Top performers 5 C’s Classic Monday
In this article:
The 5 C’s Classic only featured two games on Monday night but they both were competitive contests with a handful of players standing out. In this article I’ll break down five standout performers from Monday night. Alex Smith OH #4…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 5 C’s Classic only featured two games on Monday night but they both were competitive contests with a handful of players standing out. In this article I’ll break down five standout performers from Monday night.
One of the more intriguing long-term prospects to track in Ohio, Smith was impressive in an efficient outing on Monday night. Twice they ran a play where Smith runs off two screens to pop out to the wing and he knocked down the open shot both times. His length allowed him to grab double digit rebounds with some tough ones in the paint on both ends of the court. I thought his patience with the ball showed as he made the right read to an open teammate and was one of the few Upper Arlington players capable of handling the trapping pressure Worthington Christian threw at them. With the efficiency and poise that Smith showed, he could be even more involved in the Golden Bears offense whether that’s as a shooter or playmaker for others.
When Upper Arlington was able to break the full court pressure Worthington Christian defended with, Rex was the guy standing on the block finishing with either a slam dunk or layup finish. At his size, Rex was active in the paint with a couple second chance opportunities as well. A player who knew his role and relied on his teammates to find him in spots where he could produce, it was a nice combo of Rex and the Upper Arlington guards to get him easy looks in the paint.
The Cedarville commit was active in the paint and used his strength to lead the game in scoring with a high motor effort. Johnson went hard all game using his body and going into contact to either score or draw free throw attempts. While Johnson showed the confidence to shoot from the outside, his jumper wasn’t falling on Monday. After a few misses early, Johnson went back to looking to score in the paint and did so effectively. A player who found a nice fit at the next level, Johnson will look to lead Worthington Christian to a district title before moving on to play at the next level.
The third time watching Buchanan this season and this was by far his best performance. I thought he was engaged early with a couple strong takes to the basket and made some tough plays getting after rebounds and loose balls. Buchanan was rewarded for this effort by getting a friendly roll on a pair of 3-pointers while also swishing one as well. When Taft is able to turn over their opponent like they did against Northland, they have the ability to give teams a lot of trouble in transition.
One of the top guards in Ohio, Kendrick showed on Monday how special of a talent he is. With his ability to score with both hands at the rim, Kendrick can hit floaters and layups with either hand and had some tough acrobatic finishes. I also thought Kendrick was more confident from 3-point range than last season, knocking down some 3’s a few feet behind the line. While it was a disappointing loss for Northland, they still can defend their Columbus city league title behind their talented 2026 guard trio.