Mike’s Standouts of the Week
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It was a busy week with intense action across Kentucky and Ohio. I went to Fern Creek @ Louisville Easter, Campbell County @ Cooper and Archbishop Moeller @ Cincinnati Elder. In this article I’ll break down the standout performers from…
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Continue ReadingIt was a busy week with intense action across Kentucky and Ohio. I went to Fern Creek @ Louisville Easter, Campbell County @ Cooper and Archbishop Moeller @ Cincinnati Elder. In this article I’ll break down the standout performers from the week.
One of the biggest freshman in the state, Sam actually played a majority of both the JV and Varsity games for Eastern. Scoring as many if not more points on varsity, I was impressed with his interior scoring ability of Sam. While he’s a major project right now, he does have a couple skills that already flash. His hands were solid, catching most passes thrown to him. He also finished a majority of layup attempts at the rim. Defensively, he protected the rim with a handful of blocks in both games. Where Sam needs to make strides are with his foot speed defensively and being more confident with the ball in his hands. These things will come with time and I like that he’s getting extra game reps playing at both the JV and varsity level. One of the highest upside prospects in Kentucky, Sam is a name to watch in the 2027 class.
Noah Glover
Noah Glover
Glover made some plays off the bounce that caught my eye. A shooting guard with impressive burst and liked to attack closeouts and spot-up against the zone defense. The floater was another shot that Glover used after getting to the basket. Fern Creek had a lot of talent to build with for next season with guys like Glover and Jordan Bender Jordan Bender 6’6″ | PF Fern Creek | 2026 State KY projected to return for next season.
A two-sport stud for Cooper, Pouncy’s is dominant on both the gridiron and hardwood. A physical forward with the body of a defensively linemen, Pouncy was skilled with the ability to finish with either hand at the rim and didn’t shy away from contact. His slam dunk off two feet got the crowd going on senior night. With how Pouncy attacks the ball in the air on passes or rebounds, I would’ve thought he also catches passes on the gridiron as well. One of the more polished big men on the hardwood among football prospects that I’ve seen this year.
In arguably the most anticipated game in the greater Cincinnati area, Williams was the guy for Elder who made a big impact and did what he could to keep it close with rival Moeller. Williams knocked down a pair of first quarter 3-pointers to give Elder an early edge. I also was impressed with the pace he played with, getting to his spots. Flexible as a driver, Williams used pivots and acrobatic layups to try and avoid shot blockers. Capable of finishing with either hands on drives as well, Williams is tough to stop with a head of steam. I was really impressed with how Williams stepped up under the bright lights on Friday night.
Not going to lead Moeller in scoring, Havens finds plenty of other ways to impact the game. Defensively, Havens is a high IQ player who pressures the ball and also knows where to be in help-side defense. A quick processor as well, the ball doesn’t stick when it’s in Havens’ hands. Also knocking down a key 3-pointer when he was left open, Havens was making an impact for a balanced Moeller squad that had four players combine for 37 of their 44 points with their leading scorer at 13.