We’re officially less than a week from the first time since pre-COVID in which NCAA D1 college coaches are able to leave campus for recruiting, and the state is abuzz with excitement. After leaving Miami (OH) team camp on Friday evening, we decided to stay local for some two days of team camp games on Saturday and Sunday. Yet again, top Ohio teams battled not only against each other, but also against some of the top schools from the talent-rich Indianapolis area, with the Ohio boys more then holding their own. Here’s a look at some top performers from games we attended over the weekend…

Tom House – ’22 SG Centerville: Shooting the ball well in front of college coaches is one of the surest ways to boost your recruiting stock; and that’s exactly what we expect to happen next weekend for House. This weekend, the 6’5 rising senior was fantastic as a scoring wing, knocking down shot after shot as Centerville took on powerhouses such as Carmel (IN), Cleveland St. Ignatius and Gahanna Lincoln. There might not be a player in Ohio in the 2022 class who possesses as much confidence in his own scoring abilities as House, as he not only was a threat to hit the open three, but was more efficient in creating his own shot off of a dribble. Playing at Centerville with several other top prospects, House will likely lead the Elks in scoring again next season, as the consistency he showed this weekend in creating a quality shot off of the dribble has long been the aspect of his development that could take him to the next level as a scorer. House’s name is one that has been on the minds of college coaches, as he currently holds five NCAA D1 offers, having picked up Ohio and Wright State during the month of June.

Paul McMillan IV – ’22 PG Cincinnati Woodward: Recruiting buzz and individual accolades are fun, but you play the game of basketball to win, and that’s exactly what McMillan accomplished on Saturday; with his Bulldogs squad finished the day 3-0, including wins over perennial Ohio powerhouses Gahanna Lincoln and Dayton Dunbar. McMillan was the main offensive weapon for Woodward, as he mixed in an ability to make shots with drives to the rim as well as trying to play out of the post against smaller guards. A tough and physical defender as well, McMillan, like House, is one of the most competitive players in the 2022 class, which sometimes can be the difference maker in college coaches determining who they want to sign. This month McMillan has already visited both Xavier and Cincinnati, with more visits scheduled soon.

Jacob Meyer – ’23 PG Covington Holy Cross/KY: We were very much looking forward to some head-to-head matchups with some of the area’s top 2023 point guards this weekend; however, the injury bug unfortunately hit, as Lawrent Rice (Huber Heights Wayne), Chico Johnson (Toledo Central Catholic) and Meyer all missed most or all of the weekend with minor brush-up’s. That being said, in the game we saw a healthy Meyer play, the 6’1 rising junior was electric in using his end-to-end speed to create offense. Meyer moves like a running back up and down the court with explosive cuts to get north to south, and always finishes through contact with tough and-ones going to either hand. Not only is he an elite athlete, but Meyer is a tough customer at the point guard position, constantly battling double-teams and taking on defensive challenges as well. Meyer is not believed to hold any scholarship offers at this point in time, but we’ll be shocked if that holds by the end of July, as NCAA D1 coaches are going to be all over Meyer’s combination of athleticism, toughness, scoring and defensive skills.

Gabe Cupps – ’23 PG Centerville: Cupps was able to avoid the injury bug, which is impressive in its own right as his Elks team has already played at Princeton’s shootout last weekend as well as team camps this week at Wright State and Miami (OH). Having just earned a scholarship offer from Xavier mid-week, Cupps played with his usual competitive fire on Saturday and Sunday, making key shots in games against Gahanna Lincoln and Cleveland St. Ignatius. An excellent passer and ballhandler, Cupps has evolved into a very solid guard who is capable of the wow play, but usually settles for the simple play in Centerville’s highly structured offense. The area where Cupps doesn’t get enough credit is on the defensive end, where not only is he an excellent on-ball guard but he also is one of the best in Ohio at drawing charges on rotations. Also very capable both as a spot-up shooter and as a shot-creator in the high ball-screen, Cupps game should translate effectively to the college level.

