Indy Heat got a big bounce back victory on Saturday with a blowout victory over rival Meanstreets, who they defeated in the Peach Jam tournament last season. While some other Indy Heat players put up more points, Mercer stuffed the stat-sheet with nine points on 4/6 shooting with three steals, two assists and a blocked shot. The best sequence Mercer had all game was a chase down block that his teammate rebounded, got the ball back to him as he came right down the lane to throw down a monster slam dunk. Later in the second half Mercer had another steal that led to a dunk of his own and just showed his physical dominance in transition. After winning 16 U last season, Indy Heat is trying to follow in Brad Beal Elite’s shoes in winning 17 U the season after with the same core.

Maybe the loudest player in the gym on Saturday, Mercer was talking as a help-side defender consistently for his team as they won thanks to their defensive unity and structure. Mercer forced a handful of steals and was unselfish with the ball in his hands, making the right play as a passer. Helping his team win on the defensive end of the court and as a passer certainly stands out in a camp setting and Mercer also played above the rim when he was able to get to the paint. One of the more versatile wing guards in the 2028 class nationally, Mercer already has a Peach Jam 16 U title, Gold Medal with Team USA and an OHSAA title with Cincinnati Princeton to his name.

The biggest transfer in Ohio this year, Mercer joined Princeton in December and got his feet under him by January. Mercer is a dominant athletic force who is tough to keep off the offensive glass and to stop at the rim. Mercer has the frame to finish through contact and had a monster and-1 layup in the third quarter to extend the Viking’s lead. In the fourth quarter, Mercer had a monster dunk off a spin move in the fourth quarter to help put the game away. If Mercer starts to make 3-pointers, Princeton will be incredibly tough to beat in Dayton.

In the first meeting between these teams, Mercer was recovering from an injury. Back fully healthy tonight, Mercer’s athleticism and defensive ability was the difference as he had multiple steals in the Vikings full court press and had a couple of dunks that brought Vike Nation to their feet. Returning to the OHSAA so he can make a playoff run like this, the Vikings have a real shot to end their season in Dayton.

When Mercer came home to play for Princeton this season, I circled this game on my calendar as the game to watch him against the most comparable athletes and the best team in Ohio. After starting the game slow in the half-court, Mercer found his rhythm and was the reason why Princeton took a lead in the fourth quarter. Mercer had multiple impressive passes in this game, including a no-look assist Vs the Lakota West zone. The highlight of the game came when Mercer rose up for a monster slam dunk in transition to give the Vikings their only lead of the game. Mercer’s athleticism and strong frame were on full display with some grown man rebounds and a two foot, two hand slam when he trailed a fast break. The number one 2028 prospect from Ohio has impressed in his return home, playing high school basketball in Ohio for the first time.

A prospect ranked in the top 15 nationally, the Cincinnati native returns to his hometown for the first time in his high school career. A winner wherever he has went, Mercer won a gold medal with Team USA and won the Peach Jam 16 U championship with Indy Heat. Mercer is a guard who thrives in structure and should benefit from the system Coach Wyant has built with Cincinnati Princeton. While it’s awesome for OHSAA basketball that Mercer is back in his hometown, it should also provide a good setting for him to continue to grow as a player. With the combination of positional size, offensive skill, physicality and production, Mercer was an easy choice to take the top spot in our 2028 rankings.

A top 10 national prospect in the 2028 class, Mercer spent his freshman season at Huntington Prep and now plays for Rod Wave Elite in the OTE league. Mercer has won everywhere he’s played at, taking home the FIBA AmeriCup championship as well as the Peach Jam 16 U title. Mercer will be playing alongside a handful of high major prospects for RWE this season and they will likely continue to bolster the roster with many of their top players headed to the college level after this season. The Cincinnati native has already made his mark nationally as one of the most recognizable faces in high school basketball.

A flat out winner, Mercer was a part of the FIBA 16 U Americup gold medal squad and ended his summer as the 16 U EYBL champion with Indy Heat. The wing guard makes good decisions with the ball in his hands, spaces the floor and has tremendous defensive ability as well. At the moment, Mercer is more polished that a lot of other wing sized prospects in the 2028 class which separates himself from the pack.

You won’t find many more polished 2028 prospects in the country than Mercer, who checks a ton of boxes playing up an age group. Mercer passes the ball extremely well thanks to his size, vision and unselfishness. Finishing with 6 assists, Mercer was making the right pass at the right time for his team. Add in the fact Mercer can knock down an open shot and has impressive physical tools to play in transition and you see why he’s regarded as a top 10 prospect in the country for the class of 2028.

Heralded as perhaps the top freshman in all of America, Mercer struggled through much of Saturday’s dogfight with The Patrick School (NJ). He finished with an exclamation point, however, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to secure the narrow win while showing the two-way ability that makes him so highly-regarded. Against players 3-4 years older, the 15 and a half Mercer is a force as a slasher playing either on or off ball with a blend of skill and physicality to his attack. He shows real polish to his footwork in the midrange and increasing comfort initiating offense with the ball in his hands. Mercer is perhaps most advanced on defense with his positional versatility and natural playmaking instincts. He’ll need to progress as a perimeter shooter moving forward to maintain his current standing, but all the building blocks are certainly here for a young high-major guard prospect.