Holiday Hoopla: 2026 Standouts

Basketball was brought back to the Greater Columbus Convention Center with a three day event as Holiday Hoopla brought out a 18 game schedule for fans across central Ohio. In this article we'll break down the 2025 standouts from the event.    A tough loss for Toledo St John's who has had some close calls to start the season, their brutal schedule will pay dividends when it comes time for the playoff. I was impressed with Kowalczyk's shot-making ability from the perimeter, hitting a handful of contested mid-range shots from a variety of angles. Loving the fallaway shot, Kowalczyk can shoot over smaller defenders in the mid-post area. Kowalczyk also had a big fourth quarter to work his team back into the game and finished well with his left hand. One of the most talented forwards in Ohio's 2026 class, it's interesting seeing how Kowalczyk's role has expanded from Sophomore to Junior season.     Gahanna made quick work of Holy Name and got a dominant victory in the afternoon on Sunday. Whitfield had a solid game as the undersized guard had some tough drives and finishes to the rim in the half-court and in transition. The euro-step was a favorite move for Whitfield and he used that to create space to finish at the rim. Whitfield also knocked down a pair of corner 3-pointers as Gahanna cruised to a win over an out of area opponent.     One of the most dominant offensive performances I've seen this season, Drexler was cooking for Brunswick as he finished with 36 points. Doing a bit of everything offensively, Drexler knocked down some insane pull-up 3-pointers in this one. One of the best shot-makers in Ohio, Drexler is a guy you have to guard within 28 feet of the rim. One of the more underrated parts of Drexler's game is his ability to finish at the rim. Drexler does an excellent job of shielding his body from shot contests and can acrobatically finish with either hand by putting the perfect amount of spin on the basketball. You won't find many more talented scorers in Ohio.     When I first started watching the Delaware Hayes game I literally didn't recognize Griggs on the court. He's done a great job with his body by slimming down and looks like a much better athlete just walking around. I've always been impressed by how Griggs does the little things on the court by making the extra pass, diving after loose balls and being efficient as a scorer. Griggs did all those things on Sunday with a DHO 3-pointer, a couple layups at the rim and a few free throws. Really impressed by how Griggs has clearly taken the weight room seriously this fall and helped transform his body.     One of the fastest risers in the 2026 class, McKinney is a player who I might have to bump up in our 2026 rankings during the next update. It seems like McKinney has taken that next step in his game as a Junior with more confidence as a shooter and ball handler. McKinney has always been an elite defender and still impacts the game on that end at a high level. With this improved offensive ability McKinney goes from a utility defender to a two-way impact player who flat out helps you win games. Really impressed with the leap McKinney has taken, he could be the difference for Reynoldsburg as they try and make that deep postseason run that has eluded them the past two seasons.     Jordan was flat out hooping on Sunday as Princeton gave Reynoldsburg all they could handle and more on Sunday. Jordan was getting to the rim off the dribble and put a lot of pressure on the Reynoldsburg defense. I was impressed by how hard Jordan played, running in transition, forcing a five second count and getting loose balls. Add in a couple jumpers, some finishes at the rim and assists to teammates and Jordan impacted the game at a high level.

Basketball was brought back to the Greater Columbus Convention Center with a three day event as Holiday Hoopla brought out a 18 game schedule for fans across central Ohio. In this article we'll break down the 2025 standouts from the event.