Flyin’ to the Hoop was back in 2022 after taking a year off with four days of action. As usual, the field had a blend of prep schools and some of Ohio’s top talent. The All-Tournament Team included Sincere Harris, Devin Royal, Christian Harmon, Isaiah Collier, Jordan Walsh, Rich Rolf. Here’s a rundown of the top players.
Julian Phillips 6’8 175 SF – Link Academy 2022 (LSU)
Phillips (pictured) scored a consistent 10 points in each game, living off free throws in the first game where he scored six of his points and lighting it up from 3PT in the second game, catching rhythm early to hit 3-3 from deep after missing all three attempts in game one. He still has some strength to gain but he has good length and athleticism. He can protect the ball better when driving or anytime he’s working in tight spaces, but he draws a lot of fouls too.
Jordan Walsh 6’8 195 SF – Link Academy 2022 (Arkansas)
Walsh has a lot of natural ability, from his athleticism to the way he reads the floor to find ways to score, successfully taking what the defense gives him. Walsh is long and has good size for a wing. He finds dunk opportunities often, whether he’s taking off from distance or in the half-court. He picked up some unnecessary fouls while leaving his feet but has good defensive tools and came away with 2.5 steals per game. He can play loose and looks for fouls, ending up on the ground at times but he also battles inside and is adept getting to the free throw line. He has some variety to his scoring, finishing with 19 (8-13 FG) and 18 points (6-10 FG) in Link’s two games respectively. His shot is effortless, showing ability off the dribble and range out the three, going 2-6 3PT and 7-9 FT over his two games. Link Academy beat ISA 80-54 and Huntington Prep 78-45 behind Walsh’s aggressive play as they continue their 24-0 season.
Tarris Reed 6’10 220 C – Link Academy 2022 (Michigan)
Reed provides a strong base and plays tough down low. He gets good lift around the rim and finished a few plays off with a jam. In his two games, he only shot 3-6 from the free throw line but displayed a reliable midrange shot and knocked down both of his 3PT attempts. Reed moves the ball well and doesn’t have to press for his points, scoring 12 (5-7 FG) against ISA and seven (2-4 FG) against Huntington Prep.
Felix Okapara 6’11 220 C – Link Academy 2022 (Ohio State)
Okpara’s still raw offensively but stands out as a defender and rebounder. He scored seven points against ISA and grabbed 14 rebounds. He followed up with ten points and ten rebounds against Huntington Prep. He only shot 5-10 on free throws and his scoring range/skills are limited, generally converting offensive rebounds and rim running, including a big tip-slam against Huntington Prep. His ability to cover ground and protect the paint led to a few blocks.
Omaha Biliew 6’8 205 PF – Link Academy 2023
Biliew’s another one of Link’s long and athletic five-stars. He moves well but got beat on the perimeter a few times defensively. He has a good-looking shot and was successful with it only missing one in the two games to score nine (3-4 FG, 3-3 FT) and seven (3-3 FG, 1-1 3PT) points in the two games respectively. He didn’t stand out in any other specific area or have any eye-popping plays but was solid in Link’s well-rounded offense.
Trey Green 5’10 170 PG – Link Academy 2023
Green was tremendous in both games. He served as the floor general, stayed under control in tight spaces, and facilitated well in the half-court, hitting cutters and seeking out oop opportunities. He shot the ball very well to go 3-4 from 3PT in game one and 1-3 in game two, hitting off the catch without hesitation or pulling up off the dribble. He showed commitment as a defender as well. Green scored 17 points (6-8 FG), dished out six assists, and picked up two steals against ISA, and scored 11 points (4-9 FG) against Huntington Prep.
Mike Sharavjamts 6-7 165 SG/SF – ISA 2022 (Dayton)
Sharavjamts is crafty and has natural read/react ability. With the opportunity to play in front of his future hometown fans, he didn’t disappoint. He scored 16 points (4-10 FG) in the loss to Link Academy and 19 points (8-11 FG) in the 74-71 win over Shaker Heights. He’s effective off the dribble with good pace, passed well, and showed an outside shot although he can show more consistency, going 3-11 3PT over the two games. His creative offensive game can make up for some lack of quickness offensively and although he’s not real explosive he had a few dunks. Sharavjamts shot a reliable 8-9 from the free throw line.
