Prep Hoops Queen City Clash - Ramsey's Friday Notebook

<p>Typically, our Prep Hoops events begin with just three rounds of games on Friday evening. However, in order to give everyone Easter Sunday off, we moved up the start time a couple of hours giving us five full rounds of games on Friday. As always, our team of Prep Hoops scouts had boots on the ground coverage from tip-off until the final buzzer. Let's begin the weekend by emptying out the notebook and highlighting what we saw at the Queen City Sports Complex as the Queen City Clash got underway.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Griffin Elite 16u Captures Big Comeback Victory</h2>   <p>If you only watched the first 8-10 minutes of this matchup you never would have guessed that Griffin Elite 16u ended up winning 66-57. The beginning of this one was all in favor of [program_tooltip program_id='2076263' first='NOVA' last='Village'] - Gyurko 16u. Roland Van Karsen (Dublin Jerome H.S. 2027) and Nate Frey (Hilliard Davidson H.S. 2027) dominated out of the gate. Van Karsen went on to finish with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds while Frey added 17 points, but they could not withstand the second half surge from Griffin Elite.</p>   <p>Primarily, it was Pablo Molima (Evangel Christian 2027) and Kaden Dowlen (DeSales H.S. 2027) leading the comeback for Griffin Elite. Molima, a super athletic 6'7" forward, finished with 22 points while Dowlen scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half. Those two created a dynamic one-two punch between the perimeter and interior. Molima is really a fun prospect to watch. He is still a bit raw, but his nonstop motor, strength, and athleticism allow him to get a lot done against his peers.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wildcat Select 3SSB 15u Rolls to an Easy Win</h2>   <p>It doesn't take long why Austin Davie (Campbell County H.S. 2028) is considered one of the top freshmen in the state of Kentucky. The 6'5" versatile wing was absolutely dominant on the glass and around the rim finishing with 23 points to lead all scorers as Wildcat Select 3SSB 15u got the weekend started with a 76-33 win over Midwest Flyers - Hall 15u.</p>   <p>Despite the lopsided defeat, 5'8" point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2842443' first='Dylan' last='Dent'] (Centerville H.S. 2028) really stood out for Midwest Flyers - Hall 15u. For a smaller guard he displayed excellent body control and finishing ability through contact inside and was fearless when it came to attacking the basket. He was undeterred by the relentless ball pressure, size, and athleticism of Wildcat Select.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='2637977' first='ERA' last='Elite'] 15u Picks Up a Convincing "W"</h2>   <p>Despite missing a couple of typically key pieces to their talented roster, [program_tooltip program_id='2637977' first='ERA' last='Elite'] 15u rolled to a 75-41 win over Shelby Stars 15u to getting the weekend at the Queen City Clash started. 6'2" wing [player_tooltip player_id='2538845' first='Nolin' last='Pearce'] (Lanesville H.S. 2028) to lead the way in the scoring column finishing with 18 points. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism was too much for the opponent to deal with. Whether he was finishing in transition or using his body to clear out space on the block, Pearce really dominated the paint. Similarly, 6'4" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2819672' first='James' last='Hannigan'] (St. Xavier 2028) finished with 16 points by primarily dominating around the rim. He finished with both hands consistently throughout the evening and displayed his excellent footwork and soft interior touch.</p>   <p>Jason Hence (Henry County H.S. 2028) was the bright spot in the loss for the Shelby Stars. The 6'0" guard showed off good ball handling ability, the shiftiness necessary to create space off the bounce, and a smooth shooting stroke even when tightly contested. [program_tooltip program_id='2637977' first='ERA' last='Elite'] was able to create chaos throughout most of the game, but Hence was mostly immune to being sped up.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shelby Stars 16u Outlast London Ramblers 16u in the Game of the Night</h2>   <p>This back-and-forth battle went down to the final seconds and was as competitive as any matchup on Friday night at the Queen City Clash. Early on, this one looked like it would be going the way of the London Ramblers. They jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and quickly led by double-figures before the Shelby Stars really started to settle in. It was primarily Jamal Badri (Mother Teresa 2027) and Jacob Brown (Mother Teresa 2027) in those first few minutes setting the ton for the Ramblers with their positional size and high-level athleticism. However, once the Shelby Stars adjusted to the speed and athleticism of the game they slowly clawed their way back into it.</p>   <p>Gunnar Rhodes (Shelby County H.S. 2027) was the most consistent force during the comeback, but both Jackson McIntyre (Martha Layne Collins H.S. 2027) and Caden Gaither (Collins H.S. 2027) had spurts that really helped lift the Stars over the hump. Ultimately, Gaither nailed a tough three-point shot off of an out-of-bounds under set with 8.8 seconds remaining to give the Shelby Stars a 70-68 lead. They would go on to escape with a 71-68 win.</p>   <p>Rhodes and Gaither each scored 19 points to lead the Shelby Stars to victory. Meanwhile, Isaiah Slay (Mother Teresa 2027) led the London Ramblers with 17 pints in the loss.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Leftovers</h2>   <p>In the final round of games, Midwest Flyers - Levett 15u guard Miles Hill-Smith (Aiken New Tech 2028) really stood out. His body control at 5'10" was really impressive as defenders bounced off of him on the perimeter and he finished through contact at the him. Then, Hill-Smith also showcased his ability to create separation on the perimeter and hit some pull-up and stepback shots from beyond the arc. He is very comfortable and dynamic with the ball in his hands.</p>   <p>Refined Indiana 15u really made a statement early in the evening on Friday. They doubled up their opponent defeating [program_tooltip program_id='2076263' first='NOVA' last='Village'] - Odemena 15u 76-38. Despite only watching the final eight or so minutes of their game, nearly every player on the roster stood out at some point. Jaxen Bennett (Carmel H.S. 2028) led the way with 23 points while also running the show out of the backcourt. 6'4" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2539932' first='Barrett' last='Rucker'] (Noblesville H.S. 2028) added 19 points in the dominant victory. Both [player_tooltip player_id='2481826' first='Jesse' last='Craig'] (Zionsville H.S. 2028) and [player_tooltip player_id='2538910' first='Ashton' last='Reid'] (Westfield H.S. 2028) added 12 points.</p>

Typically, our Prep Hoops events begin with just three rounds of games on Friday evening. However, in order to give everyone Easter Sunday off, we moved up the start time a couple of hours giving us five full rounds of games on Friday. As always, our team of Prep Hoops scouts had boots on the ground coverage from tip-off until the final buzzer. Let's begin the weekend by emptying out the notebook and highlighting what we saw at the Queen City Sports Complex as the Queen City Clash got underway.