I will never be convinced that playing hard is not a skill because there is a significant gap between those who play hard and compete and those who do not. Saxton falls in the first category as his energy and effort made a massive difference for his team. Despite being maybe the smallest guy on the court, Saxton got multiple offensive rebounds and had a couple nice kickout and advance pass assists. Excellent impact by Saxton for his team on Friday.

A new addition to the Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB 16 U team, Saxton provides a different dynamic to their other guards. Saxton is very quick and can get to the paint off the dribble with the ability to drive and kick well. Saxton also is a good perimeter shooter with his feet set and provides great on-ball defensive activity. Between Saxton, Kyp Norris Kyp Norris 6'2" | CG Hilliard Bradley | 2028 State OH and Brady Bowman Brady Bowman 6'1" | PG Lakota East | 2028 State OH , this trio checks different boxes on the court while all being tough and impressive perimeter shooters. Not surprised a player with the basketball IQ and motor like Saxton does didn’t take long to adjust to a new team.

After a competitive first half, Grove City really pulled away in the second half thanks to a big offensive game from Saxton. A lead guard who covers a ton of ground on the court, Saxton is active on both ends of the court. Impressed by his change of direction on the ball and the ability to attack with both hands, Saxton hit some tough jumpers both off the catch and dribble in this one. A fast guard end to end of the court, Saxton had a handful of breakaway layups where he got behind the defense to score. I mentioned preseason that Grove City would be one of the most improved teams in the state, the Greyhounds have already eclipsed their win total from last season

Jake Saxton Jake Saxton 5'9" | PG Grove City | 2028 State OH brought energy as a bouncy guard who scored through contact and stayed aggressive all day. He consistently knocked down shots and played with a fearless mentality.

I’m not sure if any player was more valuable to winning than Saxton was all fall league. It seemed like no matter the opposition, Saxton was doing everything possible to give his team a chance to win in the end. Whether it was scoring, playmaking or defending, Saxton had a big impact for his team.

I love how hard Saxton plays no matter the environment and his winning habits helped his team steal an overtime win this morning in the fall league. Saxton does almost everything for his team with defensive impact on the ball, forcing turnovers, setting the table and scoring. Saxton ended the game at the free throw line in Elam ending overtime. One of the top 2028 prospects I’d take to win a game today.

Saxton was getting busy with a run in his first game of the day where he had a nasty lefty running layup and an acrobatic finish where he hung in the air past a shot contest. A true example of heart over height, Saxton is one of the most impactful players on basically any court he steps on and Saturday morning was no different.

One of the toughest on ball defenders in the 2028 class, Saxton is a pest you can’t shake off if you are an opposing ball handler. Nova Village as a program usually likes to use full court pressure and trap often on the defensive end of the court and Saxton is a perfect fit for that system. Offensively, Saxton knocked down a couple shots off the catch from the perimeter and also threw some sweet passes that led to slam dunks. His best move of the day came on a pump fake and pivot that got the defender guessing and gave him an easy shot near the block. One of the most productive guards in Ohio’s 2028 class, Saxton is a name fans around Columbus will continue to hear about often.

It’s very rare for a freshman to be named first team all OCC but Saxton made that list after an impressive freshman season for Grove City where he made a big impact on both ends of the court. A guard who will pressure the ball and force turnovers, Saxton is a pest defensively. On the offensive end Saxton can make shots with his feet sets and has a variety of finishes he uses at the rim. Very valuable at the high school level, I’ll be curious to see how Saxton impacts the game on the grassroots circuit this summer.

The freshman came up huge on the big stage and almost carried Grove City to a statement win. Saxton is a quick guard who showed improved 3-point shooting off the dribble with some loud makes from downtown. I’ve always been impressed with Saxton’s quickness and ability to get to the rim at his size as he displayed some impressive dribble moves and pump fakes to get himself the space to score at the rim. If you combine this improved 3-point shooting with those skills and Saxton is going to be a tough cover for a long time for opposing OCC schools.