Seck Zongo – ’23 PF Cincinnati Hughes: Zongo has been one of the most talked about prospects on this website since the start of last high school season, as we were super high on him heading into the event based on his recent play on the travel circuit and with Hughes last weekend at the Princeton shootout. An agile 6’7 forward who can really handle the ball, Zongo is great at using his physical tools and ballhandling to create mismatches and score at the rim with size and long strides to finish through, over or around contact. When his defensive motor is running he’s also an extremely promising prospect on that end of the floor, as that athleticism and length give him the ability to defend just about any position. A true rip-and-run forward who will be counted on heavily on the backboards for Hughes this coming season, Zongo is expected to make a major splash in the Cincinnati city league on a new-look Big Red roster.

Calvin Little Jr. – ’24 PG Cleveland St. Ignatius: Simply put, we haven’t seen many guards in Ohio in the class of 2024 who can hang with Little heading into the weekend, and all he did on Sunday was solidify that position as we saw the 6’2 rising sophomore showcase a lot of talent in games against Centerville and Lakota East. A dynamic athlete with positional size and great defensive intensity, Little is a ball-hawk who excels at creating steals and turning them into points on the other end. Offensively, he’s a good decision maker who doesn’t force the issue and is capable of some needle threading passes on drive and kick situations for assists on an Ignatius team that is as talented as just about anyone in Ohio. Little’s athleticism and intensity make him a very well rounded prospect in Ohio’s 2024 class and, as he continues to improve the consistency of his jumper, he could potentially project as the top pure point guard in the class statewide.

Honorable Mention: Mike Sharavjamts (’22 Centerville), Sean Jones (’22 Gahanna Lincoln), Javan Simmons (’22 Gahanna Lincoln), Jacob Conner (’22 Kettering Alter), Jonathan Effertz (’22 Cleveland St. Ignatius), Josh Harlan (’22 Pickerington Central), Jadon Coles (’22 Lakota East), Keliese Frye (’22 Cincinnati Woodward), Lawrent Rice (’23 Huber Heights Wayne), Devin Royal (’23 Pickerington Central), Kenny Satterfield Jr (’23 Cincinnati Hughes), Dailyn Swain (’23 Columbus Africentric), Evan Ipsaro (’23 Covington Catholic/KY), Chandler Starks (’23 Covington Catholic/KY), Carter Jackson (’24 Cleveland St. Ignatius), Roo Mills (’24 Cincinnati Woodward)

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)

The team camp season every June is always a great indicator of the future of high school basketball in that area for the coming school year’s high school season. If that indicator holds true, this should be a fun season in Southwest and Central Ohio, as around twenty of the top teams from those parts of Ohio, and a couple from Kentucky, headed over to Cincinnati Princeton HS on Saturday for a day of high level scrimmaging. With so much talent in the gym for just one day of play, we decided to keep our focus to the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton area teams. Here are some top performers from games we evaluated…

Mekhi Elmore – ’22 PG Cincinnati Taft: The lefty scoring guard was in true attack mode in games against Fairfield and Huber Heights Wayne, both Taft wins, as Elmore got what he wanted, when he wanted on Saturday. A smooth guard who controls the pace and thrives on getting to his left hand to finish with a floater, Elmore has range out to the three point line and knows how to use his handle to create space to get his shot off. After finishing a big-time two-handed tip-dunk in traffic, Elmore also might be on his way to becoming one of the better athletes in Cincinnati high school ball, making him a scary prospect for opposing defenses next season.

Mike Sharavjamts – ’22 SF Centerville: The defending State Champions added a legit high school star to their roster this off-season with the transfer of Sharavjamts, who first made it onto our radar as a freshman at Xenia Legacy Christian Academy. Now standing 6’8, Sharavjamts projects as one of the most talented prospects in Ohio next season, as his size, athleticism and skill-set as a true wing should make him very difficult to defend. An excellent passer and ballhandler with the footwork to defend pretty much any position with his long 6’8 frame, Sharavjamts should be a huge piece in the Elks quest to defend their title this coming winter.

