Oak Hills Summer Shootout Forward Standouts

The Oak Hills Summer Shootout brought out some of the best teams from Cincinnati and northern Kentucky to compete in one of the best annual events in June that Ohio has to offer. In this article I'll break down the forward standouts I caught on Thursday.    Brecount is one of the fastest risers in Kentucky's 2027 class as he's improving rapidly and gaining confidence in the process. Covington Catholic ran some excellent sets where Brecount just had to catch and finish wide open on the right block for easy layups. Brecount also had some tougher left-handed finishes at the rim, including one off a quick dribble move that flashed his skill level. Really exciting to see a player go from an end of the rotation type player to one season later being a guy the team relies on at both ends of the court.     Fresh off a baseball state championship where he was the winning pitcher, McGeady showed no rust on the hardwood on Thursday. The physical wing forward knocked down around five 3-pointers in the game I caught as his quick release allowed him to rise up and fire away even when closely guarded by the defense. McGeady physically had advantages over younger and smaller defenders and when he can lower his shoulder on drives, he's tough to stop. Impressive multi-sport athlete from Cincinnati and his experience on the hardwood will only help him on the diamond as well.     Another GCL-South standout, Galbreath played tough and physical in a fun battle between Elder and Summit Country Day. Galbreath is a lefty forward who looked to seal his defender and catch passes over the top of the defense to score in the paint. Elder wins off physicality, toughness and defense and Galbreath certainly isn't shy about making contact off the ball at both ends of the court whether it's chucking a cutter, playing help-side defense as a rim protector, setting a screen or crashing the offensive glass. Galbreath's season ended after just six games last season and could be a surprise breakout candidate with a full senior season.     Taft has a bit of a new look team and Jackson stands tall in the middle for them on both ends of the court. A bigger bodied post player, Jackson showed the ability to catch and finish at the rim, or make basic reads as a passer in the middle of the court. With upside thanks to his height and frame, Jackson physically looks like an impact player. Hoping to see Jackson become more physical off the ball and embrace contact, Jackson has the physical tools to be a dominant rebounder with more aggression off the ball. A name to track in the Cincinnati City League over the next two years, Jackson will be one to watch.     McNicholas has a deep roster this season and Gunter is the biggest man on the team standing at 6'8 and taking up a lot of space in the paint. I thought Gunter showed soft touch at the rim with a few friendly rolls on layup and mid-range shots. Gunter takes up a ton of space in the paint and can be a deterrent from opposing teams to try and score at the rim when he's around the basket. His body size also could make him a good screener, running actions to try and free up star shooter [player_tooltip player_id='2222756' first='Grant' last='Waters']. McNicholas has the roster to contend for a GCL Co-Ed title and Gunter is a nice option that not every team will have a match-up for.     Last but not least, the lefty Courtney had a big day shooting the basketball for a Covington Catholic team that can put up points in a hurry. Playing best off the catch, Courtney benefits from quick ball movement and floor spacing provided by his guard teammates. A multi-sport athlete for the Colonels, Courtney has the size and frame to make an impact athletically when he attacks downhill and defends multiple positions on the hardwood. With his positional size, perimeter shooting, strong frame and athleticism, Courtney looks like a potential priority small college target on the hardwood and on a Covington Catholic team that graduated a lot of senior production, he's going to have the opportunity to stand out for a program that expects to remain at the top of the ninth region and pushing for a run at Rupp Arena.

The Oak Hills Summer Shootout brought out some of the best teams from Cincinnati and northern Kentucky to compete in one of the best annual events in June that Ohio has to offer. In this article I'll break down the forward standouts I caught on Thursday.