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All-Ohio Nike City Series Top Performers

By Zach Fleer, 10/24/16, 12:00PM EDT

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A look at the top performers from City Series

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Taking in City Series action on Saturday, 270 Hoops checked out every Columbus team in the event. Let's take a look at the top performers from the day.

Kaleb Wesson (6'10 C / Westerville South / 2017): The Big Ticket Wesson was as efficient as always on Saturday, as no player in the event in his class was big or tough enough to match up with him. Dropping a considerable amount of weight since last March, Wesson looks good physically, as his conditioning is as good as it has ever been. That, mixed in with his skill set has made him a virtually impossible matchup for opposing high school big men. 

BJ Duling (6'7 SF / Newark / 2017): Seeing Duling for the first time since June, the 6-foot-7 Newark forward was as athletically impressive as always, climbing the ladder for big jams in our viewing of him. Duling is so physical and athletic that he doesn't have to really mingle on the perimeter anymore, something he used to do a bunch as an underclassman. Duling can get to the rim just about as much as he wants, and he usually finishes. 

Jerome Hunter (6'7 SF / Pickerington North / 2018): Anyone who pays attention to this site knows how much we rave about Hunter, who has blown up more than any other prospect in Ohio's 2018 class this summer and fall. We'll keep it short and sweet and just say that Hunter was utterly dominant in our viewing of him, postering defenders with back-to-back vicious dunks, going baseline and catching a one-handed alley-oop on a defender's back for the first jam. On the next possession, Hunter caught the ball at the free-throw line, took one dribble and hammered home a one-hand jam on a helpless defender to score two of his 21 points on the game. We have a feeling we will be seeing that a lot this season. 

Cam Brooks-Harris (6'6 SF / Zanesville / 2018): This has been a breakout fall season for Brooks-Harris, whose confidence is through the roof after performing at a high level for the duration of Coach Vic's Weekly Showcase. Brooks-Harris had his best performance yet in our viewing of him on Saturday, going for 23 points and posing for a terrific one-two punch with Hunter. Brooks-Harris is at his best as a complimentary wing piece who can really attack mismatches as a secondary scorer. That was the case in our viewing of him, as he got to the rim, finished with authority and hit enough outside shots to keep the defense honest.

Mike Reeves (6'6 PF / Gahanna / 2018): Reeves is a prospect that we've known about for a few years, which made Saturday's breakout performance every encouraging for the 6-foot-6 post. With quality size and athleticism, Reeves is still coming into his own, as his Saturday performance was his best yet, going for 10 points and six rebounds in a head-to-head matchup with another top post prospect. Reeves will be needed to contribute this season for a Gahanna team that is looking for young players to emerge.

Gabe Towns (6'7 PF / Northland / 2018): As Towns continues to develop and find his niche on the floor, we liked what we saw out of him on Saturday. With length, quickness and steady athleticism, Towns has the tools to be a productive player on both ends, as he showed flashes of that in a big win for Columbus Grey over the top Columbus Red team. Knocking down two threes and scoring around the basket, Towns made his presence felt, providing his team with much-needed scoring late in Saturday's game.

Chase Rankin (5'11 PG / Gahanna / 2018): When Rankin had the ball on Saturday, good things tended to happen, as the junior guard just knows how to play. Very good at picking his spots and knowing where the ball needs to go in order for his team to be effective, Rankin has above-average quickness as a shifty ball handler who can get places off the dribble. Scoring when he needs to, Rankin is a pass-first point guard that plays with a high level of efficiency. 

Josh Corbin (6'2 SG / Gahanna / 2019): After going on an 8-0 run all by himself in a come-from-behind Columbus victory over Dayton, Corbin was heard yelling "I'm not playing," after hitting his final three of the surge. Corbin was right, he was not messing around in an 18-point performance to lead his team to the win. While Corbin sometimes may take awhile to heat up, once he is on, he's as good as they come as a scorer, especially late in games in tense situations. That level of clutch scoring ability is a rare trait, as many kids don't react well to that kind of pressure, but those situations are where Corbin is at his best.

Ezra Manjon (5'10 PG / Gahanna / 2019): Manjon is a gamer. While he may not have the size or athleticism that other prospects have, Manjon has heart, confidence and belief, which have made him one of the harder guards to stop in the area's 2019 class. Manjon was at his best in his Columbus Grey team's upset win over Columbus Red, as he went for a game-high 18 points and the game-winning floater from the baseline. 

Ben Fort (6'2 SF / Reynoldsburg / 2019): Lengthy and athletic with a high motor, Fort has a chance to really develop into one of the area's top 2019 prospects. Fort plays with a certain level of confidence and belief, finding ways to impact the game on both ends of the floor, even if he doesn't have to be the primary scorer. Fort will be greatly needed to produce on the wing for Reynoldsburg this season in what could be a breakout sophomore year.

Jeremiah Keene (6'2 PG / Westerville North / 2019): A pure scorer who can fill it up in bunches, Keene is a terrific shooter with exceptional quickness. When Keene puts his head down and wants to get to the rim, he gets there, as he put up big numbers in a short span of time in our viewing of him. More of a pure scorer than point guard at this point, Keene's skill set reminds us a bit of top 2018 prospect Dwayne Cohill. 

Jordan Mitchell (6'7 SF / Gahanna / 2019): Mitchell is Mr. Do it All, as he scored, rebounded, assisted and defended in our viewing of him. Capable of playing every position on the floor, Mitchell has a mature feel to his game, as he picks his spots well offensively, while remaining an elite-level defender. With a few high-major offers already, Mitchell is still blossoming and is already one of the Midwest's best prospects in 2019.

Marcus Johnson (6'3 SF / South / 2020): Johnson is the best athlete that we covered on Saturday, as he effortlessly glides around the basket. Johnson has great recovery bounce, often beating defenders for second and third chance opportunities around the rim. While Johnson's shooting ability still needs work, he makes up for it with length and athleticism, which will turn him into an all-out stud of a prospect if he can match his perimeter skill set with his elite athleticism. 

Von Cameron Davis (6'3 SF / Walnut Ridge / 2020): Davis has great finishing ability inside, flashing advanced skill in the post with a long, lanky build that he will continue to grow into. Best served from eight feet and in right now, Davis has a natural ability to score around the rim, and will really be an intriguing wing prospect if he continues to add to his perimeter game. Davis competes, defends and consistently makes the right play, which is a formula for success.

Dominiq Penn (5'10 PG / Dublin Coffman / 2020): Receiving his first offer from Stony Brook on Monday, this has continued to be the fall of Dominiq Penn. On Saturday, he was as good as ever, taking defenders off the dribble, hitting shots, getting to the basket and making winning plays. Penn has one of the highest IQs out of any freshman guard that we've ever seen, and is the first point guard that we can remember to get a Division I offer before his freshman season.

Max Mollman (6'7 PF / Upper Arlington / 2020): Mollman continues to stand out and impress, as the Upper Arlington big was the best freshman post player that we watched on Saturday. Mollman has good hands, good feet, a good feel for the game, and runs hard from rim to rim. While not a terrific athlete, Mollman makes up for it with his feel, always putting himself in positions to be effective. On a team with feature guards who moved the ball, Mollman flourished, and impressed many of those who had yet to see him before.

Tahleik Walker (5'10 PG / Pickerington Central / 2020): Walker was one of the top scorers we watched on Saturday, as the Pickerington Central freshman knocked down three after three after three. A pure scorer who can put the ball in the bucket from all over, Walker has steady quickness, athleticism to get in the lane and the strength to finish. Walker is yet another talented young prospect in a Pickerington Central program stockpiled with them. 

 

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