BERLIN, Ohio — Anyone thinking the Classic in the Country is just about basketball is missing the point. The reminders of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, the support and enthusiasm of a small town, the appreciation of a flawlessly run event and, oh yeah, three days of great basketball make the Classic more than just another high school tournament on the schedule. The college coaches lining the court and the large crowds for virtually every game attest to the fact that a trip to Amish country in mid-January is a must for those vested in the game.
Today we take a look at 12 other athletes who left an impression with their play over the weekend. If you happened to miss our daily coverage from the tournament here are links to the articles and the players that are profiled.
Day One featured Canton McKinley’s Ameryst Alston and Princeton’s Kelsey Mitchell following their Saturday match up.
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Day Two featuring Leah Fechko of Twinsburg and Reynoldsburg’s Aliyah Zantt as two seniors who are much better than most people know.
Day Three highlights Destini Cooper of Reynoldsburg, Lorain’s Alexandria Harris, Kayla McDowell of Mason and Bianca Quisenberry of Tecumseh as established juniors showing why they’re among the Ohio elite.
A Big 10 Bound Senior
Changing her mind late in the recruiting process, Liberty Benton senior Caitie Craft withdrew on her verbal to Kent State and signed a National Letter of Intent with Ohio State University. The 5-8 combo guard joins her brother and starting point guard for the Buckeyes, Aaron, on the Columbus campus next fall. Craft’s signing raised some eyebrows but there are plenty of possibilities as evidenced by her play last Saturday. Her skills are sharp and instincts impressive both in her shot selection and passing efforts. She sees the floor well on the break and reads defenders before deciding on her attack. Ball control and an effective crossover put her in position to make some things happen. Off penetration she demonstrated some surprising body control and was able to get a few looks even after helpside had rotated her way. There’s a quick release on her jumper and the form is sound. Though she went just 6 for 15 it’s obvious that she’s got the tools and range to be a threat from the perimeter including behind the arch. A look at Craft on the defensive end might have you questioning foot speed and while it’s not a strength, it’s deceivingly quicker than first impressions might lead you to believe.
Juniors Who Continue to Leave Their Mark
Jenny DeGraaf is not exactly a secret to anyone following high school basketball in Ohio, nor is she under the radar for college recruiters who truly do their homework. What may well be a secret is just much potential the 6-1
Springboro forward brings to the table. Showing a solid, physical build combined with sound agility, DeGraaf may already be better suited for the college level physically than a lot of current division I freshmen. Don’t jump too far ahead, the basketball part is still evolving but the signs are all there. Her game is an ideal fit for the power forward or #4 spot at the next level in the sense that she has the size and strength to work inside but the skills and touch to be a legitimate threat on the perimeter. She’s active both with and without the ball and has the speed to be a factor in transition. Her ballhandling is efficient but not going to have anyone looking at her as a backcourt option. If effort and a willingness to leave it all on the floor counts for anything you’re going to want to take a closer look. DeGraaf rolled an ankle late in the second quarter of the Midpark game and had to be helped from the floor but made it back to be productive in the second half.
Marley Hill may be wearing a new uniform this year suiting up for Africentric but all that potential is still showing for the 6-2 forward. Of course those tools have been on display for a while now and this is the time for Hill to take them to another level. Lots of length and mobility go hand in hand with good size and strength to make her the prototype prospect folks want to balance with their back to the basket post players. She herself posts up aggressively in terms of position with her lower body but doesn’t provide a consistent target or “demand the ball” as much as or as aggressively as she should. On the catch the jump hook is an impressive weapon and she can elevate with the best of them. Her release around the rim has her exploiting her reach and extension, something even more advanced players fail to do at times. The touch is there in her midrange game and she has the form and stroke to knock it down from the elbows as well. Defensively she’s active and assertive but often defends more aggressively after the catch than before. In their game with Lima Bath, Hill went 4 of 10 from the floor but pulled down 10 rebounds and came up with 2 steals.
