Xavier Saturday District Finals 2028-29 Standouts

The Cintas Center on the campus of the Xavier University hosted five playoff games on Saturday March 7th, in this article I'll break down my 2028-2029 standouts from that action.    When you look at Ball's frame, it's not surprising he already holds multiple FBS offers on the gridiron. An explosive athlete with an excellent frame, Ball is a monster rebounder and defender. In the fourth quarter, Ball took over with multiple two-hand jams off two-feet and an intentional foul prevented a third. Efficient from the floor, Ball was four of five from the floor and secured a team high six rebounds. While his collegiate future is on the gridiron, Ball is a dynamic high school basketball player who will be a force for the next couple of seasons.     One of the better games I saw from Smith, he came out of the gates aggressive with an early 3-pointer, a floater off a closeout attack and an impressive skip pass to a shooter after an offensive rebound. When Lakota East took a lead in the third quarter, Smith had an and-1 putback layup to send the Thunderhawks fans into a frenzy. Leading his team in scoring, rebounding and fouls drawn, Smith certainly was up for the challenge against a physical Oak Hills team. With Smith and [player_tooltip player_id='2422124' first='Brady' last='Bowman'] returning from the 2028 class next season, there's optimism Lakota East can win a district next season.     It's very rare for a freshman to start at Moeller but the Crusaders have two this year with Davis and [player_tooltip player_id='2965216' first='Carson' last='Trenz'] making waves as a freshman. An elite athlete and defender, Davis had some unbelievable contested rebounds and steals. Davis highlight of the game came on a drive where he faked a pass and threw down a slam dunk in one quick, fluid move. Expect to hear Davis name a bunch around the Cincinnati the next few years due to his talents on the gridiron and hardwood.     In the first meeting between these teams, Mercer was recovering from an injury. Back fully healthy tonight, Mercer's athleticism and defensive ability was the difference as he had multiple steals in the Vikings full court press and had a couple of dunks that brought Vike Nation to their feet. Returning to the OHSAA so he can make a playoff run like this, the Vikings have a real shot to end their season in Dayton.     I was so impressed with the intangibles Johnson-Perdomo showed on Saturday night, displaying toughness and a winning attitude that will allow him to go far in his basketball career. Obviously, he's one of the more skilled point guards in Ohio's 2028 class, but I was so impressed with the leadership he showed and he made plays that didn't show up in the stat sheet. Combine that with some silky drives to the rim and a nasty pull-up 3-pointer when the game was slipping away in the fourth and Johnson-Perdomo ends his sophomore season on a high note individually for a Hamilton program that returns a decent core for next season.

The Cintas Center on the campus of the Xavier University hosted five playoff games on Saturday March 7th, in this article I'll break down my 2028-2029 standouts from that action.