Mike's Weekly Standouts

I attended two games this week, Sidney Lehman Catholic @ Urbana and George Rogers Clark @ Montgomery County. In this article I'll break down my standout performers from these two games.    Urbana plays a fun style of basketball where they really look to score the basketball with a trio of guys averaging double figures per game. Dixon is their most skilled player and he ended the game with two and-1 finishes to turn a slight deficit into a double-digit victory in the final three minutes. I loved that Dixon was confident attacking and finishing with his left hand. A money set shooter as well, Dixon usually makes the defense pay when he's left alone from deep. After seeing him playing against older competition in the Midwest Fall League, it was nice to see Dixon against small town competition where he was able to show off more of his on ball ability.     The best overall athlete on the court, Lantz is a three sport stud for the Hillclimbers and makes a big two-way impact. The Ohio State baseball commit played tough on-ball defense and forced turnovers that he quickly turned to transition opportunities. Lantz also made a couple strong drive and finishes off two feet in the paint, he's able to stay on balance and is stronger than the opposition in the paint. Impressive overall athlete who has a very bright future outside of the hardwood.     One of the top small school players in the greater Dayton area, Frantz has been putting up big scoring numbers for previously unbeaten Lehman Catholic. With impressive positional size from the wing forward position, Frantz can shoot over smaller defenders from the mid-range area. Frantz is a solid vertical athlete as he soared for some strong rebounds in traffic. His strength also allowed him to draw a handful of fouls on drives as he lives at the foul line. If Frantz can improve as a 3-point shooter, he should generate scholarship interest starting this summer.     One of the top players in Kentucky, Gay was productive at both ends of the court in a big rivalry game victory over Montgomery County. Keeping the game simple, most of Gay's buckets required zero dribbles to finish. Gay scored off a BLOB, a catch and shoot 3-pointer, a dunk and a layup from the dunker spot. Gay's athleticism was on full display in transition as a monster two-hand slam off a steal. I also liked a couple drive and kickouts Gay made throughout the game, playing under control on the offensive end. Expect Gay to add to his Division I offer list this summer.     In a rowdy road environment you need your seniors to step up and make plays to calm the rest of the team down and that's what Ashford did on Thursday. Getting to the paint, Ashford wasn't able to be contained from the point of attack all night long. Ashford's quick hands also forced a couple turnovers which he quickly turned into transition layup opportunities. Despite his lack of size, Ashford had some crafty finishes around shot blockers throughout the night. Overall just a steady performance from a senior guard who has played in a ton of big games.     A new name for myself, I was immediately impressed with Johnson's frame and quick first step off the dribble. Athletically, Johnson matches up with just about any team in the state from the wing guard position and he made some strong finishes off cuts in this game. Also knocking down a time and space 3-pointer, Johnson is a guy you can't leave open on the perimeter. Having tough role guys who impact the game without scoring is so crucial for top high school programs.     Terry made a big impact offensively for Montgomery County, scoring some tough buckets in the paint. To start the game Terry got his own miss and put it right back up and in. Later in the first quarter, Terry had a quick rip and go finish off the dribble and followed that up with a lefty post finish. When Terry catches the ball in the short corner he can hit the baseline jumper or attack off the bounce and score. In the second half, Terry had a huge slam dunk where he drove right down Broadway. One of the most productive players in the 2028 class in Kentucky, Terry has continued his ascension this season after winning a 15 U 3SSB title with [program_tooltip program_id='2076317' first='Midwest' last='Basketball Club 3SSB'] in the summer.     Another new name for myself, Gentry shot the ball with extreme confidence on Thursday night, knocking down a handful of 3-pointers off the catch. When Montgomery County broke the full court pressure George Rogers Clark threw at them, they looked at Gentry on the wing to knock down jumpers before the defense could set up in the half-court. Gentry also liked his left hand on finishes at the rim and made a clutch bucket off a DHO in the fourth quarter. Impressive overall showing from Gentry on Thursday night.

I attended two games this week, Sidney Lehman Catholic @ Urbana and George Rogers Clark @ Montgomery County. In this article I'll break down my standout performers from these two games.