Toledo Top 64: Head Turners
In this article:
The 2023 Toledo Top 64 took place this past Sunday at Lourdes University. This event was run by Anthony Garcia and myself. It brought some of the top 64 prospects in the NWO area together to compete against each other…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2023 Toledo Top 64 took place this past Sunday at Lourdes University. This event was run by Anthony Garcia and myself. It brought some of the top 64 prospects in the NWO area together to compete against each other in an invite-only showcase. It had over 50 college scouts in attendance and multiple media members. I will put out four articles about this event. My third for the 2023 Toledo Top 64 are the players who turned heads on Sunday.
Kowalczyk has made a huge step forward in his game and it showed in AAU and he just put a warning shot out to everyone in Toledo this past Sunday. He is even more confident and aggressive. His midrange pull-up game was one full display and was going down consistently. One thing I loved to see was he has added a back to the basket game. He was getting the ball in the mid-post and with a kid on his back and getting buckets. His fadeaway shot is almost unblockable with his length. He keeps getting more athletic. He had multiple drop-step/one-step vertical dunks. He is attacking the rim much stronger. Watch out for Kowalczyk to have a breakout sophomore season.
Lantz was a Sunday add to the event and he made the most out of his opportunity. I already knew he was going to be someone who would impress once I knew he would be coming. He took me by surprise with his athleticism. He is a long guard with trampolines for feet. He has multiple powerful dunks in the half-court and fast break. He was causing a lot of trouble for other teams on the defensive end. He was getting a lot of steals and creating them to speed up. He played with a high motor all day as well. Lentz is a scholarship-level kid.
McLeod is someone who gave Toledo a warning that he will be a key piece for an already stacked Whitmer squad. This was a lot of people in the Toledo area’s first time watching him play and he was impressive. He is a guard with a good-sized body and showed a good ability to absorb and create contact. He has a really good jumper, especially off the dribble. He had a lot of good one-dribble all-ups in the midrange. He has a simple but effective game. Expect his recruitment to pick up this year.
Jones had a good AAU season for Hopson Elite and showed he will be an impact player for the Titans this year. Jones was always a player who passed the eye test. Really good strong build for a guard who is fast, very coordinated, and explosive. During the AAU season what he showed on Sunday is he is gaining some nice guard skills. He showed a good ability to read and manipulate ball screens as the ball handler. He was aggressive and attacked the rim all day. His strength and athleticism allowed him to score the ball effectively at the rim. He showed a nice jumper and hit the deep ball consistently. He is someone who has taken his game to a new level and I am excited to see how it translates to the high school game.