Stock risers from 5 C’s Classic
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The 5 C’s Classic brought out some competitive games at Capital University on Sunday and Monday. In this article I’ll break down five stock risers from the event. Demarris Winters Jr OH #16 SG #5 HEIGHT 6'3" POS SG CLASS…
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Continue ReadingThe 5 C’s Classic brought out some competitive games at Capital University on Sunday and Monday. In this article I’ll break down five stock risers from the event.
Playing without point guard De’Erick Barber De’Erick Barber 5’11” | PG Richmond Heights | 2025 State #268 Nation OH due to injury, Winters had to step up and handle the ball handling duties with the starting lineup. I thought Winters did a good job handling pressure and did what he always does, knock down deep 3-pointers. When Winters is pulling up in transition it’s such a tough shot to guard because the natural reaction of the defense is to protect the paint and then extend out to shooters. Winters can make the defense pay with a deep 3-pointer before they get set. Another aspect of his game that has continued to improve is his on ball defensive ability, his length gives opposing guards trouble attacking him.
After getting down 15 points in the first quarter, Pickerington Central played even with Richmond Heights for the remainder of the contest. I thought the Sophomore Snyder played fearless on Sunday, which helped gain confidence for the rest of his team. The last thing you can do against the Richmond Heights pressure is be indecisive and while not everything Snyder tried worked, he did everything with confidence and a purpose. This confidence allowed him to make some nice takes to the rim where he had a lefty and-1 layup, a floater where he got low to the ground and a crossover past a defender in transition. Combine that with two 3-pointers and I thought Snyder really showed what he can do against one of the top teams in the Midwest on Sunday.
In one of the best regular season high school games I’ve ever seen, Reynoldsburg and Saint Ignatius played an instant classic with lots of drama. Focusing on the prospects in the game, I thought Bowens was terrific with his energy and toughness in the paint. An explosive athlete, Bowens can get up quickly for blocked shots and putback layups. Showing some of his straight-line speed as well with a couple transition finishes beating the Ignatius bigs down the court, Bowens has found ways to impact the game at a young age. Making plays when it counts too, Bowens started double overtime with a bucket then a blocked shot immediately following at the other end. One of the top forwards in Ohio’s 2026 class, Bowens received an offer from Toledo the day after the game.
Zapolnik set the table beautifully for Saint Ignatius all game and his steady presence is a big reason why I’m so high on the Wildcats this season. While Zapolnik is a high-level distributor of the basketball and experienced, I also was impressed with his scoring ability on the ball with some confident takes to the rim. Zapolnik is establishing himself as a top priority for Division III schools across Ohio but I also think scholarship programs should give a hard look at him. He’ll play in plenty more big-time environments for these coaches to determine if he’s a fit for their program.
The jump Robinson has made defensively from last year to this year is very notable and a big reason why Saint Ignatius could contend for a state title this season. With their starting lineup featuring Robinson, 6’7 Samuel Springer Samuel Springer 6’7″ | PF Saint Ignatius | 2024 State OH and 6’9 Damon Friery Damon Friery 6’9″ | PF Saint Ignatius | 2025 State #97 Nation OH , the Wildcats have size that few teams in the state can match. Robinson had at least three or four blocks on Sunday and scored second chance points to give the offense a boost. On a team with so many talented scorers, getting the whole team to buy in on doing the little things to win can put you over the top and Robinson’s senior leadership is paying dividends early in the year.