Dok Muordar 6’11 200 C – Huntington Prep 2022
Muordar was big in the 69-58 win against Flyght Academy but had a complete opposite performance against Link Academy. Against Flyght, he put on a shooting exhibition from midrange and 3PT on his way to 21 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-7 FT) and six rebounds. He does have a weak base and gets knocked off balance fairly easily with contact, but he worked well out of the post, using a fadeaway with a high release point to find the bottom of the net as well as cleaning up around the basket after offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, Muordar couldn’t come close to matching the previous performance, finishing with two points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
Maki Johnson 6’4 180 SG – Huntington Prep 2023
Johnson only made one two-point field goal in Huntington’s two games but shot it very well from the perimeter in each game, going 2-3 and 5-9 3PT respectively. He has good change of speed with the ball but he’s not real quick defensively. Despite solid dribbling and having good half-court passing ability, he didn’t run the point and played off the ball. Johnson scored nine points against Flyght Academy and 17 points against Link Academy.
Dailyn Swain 6’8 185 SG – Columbus Africentric 2023
Swain looks like a five-star at first glance as he’s fairly athletic with his size, length, and the way he moves. He has some shifty ball handling but can tighten up as he fumbled the ball on his moves and doesn’t really break down the defense or get by anyone with his dribble. He recorded two blocks but defensively, he let his guy get a lot of shots off and could have stuck to him more as he wasn’t really sagging off to help. He catches the ball on the seams, but his jump shot doesn’t have ideal rotation, going 0-3 from 3PT but went 4-5 from the foul line. He did well passing the ball, but turned it over quite a bit as well, recording five of each assists and turnovers. Swain finished with 16 points (6-13 FG) and rebounded well with nine to beat Oakwood but could’ve picked up the intensity on both ends.
Isaiah Collier 6’4 190 PG – Wheeler 2023
Collier’s strong with a powerful build and can move guys out of his way on both ends. His shot has a lot of rotation and arc, shooting 3-8 on threes and 4-4 on free throws. He gets where he wants with his dribble and can see plays ahead of time, making some impressive reads and passes well out of the pick and roll. He finished with three assists and turnovers but missed out on a handful of assists with teammates simply dropping passes. Collier doesn’t lack in athleticism either with a few finishes above the rim on his way to 23 points (8-16 FG) and six rebounds in the 62-54 win against St. Ignatius.
Lawrent Rice 6’3 170 PG – Wayne 2023
Rice shoots with his left hand but finishes at the rim with his right, showing confidence and hitting deep floaters without hesitation. He doesn’t have advanced slashing ability and although he did show a euro-step, he doesn’t really get by anyone in the half-court. He did a solid job passing and seeing the floor while not forcing his own offense. He did fine shooting the ball and ended with 16 points in the 52-49 loss to Pickerington North.
Devin Royal 6’6 215 SF – Pickerington Central 2023
Royal finished with 27 points on an efficient 7-13 shooting and drew numerous fouls to go 13-14 from the foul line while defeating Garfield Heights 62-36. He shows a good midrange shot but doesn’t shoot much from 3PT, missing his only attempt in the game. He’s not real explosive athletically but not too stiff either. He has a good frame that will mature well. He scored on a few drives but can improve as a left-hand finisher, as he went with his right on times he could’ve used his left. Royal also posted six rebounds, two assists, and four turnovers in the game.
Sencire Harris 6’5 180 SG – St. Vincent-St. Mary 2022 (Illinois)
Similar to Lawrent Rice, Harris shoots with his left hand but finishes layups with his right, scoring multiple contested shots at the rim and various angles with his right hand. He’s quick and jerky with the ball and although he didn’t finish with many jams, he’s a good athlete who’s very capable. He only finished with one assist, but he passes and sees the floor well. His shot needs some work, going 0-4 from 3PT and 3-7 from FT. He has quick feet and long arms, moving well in a defensive stance. Harris scored 25 points (11-21 FG) and grabbed eight rebounds in the 71-67 win over Fairfield.
Rich Rolf 6’7 195 PF – Centerville 2022
Rolf started hot with 16 of his team’s 18 first quarter points and wouldn’t cool off on his way to 29 points in the 62-52 upset win over Southern California Academy. He’s got a very good jump shot, with most coming right off the catch, sometimes he took minimal dribbles, but he didn’t have to create any of his scoring. He shot 11-15 from the floor, 7-10 from 3PT, and missed both of his free throws. He doesn’t do a lot of offensive damage inside the perimeter but did show a floater and although not a top-level athlete, he caught a back cut for dunk. In addition to his scoring, he grabbed 12 rebounds with seven of them coming on the offensive end. The recent Drexel decommit was huge in his 29 minutes.
