Holiday Hoopla – Day 1 and 2 Standouts + Trotwood Madison and Summit Country Day Standouts
Written by Chris Hicks
Jeallan Lane | Columbus West | 6’2” | 2026
Plays well through contact, extremely difficult to knock off his spot. Controlled and plays within the flow of the offense. He does not force things; he often passes up good looks to get better looks for himself and his teammates. High IQ player that does so many little things that often goes unnoticed to put his team in the best overall position to score and win ball games.
Owen Bell | Logan | 6’3” | 2026
Always around the ball, comes away with the tough 50/50 balls that coaches love. Rebounds over and through bigger players. Is an above average defender and does a nice job defending bigger players and keeping them off their spot. Plays hard for his team and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time on both sides of the ball.
Antonio Brown | VASJ | 6’4 | 2025
Strong, physical presence. Gets to the basket with relative ease. Plays off two feet and through contact. Gathers a pass or rebound, resets, and can quickly get back up off the floor. Has a good midrange game, this allows him to get to the basket easier because you have to close out and defend him 12 foot in. Does a fantastic job of dumping the ball down and kicking out to the open man when help slides over and cuts off his path to the basket. Really pushes the ball up the floor in transition, sees the floor well to hit cutters and players leaking out over the top. Makes smart, winning basketball plays for himself and his teammates.
Jeremiah Martin | VASJ | 5’10” | 2025
Super fast and shifty. Martin uses angles to get downhill and attack defenders. Once he draws contact, it is a foot race to the basket, which he most often wins. The opposing team switched defenders often trying to stop him, but he consistently got by whoever was defending him and scored at the basket or dumped down for an assist when help rotated over. Plays hard both ways. Has great defensive footwork, quicky hands, and does a fantastic job with overall defensive positioning. A kid that wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line and makes the right, situational play in the moments that matter most.
Roman Crosby | Walnut Ridge | 6’5” | 2025
Drives and finishes at the basket as well as anyone I have seen in his class. Crosby relentlessly attacks his defender and the basket. He gets downhill in a hurry, no wasted dribbles, and easily finishes up through defenders with both hands. Rebounds in traffic and can finesse the ball back up with strong footwork, head fakes, and a soft touch or power his way back up and through defenders for the and 1 opportunity. Crosby plays incredibly hard both ways and has a tireless work ethic when he is in the game.
Maurice Hamrick Jr. | Walnut Ridge | 5’11” | 2028
This freshman is poised under pressure, plays well above his grade level. Attacks downhill with his head up and the ball on a string. Makes tough, timely and accurate passes in traffic. Finishes over taller defenders and through contact with relative ease. Hamrick’s footwork on defense is great. His quick hands and feet allow him to poke at the ball without giving away positioning defensively. Whenever he is on the court, he is locked in and unafraid to match up with anyone.
Ryan Donovan | Pickerington | 6’4” | 2026
Ryan is deadly from behind the arc when he catches the ball in rhythm and with his feet set and square to the basket. He hit back-to-back-to-back 3’s during one stretch in the first half of this game. He is deadly off a screen when the ball handler is attacked, and he pops out for the kick back. Does a great job of constantly moving, hands are always ready to pull the trigger when he receives the pass. His teammates look for him knowing he is $ from downtown when he catches it in rhythm and with space.
Ian Murray | St. Edwards | 6’7” | 2027
High IQ player. Murray recognizes mismatches and puts himself in the best position to take advantage of it whether that is in the post or out on the perimeter. He holds his position, is loud, calls for the ball with his hand in a way that gives him the best advantage over his defender. Rebounds the ball well, anticipates the ball’s trajectory and does a great job tracking it down and securing it. Has an old school feel to his game; uses turnaround jumpers, finger rolls, baby hooks, and head fakes around the rim. He has great footwork which allows him to get his defenders off balance and in the air to draw contact for bonus opportunities. Ian does everything fundamentally well no matter what the style of play or game situation is. He is a great young prospect with tremendous upside.
