rankings after standing out at our Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo a year ago. After scoring 9.1 PPG and grabbing 6.8 RPG this season, O’Donnell is set for even bigger numbers as a senior. With a high motor and the ability to finish in the paint, O’Donnell can punish smaller teams on the interior. Keep an eye out for Milford in the ECC this winter, they could be a surprise team.