Evan Ipsaro – ’23 PG Covington Catholic/KY: Without question the top underclassmen performer on Saturday, Ipsaro led his team to a 3-0 record with wins over Lima Senior, Huber Heights Wayne and Dayton Dunbar. He might only stand 5’10, but there’s a lot of athleticism packed into Ipsaro’s frame, as the rising junior shows great burst both off the dribble and at the rim as a finisher. A shifty ballhandler who can pass or create his own shot, Ipsaro was a key distributor for Covington Catholic in his first year with Colonels last year, but we expect him to become a much bigger scorer in his second season in the Bluegrass State.

Antone Allen – ’23 PG Dayton Dunbar: While they may have lost the game we watched versus Covington Catholic, the Dunbar Wolverines are starting to look like their teams of old, as the roster is full of talented guards. The top performer on Saturday of those guards was Allen, a 6’2 combo guard who will likely spend a lot of time at the point this coming season. A bigger guard who can stretch the floor with his shooting, Allen along with his brother, fellow rising junior Antaune Allen, and rising senior Darrion Lindsey, all showed the capability to attack the rim in transition or make shots when the defense gives them space. With Allen returning as a lead guard, expect Dunbar to reassert themselves into the top of the standings in the Dayton Public League.

Deshawne Crim – ’23 PG/SG Fairfield: It’s tough for us to pick a top performer from Fairfield, as Crim, senior guard Logan Woods and junior post Aamir Rogers all played well Saturday. However, we decided to give the slight nod to Crim, as the 6’0 combo guard was extremely productive on both ends for an Indians team projected to be one of the best in Cincinnati next season. A tough-minded combo guard who gets things done defensively first, Crim can attack the rim physically to score or draw fouls, but is also a capable shot-maker in the mid-range off of the dribble. Playing alongside Woods, Rogers and some very good role players, expect college coaches to be in the Fairfield area this coming winter.

Dorian Williams – ’24 PF Cincinnati Princeton: Not only did Williams get some of his first varsity action on Saturday, but he had to do so without the help of Ohio State commit Bowen Hardman, who was nursing a minor injury. That didn’t stop Williams from putting himself squarely on our radar, as the rising sophomore was very productive in his team’s battle with Huber Heights Wayne. The 6’4 Williams is a true combo forward and lefty who can finish above the rim with a big and strong body, probably making him more of a natural small-ball power forward moving forward. Besides having all of the physical tools, we were impressed with Williams’ motor and, as he continues to get more skilled, he will have upside as a potential double-double guy in the always tough GMC.

Honorable Mention: Logan Woods (’22 Fairfield), Tom House (’22 Centerville), Mitchell Rylee (’22 Covington Catholic/KY), Darrion Lesley (’22 Dayton Dunbar), Lawrent Rice (’23 Huber Heights Wayne), Gabe Cupps (’23 Centerville), Seck Zongo (’23 Cincinnati Hughes), KJ Satterfield (’23 Cincinnati Hughes), Aamir Rogers (’23 Fairfield), Riley Woods (’23 Princeton)

Sencire Harris

In their first year of running grassroots events, the team at A1 Exposure was able to bring some major talent to the gym for their Memorial Day Weekend event at Spire Institute just outside of Cleveland. Triple Double Prospects was on hand for Saturday’s showcase style games for both the 17u and 16u levels, where we saw teams such as Wildcats Select 3SSB, Bates Fundamental EYBL, Midwest Basketball Club and the Mid-Ohio Pumas. Here are some of the individual standouts from games we watched…

Sencire Harris – ’22 PG/SG Akron STVSM: Harris began to blow up on the national radar with his play last weekend in Hampton, Virginia, at the Southern Jamfest; so it’s no surprise to see him continue his play into this weekend to make our top performer’s list. A super athletic 6’4 combo guard who can get to the rim basically at will, Harris has highlight potential every time he touches the ball in transition. While his primary objective is usually getting into the lane off the dribble, Harris showed he can make shots, in a somewhat streaky fashion, from behind the three-point line, but also impressed with his defensive intensity and general leadership and competitiveness for his Wildcats Select 3SSB team. Playing as the primary ballhandler on a talented team who was missing some Ohio prospects for miscellaneous absences this weekend (Shawn Phillips, Bowen Hardman, Roderick Coffee, Sonny Johnson Jr.), Harris was the primary offensive catalyst for the Wildcats as they won both of their showcase games on Saturday. As he continues to shine in bigger events, Harris’ recruitment is only going to grow, as Maryland became the first Big Ten program to offer him this past week.

