COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Offering six matchups on Saturday at Ohio Dominican, the Jared Sullinger Scholastic Play By Play Classic was a great precursor for the upcoming district tournament. Played in the same gym and in a similar setting as the district tournament, the event featured the areas top players and teams for 10 hours of exciting hoops.

Let's take a look at the top performers from the event.

Ben Roderick (6'6 WG, Olentangy Liberty, 2019): All things considered, Roderick was the best player on the floor on Saturday in all six games. Going off for 30 points in a 62-54 win over No. 2 Dublin Coffman, Roderick was the difference as the Patriots picked up its best win of the season. At 6-foot-6 with great length, patience and toughness, Roderick picks his spots very well offensively, doesn't rush shots and can score and defend on multiple levels. Roderick has several mid-major offers but had Xavier and Ohio State on hand to watch him on Saturday. This is a player who could blow up in the spring and summer on the AAU circuit with Nova Village.

Julius Brown (5'11 PG, Westerville North, 2018): Finally healthy and playing at 100 percent confidence physically and mentally, Brown put together his best offensive performance on Saturday. Coming out of the gate guns blazing, Brown knocked down his first four three-point field goals, hitting seven of them thangs total on the day. Scoring 29 points, Brown led a Westerville North attack that was stagnant when he wasn't putting the ball in the bucket. An already elite defender out on the perimeter, Brown's game is coming into full swing as he continues to develop as a scorer. This is a potential sleeper in 2018 who could continue to stretch out (Brown has grown 3-4 inches since last season) while his game expands at the same time. Brown added four rebounds and five assists, while limiting Reynoldsburg's backcourt to pedestrian numbers. 

Dorian Holloway (6'4 WF, Africentric, 2019): Holloway is back from a few nagging injuries that plagued the first half of his season, and boy, is he better than ever right now. The glue guy for Africentric, Holloway has been a grown man on the glass as of late, while continuing to finish at the rim better than ever. Holloway is a throwback City League kid, as he is as tough as they come and gives Africentric an edge on both ends of the floor. Holloway finished with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds in a statement win over Gahanna. Holloway's ability to turn tough defense into offense was key, as he finished through the length of Gahanna at the rim in both halves to lead the Nubians.

Chase Rankin (6'1 PG, Gahanna, 2018): Coming alive in the second half, Rankin scored all 17 of his points after halftime on Saturday. Finishing at the rim with toughness, Rankin was the only Gahanna guard that was willing to go right at the teeth of the Africentric defense. While Rankin was always been an excellent facilitator with great vision and passing ability, the Purdue Northwest signee has really developed into a reliable scorer in recent months. Without Rankin's contributions in the second half, Gahanna's loss to the Nubians could've been ugly.

JT Shumate (6'7 WF, Newark, 2018): Coming out with 14 first half points, Shumate set the tone for Newark as the Wildcats jumped out to a 31-24 lead over Northland. While the Vikings would claw back in the second half, the Walsh signee Shumate closed the door on Northland in the fourth quarter, scoring his last six points of a 20-point effort in a 24-8 final frame for the Wildcats. As versatile and skilled as they come in the 2018 class, Shumate added a game-high 12 points in a solid showing. 

Antonio Watson (6'1 PG, Newark, 2018): Good things come to those who trust the process. Watson is one of those kids. After three years at New Albany in which he received marginal minutes, Watson transferred to Newark over the summer and has been thriving ever since. Never getting discouraged during the ups and downs of his career, Watson is playing the best ball of his life right now for Newark in a 14-game winning streak. On Saturday, Watson was the spark that ignited a furious Wildcat rally in the fourth quarter. When Northland went up 46-44 with six minutes remaining, Watson immediately responded with an acrobatic driving finish to tie the game, which was Northland's final lead, as Newark executed a 13-0 run from that point forward to seal the game. Finishing with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists, Watson showed a willingness to throw his body around at the rim, which not many guards are willing to do. Watson was great at drawing fouls, as he converted at the stripe, knocking down 10-of-11 attempts at the line. The best basketball of Watson's career still lies ahead, however, Watson is averaging 18 points per game in his last six outings. Putting up 12.8 points per contest, Watson has immensely improved on a 3.5 PPG average from his junior year. 

William Mfum (6'2 CG, Northland, 2019): After a first half in which Northland didn't look capable of beating Newark, Mfum and fellow junior guard N'Keeley Elmore charged the Viking comeback in an 18-8 third quarter. Combining for 17 points in the second half, Mfum and Elmore helped Northland establish a lead before Newark's late rally. Mfum in particular, continued to show the progress in his game, as he is not close to a finished product yet, but is improving each game. Mfum knocked down two threes and got to the rim with consistency. While he still has to work at finishing better when he gets to the rim, Mfum plays with the type of heart and toughness that is just lacking from this Northland team at this time. Defensively, Mfum really locks in, as he was tasked with defending Watson in the first half and Shumate in the second half, as both guys only scored six points in each of those halves. Still relatively new to basketball in general, Mfum is a late bloomer who still has miles to go to reach his full potential. We believe Mfum has what it takes to get there.

Adrian Nelson (6'6 WF, Pickerington Central, 2018): In a flatout embarrassing offensive performance for Pickerington Central, Nelson was the only bright spot for the Tigers. Scoring the first eight points of the game for his team, Nelson was a tough force to deal with around the basket, as he finished the night with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 54-33 loss to Hilliard Bradley. With Detroit Mercy on hand, the Titan signee looked the part of future Division I wing forward, showing great physicality and toughness near the rim. 

Isaiah Speelman (6'6 WF, Hilliard Bradley, 2018): Speelman, who never takes a night off from being productive, was the top performer in Bradley's win over Pickerington Central. Scoring a game-high 18 points, Speelman showed his long range, converting on four three-point field goals, while helping the Jaguar offense execute in impressive fashion. Speelman, a Cedarville signee, added seven rebounds in a great offensive and defensive outing for the Jags. Speelman, along with sophomores Matt Allocco and Chris Mayfield, were just too much for the Tigers. Allocco and Mayfield added a combined 26 points and 10 assists, as Bradley looked the part of serious district title threat behind its talented sophomores and the proven Speelman.

Max Martz (6'6 WF, Upper Arlington, 2019): Upper Arlington may just have the best two man duo in Central Ohio. Martz and senior Dane Goodwin not only outscored Eastmoor on Saturday, but the wing duo also out-rebounded a Warrior team that usually excels on the glass. Martz in particular was outstanding on Saturday, knocking down the first two three-point field goals of the day for Upper Arlington. A versatile scorer and defender, Martz showed off his range of abilities in the second half, converting on two tough offensive rebound And-1 finishes in which he converted at the line each time. Finishing with a game-high 16 points, Martz and Goodwin, a Notre Dame signee who finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, were just too much for Eastmoor. When this duo is on fire and knocking down shots, Upper Arlington is really tough to beat.