Statistically speaking nobody is going to call Twinsburg’s two games in the Classic Ashley Morrissette’s best performances. At the same time it’s hard to watch the Tiger’s in action and not be fully aware of the impact she has on their success or attention she commands from opposing defenses. The lean, quick 5-8 guard is in constant motion both on the break and in the half court. She can attack off the dribble 
and, in most instances, is a strong threat out to and beyond the three point line. Her 6 for 18 two game shooting total included 0 for 6 from long range and is far from the norm for the talented junior. For the year she’s shooting 46% from the floor and 39% from long range while averaging 16.1 points per game. She handles the ball effectively at speed with either hand is more than willing to give it up on penetration as other options present themselves. Defensively she’s quick with both her feet and her hands and anticipates well on and off the ball. Physically she’ll need to be stronger at the next level to hold her ground defensively and deal with the hand and body checking she’ll encounter at the other end with the ball in her hands.
If you were on hand for this year’s Classic and weren’t impressed by Northland’s Alexis Peterson you weren’t paying attention. All the 5-6 point guard did in their 50-38 win over West Holmes is shoot 10 of 17 from the floor, go 5 for 5 from the line and finish with a team leading 26 points. But what really stood out in the play of the Viking’s junior was her effort and production at the defensive end of the floor. While not quite yet ready to be listed in the Odyssey Sims (The current standard bearer for on ball defenders who plays for Baylor University) category, she’s proven time and again that she’s one of the top on ball defenders in high school and club basketball. She’ll pick the ball up early, looks to turn ballhandlers and has opposing point guards looking to unload the ball at the first opportunity. If they don’t get rid of it she’s likely to come up with the pick as she did six different times in the Northland win Saturday. Her ability to convert off the turnover is growing both in consistency and diversity. Peterson can get to the rim but the pull up is evolving into a more and more reliable option and losing that slight forward motion that has been there in the past. The spot up and long ball are more and more of a threat and forcing defenders to close out tight, which is the last thing they want to do with her strong individual attack.
Sophomores and More Sophomores
If you know Ohio, you know Amanda Cahill from Clyde High School. If you don’t know her as of yet, you’re going to want to. Playing for her dad, John, this 6-1 wing is offering up some promising play that should
have the already present line of recruiters getting longer for the sophomore as time goes by. Combining good size with solid perimeter skills, Cahill has the tools to create her own looks off the dribble or spot up and knock down the open jumper off a teammate’s kick out. One impressive weapon in the sophomore’s arsenal is a lengthy step back move usually reserved for smaller, more dynamic guards. Her size allows her to create a lot of space to get off an unhurried jumper from almost any range and the confidence and touch are there to knock down the three. She can take it inside effectively but at times avoids contact to the point of altering her shot rather than taking the hit and going to the line. Her size and mobility allow her to defend effectively on the perimeter while her length puts her in a position to take away her match up’s vision. The tools are there to be effective in pressing and trapping situations as well as the court instincts to anticipate off the ball. On the boards she provided a glimpse of a surprising vertical that can serve her well now and at the next level.
If stats are your thing then take a close look at Stasha Carey of Middleburg Heights Midpark. All she did in Meteors win over Springboro is finish 8 of her 13 field goal attempts, produce 18 points, pull 13 rebounds and add 2 assists and 2 steals. Not a bad day’s work for the 6-1 athletic forward who’s beginning to refine all that potential she’s been showing. Long with a lean, athletic build, Carey can cover the floor as effectively as any smaller backcourt teammate or opponent. A lot of her size is in her legs and gives you the impression that there might still be some additional height coming her way. Offensively she moves fluidly as she runs the floor or off cuts in the halfcourt. On the catch she keeps the ball high and does a good job of reading defenders as she attacks. Her perimeter look needs a little attention as she still steps into her shot to a degree but the stroke itself looks sound. At the defensive end she offers up a world of versatility. She’s active and aggressive on the front of Midpark’s press and has the tools to corral and trap opposing ballhandlers. The same tools make her a good match up at virtually any spot #1 through #4 and her athleticism will let her mix it up with some of the low post threats as well. Carey’s improvement has been constant and steady and offers a lot of promise for the future as well at the highest level.
Our day three coverage highlighted Mason junior forward Kayla McDowell but the Comets have another reason to be excited about this year as well as down the road. Jenna Gunn, a 5-11 wing, had the “tale of two games” in Berlin but also has the potential that keeps recruiters smiling. Finishing with one point, three rebounds and fouling out of one game she also came up with 12 points and five boards in the other. Having good size on the perimeter, the sophomore is a challenging match up for opposing wings. The ability to put the ball on the floor allows her to create her own looks but also to improve passing angles and opportunities for teammates. Her form looks sound but has some forward motion to it at times and will need some refinement to be the threat she can be. One thing about Gunn is her feel for the game. Even on plays she doesn’t make you can see her awareness and instincts kicking in. Defensively she’s has good lateral speed and a solid build that puts her in the position to be quick and physical at the same time. Lots of tools and potential are in place but seem to be riding the roller coaster that comes with being young at this point. Keep watching and things should smooth out for a very impressive future.
