Ohio Prep Conference: 2026 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Ohio Prep Conference had their first session of the season this weekend, hosted at Spire. I attended Sunday's double-header and in this article I'll break down the 2026 standouts from the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2245774"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67567165bbb77"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Williams has shown clear improvement each of the three times I've watched him this season. This game I saw some growth in his pace and ball handling ability. Williams was showing more confidence as a creator on the ball and was switching speeds in a more dynamic way on the ball. While his growth as a ball handler was evident, I did want to see Williams make a few more live dribble passes to set teammates up in the halfcourt. A minor nitpick of a player who is on an upward trajectory, I expect Williams to find that balance as the season progresses. Combine that with his athleticism, creativity as a finisher at the rim and some impact defensive plays and Williams was impressive in a variety of ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1670105"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67567165bbbdf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The top prospect in our 2026 rankings, Thompson continues to show why his long term upside has high major programs recruiting him heavily. Thompson is an elite shot maker from the perimeter and not only knocked down shots off the catch but also off the dribble. Thompson's best move of the day came on a double crossover into a mid-range pull up, a move that's almost un-guardable. When you add Thompson's shot making ability to a prospect that stands around 6'8 and he can simply shoot over shorter defenders and make shots over them. While the offensive shot-making versatility is impressive, we're hoping to see Thompson take another defensive leap to take that next step in his game. Expect to hear a lot more about Thompson during the next two years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2079540"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67567165bbc25"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A new prospect I've barely had any game sample of prior to today, Sprauge was a nice surprise to watch today. A guard who competes on both ends, Sprauge plays his heart out on the court and is a leader out there. His aggressiveness occasionally led to turnovers but you'll live with that given the effort and offensive spark he provides to his team. A tough shot maker from the outside, Sprauge hit some shots off the dribble on Sunday. The righty also made some impressive left-handed passes on drives, a unique skill that makes him even tougher to shade to one side as a slasher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2614834"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67567165bbc67"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A tough loss for AOA, they are dealing with some injuries and should be stronger with a fully healthy group later in the year. Despite that, Otite was an obvious bright spot for them as he was finishing above the rim in the dunker spot often on Sunday. His guards did a nice job of finding Otite under the rim and he usually finished with a dunk if he had a clear launch point to explode to the rim. I also liked how Otite ran in transition, getting some easy buckets by beating opposing bigs down the court. Otite has the size and athleticism to be a name college coaches get very familiar with this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->