BERLIN, Ohio—If you take 17 of the top 25 teams in one of the premier states for girls basketball, schedule 20 games across three days and line the baselines and one whole section of the bleachers with a bevy of college recruiters…good things are bound to happen. Today we look back on some of the top performers and potential prospects from the 12th annual Classic in the Country. The people of Berlin, Holmes County, Hiland High School and individuals like Tom Jenkins of Ohio Girls Basketball Report, Coach Dave Schlabach and over 200 volunteers make the yearly event one that stands out among the crowd. Honoring the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coach Perry Reese Jr., the Classic in the Country once again provided some great basketball as well as much needed reminders of stands taken and prices paid.
Follow the link below for a look a Sports Illustrated’s story on Coach Reese in an article listed among the 60 best to ever appear in the magazine.
http://www.si.com/high-school/2014/12/12/higher-education-perry-reese-jr-gary-smith
Just under 20,000 people came through the doors over the course of the event last weekend. Among that crowd were over 140 college recruiters representing virtually every level and conference. As with any tournament a few games got out of hand but in 20 total games the margin of victory in 15 of them was less than 20. Even better, 10 games saw the gap under 10, nine of which were ultimately five or less when the horn sounded.
Good games are the result of good talent. The rosters featured 28 players committed or signed including 22 at the Division-I level. Some of the athletes on hand we’ve written about before and some are just beginning to leave their mark on the recruiting radar. Below are a few who played well at the Classic as well as some others that are destined to keep the recruiters courtside in the Buckeye State. We start with five seniors and follow that with seven underclassmen…listed alphabetically…and finish with a few quickhitters.
Senior Emma Bockrath may well be the cornerstone type player all coaches dream of. The 5-8 guard form Kettering Archbishop Alter is coming off a spring knee injury but showed little residual impact. In Alter’s two wins (Rogers / Pickerington Central) she shot 41 percent from the floor and averaged 16 points. Included in the total was the lefthander’s 5 for 10 combined effort from three point range. Bockrath isn’t going to knock your socks off with flashy play or highlight moments. Her game is textbook…and effective. She simply makes plays and they usually come in a sequence. She handles the ball well enough to create off the dribble to a degree but also has the stroke and range to capitalize on slow or soft close outs. Her athleticism is sound and the work ethic is there for her to make the most of her potential. She’s been well coached and knows the game well. Uncommitted, there’s plenty of basketball still in front of her.
Lakota West rolled to two easy wins in Berlin and while they got a lot of contributions from many players on their deep roster, the catalyst was Dayton bound guard Lauren Cannatelli. A 5-8 guard with a smooth, fluid stroke, the future Flyer averaged 20 points. Overall from the floor she came home at 33 percent but from deep she was 7 of 14 and contributed more than her share of momentum plays. Oh yeah, you don’t want to put her on the line either as evidenced by her missing just one of 12 attempts. Her hesitation move is helping her create her own looks and she’s more and more active without the ball challenging defenders throughout the possession.
There may not be a more recognizable recruit in Ohio’s 2015 class than Mount Notre Dame swing player Naomi Davenport. The versatile 6-0 Michigan signee is athletic, aggressive and constantly evolving as a player. She’s been an established prospect since a young age but has really taken her game to another level over the past two years. The tools are there to play the #2, #3 or #4 on the scholastic level. The assertiveness she plays with on both ends of the floor tells you she’s ready for the next level…for the most part. There were a couple of instances that her intensity lessened her effectiveness. MND is still evolving back to the stature of their successful past and doesn’t have the depth past Cougar teams have put on the floor. Davenport needs to be out there when Coach Scott Rodgers needs her. Early calls in any game compound bad calls when they come down the stretch. Impact players are there every possession throughout and Davenport is every bit an impact player.
It’s not often that you would include a 6 for 28 performance from the floor as a standout effort. However it’s tough to ignore the role Kendall McCoy played in keeping her Sylvania Northview team in contention to the very end of their loss to Centerville. It was the 6-0 wing’s layup with 10 seconds to go in regulation that got the Lady Kats to overtime before they eventually fell 49 – 45. Obviously, with 28 attempts, she’s not shy about putting it up. At the same time the stroke and form are there for this signee of Miami University of Ohio. McCoy has advanced her ability to read defenders and is making good choices when it comes to shot selection. Her shot fake is serving her well and she’s getting opponents out of their stance more and more often. It is January so the cold will creep into the gym every once in a while even at 21 percent!
