Mike's Weekly Standouts

This week I attended three solo games, Cincinnati St Xavier @ Cincinnati Wyoming, Cincinnati Taft @ CHCA and Cincinnati Western Hills @ Cincinnati Hughes, in this article I'll break down the standout performers from these three games.    Saint Xavier went into Wyoming and ended the Cowboys unbeaten season in a grind it out contest where Wassler's size was a differentiating factor. Wassler grabbed 9 rebounds, which was nearly as many as Wyoming's entire team grabbed (12). Wassler also tied for a game high with four made field goals. Able to set screens on the perimeter, finish on the inside and even knock down a timely 3-pointer, Wassler is starting to impact the game offensively in more ways than he did as a Junior. Timely free throw shooting was another key as Wassler converted on four of five free throw attempts. A statement win for the Bombers who are in pole position for the GCL title and a top seed in the Division I playoffs.     Wyoming struggled to get much going offensively all night long but Gray's relentless slashing ability drew a ton of fouls by Saint Xavier. This pressure at the rim off the dribble led Gray to shoot a game-high 10 free throws. It was tough for Saint Xavier to stay in front of him on the perimeter and he scored a few times at the rim when the Bombers couldn't send him to the foul line. We'll see how Wyoming responds after this tough first loss of the season, they are a state title threat in Division IV.     Griffin was cooking on the perimeter with some big time buckets for a Taft squad that went into CHCA and got a three point win on the road. One of the more talented off ball scorers in Ohio's 2027 class, Griffin can get to the basket and score by attacking closeouts. In transition, Griffin threw down a couple dunks and used the spin move to beat the defense. Taft made just four 3-pointers all game but Griffin converted on three of his attempts, flashing his impressive perimeter shooting ability. If Griffin can improve at the foul line (65% on the season) he would've scored 30 or more points on Wednesday and could bump his season PPG up a point as well. With so much natural ability, Griffin is a name we'll continue to monitor over the next few years.     A dominant offensive performance in the paint, Ridner Richard was productive as a driver using quick moves to get to the paint and his size to finish at the rim. I was also impressed with Ridner's ability to get to the foul line, going into contact at the rim. A multi-sport athlete for CHCA, Ridner will be a name to keep track of for regional small college programs as he's averaging over 15 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.     One of the more skilled point guards in Ohio's 2028 class, Hill has had a fast start to his high school career playing for his Dad at Cincinnati Hughes. Hill knocked down a couple 3-pointers from well behind the 3-point arc from the top of the key, showing off his range to the home supporters. I was also impressed by his touch on floaters and two putbacks where Hill got his own miss in the paint and ended up scoring. Hill has grown a little bit since the summer and it will be interesting to watch how he develops physically as he already is one of the most polished guards you'll find in the CMAC.

This week I attended three solo games, Cincinnati St Xavier @ Cincinnati Wyoming, Cincinnati Taft @ CHCA and Cincinnati Western Hills @ Cincinnati Hughes, in this article I'll break down the standout performers from these three games.