One of the elite shooters in Ohio, Waters has consistently produced at the varsity level and grassroots level, playing up at the 17 U age group on the UA Rise circuit. Waters led the GCL Co-Ed in scoring as a sophomore and with Tarik Fadel Mula Tarik Fadel Mula 6'5" | PG Archbishop McNicholas | 2026 State OH joining McNicholas, he should have more space to operate as the defense won’t solely be looking to take him away. I’m also encouraged by his 1.5 steals per game though two contests to open up his junior season. That defensive impact could go a long way towards giving him the opportunity to play right away at the college level.

You don’t see many players playing up at the 17 U level who aren’t rising seniors these days. Waters had an excellent summer for Ohio Champion Ua Rise 17 U as he showed off his toughness playing against older and more physically mature players. That experience could be valuable for Waters who will face double teams consistently with McNicholas this season. Waters led the GCL-Co Ed in scoring as a sophomore and should be comfortable learning a new offensive system as his new high school coach is also Ohio Champion’s grassroots director Trey Scotti who he played for this summer. One of the top shooters in Ohio’s 2027 class, Waters has expanded his game to be more than a specialist.

Ohio Champion had a nice win to open their weekend. I was impressed with Waters as one of the top shooters in the 2027 class in Ohio doing what he does best. A four point play helped give his team some cushion and Waters also took a charge to show his toughness and positional awareness. Look for Ohio Champion to try and make a run this weekend for the UA Rise championship.

McNicholas new head coach is Waters grassroots coach as Ohio Champion Director Trey Scotti is leading the program that has some positive momentum with their program as Waters led the GCL-Co Ed in scoring as a sophomore and is back leading the program. Obviously, Waters is one of the elite shooters in the state of Ohio and a guy you have to monitor at all times on or off the ball as even his misses were directly on target on Sunday. I noticed Waters really having to work to get open looks and his play-making ability shined brighter with McNicholas than it has at the grassroots level where he’s off the ball a little more. I think getting to play a complimentary role with his grassroots team and a primary operator role for his high school program gives Waters the best of both worlds as he gets reps to develop as an on ball player while also playing a role that might be more similar to what he’ll play as a freshman in college.

Playing up an age group, Waters is one of the elite shooters in southwest Ohio and caught fire against Indy Heat EYBL in a statement win by Ohio Champion. I’ve been impressed with how Waters had held up physically against more mature competition as an smaller framed guard playing up an age group. The advantage for Waters is he’s getting the experience this year and will have a whole year to hit the weight room and add muscle for his true 17 U grassroots season next spring.

One of the top shooters in southwest Ohio, Waters has filled out physically and grew a few inches from freshman to sophomore year. He also took a big step statistically going from 10 to 18 PPG. Waters shot over 40% from 3-point range and 85% from the foul line, crazy impressive numbers for a guy with his shooting volume. The next step for Waters will be to become even more of a threat off the dribble, which would allow him to setup his teammates easier. I’m a big fan of Waters game and think he will be a household name in Cincinnati next season.

One of the top players in the fall league, Waters is coming off an impressive freshman season for McNicholas. A shooter with a quick release and the confidence to shoot against hard closeouts, Waters is a tough cover for opposing defenses. Able to make shots from both the wings and corner, you need to pay attention to where Waters is at all times. I found Waters physical development to be the most impressive part of his game. Clearly getting stronger since the last time I saw him in February, Waters blocked a shot at the rim and grabbed some contested rebounds. After proving himself as an elite shooter, the physicality would be the next part of his game to develop and it appears he’s made strides in that area.