Rayvon Griffith – ’23 SG/SF Cincinnati Taft: For as much ink as All-Ohio Red 16u has received on this site in recent weekends, the Bates Fundamental EYBL team features just as much Ohio based talent, as we got our eyes on them for the first time this spring at Spire. Bates went 1-1 on the day, defeating Grassroots Canada 3SSB before losing to Wildcats Select 3SSB, in two games where Griffith was their most consistent player. The athletic 6’6 wing was aggressive in attacking the rim off of drives, especially in transition, where he has the athleticism to finish over length and is agile enough to go around defenders with euro-steps as well. Also a dynamic defender with length and tenacity, Griffith has the versatility to check guards, wings and forwards at the next level, as he gets a good amount of his points off of creating turnovers that lead to easy baskets. Currently with offers from UCLA, Ohio State, Kansas, Oklahoma State and others, Griffith continues to be the consensus top-ranked rising junior prospect in Ohio heading into the summer.

Seck Zongo – ’23 PF Cincinnati Oak Hills: We first profiled Zongo early this high school season when the 6’7 forward arrived in Ohio from New York City. After making a splash in the always tough GMC, Zongo is now turning heads with his play on Bates Fundamental EYBL, as he played a major role off the bench in both his team’s games on Saturday. Zongo has great physical talent with his size, length, lateral mobility and versatility at 6’7, and he put those pieces together on both ends at Spire, using those tools to create defensive deflections, score at the rim and rebound the ball. Zongo can operate around the rim but is best out of the high post, using his quickness to get to the rim with long steps around defenders, as his aggression was exactly what Bates’ needed to spark their run in their opening win over Grassroots Canada 3SSB. Zongo came to Ohio with NCAA D1 offers on his resume, and his recruitment is likely to grow as regional college programs get their first chance to see him play; however, word on the street is that is expected Zongo to be enrolled at a Cincinnati based high school other then Oak Hills next season.

Jack Kronague – ’23 SG Lakota East: The first of two sharpshooters from the Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB team at the 16u level, Kronague and Dudukovich could pass as twins with the way their skill-sets compliment each other. Kronague, who first caught our eye as a freshman at Cincinnati St. Xavier before heading over to Lakota East for his sophomore season, has established himself as one of the top shooters in Ohio in the 2023 class; however, his all-around offensive game is perhaps undervalued at this point. A very confident wing who can attack a closeout off the dribble to find an easier shot for himself or a teammate, Kronague is the consummate system player on the offensive end for the next level, and should see his recruitment start to pickup heading into his junior season at Lakota East.

Nate Dudukovich – ’23 SG Lakota West: By putting up 19.8 PPG on a team that won 16 games this past winter, Dudukovich is a little bit more of a known commodity then his Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB teammate Kronague; but again, there are a ton of similarities in their style of play. Also known best for his shooting stroke, Dudukovich is elite as a shooter off the move both in sprinting into shots in transition or in coming off of screens, the 6’2 wing guard excels at setting his feet for a quick look. Playing alongside Kronague, Jacob Meyer and Deshawne Crim on a loaded perimeter, Dudukovich has also showed us he’s a better ballhandler then previously expected, as well as a capable defender, who will continue to have plenty of chances to prove his talents to college coaches heading into the summer evaluation periods.

Honorable Mention: Trent Hundley (’22 Eastern Brown), Sean Craig (’22 Sylvania Northview), Jacob Conner (’22 Kettering Alter), KJ Satterfield (’23 Cincinnati Oak Hills), Nelson Johnson (’23 Cleveland University), Deshawne Crim (’23 Fairfield), Khoi Thurmon (’23 Akron Buchtel), Jacob Meyer (’23 Covington Holy Cross/KY)