Buckeye State Bash Sunday Afternoon Standouts

The Prep Hoops Circuit made a stop in Columbus this weekend and in this article I'll break down the afternoon standouts I caught to wrap up the weekend's action.    A power athlete from the wing guard position, Graham has the physical strength to bully defenders when he drives to the rim. With a lot of talent with the ball in his hands, Graham can change pace and directions on the ball and found success driving to his left on Sunday. While he can sometimes be out of control on the ball, Graham's steady dribble drive attacking style is tough to stop for defenses as he is not going to slow down when attacking the rim. One of the most productive scorers in the Toledo area, Graham is a name to watch for regional small college programs.     I really liked Wortham's style of play as he did an excellent job of playing off two feet on drives, a crucial skill for guards who finish below the rim. Also applying tough on-ball defense, Wortham can turn over lazy ball handlers with his pressure. Mixing it up in the paint, Wortham had multiple putback layups despite being one of the smallest players on the court.     Playing up an age group, Barringer is a strong wing athlete who doesn't look out of place at all on the 17 U level. Barringer hit one set 3-pointer early in the game and used that to force hard closeouts when he caught the ball that allowed him to pump fake and drive to score at the rim. I like that Barringer is playing up and being tested against similar level athletes with this [program_tooltip program_id='2075517' first='Hopson' last='Elite'] 17 U group.     This Midwest Pumas squad has a lot of shooters and Mostert stood out on a balanced attack that saw a handful of players reach double-figures in scoring. With good positional size from the wing, Mostert wants to space the floor from the outside and launch away from 3-point range. Able to hit shots off one to two dribble pull-ups, Mostert was his most efficient when he shot after two dribbles or less. Next time I see Mostert play, I want to see him make a bigger defensive impact with his frame and length. Small college target from central Ohio to check out as a wing shooter.     Filling in and playing up two age groups, Cochran got to experience some 17 U physicality that should make returning to 15 U a breeze for the rest of the spring. Cochran had a couple rebounds in the paint and scored while moving without the ball, playing off some stud rising seniors to get open looks. Once Cochran continues to get stronger and mature he projects to be another top prospect for Dublin Coffman thanks to his impressive skill level considering his size and age. Long term name to track in central Ohio!     Putting in work on the interior, Lee has soft hands and isn't afraid to be physical when he catches and looks to finish in the paint. Lee used his strong shoulders to avoid being blocked at the rim and did a nice job as a helpside rim protector. Having some big games as a sophomore for a Grandview Heights squad that made a nice postseason run, Lee should be one of the top players in the conference next season based on what I saw on Sunday.     The Westerville rivals of Hopkins and [player_tooltip player_id='3633405' first='Aiden' last='Javier'] provided excellent production for the Ohio Saints 16 U backcourt as Hopkins knocked down some tough 3-pointers in the game I caught. Maybe the highlight of the day came when Hopkins made three straight between the legs dribble moves before confidently pulling up from a few feet behind the line for a triple. In the second half, Hopkins had a sweet and-1 reverse layup and made a nice jump pass to a shooter. Playing for such a deep high school program Hopkins will be ready when his time comes to play in the big games Westerville North has over the next two years.     Ryze 16 U had a solid weekend going 2-2 against some tough competition. Tercius was my favorite player on their team as he did an excellent job crashing the offensive glass from the perimeter and getting easy looks at the rim. Later in the first half Tercius was trailing the fast break when the ball found him for an easy floater. Tercius also knocked down a 3-pointer off a BLOB set for his team. Look out for this Ryze 16 U squad at future Prep Hoops Circuit events because they have some intriguing central Ohio talent!

The Prep Hoops Circuit made a stop in Columbus this weekend and in this article I'll break down the afternoon standouts I caught to wrap up the weekend's action.