Midwest Live: Friday Ohio 2027-2029 Standouts

Midwest Live brought out dozens of college coaches from all levels to the Cedar Point Sports Center for one of the top June live period events in the country, in this article I'll break down my 2027-2029 standouts from Friday's action.    Lutheran East guards straight up get after it defensively as Hill and [player_tooltip player_id='2125763' first='Ty' last='Harrison']'s ball pressure were forcing turnovers left and right. Hill is excellent at turning defense into offense as his steals usually lead to transition layup opportunities at the other end of the floor. Hill was also efficient as a finisher at the rim with a couple strong two-foot layups. If you are playing Lutheran East and don't have the required ball handlers to handle their pressure, you are going to be in for a long night thanks to guards like Hill who defend with a different level of intensity.     I was impressed with Hornbeak's ability to make a couple open shots, attack with confidence in transition off the bounce and overall look the part athletically against one of the best teams in Ohio. Not the end result Toledo St Francis was looking for on Friday afternoon but Hornbeak showed some bright flashes in the game. After winning the regional title last season, Toledo St Francis might be even better this coming season if players like Hornbeak take the steps they are capable of based off their summer flashes.     After losing star [player_tooltip player_id='2751430' first='Reed' last='Brinager'] to Racine Southern, Meigs re-loaded by acquiring Beucler to help add to their guard depth. Playing without their starting point guard, Beucler had some flashes as a dribble-driver, perimeter shot maker and defender. When Beucler was able to get downhill he did a nice job of finishing in traffic by going up strong. Add in the fact he knocked down a 3-pointer, had a nice pick and roll assist and had some impressive defensive moments and Beucler was a standout performer. For Meigs to once again roll through the TVC, they'll need Beucler to play with confidence and aggression on both ends of the court that he showed on Friday.     The young Cardinals play one of the most exciting brands of basketball in the state with players flying everywhere on the court in their full court pressure defense. Kennedy fits their system perfectly thanks to his incredible offensive skill and full court pressure defensive ability. Kennedy was making numerous impressive passes in transition as he gets the ball from point A to point B in an instant and plays with teammates who want to score quickly. Also very tough to stay in front of in the half-court, Kennedy got past the initial defender with ease and made smart decisions in the advantage situations he created for his team. One of the top point guards in northeast Ohio's 2028 class, Mentor will be a team that grows with this talented class that's headlined by Kennedy.     Brunswick has a senior guard duo that's as talented as any in Ohio but Matus is a rising sophomore who might be the perfect third wheel this season. Matus is lightning quick in transition and got all the way to the rim on multiple fast break opportunities where the defense simply didn't react in time to contest his shots at the rim. A confident 3-point shooter as well, Matus beat the zone defense a couple of times with his perimeter shooting ability. I also liked that Matus moved the ball and usually made quick decisions when it was swung to him on whether he needs to dribble, pass or shoot. Brunswick is stacked offensively and the potential rise of Matus will only increase their ceiling on that end of the court.     Moeller has as young of a group as I've ever seen the Crusaders have and that's in large part due to extremely talented 2028 and 2029 classes coming in the doors during back-to-back years. There can't be many better overall athletes in the 2029 class than Davis as his quick twitch and explosiveness are next level. Davis was productive in the game I saw as he had multiple reverse layups, took a charge and drew a couple fouls. As a freshman I don't expect Davis to be leading Moeller in scoring but if he can provide two-way value and add an extra pop on the fast break, he'll help Moeller win games this season.

Midwest Live brought out dozens of college coaches from all levels to the Cedar Point Sports Center for one of the top June live period events in the country, in this article I'll break down my 2027-2029 standouts from Friday's action.