In a world of world of “All This” and “All That” teams any honors and recognition seem to carry less and less weight. However, even without an “official” All-Star Team or MVP you would hard pressed to find anyone courtside in Berlin who wouldn’t have singled out the performance of Notre Dame Academy’s Kaayla McIntyre as the weekend’s top effort. Even the stat sheet agrees. A two game average of 23 points and 13.5 rebounds looked even better on the floor than it did on paper. She’s playing smart basketball both on the block of off the drive from the high post. McIntyre understands angles posting up or making herself an option away from the rim. Her moves down low both take advantage of what the defense concedes as well as creates clean looks at the rim. Plenty proof for that comes from her 20 for 30 field goal percentage (66.6%) that will also be keeping the folks at the University of Toledo happy. McIntyre is one of the rare elite players who continues to improve each time out
Nothing on the stat sheet is going to catch your attention about Sophia Fortner’s weekend in Berlin. However, if you watched both Wadsworth games you would need glasses if you didn’t take notice of the freshman point guard. Wishfully listed at 5-3, Fortner has all the assets most coaches and evaluators reserve for the elusive “true point guard” that is always so difficult to find. Her ballhandling and passing are advanced for her age and her court IQ tells you she’s going to take care of the ball. She utilizes a change of speed and direction to improve passing angles and create looks for her teammates. The crossover and stepback serve her equally well. Fortner finishes surprisingly well in traffic despite her size and has a feisty streak in her that works well at both ends.
Few players pass the “sight test” like Solon 2018 post Valencia Myers. Standing 6-1 with the frame and build for basketball, Myers also has the agility to run the floor with the guards. While impressive, it didn’t translate into big numbers over the weekend as Solon edged Mason by four but took it hard on the chin from Lakota West by 22. She was 6 for 14 from the floor and grabbed 15 boards (12 in one game) but also found herself with four personals in both games. We’ve seen her in the past catch and attack down low while handling physical defenders. There were flashes of that promise plus she was a factor at times on the finishing end of transition. The willingness to put it on the floor from the high post is serving her well and she can get to the rim quickly with a lengthy first step. Defensively she tends to be reactive rather than proactive at this point.
Coach Andy Fishman has plenty of depth to call upon including three Division – I commitments. Just to thrill future Firebird opponents one of those commitments is a junior (Nia Staples – West Virginia) and they have one of the most promising prospects in the 2018 class, Abby Prohaska. A left hander, Prohaska brings a considerable skill set to the floor for an athlete in her first varsity season. Physically she’ comes in right at 5-10 with a solid frame and good strength. Her speed is deceiving plus the vertical (see photo) will help with clean looks and the boards. There’s plenty of effort on both ends and you’re going to see her out running the floor in transition. Off the dribble the freshman can get into traffic and finish at the rim or she can call on a pull up the looks sound. A two game 7 for 20 effort from the floor was a little frostier than she’ll need down the road but the looks she created will work well as her game matures. There’s a lot of instinct in her play and she’s on track to play at the highest level.
Reynoldsburg is still retooling after a long run of success but the youth on the roster has lots of promise. In the post Coach Jack Purtell has another member of the exciting Ohio 2018 class that should keep the recruiting traffic wall to wall. At 6-3 Jalynda Salley is an imposing presence already and her solid stature does nothing to lessen that impression. Her game has moments that will really raise your eyebrows one moment and then make wince the next. Though the Raiders dropped their single game at this year’s Classic, Salley made her presence felt against an undersized Berlin Hiland squad. Taking advantage of a mismatch scenario no matter what approach the Hawks took defensively, she finished 6 for 11 from the floor with 13 points but managed just four rebounds. Several times she caught and attacked like a veteran but others she rushed or had her mind made up on the catch. There are some post moves in the arsenal but there are going to have to be some counters to offset the crowd she’s going to attract. Lots of possibilities, lots of promise…and lots of work.
That same Berlin Hiland team has a freshman of their own that Coach Dave Schlabach is very familiar with…his daughter Kennedy. Listed at 5-4 (on a good day) this promising freshman brings a skill set to the backcourt that belies her age. With the ball in her hands she is attacking and pushing the ball at opportunity. In the halfcourt she can execute and create using strong ball skills to improve her and her teammate’s options. Adding to that dynamic is a long range touch necessitating quick and tight close outs which in turn plays right into her hands. In Hiland’s two wins over D-I programs, Schlabach was 8 for 21 shooting that included an impressive 6 of 14 slate from three point range. Game one saw her finish with 15 points while game two dropped to 8 but she compensated by adding 5 assists to the cause. The future will be bright with some good coaching…which will be a given even at the dinner table!
Mason might have had the toughest trip to Berlin this year dropping a three point decision to Newark followed by a four point loss at the hands of Solon. High profile forward Lauren Van Kleunen continues to demonstrate why she’s among the 2016 elite. Despite the Comets coming up on the short end of things, the 6-1 junior posted a two game average of 12.5 points and 9 rebounds and even had five assists in the Solon loss. An Achilles’s Heel was in the turnover department where she gave it up 6 times in game one and 4 more times in game two. Van Kleunen was looking to create off the dribble more and proved to be efficient getting deep into the paint. Though she didn’t finish well (27.5%) she was a presence on the boards at both ends of the floor and is focused defensively.
