AIA defeated Fork Union in a 4vs5 matchup to advance to the next round of the elite prep league championships, and big John Whorton turned heads. He can do a bit of everything, shooting threes from the pick and pop, off relocations, or just the normal catch and shoot. Whorton has shown a growing comfort level putting the ball on the floor, leveraging this shooting gravity by changing levels and backing down defenders on the way to the basket. Speaking of a back to the basket game Whorton is a quick a decison maker going up quickly with an array of moves or delivering passes to shooters off a collapse. A new development in his game lately has been his ability to make passes off the short roll. Intangible wise Whorton runs the floor hard is active and relatively on defense. Overall just a good natured kid with alot of upside. Whorton finished the game with 13 points 5 rebounds and 3 assists showcasing his versatility off the bench..

Whorton has made clear strides for AIA after an impressive career at Akron STVM in the OHSAA. Whorton has improved as a shooter, knocking down a pick and pop, a kickout and even a one dribble 3-pointer. Maybe his biggest strides have been with his post-game as Whorton had multiple buckets when he caught the ball with his back to the basket and he made a quick move to score. A prospect who I thought was a surefire Division II or NAIA target as a high school senior, Whorton has improved his stock with this post grad season, and it wouldn’t stun me if he eventually contributes at the Division I level, even if he starts at Division II, NAIA or JUCO.

John Whorton impressed throughout the weekend displayed the tantalizing aggressive interior skill set showed a full bag with crazy soft touch finishes at the rim, was a constant back to the basket scorer over either shoulder and showed his rebounding chops as well. Whorton has continued to show his constantly improving offensive package facing the basket as well. Another under the radar big  

Another late blooming Ohio prospect taking a post graduate year, Whorton has continued to improve his offensive skill with AIA Prep. The lefty is tough to stop going up over his right shoulder and Whorton did a nice job finishing in the paint when he caught it in traffic. Whorton’s offensive skill improvement has been impressive since his junior year as he’s much more confident being a play finisher, scorer, perimeter shooter and starting to make better passing decisions as well. Another scholarship target, Whorton should see his stock rise later in the year because college programs are always looking for bigs late.

The tallest player on the AIA Prep roster, Whorton provides size and strength on the interior. When Whorton can shoot over his right shoulder, it usually goes in. Continuing to improve his coordination and confidence with the ball in his hands, Whorton has some untapped potential that will hope to be grasped this winter. I’ll be curious to see where his recruitment ends up after this post grad season.

In a day that featured multiple overtime contests, Whorton had the lone buzzer-beater to win the game for STVM over Brunswick. Whorton caught the ball on the left block and finished over his right shoulder to lift the Irish to a key victory. Whorton did a nice job scoring as a roll man to the rim, improving his hands and his decisiveness as a finisher. Simply catching and immediately going up with a size advantage makes Whorton effective in the paint. This was a key win for STVM after they’ve played a really tough schedule up to this point.

If STVM is going to get back to competing for state titles next season, Whorton will need to have a big season in the middle for the Irish. A big man with good touch who can stretch the floor and play in the pick and roll, Whorton has all the tools to take the next step this winter and establish himself as one of the best bigs in northeast Ohio. Whorton’s recruitment will also be determined by his production levels with STVM this winter.

Akron STVM is one of the most historic programs in Ohio and with a lot of young pieces on the roster, they are continuing to develop their chemistry. Whorton, one of the few seniors on the roster needs to be a leader for the younger pieces. On Sunday, Whorton shot the ball extremely well from 3-point range, knocking down four in their opening game. With his size, Whorton is also able to get extra possessions with offensive rebounds. With an interesting combination of size, shooting and offensive talent, Whorton is an interesting prospect. If he can play tough in the paint on both ends and be strong with the ball he’ll be tough to stop this winter with the Irish.