Saturday Afternoon Ohio / Kentucky 3SSB Standouts

I was in Mishawaka, Indiana all weekend for the 3SSB live period event and in this article I'll break down my Ohio and Kentucky standouts from 3SSB action on Saturday afternoon.    A big weekend for Washington who scored 18 points in a win over Game Elite and 17 points in a win over Breakaway. Washington is lightning quick at the point of attack and the CMAC Red offensive player of the year found success using that quickness on the ball to get by his primary defender and make plays as a scorer or playmaker for his teammates. When Washington is knocking down shots from the outside he has the ability to put up points in a hurry. If Washington can prevent being blocked at the rim by bigger rim protectors, then his efficiency will improve as he can generate easy looks with his on-ball ability. Name for scholarship programs to check out during the June live periods.     A solid weekend for Keely who is a flat out junk yard dog out on the court. Keely rebounds well for his size and competes for every rebound and loose ball. Able to score as a cutter at the rim, Keely does a nice job of moving without the basketball. Defensively, Keely is active and can switch onto guard players 1-4 positionally with confidence. If Keely can consistently make shots on the outside then he will be able to find a role at the college level due to his motor, athleticism and intangibles from the wing.     A huge weekend for Phenom United 16 U as they had some statement wins and Coffey was leading the charge for their group all weekend. One of the top slashers in Ohio, Coffey is tough to stop when he gets downhill due to his strong shoulders and legs that allow him to take contact on drives and finish at the rim through contact. Working on developing his 3-point shot, Coffey had a couple games this weekend where he really shot the ball at a high level for his group. Coffey also made some impressive baseline drive and kick passes to shooters that generated good looks for guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2353996' first='Kaylen' last='Brooks'] who shot the ball well from 3-point range this weekend. Expect Coffey's recruitment to spike with Phenom United in July and Lakota East in June playing alongside fellow top guard [player_tooltip player_id='2422124' first='Brady' last='Bowman'].     Mayes opened the weekend with a 22 point performance in a win over Lu Dort Brookwood Elite and while I didn't get to catch that game, he stood out in the game I caught as Tennessee Impact 15 U defeated KL Power 5. Mayes showed the ability to play slow and under control with the ball in his hands, using his size as a taller primary ball handler to shield himself from defenders and get to his spots. Able to make the simple passes to his teammates, Mayes helped generate good looks on a team that shared the basketball well. Add in the fact Mayes played disciplined defense and forced some turnovers with opposing guards attempting to drive into traffic against him. Already ranked as a top 10 prospect in Kentucky's 2029 class, Mayes certainly showed why he is regarded as one of the top guards in the state for his grade.     A big weekend for Gunther as the Wildcat Select point guard had some big scoring games against top competition. One of the most intense battles I saw all weekend was Wildcat Select Vs Compton Magic and Gunther helped his undersized and undermanned Wildcat Select team take it to overtime Vs the favorites to win the 3SSB circuit at the 17 U level. Gunther is so skilled with the ball in his hands and is able to change speeds on the ball in an instant. Able to generate tough jumpers out of isolation and pick and roll situations, Gunther's scoring at the end of shot clock situations helped save Wildcat Select in a few instances. Recently offered and taken a visit to Cal Baptist, Gunther has a handful of regional programs also heavily recruiting him at the mid-major level.     Another guard for Wildcat Select who was one of the top scorers in their state during the high school season, Brown was getting buckets at a high level this weekend against top competition. Such an impressive driver of the basketball, Brown is so skilled with how he avoids shot blockers and uses either hand to score below the rim against shot blockers. Brown also has the quickness and athleticism to turn opposing guards over and get easy transition looks off his steals. A pure competitor from the point guard position who can get to the lane at will, Brown should be a target for regional Division I programs this summer.

I was in Mishawaka, Indiana all weekend for the 3SSB live period event and in this article I'll break down my Ohio and Kentucky standouts from 3SSB action on Saturday afternoon.