Ohio Valley Hoops Classic: Saturday Top Performers

The Ohio Valley Hoops Classic featured six competitive games in Mason, Ohio and in this article we'll break down the top performers from the event.    One of the most improved players I've seen this season, Scales was dominant with his back to the basket as Hilliard Bradley had nobody who had the height or strength to stop him in the post. Scales didn't waste any time with the ball in his hands and when he caught it, quickly went over his left shoulder to score. His size also allowed him to get multiple putbacks in the final minute to seal a tight victory over one of the top teams in Columbus.     Hilliard Bradley fought back from an early deficit and took a lead in the second half thanks to the stellar play from Mirgon. Mirgon made multiple 3-pointers in the second half, one from the corner and another from the wing. Mirgon also had a nasty finish where he switched hands in mid-air at the rim and also had a strong drive and finish to tie the game with 30 seconds left. I still have high expectations for Hilliard Bradley this season despite this early season loss and expect the Jags to compete for conference and regional titles.     Cardinal Ritter got a tight victory over CHCA in a game that was back and forth throughout the entire contest. Bolden is a talented forward with soft hands and quick feet. Bolden scored off a nice backdoor lob play that Cardinal Ritter ran at least three or four times for easy layups. Bolden also had a great sequence where he got a steal, advanced the basketball and then got it back for a tough layup finish. Later in the game he did the same thing after blocking a shot at the rim, quickly showing his ability to go from making an impact on defense to offense. Without [player_tooltip player_id='2469918' first='Griffin' last='Ridner Richard'] for CHCA, there was no stopping Bolden in the paint and he feasted with arguably the most dominant performance of the entire weekend if you look at the box scores.     St Xavier got a tough win in overtime over Brebeuf Jesuit without a handful of their rotation players who are preparing for a football state championship game this weekend. McGeady has put on strength since I last saw him over the summer and was very efficient at the rim using both hands to finish. McGeady slipped a screen for a lefty finish that was his best individual play of the night in my eyes. Add in a couple strong rebounds and making passes within the offense and McGeady checks a handful of boxes for a prospect who is also getting strong looks as a pitcher on the diamond.     Wyoming made one of the statements of the weekend with a dominant win over Summit Country Day. Wiley had an excellent effort on both ends of the court with an early give and go finish. Wiley had multiple tough left-handed finishes at the rim with one coming right after a tough offensive rebound. Add in a tough mid-range pull-up jumper and a breakaway dunk off a steal and Wiley was flying around the court and making a strong impact for a Wyoming team that has state title expectations this season.     Mason got a clutch win in overtime on their home court in the opening game of the Coach Fleming era for the Comets. Johnson is their most experienced and talented player and he played like an all-conference level guard with multiple buckets out of isolation that left Kettering Fairmont defenders in the dust. Johnson's toughest bucket of the game came on a snatch back dribble into a pull-up 3-pointer just before the halftime horn. Making key plays in overtime as well, Johnson had his fingerprints all over the victory for the Comets.

The Ohio Valley Hoops Classic featured six competitive games in Mason, Ohio and in this article we'll break down the top performers from the event.