Chipotle Nationals Thursday Wing / Forward Standouts

Chipotle Nationals featured four quarterfinal battles on Thursday night at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. In this article I'll break down the wing / forward standouts from the action.    Winning the game with a breakaway dunk at the buzzer to stun Prolific Prep, Daniels made a big impact throughout the game to help Montverde move on to the semis. Daniels finished one point short of a double-double but made his biggest impact as a rim protector. Daniels blocked a pair of shots and altered numerous others. Despite being undersized, Daniels is a quick leaper which allows him to contest layups and dunks whenever he's around the basket.     Branch had a big first half with a couple mid-range buckets and also getting to the rim off the dribble. When Montverde went into a 2-3 zone for a possession, Branch also scored off a quick hitter action for a layup. I wish Branch could've gotten more looks in the second half as Prolific struggled to get easy looks all game long.     The growth Osaruyi has made this year has been significant and he stood out Vs Paul VI with 21 points on 8/14 shooting by being aggressive around the rim. I liked that Osaruyi is using his frame and playing through contact with his impressive wingspan and physical tools around the rim. In the fourth quarter, Osaruyi had a couple monster dunks to put the game away and help CIA Bella Vista advance.     Henry is a player I've seen since before his freshman year in Ohio and he has taken significant strides in his game the past few years. I think maybe the biggest aspect of his game that's improved has been his interior scoring. Becoming a willing cutter off the ball, not getting pushed off his driving angle and finishing with both hands, Henry got some easy ones at the rim to help improve the floor of what his offensive production can be. While I liked him showing me the basics, Henry also had a nasty pull-up 3-pointer and led the game in rebounds with 10. One of the top wings in the 2027 class nationally, Henry is on a significant upward trajectory right now.     One of the top prospects nationally in the 2027 class certainly looked the part on Thursday evening with a dominant performance to help Dynamic Prep advance to the semis. Spears Jr started the game aggressive by catching the ball in the mid-post area and going to work. When Spears can get going from the right side of the rim to his left hand, it's usually a bucket. Spears Jr's touch has improved significantly with multiple baseline mid-range jumpers and going 9/10 from the free throw line. Each time I watch Spears Jr he has improved in some aspect and that's why he's a top prospect nationally in the class of 2027.

Chipotle Nationals featured four quarterfinal battles on Thursday night at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. In this article I'll break down the wing / forward standouts from the action.