Dayton, Ohio — Week three of Coach Render & Coach Osborne’s Dayton rec runs were shaken up a bit from the previous week. In an attempt to be different, unique, and put a new twist on the rec runs, the coaches added two new teams, adjusted the rosters, and invited some new prospects.

The runs have been an invite only open gym at Dayton’s Flyght Academy, consisting of the city’s top varsity prospects, along with some cameos from out of city stars.

Week two consisted of six teams of six players, while this weekend consisted of eight teams of five players. Like the previous weekend, games were played by one’s and two’s to seven, followed by a free throw to put the game away. A game clock was implemented to make sure games didn’t take too long.

Going into the run, teams one, five, and seven were the fan favorites. Team two was Coach Render’s sleeper team of the week. While a returning team six came in defending their seven game undefeated streak.

Division one prospects Ben Knostman & Nate Johnson made their rec run debuts, along with South Carolina stud, Colin Rodrigues.

In this article, we will review all eight teams put together by the coaches. We will go over some of the games they played, highlight plays, and give an opinion based analysis on the players of each team.

Team One – Lawrent Rice, Patrick Ivory, Damontay Raglin, Tom House, & Randy Latham

Our first team put together by the coaches featured all returning players from week two, including 23′ Randy Latham (Belmont), 23′ Lawrent Rice (Wayne), 22′ Tom House (Centerville), 21′ Patrick Ivory (Northmont), and 21′ Damontay Raglin (Trotwood-Madison).

When Coach Osborne released the first team via his Instagram, they instantly became the favorite to go undefeated and put an end to Team Six’s streak.

The previous week, House had proved to be one of the best shooters in the gym, while a clip of Ivory getting a dunk off a fast break was trending on social media. Rice, although only going into his sophomore season, already holds an NCAA division one offer, while Raglin & Latham compliment the team perfectly.

To begin the day, Team One started out slow offensively, not getting much to fall against Team Two. Defensively, they had a difficult time stopping Ryan Chew from behind the arc in the half-court, while Chew’s playmaking ability in transition allowed for a lot of easy points for Team Two.

Although Team Two came out on top, a few things stood out with Team One. Latham and Chew consistently went at each other on both ends, making for a good game. Add in Raglin’s highlight block on middle school phenom Mason Shrout that sent the crowd into frenzy, and this was a perfect start to a long day of runs.

Team One would move on to play Nate Johnson & Ben Knostman’s Team Seven, but they came up short once again. Team One kept it close against the two future division one commits, as it was tied for most of the game. But, Team One failed to capitalize off of a missed free throw and Team Seven wouldn’t make the same mistake again, making Team One 0-2.

Team One returned to go up against Team Four’s Tyler Montague & Dayjuan Anderson. Going into the game, both teams were 0-2 and looking for their first win.

Team One had difficulty stopping Montague on the drive, which kept the game close. But together, everyone stepped up and chipped in on the offensive end to send Ivory to the line after a nice fade-away and finish at the rim to score the last two points his team needed for the win.

Unfortunately, Team One’s inefficiency from the free throw line started to show. Luckily, Team One’s defense pulled through and Team Four couldn’t score before time ran out, giving Team One their first win of the day.

Lawrent Rice’s above average ability to shift his defender was in full effect, but he wasn’t able to consistently finish off of it. This is possibly due to the foul heavy play that comes with the Render Rec Runs. As Coach Osborne stated on their live, “They’ll either make you . . . or break you.” His court vision and playmaking ability helped him serve as his team’s primary ball handler and playmaker. Rice is a top five 2023 prospect in the Dayton area, and he’s set to have another dominate season with Wayne. The Rice v Cupps rivalry this upcoming season will be an arena filler for sure.

Patrick Ivory has nice length and height for a guard, and this will be on show for his senior season. He showed off his clean footwork in a highlight play followed by a nice fade-away jumper over Darian Leslie to help his team against Team Four. Ivory also earned a spot on our list as one of the most underrated players in the area. He already proved he could step up in big situations. After finishing the regular season with only one win, Ivory led his team with 2 assists, 3 rebounds, and 20 points on 8-12 shooting against the higher seeded Wayne. Ivory kept Northmont in the game for their first round post-season game, but fell short, 59-55. We expect him to have a breakout season this winter.

Damontay Raglin’s physicality and strength was a sight to see at Flyght Academy this weekend. His shot blocking ability is no secret to the Dayton area, posting a solid 1.7 blocks per game in his junior season with the rams. This earned him a top five spot for blocks per game in his conference. Raglin was definitely one of my favorites to watch for the day. It’ll be interesting to see how he contributes to his Trotwood team this year on both ends with his rim protection and footwork down low in the paint.