Bryan Vlosich | St. Edwards | 6’4” | 2026
He hit two 3-pointers at the end of the game + 2 free throws on a technical to put his team up by 1 point to seal the game. He hit big shot after big shot throughout the game to keep his team in it before finally putting it away for them. Moves well off the ball to free himself up for open catch and shoot opportunities. He can score in so many ways but his ability to hit shots while being closely guarded and a hand in his face is what stood out to me the most. His team needed a big effort on his part to secure this game, and he delivered!
Marcus Hemphill | Bishop Hartley | 6’5” | 2026
Rebounds at a high clip, chases down 50/50 balls, dives on the floor, and simply goes all out every minute he is on the floor. His motor never stops, his footwork is top tier, and his active hands create a lot of deflections, which often lead to steals for him and his teammates. His length and athleticism force you to alter your shot around the basket; you must be creative because he isn’t going to jump first. On offense, he attacks looking to dunk everything, but plays well off 2 feet, and with a variety of moves to create space when contested.
Brock Baker | Kettering Farimont | 6’5” | 2025
Brock is an absolute monster, is super physical and deceptively fast. His first step is quick and explosive, but he really impressed me with how fast he reaches full speed when driving to the basket. He finishes through contact with ease and hits the outside shot well enough that he forces you to guard him out to the 3-point line. Plays an old school, grown man style of basketball, he just out hustles and muscles you for everything. It is almost impossible to knock him off spot and prevent him from getting to the basket once he gets going downhill.
Owan Mburugu | Northland | 6’4” | 2027
Owan is always around the ball. Anticipates where the ball is going and gets great rebounding position against bigger opponents. He has a strong frame; can bang down low in the post and force you to defend him out to the 3-point line. Mburugu can get his shot off the bounce, from catch and shoot opportunities, offensive rebounds, and hard cuts to the basket. He has tremendous upside as it appears he is still growing and can add additional size and strength to an already impressive frame. Another kid in the 2027 class to keep an eye on.
Demaris Winters Jr. | Richmond Heights | 6’2” | 2025
Winters one and two dribble pulls ups are nasty. This kid was the king of the mid-range game for the weekend, his scoring from 15 feet in is almost automatic. He has a tremendously fast first step and a tight handle which makes him a difficult cover for most defenders as he can consistently score at all 3 levels. Winters has a tenacious will to win, plays hard every minute he is on the floor, and stuffs the stat sheet in whatever way needed from him to help his team come out on top.
Kaden Post | Huber Heights Wayne | 6’5” | 2026
Kaden led his team with 21 points and hit 5 from deep during this game. His shot looked smooth and consistent, never forced or rushed. He played under control and in the flow of the game, He added to his day by reading the defense and waiting for the right time to cut to the basket for easy layups. His help defense was spot on, often stopping a drive by sliding over and cutting off the driver, then quickly recovering to prevent an open look from the player he was guarding. Kaden is a player that is just scratching the surface of his capabilities. I expect big things the rest of the way this year and for it to parlay into an incredible senior year.
Jermiel Atkins | Trotwood Madison | 6’8” | 2025
If there is a kid in the state that I’m not sure how to defend, it is Atkins. He had many big-time plays throughout the game, but he had two plays that just blew me away. They highlight that he isn’t just a big body bullying everyone, (he can do that too), this kid is an ATHELTE! On one play he dunked over and through two players contesting a drive at the rim. The next big play was a chase down, from behind, pin block that he went up and got high on the glass. He is an absolute terror on both ends of the floor; offensively, it is almost impossible to keep him off the block, away from the rim, and off the boards. Defensively, he is active and quick and forces you to alter everything you do in the paint. He is fun to watch and scout. Good luck to opposing teams trying to game plan for him!
Max Joiner | Summit Country Day | 6’4” | 2028
The game between Summit Country Day and Trotwood was one of the best I have seen this year. One team would go up by 5, the other team would recover and do the same. The game truly came down to a few plays at the end to decide it for Trotwood. My all-out performer for the week goes to Joiner. I was impressed with his athleticism, court awareness, maturity, and basketball IQ, especially in a game like this one where details mattered. Whenever his team needed a score, a defensive stop, turnover, or rebound, he was always in the right place, at the right time making it happen for his team. He is extremely athletic, can score at all 3 levels, and plays hard no matter the score and situation. His floor and ceiling are both high. This is a must watch player and a name follow in the Cincinnati area.