One of the most recognizable names in the 2018 class both in Ohio and even on a national basis is that of Bexley Wallace. The Pickerington Central freshman is no stranger to opponents, recruiters or evaluators and has some pretty extreme career forecasts to live up to already. As with a few other of the athlete’s we’ve profiled, her stats from the Tiger’s two game split reveals very little about her skills or potential. Just 8 points on 3 of 10 shooting and 5 total rebounds aren’t the numbers that generally come over the course of two 32 minute games, particularly against Division II competition. On the other hand if you put the stat sheet aside and watch the glimpses and flashes that the 6-3 inside / outside threat provides it’s obvious just where her game might go. Yes, the perimeter skills are there and she has the tools to follow in the footsteps of some big name players with size and ballhandling. However the players she’s often referenced of being in the same mold as embraced and developed their attack around the rim as well as around the arch. At this point minimizing the lofty expectations already attached to her future might be a giant step towards helping her actually achieve the genuine promise in her play.
Quickhitters
Shannon Coffee (2015 – 6-6 – Centerville) – Stanford signee – 19 points and seven rebounds in one game…Continues to advance and improve…Playing much more physical…Running the floor on the break and in transition defense
Kym Royster (2015 – 6-1 – Newark) – Indiana University signee – 17 points and five rebounds in single game…Playing with more strength and assertiveness…Can step out and shoot it mid-range…Used a jump hook…Agile defensively…Just scratching the surface
Lexie Barrier (2016 – 5-9 – Ironton) – 15 points on 5 of 21 shooting / Single game…Athletic…Fluid…Ball skills…Change of speed and direction…Stepback is there…Penetrates but can pull up
Emily Bauer (2016 – 5-11 – Crestview) – 25 points on 10 for 14 shooting in one game…Solid build…Some ballhandling…High post drive…Decent stroke from 15 feet
Amani Burke (2016 – 5-8 – Eastmoor) – Single game / 24 points on 10 for 19 fg’s…Solid build…Crossover…Penetrates…Can create and pass…Individual skills…Body control…On ball defender
Hannah Clark (2016 – 5-11 – West Holmes) – 16 pts and 12 rebs in first game of two…Some ballhandling…Hesitation and Change of speed…Versatility…Lot of effort both ends
Aubrey Cox (2016 – 5-10 – Tippecanoe) – 14 pts / 7 rebs – Active wing…Cuts hard…Gets on the boards…Some ballhandling…Makes plays
Lexi Manos (2016 – 5-5 – Hoover) – 11 of 30 / 24 points in two games…Small but skilled…Pushes the ball…Passing…Tough
Lindsey Nartker (2016 – 6-0 – Tecumseh) – 20 points on 8 of 15 shooting / single game…Moves well…Wingspan…Active…Posts up aggressively…Defends
Keasja Peace (2016 – 6-2 – Toledo Rogers) – Woke up in second game with 13 and 7…Hard to stop when assertive…Inconsistent effort…Turnaround is in place…Began attacking more…Passing game has improved
Ali Poole (2016 – 5-10 – Carrollton) – Cold game but made plays…Lean and active…Moves well with and without the ball…Floater off penetration
Dee Bekelja (2017 – 5-8 – Solon) – 10 for 26 shooting / 27 points in two games…Very active…Scrappy and hardnosed…Attacks off the drive…Can finish in traffic…Potential
Mariah Copeland (2017 – 5-8 – Notre Dame Academy) – 11 for 19 fg / 7 for 13 3pt in two games…Lefty…Quick release…Good with the ball in her hands…Not an aggressive cutter for a shooter…Potential
Tia Karras (2017 – 5-8 – Miami Valley) – 6 of 13 threes in single game…Solid build…Decent ballhandling and passing…Quick release…Footspeed on defense?
Dani Lawson (2017 – 6-1 – Hathaway Brown) – Early Purdue verbal…3 for 11 in single game…Size and build…First step is there…Ball skills but puts it on the floor too much…Could be more active…Has some post moves
Braxtin Miller (2017 – 5-9 – Archbishop Alter) – Combo…Game is evolving…Has some length…Fluid…Stroke…Interior passing…Not fond of contact…Lots of tools
Samari Mowbray (2017 – 6-1 – Mason) – Length on the perimeter…Great size and build for the wing…Can attack off the dribble…Made some sharp passes…Strong defensive possibilities
Alexis Stover (2017 – 5-11 – Solon) – 8 for 15 / 21 points in two games…Length and athleticism on the wing…Individual skills are evolving…Pull up is there…Lots of tools on defense