Tom House has certified himself as one of the best shooters in the area, and his play at the runs has supported the claim so far. House has shown he can shoot off the catch, off the dribble, off screens, and from anywhere on the court. He is just one of Centerville’s many threats for their upcoming seasons. House’s size was also a surprise to me. These recent weeks, House has reeled in an abundance of interests at the division one level, including Texas A&M, Davidson, & St. Johns. His back & forth battle with teammate Rich Rolf was a highlight for the day, along with his nasty step back three in the last half-hour of the runs.

Despite his lack of size and height, Randy Latham’s defense and ball handling were on sight for everyone to see at the academy. Latham was one of the primary ball handlers and play-makers for his team, and has proved to be one of the most underrated in his 2023 class. His quick hands on the defensive end resulted in a good amount of points off turnovers for his team. Latham’s vertical was also surprise for me, as in between games, he rose up to flush one in. The 2023 trio of Latham, along with teammates Antaune & Antone Allen will be a difficult challenge to whoever comes across them there next three seasons.

Team 2 – Mekhi Elmore, Mason Shrout, Tre Dennis, Rich Rolf, & Ryan Chew

In the second week of rec runs, Coach Render chose Team Six as his sleeper team. Team Six went onto finish undefeated. This weekend, Render chose Team Two as his sleeper team. They were on track to fulfill Render’s prophecy, until Allen Lattimore Jr. (West Carrollton) put a stop to that in Game 11.

Team Two consisted of 22′ Mekhi Elmore (Thurgood), 22′ Ryan Chew (Bellbrook), 24′ Mason Shrout (Preble Shawnee), 22′ Tre Dennis (Trotwood), and 22′ Rich Rolf (Centerville).

In Game 4, Team Two made their debut against Team One, where backed by Ryan Chew’s sharpshooting and ability to find his teammates in transition with ease, they made quick work of their opponent to begin the day 1-0. Chew battled with Randy Latham throughout the game on both ends to make an interesting game.

Team Two returned in Game 8 to face a fan favorite, Team Five. Throughout the game, Allen Lattimore Jr. & Elmore continuously went at it. The foul heavy defense forced both competitors to earn each and every point they scored. After multiple alley-oop attempts and flashy finishes from both teams, Malcolm Curry added a nice finish to tie the game, 6-6.

Team Two matched Curry offensively, and it resulted in Rich Rolf finishing out the game with an easy bucket down low to continue his team’s winning streak. Team Two looked on track to go undefeated, until Render & Osborne made the decision to have the two teams rematch three games later. This time, the ending was different.

The rematch between Team Two & Five took home game of the day for me. Both teams put on a show for the parents, coaches, media, and fellow teams. Lattimore once again shined in this game, along with Elmore. But, neither team could finish at the free throw line. In the end, the West Carrollton transfer was too much for Team Two, handing them their first loss.

After pulling in interest from Indiana Wesleyan and Western Kentucky over the 2022 contact period between players and colleges, Mekhi Elmore made his return to Flyght Academy. Elmore proved to be a hard read for defenders. His smooth handle and ability to create space for himself were front and center for everyone to notice. Off of his separations moves, he was quick on the drive and pulled up off of it with ease. Elmore came off as very comfortable and confidant throughout the day as well. One of Dayton’s top five prospects in the 2022 class is sure to take any opponent who hasn’t met him yet by surprise over these next couple seasons.

Mason Shrout was the lone wolf of the rec runs, being the only participant in the 2024 class. Coming off a hot previous weekend, Shrout showed off his score first mindset with his quick release every other time he touched the ball. Unfortunately he couldn’t get much to fall. Throughout the run, Shrout kept confidence in his shot and positivity in his play. This will definitely translate at the next level and help him become a nice leader as a freshman. Although he had an off shooting day, he proved he could successfully handle the ball around the perimeter against elite varsity talent. We expect Shrout to be a top prospect in the area for the 2024 class. The duo of Shrout alongside Bryce Singleton will be one the SWBL‘s best.

Tre Dennis is a name that I believe is unknown to many in the city who aren’t familiar with Trotwood basketball. This is primarily due to him only seeing the floor in six games for the rams. In those games, Dennis averaged 4.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and shot 48.0% from the field. As the team’s 8th option, Dennis put up 14 points on 6-10 shooting off the bench against Miamisburg, and looked well-rounded statistically. When asked why he sat the rest of the season after the first six games, Dennis stated he felt “the coaching staff had a difficult time relying on me and see me as trustworthy in game situations.” He’s definitely earned a spot as one of the most underrated players in the city. Hopefully his consistent finishing at the rim due to his solid frame can be used for his junior season.

