Mike's Weekly Standouts

Last week I attended three solo games, Westerville South @ Westerville Central, Cincinnati Aiken @ Trotwood Madison and Middletown @ Hamilton, in this article I'll break down the standouts I caught from those three games.    Henderson had a strong opening to the rivalry battle with South as he hit a couple tough mid-range pull-up shots in the first quarter. Add in a couple floaters where he worked as a PNR ball handler and a couple flash defensive plays, Henderson keeps you on your toes at all times on the court. To end the game, Henderson had a steal that led to a dunk right after the final buzzer to clinch the victory which led to a mini court storming as Central secured the rivalry win in a tightly contested battle throughout.     One of the top freshman in central Ohio, Jones had some bright moments on Tuesday night in a tough road environment. I liked the way Jones operated in tight spaces as a ball handler and was patient when attacking off the dribble. Jones will continue to develop physically and the creation reps he's getting now as a freshman will help him as an upperclassman. Very high upside on Jones as he'll be a name central Ohio fans will hear about throughout his high school career.     One of the football commits on the hardwood, Atkins has had a monster senior season for a state title contender in Trotwood-Madison. His size is so intimidating to battle with on both ends of the court as he can grab offensive rebounds and has surprising explosiveness off the ground for a guy his size to dunk from a standstill. In the first half, defensively was where Atkins really shined with five or so blocks. Aiken guards were attacking off the dribble and consistently being met with Atkins as a rim protector. I was also impressed with Atkins ability to block and alter shots without fouling. At the end of the game with the score tied, Atkins got a putback layup at the buzzer to end Aiken's unbeaten season in what could be a regional final preview.     Another standout football prospect for the Rams, Dennis had a big game as a guard who just got to the rim off the dribble with his quickness and change of direction ability. Numerous times Dennis either in transition or the halfcourt would attack off the bounce and get all the way to the rim where he usually finished. I also loved the toughness he showed, fighting for a few loose balls and flying around the court. With a minute to play, Dennis had an and-1 layup to take the lead for the Rams in what was his biggest moment of the night.     One of the most skilled guards in Ohio, Arnold has had a stock rising senior season where he has led Aiken to a 21-1 record and an unbeaten CMAC championship. Playing with the ball on a string, Arnold can get to his spots and make contested mid-range shots with ease. There were three or four mid range shots that left me shaking my head with how difficult of a move was made to look so easy by Arnold. Combine in a couple 3-pointers when his team needed it and some tough left-handed finishes at the rim and Arnold left it all on the court. He could get a rematch opportunity with Trotwood if both teams advance to the regional finals.     Landers went over 1,000 points in the third quarter of Middletown's GMC road victory over Hamilton. That was in the middle of a huge run by the Middies who erased a double-digit first half deficit and ended up with a comfortable victory. Landers is a strong and shifty lead guard who wants to attack downhill and get to the rim. He does a nice job of finishing through contact and drawing fouls in the paint. He also knocked down a couple of mid-range pull-ups, which was the method he used to go over the 1,000 point mark for his career. I was impressed by the resiliency that the Middies showed after falling behind by so much early to get a road win.     An undersized guard who can get where he wants to off the dribble, Johnson-Perdomo is one of the shiftiest guards in Ohio's 2028 class. Nobody on Middletown could stay in front of him and when he got past the initial defender, he did a nice job of using the floater to avoid shot blockers and show off his natural touch. When the help defense swarmed Johnson-Perdomo on the dribble drive, he usually made the right decision to kick it out to a shooter and ended with a game-high six assists. You'll be hearing a lot more about this Cincinnati area guard over the next few seasons.

Last week I attended three solo games, Westerville South @ Westerville Central, Cincinnati Aiken @ Trotwood Madison and Middletown @ Hamilton, in this article I'll break down the standouts I caught from those three games.