2026-2028 Standouts from Cleveland Play By Play Classic

The Cleveland Play By Play Classic was a morning to evening event with seven games at John Carroll University! In this article we'll break down the 2026-2028 standouts from an action-packed day of basketball.    Hawken has a three headed monster at the guard position and all three will be back next season. Taylor is the youngest of the group as the freshman has had a nice start to his high school career. I was impressed with the skill and poise Taylor showed at such a young age. He didn't really force the issue and was able to knock down a couple jumpers as well. Taylor also showed craftiness as a driver and made smart passes to teammates. A name to know in the 2028 class from northeast Ohio.     The most productive high school game I've seen Bowens play, he was simply too big, too strong and playing too hard for Richmond Heights to stop him in the paint. A recent Ohio University commit, Bowens simply dominated the interior with post ups, dunks and second chance points. Not much flash on his game on Sunday, Bowens opted to keep it simple and was rewarded with a 32 point performance and MVP honors postgame.     What I love about Roddy's game is he's playing on a team with four upperclassmen Division I recruits and as a freshman he usually comes in and makes a big impact as a role piece on arguably the most talented team in Ohio. Roddy got a couple blocks, had some impressive passes including a split off the dribble that led to a drop off for a layup. Roddy also went hard after offensive rebounds and even knocked down a 3-pointer after making a fake pass to freeze the defense. One of the best glue guys in Ohio as a freshman, look for Roddy's role to expand as he gets more experience.     The early frontrunner for Mr Basketball in Ohio, Johnson has been sensational as a scorer this season. His efforts have also helped Garfield Heights remain unbeaten with three consecutive statement wins over Richmond Heights, Warrensville Heights and now Lutheran East. Johnson is a tough shot maker and hits 1-2 3-pointers a game that would be unbelievable for many other players to make. I also thought Johnson did a nice job at passing out of double teams and giving his teammates a chance to make plays. Finally, Johnson steps up when the lights are brightest and is a flat-out gamer.     I've now seen the Falcons three times this season and this was Hill's most impactful game of the year. Hill is an elite on-ball defender with the ability to really bother opposing ball handlers. Defensively Hill blocked a 3-pointer, took a charge and got a steal when the Falcons went to a full court press when trailing late. As an offensive player, Hill scores it best when he's getting to the rim and either finishing with his left or getting fouled. Lutheran East will go as far as their defense takes them in the postseason and Hill is one of their key players on that end of the court.

The Cleveland Play By Play Classic was a morning to evening event with seven games at John Carroll University! In this article we'll break down the 2026-2028 standouts from an action-packed day of basketball.