Rich Rolf made his rec run debut this weekend, and stood out as soon as he walked in the gym. He’s was one of many Centerville’s studs that attended the private runs. He’s one of Ohio’s lengthiest guards at 6’7″ and has a nice wingspan to add. Rolf can do it all, and it will certainly show this coming season in the GWOC and Centerville’s out of conference match-ups. After sitting out his freshman year due to injury, he bounced back averaging 5.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, and 6.8 ppg on 47.1 fg% as his team’s fourth option. Rolf showed his durability as well, being only one of two Centerville players to play every game of the season. His competitive drive showed clearly when he matched-up against fellow teammate, Tom House, during the runs. Rolf has been quiet with his recruitment, but we can expect him to be playing basketball at the division one level.

Ryan Chew might’ve been the biggest standout on Team Two for this weekend. Despite him being undersized, he proved he can play with most elite talent in Dayton. Chew showed he was an ideal guard to run with, spotting up for shots behind the arc with his quick release, while pushing the ball quickly in transition and finding his teammates in perfect position. His playmaking ability helped him not only make himself look better, but the players around him. It was clear there was a nice team chemistry between Chew & Mekhi Elmore. This chemistry ended up expanding to the rest of the team. It will definitely be entertaining to see how Chew & Gabe Pavlak work together to compete in the SWBL next season.

Team 3 – Anthony McComb, Carter Mims, Anthony Johnson, Emmanuel Deng, & Gabe Pavlak

Team Three was possibly my favorite team to watch at the run this weekend, consisting of 21′ Anthony McComb (Thurgood), 21′ Carter Mims (Trotwood), 22′ Anthony Johnson (Fairmont), 23′ Emmanuel Deng (Centerville), and 22′ Gabe Pavlak (Bellbrook).

Team Three started their day against Team Eight. The game consisted of a lot of turnovers from both sides, but thankfully it didn’t effect Team Three enough to result in a loss for them. The game included a highlight block from Gabe Pavlak.

They returned two games later to compete against Team Four. A slow game, but the match-up was highlighted by Mims & Tyler Montague battling on both ends. Mims’ defense ended up paying off, earning Team Three their second straight win. The final score was 8-2.

Anthony McComb can certainly make a case for the best player in Dayton. He doesn’t have a spot on the front of our website for no reason. While on one of Render’s lives, McComb was described as “a player who you can tell works on their game”. The 2021 guard comes off as a natural with the ball. Add in his consistent workouts with Coach Crawford, and he’s on track to have a huge senior season. We expect him to be one of the hardest players to guard in the city because of his ease to reach the paint so consistently while also being a knockdown shooter from anywhere on the floor.

Carter Mims was another Trotwood talent I enjoyed watching. His competitiveness and effort stood out compared to others on the floor. For me, he took home defensive player of the run this weekend, consistently poking the ball out of his match-ups’ pocket. At one time, Mims stole the ball from the opposing team for three straight possessions. Expect Mims & Damontay Raglin to force a lot of turnovers for Trotwood’s opponents this season. Although 5’5″, he also consistently finished at the rim in the half-court and transition. Bet on Mims to make a lot of noise for the Rams this season along with their loaded 2024 class. If Mims can use his explosiveness and freakish speed to the best of his ability, he’ll be hard to stop on both ends.

Anthony Johnson was another rec newcomer, and definitely proved he belonged. He showed to be one of the most consistent and efficient shooters in the gym. Johnson stayed squared up and ready to shoot off the catch from behind the arc. He also showed his ability to shift his defender with his quick handle and get up into a pull up jumper in a swift manner. After speaking to Johnson’s mom after the run, she stated how Johnson has stood out from other players his age since he first started playing in elementary. Much like McComb, his natural abilities with the ball mixed with his training with Coach Smart, will certainly result in a big season for the Fairmont point guard.

Although being one of the youngest in the gym, Emmanuel Deng also proved he belonged. He was also one of the few players in the gym who has yet to see much varsity playing time. Centerville’s young prospect is expected to have a big role increase next season, especially after what he showed us this weekend. Early in the day, Deng showed that he could step up in clutch situations. After sinking a pull up mid-ranger, Deng headed to the line for the game winning free throw. A teammate of Deng’s let us know that he was an inconsistent shooter from the line, but contrary to what was expected, Deng sunk the free throw to put his team up 1-0. The 2023 guard earned his highlight play in the last half hour of the runs, rising over Meadowdale star, Justin O’Neal, for a monster block.

