Midwest Live: Friday 2027 Standouts

Midwest Live got underway on Friday night and there was intense action across the 10 courts, in this article we'll break down the 2027 standouts from the opening day of action.    My first game of the weekend was a east side of Cleveland battle between Brush and Mentor. In the exciting back and forth contest, guard play told the story. Dudley is a quick guard who showed the ability to make shots both off the catch and dribble with 3-pointers off pull-ups, DHO actions and spot-up attempts. Dudley also showed the ability to drive and kick to teammates, using his quickness to get around the primary defender. Brush has a lot of size to surround Dudley on the defensive end of the court, allowing him to gamble for steals with the assurance of length being behind him if he doesn't come up with the steal. With a nice blend of senior experience and young talent, Brush should be one of the better teams on the east side of Cleveland this year.     In a primetime match-up that brought out dozens of Division I coaches, Mack-Russell played arguably the best game of his career as he dropped an efficient 30 piece on Warren Lincoln in a battle of wings with high major interest. Mack-Russell shot the lights out from 3-point range in the first half and after the break got going downhill with multiple and-1 finishes and acrobatic layup attempts. Incredibly impressive performance by Mack-Russell in a showdown with another top prospect at his position, there was no doubt who got the win in that match-up as Mack-Russell was by far the most impactful player on the court in a comfortable Winton Woods victory.     I've seen Simpson a lot over the past 12 months and he's improved in multiple areas of the game but I was waiting for him to dominate a contest with other studs on the court. Simpson did just that on Friday afternoon as the rising senior was the most productive player in a contest that featured numerous Division I talents on the floor. Simpson is able to play on or off the ball and his ability to make shots off the catch was a key factor in the Spartans blowout win over Ferndale. Simpson made plays as a secondary facilitator as he had a couple cuts that led to kickout passes to shooters, attacked closeouts and used both the step through and the scoop finish to score at the rim. I had a couple low major Division I coaches reach out to me about Simpson from this weekend and based on how he played against Ferndale, I could see him getting offers at that level before the summer ends.     Moeller played some tough grind it out contests this weekend with some low scoring battles. I unfortunately caught their loss to East Kentwood on Friday but McQueen impressed as he scored around half of the points for the Crusaders. McQueen was fouled multiple times on drives to the basket, not afraid to go up at the rim and take the contact from bigger and stronger defenders. McQueen also knocked down three 3-pointers in the contest, including a tough pull-up late as Moeller was trying to stage a comeback. McQueen will be a crucial piece for Moeller this season as they have a lot of size and defensive ability, McQueen's shooting and off-ball gravity should allow for his bigs and slashers to have more room at the rim.     For a shorthanded Centerville team this weekend, Rohrer was doing a bit of everything for the Elks as he played harder than just about anybody I watched all weekend. Rohrer had multiple dimes in transition where he threaded the needle to a teammate for a fast break shot. Playing against one of the most athletic teams in the state, Rohrer used hesitation dribble moves to get past his defender and either dump off to an open teammate or go up at the rim. Rohrer just lifts the intensity of his team no matter the environment and seems like a prospect a college team won't ever be upset that they decided to add him to their roster.     I was talking with a handful of Division III coaches during the Massillon Washington Vs Centerville game and almost every one mentioned how impressed they were with Williams on Friday. The explosive combo guard had numerous transition buckets as his athletic advantages were on full display in the open court. Williams will have that advantage at the college level as it's tough to find guards with his acceleration on the ball. While those Division III coaches were certainly impressed with Williams, that also means scholarship programs should also be taking a look at this state champion guard.     Perkins was a man amongst boys in the paint as Lutheran East went 4-0 this weekend and picked up some statement wins over some of the top teams from Michigan. Perkins started the game off against Roseville with a quick six points as he crashes the offensive glass at a high level and makes himself available when his guards drive and dish to the paint. Nova Southeastern offered Perkins as former Division II national player of the year and fellow northeast Ohio native Rj Sunahara was impressed from the Sharks program that competes for national championships on a yearly basis. A lot of noise has been made about Lutheran East making the jump to Division I and their play this weekend shows they are ready to hang with the big boys.     I thought Friday's nightcap between Hilliard Bradley and Rockford was the best game I've seen Mirgon play all summer as his ability to set the table and make shots off the catch were both very valuable in a battle between state title contenders. Mirgon limits turnovers from the point guard position and loves the physicality that was brought to that game. Mirgon holds a handful of mid-major offers and had a few of those coaches watching him this weekend up in Sandusky.

Midwest Live got underway on Friday night and there was intense action across the 10 courts, in this article we'll break down the 2027 standouts from the opening day of action.