Top Performers from Cleveland Play by Play Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cleveland Play by Play Classic brought out lots of the top talent from northeast Ohio for an action-packed day of basketball at John Carroll. In this article I'll break down the top performers from the Cleveland Play by Play Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432034"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"In an up-tempo game where shots weren't falling for either side from downtown, it was the size and rebounding edge that pushed Saint Ignatius to a comfortable victory over a talented Brunswick squad. Friery used his length and height advantage to extend past rim protectors and scored a couple second chance points buckets as well. Having all the tools to play high major basketball, becoming more consistent in his production and making more toughness plays are key areas of improvement for Friery. On Sunday, he grabbed a handful of offensive rebounds and finished well in the paint. Combine that with his lateral movement with his length and a corner 3-pointer to extend the Wildcats lead to 17 points in the fourth quarter and Friery was an easy choice for game MVP.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1705948"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Scoring 26 efficient points to lead his team to another win over a prep school powerhouse, [player_tooltip player_id='1705948' first='Marcus' last='Johnson'] is playing like one of the top players in the state regardless of class. A big time shot maker, Johnson started the game with an and-1 mid-range look and continued to make tough shots from the perimeter. An aspect of his game that's taken a leap this year is his in-between game. Johnson was able to knock down floaters and kept defenders on his back once he gained an advantage. Combine that with his touch on a reverse layup and Johnson was able to finish against three high major forwards trying to protect the rim. It's still early in the season but Garfield Heights and Saint Ignatius might be separating themselves from the pack in Division I.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1421143"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"25 points against a prep school with two Marquette commits and a top 50 Junior in the frontcourt, DeAndre Jones continued growth makes him a potential steal for Kent State. Continuing his upward trajectory that really started in July, Jones is a prospect who continues to improve his skills and production. I was really impressed with how aggressive Jones was with his back to the basket, getting to the left-hand hook and using a variety of post moves to keep the defense guessing. Combine that with the handful of jumpers he made and a couple powerful dunks on the fast break and Jones was highly impactful on the offensive end.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1432035"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Despite the loss, Bundalo continues to show why he's regarded as the top Ohio prospect in the 2025 class (removing players who left the state for prep programs) at the moment. A very athletic forward who can stretch the floor with his jumper and attack the basket by using both hands to finish at the rim, Bundalo can score it in a variety of ways. Maybe the highlight of the game was a Bundalo slam dunk all over a Garfield Heights defender. Recently took a visit to UCLA, Bundalo's recruitment continues to spike with blue blood and elite high major offers and interest.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1222354"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"If Mr Basketball was handed out today, McCulloch would be the easy choice to win the award after another dominant performance against one of the top teams in the state at a showcase event. Scoring efficiently with his back to the basket, McCulloch can use a variety of fakes and post moves to get easy looks in the paint. A pick and pop 3-pointer at the first half horn sent the Falcons into the locker room with some momentum and they continued to build their lead in the second half thanks to continued production from McCulloch and guards [player_tooltip player_id='1955296' first='Anthony' last='Bruce'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2144496' first='Chris' last='Hill']. The Falcons look like the clear favorite in Division III to repeat after winning this battle of defending state champions.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-659c2271bb1f5"} /-->