Thursday / Friday Night Standouts

With all the snow this week I was only able to get out to games on Thursday and Friday night but that still gave me the opportunity to see two competitive matchups with Marion Harding traveling to Ontario and Medina traveling to Cleveland Heights for conference battles.    The best player on the court on Thursday night, Braddy as just a freshman helped guide his team to a crucial victory in a tough road environment. Braddy is an excellent ball handler with the ability to attack going either direction off the dribble. Despite being a lefty jump-shooter, Braddy is much more confident finishing with his right hand at the rim. Braddy had multiple and-1 finishes in the second half and helped beat the press so his teammates could score in advantageous positions. Lots of on ball talent for Braddy as just a freshman, if he continues to develop his frame and become a more consistent outside shooter, he can take his game to the next level over the next few seasons.     A disappointing loss for Ontario who were without 2028 forward [player_tooltip player_id='2525631' first='Trey' last='Remy'], Brown stood out as a primary creator for his team. Able to get downhill going left, Brown really only showed the ability to attack with his dominant hand. An impressive jump passer, Brown confused the defense a handful of times with the jump pass, finding a cutter for an easy layup. Multiple breakaway layups off steals, Ontario is at their best when they can turn defense into fast break offensive opportunities with Brown and [player_tooltip player_id='2529515' first='Trindon' last='Flenoury'] each averaging a couple of steals per game. Hoping to see Brown start to show the ability to attack with his right hand the next time I see him, it would make him tougher to stop in the halfcourt.     Cleveland Heights got a gritty conference win to avenge a loss earlier in the season and Blue made some key plays in the victory. Slashing to the paint with success, Blue could catch on the wing or baseline and attack in a straight line to the rim and score thanks to his quick first step and size. A circus shot off an offensive rebound in the third quarter and a timely 3-pointer in the fourth quarter were both big swings of momentum in favor of the Tigers on Friday night. Blue should be on small college radars due to his ability to rebound, run the court and produce in one of the best leagues in Ohio.     A long-term prospect who has exciting flashes, Stephens is a prospect who looks like he could boom in the next two to three years. Moving at a different tempo than anybody else on the court, Stephens has a sudden burst to his game in the open court and I liked how he put pressure on the rim in transition as a ball handler. Showing passing flashes as well, Stephens had a sick drift pass to the corner that led to free throws. To end the game Stephens threw down an alley-oop dunk that got the Cleveland Heights fans going crazy. I think Stephens could really thrive at the JUCO level and wind up being a scholarship level prospect with some continued development.     The most consistent offensive force for Medina on Friday was Myers, as the Bees were again without star big man [player_tooltip player_id='3269122' first='Lucas' last='Hogan'] due to injury. Myers has soft touch in the paint and scored off set plays, simple catch and finishes and a BLOB set. Also showcasing some ball handling ability, there were possessions where Myers would get Medina into their offense in the halfcourt. Myers length also allows him to make an impact as a rim protector, swatting away a shot and altering a couple more. Myers should be a target for regional Division III programs as he checks a lot of boxes for a 6'5 forward.

With all the snow this week I was only able to get out to games on Thursday and Friday night but that still gave me the opportunity to see two competitive matchups with Marion Harding traveling to Ontario and Medina traveling to Cleveland Heights for conference battles.