Midwest Live: Sunday Standouts

Akron STVM is one of the most historic programs in Ohio and with a lot of young pieces on the roster, they are continuing to develop their chemistry. Whorton, one of the few seniors on the roster needs to be a leader for the younger pieces. On Sunday, Whorton shot the ball extremely well from 3-point range, knocking down four in their opening game. With his size, Whorton is also able to get extra possessions with offensive rebounds. With an interesting combination of size, shooting and offensive talent, Whorton is an interesting prospect. If he can play tough in the paint on both ends and be strong with the ball he'll be tough to stop this winter with the Irish.

One of the young pieces in STVM 2027 core I'm most excited about, Chapman did some interesting things on Sunday. A big time athlete, Chapman swatted a couple layups off the backboard and had a huge dunk in transition. I liked the energy he played with and his athleticism is off the charts. Still has a long way to go with his frame and ability on the ball but Chapman is in a great spot to develop and gain experience. Keep tabs on this 2027 wing prospect, he could wind up being a household name across Ohio by the time he's an upperclassman.

One of the top scorers in Michigan, Elam averaged 29 a game as a Junior and is already the all-time leading scorer at Adrian. Coming into the weekend with one MAC offer from Eastern Michigan, Elam ends the weekend with another as Miami (OH) offered on Saturday night after watching Elam impress. A big time scorer, Elam is able to create his own shot and has the burst and pull-up shooting to be a threat out to 25 feet. I liked the motor Elam played with too, pushing the pace and trying to cause havoc defensively. It would be nice to see Elam surrounded by more talent to see where his creation for others stands, regardless, Elam is one of the most talented on ball creators in Michigan's 2025 class.

A prospect who keeps improving, Mattucci is coming off a big spring with Nova Village 16 U where he stood out during the spring live period. That got his name on the radar of plenty of Division I programs and this weekend was their chance to watch him in person. I caught Mattucci alongside a few regional Division I schools and he impressed with more on-ball creation ability. With a decent first step and ability to score in the paint than I saw in the spring, Mattucci showed me the ability to attack off DHO's and closeouts. A college level shooter, Mattucci has excellent footwork and gets into his shots at a speed that will translate up. Expect MAC and Horizon League programs to continue to monitor Mattucci's development over the next 12 months as his recruitment is in the very early stages since the 2026 contact period began a couple weeks ago.

Harvest Prep has a lot of talent and should be a real player in the new seven Division format after making it to the state title game in Division III last year and returning a majority of their core. Pollard has taken that initial jump from freshman to sophomore year and looks more comfortable at both ends. He had a couple lefty finishes early and knocked down a pair of spot-up 3-pointers. Being able to attack closeouts will be the key for Pollard as he already has shown the ability to make perimeter shots at the varsity level.

Having an excellent spring with Wildcat Select, Ganley has continued his momentum with Brecksville. Having to be the guy now that Luke Skaljac has graduated, Ganley is getting good reps as the primary creator. The Bees have some other talent around Ganley with 2026 prospects like Steven Skaljac Steven Skaljac 6'2" | CG Brecksville-Broadview Heights | 2026 OH and Ben Mehendale Ben Mehendale 6'8" | C/PF Brecksville-Broadview Heights | 2026 State OH . I've been impressed with the athletic leap Ganley has taken this summer, looking more explosive in transition. Able to score it from the perimeter with his 3-point shooting ability and quick dribble drive attacks. Expect Brecksville to remain in the hurt for the conference title with Ganley leading the charge as a senior.