Detroit Catholic League Tournament: Guard Standouts

I attended the opening round of the Detroit Catholic League tournament at Marian High School, getting the chance to see the five Detroit schools and the three Toledo schools in the conference. In this article I'll break down the guard standouts from the day of hoops.    Detroit Catholic Central had no trouble blowing out their opening round opponent, Warren De La Salle to open tournament action. McCree is a lefty guard who attacked closeouts and had a sweet putback dunk. McCree is a capable shooter from the outside. Detroit Catholic Central now gets the challenge of facing Brother Rice in the semifinals of the tournament.     McDaniel played a key role in Brother Rice's victory, playing the game just across the parking lot from their high school. An incredibly skilled guard, McDaniel was able to get where he wanted to off the dribble and made some impressive perimeter shots. I was very impressed with McDaniel's ball skills, quickly gaining control of the basketball to push it up the court and able to change directions quickly on the ball. McDaniel also made himself available after his taller teammates secured offensive rebounds, scoring a few times off second chance opportunities. Defensively, McDaniel wants to guard the opposing ball handler and try and force turnovers. Very impressive freshman point guard who has an extremely bright future and is already impactful against top high school teams in the region.     One of the top athletes in the 2028 class from Ohio, Poellnitz III is very tough to stay in front of off the dribble. Wanting to get to his right hand whenever possible, Poellnitz III scored a majority of his points off the dribble with his right hand. Knocking down floaters and 6-12 foot pull-ups, Poellnitz III did a nice job of scoring over shot blockers. If Poellnitz III improves as a perimeter shooter and with his left hand, he'll be even tougher to stop. One of the most naturally talented guards in Ohio's 2028 class, Poellnitz III is a Division I target who could blow up this summer.     I was really impressed with how tough Orchard Lake St Mary's played, getting an upset win over Toledo Central Catholic in the 2 Vs 7 seed game of the tournament. Hines is the engine that makes Orchard Lake St Mary's go, getting to the paint off the dribble, hitting kickouts to shooters, knocking down floaters. When Orchard Lake St Mary's needed a bucket in the half court, Hines was the one making plays for himself or others. As just a sophomore, it's impressive that he's been able to take command of the offense for such a storied program.     I caught Toledo Central Catholic earlier in the year in a tight loss to Lima Sr and Wardrop was out for that game. Seeing the Irish on Saturday, you could immediately tell the difference he makes for his team with the gravity as a shooter and athleticism he provides as a Division I baseball commit. Wardrop blocked a 3-pointer, had some strong rebounds and had a handful of assists as a secondary playmaker. Despite struggling as a perimeter shooter on Saturday, Wardrop's impact was noticeable and his addition back to the lineup makes Toledo Central Catholic a state title threat in Division III.

I attended the opening round of the Detroit Catholic League tournament at Marian High School, getting the chance to see the five Detroit schools and the three Toledo schools in the conference. In this article I'll break down the guard standouts from the day of hoops.