Buckeye State Bash: Saturday Afternoon 17 U Standouts

The Prep Hoops Circuit made a stop in Columbus this weekend and in this article I'll break down the standout performers from Saturday afternoon's 17 U action.    The glue who holds his team together and contributes to winning no matter what team he plays on, Haney just makes winning plays whenever he steps on the court. An old school point guard, Haney controls the tempo, plays physical on both ends of the court and sets the table for his teammates to score. A favorite among college coaches due to his tenacity and winning mentality, I'd expect Haney's recruitment to spike from now through the end of July.     A player who seems to get better every time he steps on the floor, Kolar has continued to produce for Midwest Basketball Club MHC at a high level this spring. Doing a better job being tougher and playing through contact, Kolar has the size, length and explosiveness to score consistently at the rim when he gets a head of steam. If Kolar is also knocking down jumpers he becomes an extremely tough player to defend and his confidence seems to improve after each time I watch him. A prospect who is still just scratching the surface of his ability, Kolar is going to look like a very different player a few years from now with continued focus on skill development and in the weight room.     Filling in this weekend for an injured player, Cochran was dominant on the interior as he was an efficient play finisher in the paint. When Cochran catches and goes up on balance he almost always scores at the rim given his height advantage. Add in the fact that Cochran is a fluid open court athlete and a capable shooter for his size and it's not a surprise that Division I schools have been closely monitoring his development. The live period weekends in May, June and July will be important for Cochran to show his defensive versatility and play with toughness as the offensive upside isn't hard to spot.     Putting the team on his back for long stretches of the game, Bellisari is criminally underrated in our 2027 rankings and due for a huge leap during our next update. A monster athlete, Bellisari plays with so much explosiveness and power and attacks passes like a wide receiver or safety that makes him a Division I football commit to Miami (OH). If Bellisari is knocking down 3-point shots like he usually connects from the mid-range then he is a no brainer scholarship target on the hardwood if basketball was his primary focus. Really enjoyable athlete to watch compete and despite me not knowing anything about football recruiting, I'd bet on him having a very successful college career.     Knocking down some clutch shots from the perimeter, the lefty wing forward doesn't care if you have a hand in his face when he goes up. With good positional size, Frey can shoot over smaller defenders and his quick release means he doesn't need much time or space. His teammates did a nice job of finding him when he was open, especially in transition, and Frey rewarded them with assists. A new name to add to our 2027 rankings during the next update, Frey is a solid small college recruiting target for regional programs to check out if they want a 6'4 wing forward shooter.     Ohio Gold picked up a blowout win over the Kentucky Defenders and it was in large part due to the play of Owens. A throwback forward, Owens wanted to operate with his back to the basket and used the spin move to shake free of his defenders in the paint. That spin move paired well with Owens ability to hit fallaway jumpers and he also made a couple nice passes once the defense tried to send double teams to slow him down. Impressive forward for regional small college programs to check out from the Akron / Canton area.

The Prep Hoops Circuit made a stop in Columbus this weekend and in this article I'll break down the standout performers from Saturday afternoon's 17 U action.