Standouts from Harvest Prep Holiday Hoopfest
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The Harvest Prep Holiday Hoopfest brought out some talented teams to Harvest Prep High School. I attended the final six games of the day and these are five standout performers from the event. Aaron Foster OH #115 PG #22 HEIGHT…
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Continue ReadingThe Harvest Prep Holiday Hoopfest brought out some talented teams to Harvest Prep High School. I attended the final six games of the day and these are five standout performers from the event.
The first game I caught of the day was a total mismatch as Dublin Scioto dominated against Columbus Independence. Foster was the engine for that success as he knocked down shots efficiently off the catch and got some easy buckets in transition. A nice take to the hoop got Foster a buzzer-beating layup to end the first quarter and when Independence switched to a zone defense, Foster continued to make them pay with his perimeter shooting ability. Dublin Scioto is one of the most improved teams in central Ohio and the play of Foster and Kaden Haywood Kaden Haywood 6’4″ | SF Dublin Scioto | 2024 State OH are changing the culture as upperclassmen.
Highlights
It was nice to catch New Lexington and see how Stephens has improved since I caught him in the playoffs as a Sophomore. I thought Stephens showed continued confidence on the ball and created a lot of his points through isolation moves. Soft touch on his shots, Stephens can hit floaters, jump-stop finishes and mid-range shots. Not the quickest athlete, Stephens still had a couple blow by moves against the Logan Elm defense. A big scoring game for Stephens is nothing new to him as he’s one of the top players in southeast Ohio’s 2025 class.
My top performer of the day, Wassler went blow for blow with Jesse McCulloch Jesse McCulloch 6’9″ | PF Lutheran East | 2024 State #136 Nation OH of Lutheran East and helped the Bombers get a signature victory over the previously unbeaten Falcons. Wassler knocked down a couple of perimeter shots, battled physically and rebounded it at a high level. With his back to the basket, Wassler made a couple nice post moves with a seal and turn and other finishes at the rim. St Xavier also used Wassler to break the full court press at times, allowing him to dribble it across the timeline. Overall, I thought Wassler looked much improved from where he was at the summer and I’m excited to see if he brings this level of play every time in the future. Wassler should receive heavy interest from Division II and NAIA scholarship programs in the spring and summer and should be checked out by regional low to mid major programs as well.
Dayton Chaminade Julienne was incredibly efficient, shooting almost 60% from the floor in a dominant victory. This was a nice bounce back victory after a slow start to the season, but based on what I saw on Saturday, they look like a team ready to turn the corner. Cartwright stuffed the stat sheet with tied for a team-high 15 points and six assists. Cartwright is an impressive athlete and had maybe the highlight of the day with a dunk to cap off the strong second half effort. An impressive shot maker, Cartwright can hit mid-range shots off the bounce and create for himself. For Cartwright to take the next step, lowering his turnovers will be a way to elevate his game to the next level. I expect scholarship programs to check out Cartwright early in the spring and summer when the class of 2025 becomes a priority.
This was the third Harvest Prep game I was able to catch this season and I thought this was Abrams’ best performance of the three. He was knocking down shots with confidence and also made some impressive passes as a distributor in more of a play-making role with Brandon Roddy Brandon Roddy 6’1″ | PG Harvest Prep | 2025 State OH out with an injury. Abrahms has the size, shooting ability and athleticism to be a difference maker at the small college level.