With team camp season well underway at area NCAA D1 colleges, Triple Double Prospects headed to Oxford for the Miami (OH) team camp in our first of three straight action-packed days of basketball (we’ll be at Xavier on Saturday and Sunday). The Redhawks brought some of the top talent from Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Indianapolis to their campus on Friday, with several of Ohio’s finest matching up against Indianapolis area powerhouses like Cathedral, Warren Central, Lawrence North and Brebeuf Jesuit. Here are some of the top Ohio based performers in games we evaluated…
Sage Tolentino – ’22 C Hamilton: What a difference a year can make for a teenage prospect in terms of comfort level. While Tolentino made a splash in the Cincinnati high school scene during his first year in the area last winter (including a solid performance against Sycamore in game we saw live), Tolentino looked exponentially more at home on Friday heading into his second go around with the Big Blue. The true 7’0 center operated mainly out of the mid and high post at first, using his superior size to distribute to cutters as well as showing good touch with his mid-range jumper, of which he hit several. Later, Tolentino got involved on the block, finishing multiple dunks well above the rim, as he is quick off of his feet to finish. If he can add consistency to the level of play he showed today, Tolentino should be one of the premiere players in Ohio high school basketball next season, as there aren’t many in the state who can contend with his combination of athleticism and shooting touch at 7’0. While many Ohio fans are still somewhat unfamiliar with him due to his late arrival to the area, college coaches are no stranger to Tolentino, who verbally committed to Auburn early last fall.
Amani Lyles – ’22 PF/C Columbus Beechcroft: Lyles was Mr. Do-It-All for Beechcroft in their first game of the day, as his team took on perhaps the most talented group in the event in Indianapolis Cathedral. While Beechcroft struggled to hang with Cathedral in the second half, Lyles’ motor never slowed down, as he on multiple occasions went coast-to-coast, one against five to score through traffic and draw the foul. While he’s known as an energy giving big who can rebound, defend and finish on the shoe circuit with All Ohio Red EYBL, Lyles showed some skill as a versatile scoring forward on Friday, attacking off the dribble from the perimeter and using his size and athleticism at 6’7 to create contact. Currently holding one NCAA D1 offer from Cleveland State, lots of colleges have inquired recently about Lyles; and, according to 270 Hoops’ Zach Fleer, the Columbus based forward is a candidate for high-academic colleges as well.
Bede Lori – ’23 PG/SG Caldwell: Our MVP of the day, Lori put on a clinic in the third game of the day, a Caldwell loss to a deeper Turpin team, where Lori singlehandedly kept his squad competitive for most of the contest. As we tweeted, Lori put on one of the best shot-making performances we’ve seen in recent years, as he hit pull-up after pull-up over the Turpin defense. A tough and crafty guard with a great skill-set, Lori not only can create his shot at will, but he can do so in different ways; whether it was going to the mid-post, jabbing his defender off him and knocking down the three or using his dribble moves to create a mid-range look. A definite sleeper in Ohio’s 2023 class, in part because of the small town location of his school, Lori should make waves on the recruiting scene in July with his C2K UAA squad.
Brady Hardewig – ’23 PG/SG Turpin: Speaking of skilled guards, they don’t very many more skilled than Hardewig, a 5’11 guard out of the Cincinnati area. An absolute knockdown shooter from three, Hardewig caught our attention Friday morning by making his first four field goals against Caldwell, all of which were tough pull-up jumpers. A smooth handler who can use the pick and roll or isolation to create his shot with a hesitation dribble, Hardewig matches his skill with a feel for both how to play the game offensively and how to create space. He might not be the jaw dropping athlete you see on the shoe circuits, but shooters are in hot demand right now, which should land Hardewig on some college coaching radars sometime soon.
Devin Royal – ’23 PF Pickerington Central: A tough customer who has drawn some praise from us based on his play this spring with All-Ohio Red EYBL, Royal is even more dominant on the high school scene. He’s a versatile forward, but at his simplest form he might just be best around the rim, where he has the physical tools, and the mindset to use those tools, to exert his will as a scorer and rebounder. Capable of finishing above the rim with his powerful frame, Royal scored both in the half-court and in transition in the game we saw Pick-Central, a win over Mount Vernon (IN). Currently holding one NCAA D1 offer from Ohio, Royal is one of the top targets of area colleges in the 2023 class.
Notes:
• We’ve been hearing great things about the production this summer of ’22 Dublin Coffman point guard Ajay Sheldon. We were set to see Sheldon in his final game on Friday, but unfortunately he suffered a minor injury in one of his team’s earlier games. We’ll definitely catch up with Sheldon soon, as the rising senior from Columbus has recently picked up offers from Furman, Elon and Ohio.
• Even though his team did not play in the event at Miami (OH), we also wanted to mention ’22 Sycamore forward Ben Southerland, who we saw on Wednesday night in his team’s scrimmage against Cincinnati LaSalle. The 6’7 skilled forward continues to make huge strides heading into his senior year, and is seeing that pay dividends on the recruiting trail. Southerland picked up an offer from Ohio on Friday, to go with an offer from Toledo earlier in the week, as well as existing offers from College of Charleston, Winthrop and Miami (OH).
Honorable Mention: Colin McHale (’22 Turpin), EJ Kapihe (’22 Hamilton), Tom House (’22 Centerville), Antoine Jacobs (’22 Dayton Northridge), Louie Semona (’22 Cincinnati St. Xavier), Mike Sharavjamts (’22 Centerville), Owen Murray (’22 Cincinnati Walnut Hills), Gabe Cupps (’23 Centerville), Sonny Styles (’23 Pickerington Central), Tyler McKinley (’24 Cincinnati Walnut Hills)
