Holiday Hoopla: Monday Top Performers

Holiday Hoopla took over the Columbus Convention Center for three days with non-stop basketball action, in this article I'll break down my top performers from Monday's action.    Dublin Coffman had no trouble this week with two 30+ point wins to advance to 7-1 on the season. Cochran is their most talented prospect and he helped them break away from Central Hardin in the second and third quarters to start a running clock in the fourth quarter. Cochran swatted a shot off the backboard and used his length to force turnovers in the trapping zone defense that Dublin Coffman used to speed up the game. Add in a couple baseline jumpers and an alley-oop dunk and Cochran had a nice day as Dublin Coffman handled their business playing downtown at the convention center.     After a competitive first half, Grove City really pulled away in the second half thanks to a big offensive game from Saxton. A lead guard who covers a ton of ground on the court, Saxton is active on both ends of the court. Impressed by his change of direction on the ball and the ability to attack with both hands, Saxton hit some tough jumpers both off the catch and dribble in this one. A fast guard end to end of the court, Saxton had a handful of breakaway layups where he got behind the defense to score. I mentioned preseason that Grove City would be one of the most improved teams in the state, the Greyhounds have already eclipsed their win total from last season     I got to see Olentangy Orange twice this weekend, on Saturday at Capital and on Monday at the Convention Center. Miller really stood out in this tight victory, the first of the season for the defending state champions. Miller knocked down three 3-pointers, a key skill for him to show this season. Finishing above the rim numerous times, Miller threw down some powerful two hand jams on Monday. While the lefty forward does favor his dominant hand, he hit a sweet righty reverse layup in both games I caught of his this weekend. One of the more talented forwards in Ohio's 2027 class, Miller and the Pioneers will be a team to watch in the second half of the season when they finally gel.     I really liked what McNeill showed for an Aiken squad that has proven themselves to be one of the contenders to win the CMAC early in the season. Their talented 2027 class is a major reason why they are so successful and McNeill is the knockdown shooter on the roster. Hitting some big shots in the second half, McNeill fired away with confidence from the wing. I also was impressed with McNeill's ability to finish with his left hand at the rim. A name to watch from the CMAC, Aiken will continue to catch headlines with a loaded non-conference schedule.     Tri-Village is our top team in Division VI and Sagester is the reigning Division VI OHSAA player of the year. He showed why in a big victory over Jonathan Alder in the nightcap of the event. Sagester is a big-time perimeter shot maker who was knocking down some tough shots over tight contests. Tri-Village runs nice actions to get Sagester the ball with the opportunity to either shoot off the catch or create off the bounce. I also thought Sagester fought on the defensive end of the court, making it hard for Jonathan Alder players to go around him off the dribble. Expect Sagester's recruitment to start to pick up some steam in the coming months.

Holiday Hoopla took over the Columbus Convention Center for three days with non-stop basketball action, in this article I'll break down my top performers from Monday's action.