Last but not least, Bellbrook big, Gabe Pavlak, was missing his rec rival in Shawn Phillips. He didn’t let that stop him from continuing to show off his competitive drive and toughness on each side of the court. While his Bellbrook coach was in attendance, Pavlak was very physical around the rim, and had nice footwork in the paint. This allowed the 2022 prospect to easily find teammates open around the perimeter, as well as score down low. Pavlak & Ryan Chew will be an exciting duo to watch and compete with in the SWBL.

Team 4 – Dayjuan Anderson, Christian Rand, Darian Leslie, Tyler Montague

The fourth team that showed up to the runs was led by 21′ Tyler Montague (Butler), along with 23′ Dayjuan Anderson (Ponitz), 21′ Christian Rand (Wayne), and 22′ Darian Leslie (Dunbar). 21′ Jayson Hayes (Centerville) did not show unfortunately.

The group made their debut against Team Seven. Dayjuan Anderson stepped up early by showing he’s one of the best 2023 prospects in the city. Anderson showed his footwork with a post fade-away, followed by coming down the court and hurling a pull-up jumper from behind the arc to put his team up 3-1. He continued his stellar play, but this time on the defensive end, with a highlight block against future division one basketball commit, Nate Johnson. But, unfortunately the incoming sophomore couldn’t stop Team Seven from finishing on top, 8-6.

Team Four returned to face a nice looking Team Three. Throughout the game, Montague went at it with Carter Mims. After taking an early deficit, Team Four couldn’t come back. Mims shut down Montague defensively, and Anthony Johnson stepped up to be the difference maker, hitting a deep dagger for game.

Tyler Montague looked very nice later on against Team One in a close game. He was almost unstoppable on the drive. Anderson walked away from the game with a monster block on Randy Latham. But, Team Four couldn’t stop the teamwork of Team One, coming out with another loss.

Tyler Montague proved this weekend that he will be a candidate for Conference Player of The Year. His above average scoring ability on the drive proved to be helpful for his team on the offensive side. He was able to get downhill very quickly, and finish around his defenders with a unique finish and footwork on each occasion. Montague did well finishing high off the glass, and brought out his hook shot for the rec run. He showed off his nice jump-shot, and with an increase in consistency, will be a problem from behind the arc. Montague stood out as one of the best players of week 3.

Dayjuan Anderson is one of the many special talents in the 2023 class. Anderson showed he had a nice and consistent jumpshot, along with nice footwork. Anderson, while only coming out of his freshman season, stepped up big as a leader for his team to start out the runs. He was arguably one of the best shooters in the gym. He also showed his leaping ability on the defensive end and effortless recovery with two blocks at the rim, one on Randy Latham, and another on division one prospect, Nate Johnson.

Darian Leslie was the only current Dunbar player in attendance for the runs. His jumpshot also stuck out to me as one of the nicest in the gym. After years of hardship, Dunbar is taking the proper measures to turn their basketball program in a better direction. With Leslie expecting a new cast & crew, it’ll be interesting to see how he changes his play style and how is role on the team changes to fit the new & improved team. Expect to hear and see Leslie’s name a lot more as Dunbar basketball makes its return.

Christian Rand is one of three Wayne varsity players who were invited to this weekend’s rec that didn’t see much of the varsity floor due to Wayne’s deep depth. It’s hard to know if Rand will have much of a role increase with having a majority returning team, but we expect him to be seeing the floor much more. The 2021 forward showed his grit, grind, and effort as he picked up the opposing teams’ primary ball handlers in the full court on multiple occasions. Rand’s defense can be something Wayne could use to their advantage for his senior season with the program.

Team 5 – Allen Lattimore Jr, Chanze Amerson, Antone Allen, Tre Johnson

Team Five was another fan favorite on the night of the team announcements. They certainly met their expectations, being one of the flashiest teams of the event. The team was made up of 21′ Malcolm Curry (Wayne), 21′ Allen Lattimore Jr. (West Carrollton), 21′ Chanze Amerson (Thurgood), 23′ Antone Allen (Belmont), and 21′ Tre Johnson (Centerville).

Team Five came out of the gates as the debut team for the day against the undefeated, Team Six. Allen Lattimore tried to put a stop to their 7 game winning streak, but came up short, 8-5.

