Run N Slam: Saturday Evening Standouts

The Run N Slam is always one of the most competitive events in the midwest each spring and in this article I'll break down my Saturday evening standouts from the final games of pool play.    I enjoyed watching NW Ohio 17 U as they had a handful of new names who project to be small college targets, including Jones. The wing was an excellent passer, making some nice outlet passes to start transition opportunities as well as swinging the rock across the court during halfcourt situations Vs a zone defense. Jones displayed an advanced feel for the game and finished well at the rim with a circus shot falling that made the defense toss their hands in the air not knowing how to stop him. Last high school season Jones did a bit of everything for Allen East, leading them in rebounding, assists and blocks. That utility style of play has translated well with nothing but all-conference talent teaming up for NW Ohio on the grassroots scene.     Van Wert has a nice core returning for next season and Bragg stood out with his ability to play in the middle against a zone defense on Saturday. NW Ohio did a nice job of finding Bragg where he could either finish strong in the paint or kickout to a shooter once all the zone defense eyes started staring at him. Bragg did a nice job getting back to his right hand to finish at the rim and played through contact well. Bragg's efficiency shined on Saturday after he shot over 60% on 2-pointers and 40% on 3-pointers for Van Wert as a Junior. Another small college target on this NW Ohio squad that has won a lot of grassroots games together.     Ohio Champion got a huge win to close pool play over Gateway Knights that was fueled by Elwer. In overtime, Elwer scored four straight on two separate trips to the foul line including the game-winning free throws with 2.5 seconds left. Elwer is a high IQ player who doesn't turn the ball over, plays at his own pace and makes toughness plays on both ends. Elwer had a couple nice finishes where he hung in the air and avoided a shot blocker in this game, showing what he's capable of doing with the ball in his hands. I expect scholarship programs to make Elwer a priority to see throughout the rest of the summer with Ohio Champion.     One of my favorite games of the weekend was [program_tooltip program_id='2075761' first='Ohio' last='Buckets'] Black 16 U giving Meanstreets all they could handle in a thrilling back and forth contest. [program_tooltip program_id='2075761' first='Ohio' last='Buckets'] Black had a very balanced effort so it was tough to pick individual standouts but I went with Hall as my first because of his pace on the ball as a ball handler combined with his set shooting ability. Hall handled the pressure Meanstreets threw at him well and had a confident coast to coast take. It seems like every few years Willard has a very skilled offensive wing and Hall is the next in line after averaging over 20 points per game as a sophomore and was named second team all-state for Division V.     The smallest player on the court in the game I saw lit a spark for his team with back-to-back wing 3-pointers to help [program_tooltip program_id='2075761' first='Ohio' last='Buckets'] Black only trail by one at halftime against Meanstreets. Obergefell flew around the court and was simply a pest to the other team with his constant pressure and he annoyed the Meanstreets players with his swiping at the ball and dribble drive pressure. When Obergefell got to the lane he usually made the smart play which was look for shooters after their defenders collapsed onto him. After helping Perkins make the state semifinals last season, Obergefell is now an experienced leader heading into his junior season with the Pirates.

The Run N Slam is always one of the most competitive events in the midwest each spring and in this article I'll break down my Saturday evening standouts from the final games of pool play.