Flyin’ To The Hoop: Friday Top Performers

Flyin' To The Hoop got off to a bang to open up the 2026 version of the event. In this article I'll break down the standout performers from Friday night's action.    One of my favorite under the radar players in the Nike Scholastic league, Manciel has a lot of ability on the offensive end. Knocking down some tough contested jumpers, Manciel didn't seem to be too bothered by a hand in his face. He hit a nasty mid-range pull up and also had a turnaround fallaway jumper right over a defender's face. With a quick first step, the opposition found it tough to stay in front of Manciel at the point of attack. I also loved that he talked on defense, directing his teammates through switches on screens. Expect Manciel to make a big impact right away at the college level.     Harmon had a lot of success on Friday evening getting to the rim and using his size and athleticism to score at the rim. Getting to the paint off a right to left crossover that beat his defender to the cup, Harmon also could switch hands in mid air if the paint was crowded. Defensively, Harmon rose up for a big block on a dunk attempt. One of the better two guards in the country, Harmon certainly stood out on Friday night.     Overall was a big fan of what Cleaves Jr brought to the table on Friday night. With a stronger frame for a 2028 guard, Cleaves Jr wasn't getting pushed off his spots and handled the physicality from seniors on the other end well. That physicality was shown late in the game when Cleaves Jr had a sweet and-1 reverse layup. A knockdown shooter, Cleaves Jr is not a guy you want to leave open with his feet set. Expect to hear a lot more about Cleaves Jr as the fact he's already making a big impact on the Nike Scholastic league as a sophomore speaks volumes about his talent.     Despite the tough loss, I thought Brown was productive on both ends of the court on Friday night. An active rim protector, Brown blocked a couple shots and altered many more in the paint. Quick off his feet, Brown had a fast second jump if he found himself falling for a pump fake and was still able to affect the shot. 6/6 from the foul line, having a center who is efficient from the charity stripe is huge. Going to be a little undersized at the high major level at the center position, it's important Brown continues to fill out his frame to deal with the taller and more physical players he'll face in college.     Joining southeast prep on the court this week, Bryant looked extremely comfortable in a blowout victory. Scoring early and often in transition, there were multiple times I was taking notes about a Reynoldsburg player and heard the Pa announcer credit Bryant with a bucket while I was still taking notes. A super athlete in the open court, Bryant is explosive and threw down a handful of alley-oop dunks. Southeastern Prep also looked at Bryant to score off BLOB plays, where he used his size advantage to score. A great addition for a team that's been without Jaxon Richardson for a little while.     Bowens helped Reynoldsburg remain competitive for stretches in a battle with a top 5 team in the country, trailing by just 10 at halftime and 17 late in the third quarter. Bowens shot the ball with confidence knocking down a handful of 3-pointers and put a southeastern prep forward on a poster off an offensive rebound. Despite the loss, Bowens made some impressive plays against one of the top teams in the country.

Flyin' To The Hoop got off to a bang to open up the 2026 version of the event. In this article I'll break down the standout performers from Friday night's action.