Mike's Weekly Standouts

It's been a while since I covered individual games instead of an entire event so this will be an article featuring the standouts from the WEB DuBois @ Dupont Manual, Olentangy Berlin @ Delaware Hayes, Maumee Valley County Day @ Delphos St John's and Lima Shawnee @ Lima Central Catholic games.    One of the most talented offensive players in Kentucky, Brown is such a unique scoring talent with the ability to get into the paint whenever he wants. I love how Brown avoids shot blocks with his acrobatic ability at the rim, being able to hang in midair to twist around a contest. Brown started off by getting going with a couple breakaway slam dunks off back tap steals. An inconsistent perimeter shooter, Brown knocked down a tough 18-foot jumper and seems most confident from that area of the court. A late and-1 off a BLOB helped WEB DuBois in a game that was won on a last second putback by senior Kenyon Sykes. Expect to see Brown's recruitment to a spike this summer during 17 U grassroots action.     I liked watching Manual because of how scrappy they play. Shelton is a prime example as a wing who just flat out competed on both ends. Shelton had a layup from the dunker spot and a couple off second chance opportunities. Shelton had some strong rebounds over taller players and wasn't shying away from contact at all. This Manual team is more than the sum of their parts and its because of guys like Shelton who do the dirty work as well as score the basketball at a high level.     A flat out bucket from the guard position, Bruns can fill it up in a hurry on a young Olentangy Berlin squad that continues to improve. Bruns hit a couple deep shots off the catch, a confident shooter with his feet set. Also able to find buckets, Bruns scored off a BLOB, had an acrobatic putback layup and attacked a closeout for a scoop layup. Name to watch as a potential breakout candidate as a senior, Bruns should continue to gain buzz if he plays at a high level the rest of this high school season.     After being one of the top teams in central Ohio the past three seasons with Russell, this season has been a roller coaster for the Pacers and their senior leader. Russell is still doing everything he can for his team with a big time performance on Tuesday at home. Making some tough perimeter shots, Russell has the ability to get hot in a hurry from the perimeter. I also liked how Delaware Hayes moved Russell off the ball, helping him get some easier looks without having to create off the dribble for himself every time. One of the top guards in central Ohio, expect Russell to carry Delaware Hayes to some tough wins in 2026.     A school record 22 made 3-pointers defines exactly why it's so tough to beat Delphos St John's when their offense is clicking. Elwer was money on Tuesday evening in front of a packed home crowd with multiple one dribble 3-pointers to get the defense off of him and create room to fire away. I liked how Elwer moved off the basketball and he's a perfect secondary scoring option with his ability to make shots off the catch and perform simple dribble moves against hard closeouts.     The third of four Elwer brothers for the Blue Jay's, Elwer was knocking down shots off the catch at a high rate on Tuesday night. Elwer hit a 3-pointer off a kickout, off a pick and pop action, trailing the play and simply spotting up in the first half alone. I also was impressed by his ability to get into the paint off the dribble drive and kickout to shooters. Delphos St John's is one of my favorite teams in the state to watch and it's because of their combination of shooting, ball movement and toughness which Elwer contributes in all three phases.     A younger team that's gone through some growing pains early in the season, Lima Shawnee might be a team ready to go on a tear once the calendar flips to 2026 if their revenge victory over rival Lima Central Catholic is any preview. Marshall led the game in scoring with 21 points and was efficient as a shooter with his feet set and opportunistic as a cutter and driver. The Bertke brothers get a lot of the love and attention on Lima Shawnee but if this team is going to contend for a regional title, guys like Marshall need to step up how they did on Tuesday night in front of a packed house.

It's been a while since I covered individual games instead of an entire event so this will be an article featuring the standouts from the WEB DuBois @ Dupont Manual, Olentangy Berlin @ Delaware Hayes, Maumee Valley County Day @ Delphos St John's and Lima Shawnee @ Lima Central Catholic games.