Lima Mega Scrimmage: Forward Standouts

The Lima Mega Scrimmage featured 17 teams from Ohio and neighboring states with top quality talent on each roster. In this article I'll break down my six forward standouts I caught throughout the day.    I like what Kelly brings to the table as a physical forward with a high IQ and relentless motor. Kelly was overpowering defenders in the paint and uses pivots to create angles to score at the rim. I also like Kelly's playmaking from the forward position, with impressive vision to scan the court and find the open man. Kelly fits the physical style of GCL-South basketball perfectly and should play a major role for the Crusaders this winter.     A prospect who continues to improve each time I see him, Abraham did a dirty work at an impressive rate on Saturday. Cleaning up at both ends of the court on the glass and using active hands on defense for steals and blocks, Abraham was utilizing his physical tools. Add in a couple rebounds where Abraham wasn't able to secure the basketball but still tapped it out to a teammate and those types of selfless plays stood out for a prospect who is going to be fighting for minutes in a crowded Moeller frontcourt. Moeller also ran a zone defense at times on Saturday and Abraham used his length as a deterrent for drivers coming down the lane. Abraham is a prospect who college coaches should get very familiar with this summer.     Jonathan Alder has a nice mix of 2028 talent and upperclassmen ready to lead the team to contention in Division IV. Playing some tough teams on Saturday, Jonathan Alder got pushed to the limit heading into the season. I liked what I saw from Byerly as a playmaker out of the post, making some nice passes with his back to the basket and beating double teams by finding cutters. Also used as a screen setter, when Byerly puts on more weight it'll be even tougher for defenses to get around him either on pin down or pick and roll actions. The next step for Byerly will be to consistently score in the paint with a smaller defender on him, if he can use his size to score at the rim he will be a dominant force at the high school level.     A prospect who has gotten a lot of buzz over the past couple months, this was my first chance to watch Stearns and safe to say he impressed with his performance on both ends of the court. The first thing you notice about Stearns is his impressive motor on the defensive end of the court, rotating as a helpside rim protector and looking for somebody to box out when a shot goes up. A prospect who shows a lot of emotion, Stears isn't afraid to let the opponents know what's up after a big time blocked shot or bucket at the rim. Stears size and physicality will be a huge help for Lima Senior when they run up against some slower teams who want to grind it out in the half court.     Reynoldsburg is back again this season with their pair of Ohio commits leading the way as seniors. I liked how assertive Bowens was in both games I saw as he was aggressive getting to the paint and scoring over smaller defenders at the rim. If you don't have somebody that's a similar size to Bowens, he will feast on the glass and score consistently in the paint until you stop him. While seeing his motor run hot and production stand out, I want to see Bowens have that same type of production when similar sized players are defending him. That's the next step he has to take before starting his college career in the MAC where every team will have similarly sized forwards.     An under the radar small college forward target, Ward had a couple blocked shots, rebounded the ball well and made an impact outside of scoring that's going to be needed for Huber Heights Wayne this season. That interior production is valuable as I expect a lot of close games in the GWOC this season and those hidden possessions that a strong big can gain could swing the results of a few games this year. Ward has taken visits to Otterbein, Wilmington and Ohio Northern, becoming a priority for small college programs across the state

The Lima Mega Scrimmage featured 17 teams from Ohio and neighboring states with top quality talent on each roster. In this article I'll break down my six forward standouts I caught throughout the day.