Regarded as the nation's top AAU league, Nike's Elite Basketball Youth League (EYBL) tipped off this past weekend in Brooklyn, New York in impressive fashion. In a league which features four league play 'sessions,' leading into a national tournament known as the Peach Jam, the EYBL is the ideal platform for the country's top prep talent to show off their skills against the best of the best.
With several Ohio State targets taking the floor this past weekend in the Brooklyn borough, let's take a look at how each prospect fared in three EYBL games.
Markell Johnson (6'2 PG / King James Shooting Stars / 2017):
Per Game Stats: 16.7 points, 44.4% FG, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists
Weekend High: 18 points vs. Meanstreets (IL)
Ohio's top guard in the 2017 class, Johnson put on a show in a 2-1 weekend for King James. Averaging 16.7 points per game, Johnson also rebounded and passed at a high level, performing in front of Ohio State assistant coach Greg Paulus. Flirting with the idea of possibly reclassifying to 2016 and joining the Buckeyes' incoming recruiting class, Johnson was no slouch in his first taste of EYBL action over the weekend.
Gary Trent Jr (6'5 SG / Howard Pulley / 2017):
Per Game Stats: 21 points, 45.8% FG, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists
Weekend High: 24 points vs. Team CP3 (NC)
The top prospect on Ohio State's 2017 recruiting board, Minnesota's Trent Jr. was as good as advertised in the opening round of EYBL play. A high-level scorer that can get it done from all over the floor, Trent Jr.'s playstyle differs from that of his father, Gary Trent, who was an all-world performer at Hamilton Township High School on the outskirts of Columbus, before moving on to a prosperous career at Ohio University and in the NBA. While Trent Sr. was good friends and college teammates with former Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals, it will be interesting to see if Boals' departure to become Stony Brook's newest head coach will have any impact on Ohio State's standing with ESPN's No. 15 overall prospect in the 2017 class.
Nojel Eastern (6'7 SG / Meanstreets / 2017):
Per Game Stats: 10.7 points, 52.2% FG, 4.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists
Weekend High: 16 points vs. Georgia Stars
A recently offered prospect that Ohio State is turning up the pressure on, Eastern had a solid weekend for Meanstreets, a top program based out of Chicago. Eastern is a lengthy wing guard with a versatile skill set, the type of prospect that Thad Matta has consistently recruited over the years. Eastern has been a mainstay in the EYBL for the past two seasons, playing up a year ago, and being one of the league's top breakout performers. Visited by Matta on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are in hot pursuit for the four-star wing, who features offers from other Big Ten programs in Illinois, Michigan State and nearby Northwestern.
Kyle Young (6'7 SF / King James / 2017):
Per Game Stats: 18.3 points, 60.6% FG, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Weekend High: 25 points vs. Seattle Rotary (WA)
While Young does not hold an offer from Ohio State, the Massillon Jackson wing forward is one of the state's top prospects in the 2017 class. Evaluated by Paulus on Wednesday, Young is coming off a breakout weekend in the EYBL, in which the 6-foot-7 forward led a loaded King James unit in scoring and field goal percentage. Offered by Michigan State on Tuesday, Young can expect his stock to continue to blow up if he can play at the level he did this past weekend for the rest of league play. A talented shot-maker that can take defenders inside and out, Young reminds us a bit of former Wisconsin wing Sam Dekker, and would figure to be an excellent fit in Ohio State's system.
Kaleb Wesson (6'9 C / All-Ohio Red / 2017):
Per Game Stats: 13 points, 65.2% FG, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Weekend High: 23 points, 10 rebounds vs. Pro Skills (TX)
Despite All-Ohio Red dropping all three of its games over the weekend, the Westerville South center and Ohio State commit was a bright spot for the Ohio squad. Averaging 13 points on 65 percent shooting, Wesson was a force to be reckoned with on the interior, exploding for 23 points and 10 rebounds vs. Pro Skills out of Texas on Saturday night. Wesson's effectiveness would be limited, however, as foul trouble plagued the burly 6-foot-9 big man over the weekend. Fresh off a Division I state championship, Wesson is the key piece for an All-Ohio Red squad that is looking to pick up the pieces this weekend at Session 2 in Indianapolis.
Ohio State Evaluates Top Underclassmen Talent
Outside of 17U EYBL action, members of Ohio State's coaching staff were active all across the country, as the Buckeyes took a look at the top two prospects in central Ohio's 2018 and 2019 classes over the weekend. In between evaluations in Brooklyn, Paulus followed 2018 commit Dane Goodwin of All-Ohio Red, who put on a show scoring the ball from all over the floor. No. 2 in the 270 Hoops' 2018 rankings, Goodwin is coming off a strong sophomore season, in which he led Upper Arlington the Division I regional semifinals.
Paulus traveled back to central Ohio on Sunday to check out the No. 1 prospect in 270 Hoops' 2018 class, 6-foot-6 Pickerington North forward Jerome Hunter, who led Nova Village to a championship at the Midwest Elite College Showcase. Hunter, who has visited the Ohio State campus on multiple occasions, is one of the state's highest upside forwards, who could earn a Buckeye offer with continual improvement over the summer.
After checking out Goodwin and Hunter, Paulus wrapped up a busy weekend checking out top 2019 forward Taylor Currie of All-Ohio Red and Worthington Christian, who appears at No. 3 in the 270 Hoops' 2019 rankings. A skilled 'stretch four' with great footwork and shooting touch, Currie is one of the state's highest upside prospects in the freshman class, as he brings great length and versatile scoring ability.
The Ohio State staff also checked out 2019 6-foot-7 wing guard Jordan Mitchell of King James, who was in action in Nashville over the weekend. Earning an offer from the Buckeyes during a freshman season in which Mitchell helped lead Gahanna to the Division I regional final, the No. 1 player in the 270 Hoops' 2019 class helped lead King James to a successful weekend, as he brings length, versatility and a defensive prowess to the floor. A rangy wing that reminds us a bit of Duke freshman forward Brandon Ingram, Mitchell is a player right in Ohio State's backyard that the Buckeyes are in hot pursuit for in the 2019 class.
Busy on the recruiting trail, Paulus evaluated rising Cleveland Holy Name sophomore wing guard Dwayne Cohill on Wednesday, hours before the 6-foot-3 guard received an offer from Northwestern. Cohill, who led Ohio Basketball Club to a silver bracket championship in the opening session of the Adidas Gauntlet Series in Dallas, was also evaluated by Ohio State assisting coach Dave Dickerson over the weekend. Arguably the state's top 2018 prospect, Cohill is a dynamic scoring guard, who is more of a two at this point in his career. Look for Ohio State to increase its interest of Cohill if the budding sophomore can show an enhanced ability to play the point guard position, which the Buckeyes will be possibly looking to use him at the next level if he were to come to Columbus. Despite not having an offer yet from the Buckeyes, we wouldn't be surprised to see Ohio State extend a scholarship to Cohill sometime this spring or summer.
