Mike's Weekly Underclassmen Standouts

This week I attended three standalone games, Christian Academy of Louisville @ Louisville Ballard, Campbell County @ Covington Holy Cross and Cincinnati Princeton Vs Lakota West at Cintas Center. In this article I'll break down the upperclassmen standouts from these games.    Flat out, Grivna had maybe the best performance I've ever seen a freshman in Kentucky have in my almost 4 years of scouting the state's top talent. Grivna had a handful of dunks, with a few coming off quick spin moves in the post that left the defense in the dust. Knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, Grivna can make you pay if you give him time and space beyond the arc. With excellent hands and patient moves with his back to the basket, Grivna plays the game with the polish and poise of a player much older than he is. While it's very early for 2029 prospects, Grivna looks like a high major target and a player who will be nationally ranked when those rankings are released by various outlets.     Knocking down shots off the catch with confidence, Woods nailed five 3-pointers and displayed his quick release. Working well off Grivna and [player_tooltip player_id='1359140' first='Cole' last='Edelen'], Woods plays a valuable role for a Ballard team that should contend for a regional title. Hoping to see Woods become more confident as a ball handler and creator for others as he matures but already being able to play a valuable role for one of the best teams in Louisville is quite impressive for the freshman wing guard.     Cook showed why he's regarded as one of the top wings in the Midwest from the class of 2028. Making a big defensive impact, Cook jumped a couple passing lanes and blocked a 3-pointer. I liked that Cook was using his length and athleticism to make impact plays on the defensive end of the court. Offensively, Cook struggled early to make shots from the perimeter and had a couple early turnovers, but found his rhythm as the game continued with a 18-footer to end the first quarter, a top of the key 3-pointer and a couple of buckets in the paint Vs a zone defense. I want to see Cook get stronger with the ball in his hands and show confidence in the triple threat as an attacker. The potential is all there for Cook to be regarded as one of the top wings in the country for his grade if he continues to develop the offensive side of the court.     Howard impressed me as a utility wing who rebounded the basketball at a high level. Howard has solid length and a sturdy frame, able to handle physicality at both ends of the court. That strength allowed him to finish an and-1 layup and he also used pivots well to create space to score in the paint. An inconsistent perimeter shooter, Howard knocked down an early above the break 3-pointer but that was the only made 3-pointer of the five he attempted on Tuesday night. This Christian Academy of Louisville squad has a lot of young talent and it will be exciting to watch them grow.     One of the most productive 2028 prospects in Kentucky, Davie was coming off a dominant 40 point and 16 rebound performance against Highlands in the best game of Davie's high school career. It sounds weird to say Davie was held to 27 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday but it did feel like Holy Cross made Davie work for almost every bucket he scored. Just a dominant physical presence against northern Kentucky programs, Davie is too big and strong for most players and has the skill to attack off the dribble and go around slower footed bigs. I love how Davie uses his left hand at the rim, being confident as a finisher with either hand. Davie only made two shots outside of 3 feet in this game, something he'll have to do more consistently on the 3SSB circuit this spring and summer when every team will have forwards who can physically compete with him. What I don't expect to change is Davie's ability to live at the free throw line, his aggressive nature of play puts a lot of pressure on the defense in the paint and Davie shot 11 free throws on Wednesday night in a tough road loss Vs a senior laden squad.     One of the biggest reasons why Lakota West won this game was the play of Richardson on both ends of the court. For starters, Richardson played tough on-ball defense and dove on the court for a steal that led to a breakaway layup for his team. Early in the game, Richardson blew by the defense with his left hand and had a tough finish at the rim. Another impressive play by Richardson was on a baseline drive where he took the contact and finished an and-1 layup. Despite being the smallest guy on the court, Richardson competed defensively, handled contact and didn't back down on either end of the court. After cramps caused him to miss some time in the fourth quarter, Richardson returned to the game to ice it from the foul line, going 4/4 in the final minute.     When Mercer came home to play for Princeton this season, I circled this game on my calendar as the game to watch him against the most comparable athletes and the best team in Ohio. After starting the game slow in the half-court, Mercer found his rhythm and was the reason why Princeton took a lead in the fourth quarter. Mercer had multiple impressive passes in this game, including a no-look assist Vs the Lakota West zone. The highlight of the game came when Mercer rose up for a monster slam dunk in transition to give the Vikings their only lead of the game. Mercer's athleticism and strong frame were on full display with some grown man rebounds and a two foot, two hand slam when he trailed a fast break. The number one 2028 prospect from Ohio has impressed in his return home, playing high school basketball in Ohio for the first time.

This week I attended three standalone games, Christian Academy of Louisville @ Louisville Ballard, Campbell County @ Covington Holy Cross and Cincinnati Princeton Vs Lakota West at Cintas Center. In this article I'll break down the upperclassmen standouts from these games.