Queen City Clash: Saturday 17 U Standouts

The Prep Hoops Circuit took a stop in Cincinnati, Ohio where a two day weekend event ended before the easter holiday so families could spend the holiday at home. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from the final day of the event at the 17 U level.    Martin and his Midwest Basketball squad made quick work of their opponents this weekend going 4-0. The engine to their offense, Martin did an excellent job helping his team get easy buckets either for himself or his teammates. Transition is such an easy way to score and Martin split time streaking down the court for layups and making outlet passes so his teammates could get easy looks. I was impressed with how Martin moved without the basketball in the half-court, moving around the 3-point line to spot-up and also curling off screens to get downhill. One of the top guards in the Cincinnati area, Martin has continued to impress and should get a lot of small college interest this summer.     A big-time vertical athlete from the guard position, Duke is a player I could tell had some explosiveness in his legs even before he threw down a breakaway dunk. I want to see talented athletes use their athleticism consistently throughout the game and Duke moved at a different pace than the other players on the court. Also able to play off two feet at the rim, Duke has a strong base to finish at the rim. After scoring over 17 PPG as a Junior it was nice to see Duke in person as he'll be an addition to our 2026 rankings update coming this week.     The interior presence on his Midwest Basketball Club team, Larkins did a nice job of hustling on the offensive glass to create extra opportunities for his team. The motor and rebounding ability Larkins showed wasn't surprising as he grabbed 4.4 RPG as a Junior for Taylor and could be one of the conference leaders in that category next season. Also able to finish with either hand at the rim, Larkins is an efficient interior scorer.     One of the biggest players I watched this weekend, Feldhaus is a tank in the paint. The zone defense that his team ran was a big benefit as Feldhaus could stay in the paint and grab defensive rebounds and get his hands on passes to the paint. Offensively, Feldhaus has soft touch from the mid-range and even stretched out to hit a corner 3-pointer in the closing moments of the game I caught. Feldhaus size also allows him to get position against skinnier bigs and hit post hooks on the block.     Gearding caught fire from downtown knocking down 3-pointers off the bounce going left, right or around pick and rolls. Gearding even got a friendly roll on his first shot of the game that I caught. I was surprised how well Gearding shot the ball from long distance considering he knocked down just seven 3-pointers as a Junior. If this shooting progression is legit, Gearding could spike up from his 11.5 PPG average last season.     The second part of the MVCA duo that displayed impressive chemistry playing off each other, Heap showed the ability to score in the paint with a nice up and under move catching my eye. Heap also finished with his left hand at the rim and made the unselfish pass. After averaging 2 steals a game as a junior, Heap was active in the passing lanes and getting his hands on the ball. While MVCA graduates [player_tooltip player_id='2204929' first='Gavin' last='French'], Heap and Geardling could have them near the top of the conference once again.

The Prep Hoops Circuit took a stop in Cincinnati, Ohio where a two day weekend event ended before the easter holiday so families could spend the holiday at home. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from the final day of the event at the 17 U level.