Midwest Mania Recap
Written by Dustin Kavanaugh
Made Hoops Midwest Mania delivered again this past weekend in Hamilton at Spooky Nook. The matchups between EYBL and 3SSB teams had the whole place buzzing this weekend. Courts were packed out with standing room only for most of these matchups between the top EYBL and 3SSB teams in attendance. This weekend overall 3SSB won the shoe circuit battle with an overall record of 13 wins and 6 losses combining the records between ONLY 3SSB and EYBL matchups for 15u-17u. Overall the top teams we saw this weekend at the 17u level were Indiana Elite 3SSB, Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB, and Tennessee Impact 3SSB. These teams all went undefeated and really made a statement for Adidas this weekend.
There were also some matchups this weekend that really showed what the MHC circuit teams are all about. 17u Midwest Elite Cincy MHC defeated Indy Heat EYBL on Sunday giving Indy Heat their second loss of the day with both being against a Midwest team as they dropped to Midwest 3SSB team as well Sunday. 16u Midwest Elite Cincy MHC defeated Team Mookie EYCL 61-52 on Saturday night for the “upset.” At the 15u level Midwest Basketball Club MHC, Midwest Elite Cincy MHC, and Swish MHC all got wins over EYCL, UA Rise, and PUMA NXT teams. I look forward to following the MHC circuit throughout the year and see how these teams continue to improve over the course of the grassroots season.
Top Performers
Noah Washington | 6’5 Class 2028 | New Albany HS | Indiana Elite 3SSB
On an absolutely loaded 15u Indiana Elite 3SSB team Noah was the one who stood out the most to me in their win over Meanstreets EYBL. Noah is a lengthy guard who is absolutely electric with the basketball in his hands. He is very shifty and gets to his spots almost effortlessly. Once he is at his spot he can stop on a dime pull up and knock down the shot from anywhere on the floor. Multiple times in transition Noah got the rebound and blew by the defense in transition then hit the pull up DEEP 3 ball on the other end. Washington is very quick laterally on the defensive side of the ball and his length really frustrates the opposing ball handlers. He reads the offense very well and jumps the lane with his speed and length to score transition buckets the other way. Noah is going to be a HM player by the end of his HS career and will have all the big names coming for him when all is said and done.
Isaiah Hill | 6’11 Class 2027 | Pike HS (IN) | Indy Heat EYBL
Isaiah is one of those players that catches everyone’s attention as soon as he steps onto the floor with his size and length. The combination of athleticism and length that he has at 6’11 with over a 7’0 wingspan is almost impossible for the offense to adjust to. He went toe to toe with another 6’10 player this weekend where the offense got him to bite on a head fake and before the offense was even able to make the layup Isaiah had already landed and bounced back up to throw the ball into the stands with an incredible block. On the other side of the floor Hill runs the floor very well for his size and it pays off with putback after putback and transition dunk after transition dunk. Isaiah is going to be someone who will be on A LOT of colleges radars by the end of his HS career.
Athens McGillis | 5’10 Class 2026 | Covington Catholic KY | Ohio Champions Basketball UA Rise
Athens had a huge weekend against some very stiff competition at Midwest Mania. Athens is a small guard that makes his teammates better because of his ability to see the floor and break down a defense. Athens had the NAIA and D2 coaches buzzing after his performance this weekend. He gets by his defender and gets to the paint where time and time again the helpside slid over and he just made pass after pass right on a string to his teammates who were finishing for the basket. That is not all Athens can do though you have to play him honestly because if you don’t get a hand up he will knock down the shot and make you pay. His recruiting should take off this spring.
Alex Smith | 6’9 Class 2026 | Upper Arlington HS | Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB
Smith is an Ohio St commit and this weekend he showed he belongs at that High Major level. Smith is very efficient from the floor no matter the scenario. He is always making the right read against the defense. He knocks down shots from deep, hits the pull up mid range shots with ease, and finishes above the rim and through contact at the basket. Alex had a few put back dunks through contact and over defenders that will be highlight reel plays. Ohio St is getting a player that is well rounded and ready to step in and impact winning right away. I look forward to following him his senior year and into college.
Prospects on the Rise
Kellen Wiley | 6’3 Class 2026 | Wyoming HS | Midwest Elite Cincy MHC
Wiley had an incredible weekend at Made Hoops Midwest Mania against a LOADED weekend lineup. He has a quick first step with the ball and uses his quick handles to get leverage on his defender and positions his body really well to keep them on his hip as he attacks the rim. He finishes almost at will in the paint in a variety of ways. He uses Euro moves, strong two foot finishes, and yes he will dunk the ball on his defender as well. Kellen is a scoring guard that can handle the pressure from the defense and break them down on his way to the bucket. He also makes his teammates better with his vision. There were plenty of times where bigger defenders came over for help and he made passes on a rope to his teammates. I expect Kellen’s stock to continue to rise as he plays in front of coaches this spring!
Camdyn Hogan | 5’10 Class 2026 | Central Hardin HS KY | Kentuckiana Hoops NXT
Hogan is another smaller shifty guard that really helped his stock this past weekend. He is the engine to the well oiled machine that Kentuckiana has going. What really stood out to me about Cam’s game is his ability to defend bigger guards and not get knocked back when they created contact. On the other end of the floor he was getting to the paint and setting up teammates all game long. Hogan will be one to follow this spring and watch as his stock starts to rise up the college coaches recruit boards. I would bet that most of the D3/NAIA’s in KY will start to really take a hard look at him by the end of the summer.
Trey Thompson | 6’8 Class 2026 | Greenville HS (TN) | Tennessee Impact 3SSB
Trey is a prospect that is a High Major level player already. So how is a stock riser??? If you watched him play this weekend you would easily see what put him on this list. His stock is going to go through the roof on the 3SSB circuit this spring. I would venture to say he will be in ESPN’s Top 25-50 as soon as they watch him more at the 3SSB live event in May. When said and done Trey should be able to have his choice from all the top schools in the country. His ability to pass the ball at 6’8 is ELITE. He sees the floor very well and makes cross court passes on a line with both hands. He is a true stretch forward as he can knock down shots from deep and he can bully smaller defenders in the paint and on the glass. Trey is an all around player that everyone will know by the end of the summer.
Xavier Clark | 6’5 Class 2026 | Warren G Harding HS | Midwest Flyers CC
Clark is a prospect that before this spring very few knew about. However, he has really come out strong in his first few tournaments and is going to be someone that will start to go on a lot of recruiting boards the more that coaches get to watch this kid play. He is a big strong wing that dunks everything, runs the floor very well, rebounds, defends, and knocks down the deep ball at a high %. After 2 tournaments he is shooting 41% from deep and averaging 15ppg and 6 rebounds per game. Clark is one of those wings that can do it all really. If you need him to go set screens and roll he will. If you need him to work out on the perimeter he will do that too. If you need him to defend the post he can also do that. Xavier will fit into almost any college’s scheme with his versatility and size. Look for him to have a big spring with Midwest Basketball Club’s Made Hoops Challenger Circuit team out of the Cincy Region.