COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The opening week of the Central Ohio Fall League, powered by Nova Village, had a lot of energy in the building. Once again being held at Alumni Hall on the campus of Ohio Dominican University. Dozens of young athletes stepped on the court and looked to make names for themselves in a crowded field. Young talent mostly took over the court early in the afternoon, with the more experienced names coming out in between. Take a look at who impressed on the opening Sunday of the Central Ohio Fall League. 

Nate Barnes (Harvest Prep): He has the potential to be one of the worst matchup nightmares in Central Ohio, with his combination of athleticism and energy on both ends of the court. While his shot did not consistently drop from the outside, he finished at the rim very well with a nice touch around the basket. Defensively, Barnes showed that his ceiling is as high as any freshman in the area, he contested everything around the rim and made it hard for ball handlers on the perimeter with his quick hands and length that matched. He played aggressively on the defensive end, but was still able to play without fouling and disrupting the flow of offenses. Another future piece for one of the most consistent programs in Central Ohio. 

Chris Bond (Bishop Hartley): A big man who showed really good footwork on the block, he was patient and consistently finished at the rim during his two games on Sunday. His touch around the basket has improved from the spring, he was a tough cover for defenders in the post. Bond initiated contact when he got the ball and was able to push the defense back with his strength. The freshman was also a solid passer from the block, finding the correct teammates in those situations. While still a work in progress, he made great strides on the opening day of the Fall League.

Marco Mattuci (New Albany): One of four players from a loaded team that makes this article and coming off a red-hot summer on the AAU circuit that saw colleges get on his trail, Mattuci showed up and showed why he is not only one of the best shooters, but best players in his class. He showed off the rocket launcher on his right arm with some bombs from behind the three-point line and then showed his athleticism with multiple dunks off the dribble and catching a couple oops from his teammates. The junior attacked the hoop with pure aggression and had one of the quickest first steps inside of Alumni Hall all afternoon. Mattuci showed up on Sunday and it was demonstrated with his play why it is obvious that college programs started to take more notice this summer. 

Xavier McKinney (Reynoldsburg): Another player from that loaded roster, McKinney impressed over his team’s unbeaten day. The junior prospect is rangy, handled the ball well and made excellent decisions when the ball was in his hands. He controlled the pace of both games he played in, getting his playmakers involved at a high level. When he chose to score, he did so in an efficient manner by getting to the rim with an effortlessly quick first step and hitting open jumpers. He tossed a couple of perfectly placed lobs in transition and showed his jumping abilities as well. McKinney was also aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, using his length to disrupt shooters both in the lane and on the perimeter. Along with an insanely talented Reynoldsburg team, the junior can help lead them far in the state tournament. 

Jordan Bowens (Reynoldsburg): His afternoon was simple and effective; rebound the ball, run the floor, dunk the ball. Bowens runs like a deer in the open court, getting up the floor in a hurry. He also is a quick jumper, getting off the ground and in the air before defenders have a chance to even know what happened. He not only dunked the ball every chance he got, Bowens also showed that he could stretch the floor and knocked in some open jumpers from behind the three-point line. He scored so easily around the basket, dropping runners in the lane and making mid-range jumpers as well. The junior is an insane athlete with still a crazy amount of upside. 

Tyson Perkins (Westerville North): One of the smallest players on the court, but is always one of the most effective for his team. The younger Perkins brother showed to be one of the craftiest finishers at the rim in the building the entire afternoon. Tyson got to the basket, using an elite first step and finished at the rim using both hands multiple times. The lefty also showed off his jumper, knocking in shots from all over the court. He was really effective in the open court, where he used his vision and playmaking ability to get teammates the ball in easy spots to score. After an effective summer with Nova, Perkins continued that momentum on the opening week of the Central Ohio Fall League. 

Daneal Krylov (New Albany): He was a scoring threat from anywhere on the court for his team, showing that he was able to put the ball in the bucket from different spots on the floor. Krylov initiated contact with the ball in his hands and played physically through contact on his way to the rim. He also exhibited a quicker than you think first step to get by defenders in half court situations. The 2026 forward carried the offensive load for his team through both games, not only did he get to the basket consistently, he also hit mid-range jumpers and pushed his range out the to the three-point line as well. He created seperation very well, mixing that ability with his size made him a mismatch for almost every defender in the building. Krylov was tremendous in the opening weekend of the Central Ohio Fall League. 

Chavis Wilson (Reynoldsburg): Tough and aggressive on both sides of the court during both of his teams games as they finished 1-1 on the afternoon. Wilson stayed in attack mode when the ball was in his hands, using his lightning quick first step to get in the paint where he was spectacular finishing with his left hand and really good with his right as well. The lefty also showed excellent court vision when he drove the ball, hitting his bigs and other cutters with great passes, including an overhead dime to a big for an easy layup. Defensively, Chavis wasn’t afraid to get in the ball handlers hip and stay attached to his man, making things difficult for opposing guards to get separation for their shots. This small guard was one of the toughest players in Alumni Hall all afternoon. 

Brooks Norman (Genoa Christian): This young man never backed down and never quit, despite the struggles of his team in certain moments, he consistently showed up and put up an impressive fight. Physical defense did not phase him, he was able to use his crafty handle to create space and get his shot off. His jumper from beyond the arc was money, definitely one of the better shooters, regardless of class, that stepped on the floor. A quick release along with unlimited range and the ability to get his shot off from different angles made him one of the most dangerous shooters in the building. Brooks was also sound on defense, making the opposing player shoot and make shots over the top of him. The small guard had a big impact on the games he played in.