Gabe Cupps 6’2 165 PG – Centerville 2023 (Indiana)
Cupps struggled shooting the ball, ending with 12 points (4-13 FG and 1-7 3PT) but there’s no concern for him as a shooter moving forward, and he scored enough to secure the win. Despite not shooting well, Cupps played very under control and didn’t let Southern California’s size, athleticism, and talent speed him up at all. He‘s not a high-level athlete but provides ideal floor general skills. Cupps also posted four rebounds, four assists, and three turnovers in the game.
Vincent Iwuchukwu 7’1 220 PF – Southern California Academy 2022 (USC)
Iwuchukwu scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in the loss to Centerville but was force in the 80-48 win over Massillon Jackson with 20 points (8-12 FG), nine rebounds, and two blocks. The athletic big man scored on a lot of big dunks with each hand. His scoring range is limited but his free throw stroke isn’t bad, making five of his six attempts. Offensively, he lacks technique and mishandles passes at times but he’s a difficult matchup at this level. He blocked two shots in their second game and gets up quick but can benefit going straight up instead of swiping for every shot to avoid picking up fouls.
Dior Johnson 6’2 175 PG – Southern California Academy 2022 (Oregon)
Johnson scored 11 points on 5-12 shooting against Centerville. He had some aggressive takes to the rim, all below the rim finishes and showed good touch on his floater. He can improve 3PT consistency, shooting 2-7 from 3PT in Southern California’s two games. He keeps his dribble alive well under pressure and can penetrate off it. He scored three points against Massillon Jackson in seven minutes of play before leaving the game with injury.
Jaxon Kohler 6’10 225 C – Southern California Academy 2022 (Michigan State)
Kohler was Southern California’s most consistent player. He only shot 1-5 from 3PT but his touch inside or out is impressive. He knows his strengths and doesn’t defer from them, looking to score off those strengths each possession. As usual he was great in the low post, showing advanced offensive footwork and inside scoring. Kohler scored 13 points (5-9 FG) and grabbed five rebounds against Centerville, then followed up with 20 points (10-16 FG) and pulled down 12 boards against Massillon Jackson.
Amaree Abram 6’3 175 SG – Southern California Academy 2022
Abram scored six points (1-8 FG, 0-2 3PT), six rebounds, four assists, and three turnovers before fouling out in SCA’s first game. He would shake that off and show out against Massillon Jackson, scoring 18 points (8-16 FG). He didn’t have much luck as a jump shooter missing all seven of his 3PT attempts but his aggressive play allowed him to get into the lane to score at the rim or pull up from midrange. He’s strong and handles contact well. He ran the point well with Dior Johnson out the majority of the second game, also finishing with eight assists and eight rebounds in the game.
Josh Reed 6’7 210 SF/PF – Pace Academy 2022 (Cincinnati)
Reed’s a strong lefty and filled it up with 27 points to beat Trotwood 80-53. He’s not an outstanding athlete but scored well inside, handling contact and scoring at different angles, using glass when appropriate. His jump shot doesn’t look bad, going 1-3 from downtown, but did most of his damage in the paint, where 18 of his shot attempts came from. In addition to his scoring, he finished with five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Bryson Tiller 6’8 185 SF/PF – Pace Academy 2025
Tiller’s strong for a freshman with a good build and broad shoulders. He’s a good athlete and well-coordinated. He has to stay on his feet more defensively but positioning and timing will come as he matures. His ten points was a solid contribution but it’s just a glimpse of the potential we’ll see from him down the road. Tiller also grabbed seven rebounds, recorded two blocks, two steals, and two turnovers in the win.
Rayvon Griffith 6’7 180 SG/SF – Taft 2023
Griffith dropped 28 points in the 68-63 loss to Flyght Academy. He’s a good athlete but can look to get to the rim more. He’s got a good shot, going 4-10 from 3PT and 4-5 from FT, but he settled for a lot of pull-ups, while he made a handful of them, he could’ve been more aggressive attacking the paint and taking over the game in general. With that said, he played well going 10-22 from the floor with seven rebounds (three offensive).