It’s hard not to go into any gym Alyssa Rice is playing in and not take notice of the 6-3 sophomore. And it’s not always the stats that are going to grab your attention. Her two games in the Classic are good examples
of why numbers are not everything in evaluating the talent and prospects in club and high school basketball. Rice did not score in double figures in either Reynoldsburg win nor did she hit double digits on rebounds either. At the same time it would be naïve to say that she wasn’t a factor in the Raider’s success or that there are any question marks about the possibilities that lie in her collegiate future. Her combination of size and agility is now getting the additional help of some physical growth and strength that will serve her well against the most advanced of competition. At the same time you can see her court awareness and basketball intelligence growing in turn allowing her to expand her game. She’s more and more comfortable working from the high post and showed some confidence and authority in her high post drives. The ability to produce on the block and from the elbow will make her that much more of a threat and a challenge for opposing defenses. The maturity is coming to her already promising game and it’s fun to watch unless, of course, you’re on the other bench.
Not every athlete on hand had previously made a lasting impression recruiters or evaluators sitting courtside. Austintown Fitch’s Megan Sefcik may have been one of those coming into the Classic but plenty of folks left town with notes on her game following the event. Long and lean at 5-9, the sophomore guard is deceivingly athletic. She has solid speed and quickness that helps her slash and attack in the halfcourt as well as get out and run the lanes on the break. Her ballhandling can get her past quicker defenders and she’s more than adept at keeping them behind her once she gets an edge. What creates a lot of her penetration opportunities is the absolute necessity to close out tight anywhere inside halfcourt. In Fitch’s loss to Orrville Sefcik connected on 6 of 10 three point attempts, including several with defenders in her face. She’s active without the ball in her hands and does a good job of reading as she relocates on her teammate’s penetration setting up some easy passes for them. Despite her slight build, she pulled down six rebounds from the perimeter and also showed off some uncanny timing in producing four blocked shots.
If you were impressed by Makayla Waterman’s performance in the Classic, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just returning from a June ACL tear, the 6-2 sophomore is already producing significant results while
barely scratching the surface of where her game was last summer at the USA Basketball U16 Trials. The stats don’t tell the tale of her performance in Berlin. In two games she was 5 for 12 from the floor, just 1 of 7 from the line and had 9 rebounds combined but made some plays to remind you that the rust is just beginning to come off. If anything it was her ability to react and make plays that stood out in both Kettering Fairmont games. Timing and fine tuning might have been out of sync but her understanding and comprehension of what’s going on around her was as sharp as any player in the gym. Several moves were impressive but the ability or confidence to push off isn’t quite there yet so the finish didn’t come. Don’t doubt for a second that it will. Every moment she was on the floor you could see the comfort level coming back and the focus moving away from the knee and her colorful pink brace. Waterman’s return and play in January games will help put her and her Firebird teammates in a good position to make another run come tournament time.
Don’t think Kettering Fairmont is suffering while Waterman gets her sea legs back. No doubt the loss of a player of her caliber hurts but it’s eased a bit when you have a fellow sophomore like Kathryn Westbeld to pick up some of the load. As we noted in our Coverage of the Pickerington North Tournament last month, Westbeld is showing more maturity both in her game and physically. She’s a challenging match up for any defender due to her size, strength and individual skills. Her scoring can come from down low on the block, off the drive or even spotted up on the perimeter. Fairmont split their games in the Classic and part of that could be tied to Westbeld’s production. In the loss and title game rematch with defending Ohio state champs Twinsburg she struggled going 3 of 14 from the field and 2 of 6 from the line. In their second game with Ameryst Alston and Canton McKinley she finished 8 for 12 from the floor and 6 for 7 from the line for 23 points in the win. Both nights saw the sophomore pull down double figure rebounds with 11 and 12 respectively. Westbeld’s versatility has already made her a commodity in the recruiting market. It’s hard to imagine what two more years of progression and development are going to do for her.