After a tough loss, they made a return to face Team Two. It was probably the flashiest game so far at the time, but the finishing was lacking. Allen Lattimore came down the court with the ball as the spectators awaited a highlight dunk, but instead he put in between his legs and off the backboard for an alley-oop to a trailing Chanze Amerson. Unfortunately, the oop wasn’t on target enough, and Amerson couldn’t finish the highlight play. Curry had a good game as well, but the team failed to come out on top.

Team Five came back out for a rematch against Team Two, which ended up taking home game of the day. Allen Lattimore showed out and proved he was one of the top talents in the gym, resulting in a different ending for his team.

After being accused of “ducking rec” the previous week, Allen Lattimore Jr. came out and proved that was definitely not the case. The MVL newcomer and West Carrollton transfer will be getting the much more coverage and exposure that he deserves with his new team and new conference. It’ll be interesting to see how Lattimore & Stanley Shrivers mesh together with the pirates, but how he played alongside Curry & Antone, expect them to be a dynamic duo. His shot looked very consistent, smooth off the dribble, and off the catch. He also proved he has the ability to step up and put a team on his back. While against Team Three, Lattimore scored all eight of his team’s points to give them the win.

Malcolm Curry looked very smooth with the ball throughout the day. He seems to have a good idea on when he has a miss match, and how to execute on it. Against, Emmanuel Deng, Curry went to work on the perimeter. At one point, he put Deng on the floor for a nice highlight, but couldn’t finish the shot. He showed he could finish around the rim off the drive as well. It’ll be interesting to see how Curry does in a strong looking GWOC conference for his senior season, being one of the quickest & strongest ball handlers around the perimeter.

Chanze Amerson stuck out as one of the most athletic players in the gym for the day. His ability to use his air time to finish over, around, and through defenders is one of his nicest traits. Amerson has a type of athleticism that if he misses on the drive, you can expect him to grab his own board and go back up for the easy finish. His highlight dunks are a plus for any team he plays on, because it creates an instant boost in team morale and energy like no other.

Antone Allen might be the most underrated player out of his 2023 class. His vertical and athleticism is in the top percentile of any player of any class in the area. He showed that early in the run, when off a missed floater from Allen Lattimore, he rose up from no where for a put back dunk. He also showed his ability to finish through contact with tough finishes during the run. It’ll be exciting to see the show Antone and his brother put on in the Dayton City League for only their sophomore seasons.

Tre Johnson is an invitee that many participants and spectators probably weren’t too familiar with before the run. The Centerville big man has a ton of potential going into his senior season after being a JV junior and Varsity reserve. This is due to his lengthy frame and his ideal work ethic. Johnson was one player I was looking forward to seeing at the run, wanting to see his improvement. He unfortunately didn’t stick out much, but there’s still a lot of time left in the off-season to prove himself for the upcoming season. With the mix of Centerville losing their leading rim protector and big man, and Johnson’s chop wood mentality, expect him to make a good case for receiving a role increase with the Elks.

Team 6 – Justin O’Neal, Dasan Doucet, Jeremiah Thompson, Shayne Ferguson

The only returning team from week two had a lot of confidence going into this weekend after finishing undefeated. The team was made up of 21′ Justin O’Neal (Meadowdale), 22′ Dasan Doucet (Fairmont), 21′ Jeremiah Thompson (Wayne), and 21′ Shayne Ferguson (Thurgood). 21′ Daylon Morgon (Trotwood) didn’t show for this weekend.

Team Six was brought on the court to defend their streak for the first game of the day, against Team Five. Allen Lattimore came out of the gates hungry to stop Team Six. Dasan Doucet showed his strength and solidarity with a and-one finish through contact to keep his team in the game. In the end, Lattimore wasn’t enough to stop Justin O’Neal’s dagger from deep to keep the streak going.

After going 8-0 in the rec runs, Team Six’s streak came to an end at the hands of Team Eight. Team Eight made very quick work of Six in a fast paced game. Team Six was down 5-0 before O’Neal put them on the board. Doucet followed with a nice couple finishes but it wasn’t enough to stop Team Eight from ending the streak.

Justin O’Neal proved to be the leader for this team on the offensive end. He showed to not only be a slasher, but could also knock down the open shot when available. O’Neal’s defensive intesity seemed to spread throughout his teammates as well. The duo of O’Neal and Will Hill will be one of the most lethal in the Dayton City League.

Dasan Doucet is one of the many young talents at Fairmont with high potential. Doucet showed he was willing to finish through contact consistently when he got into transition. He brought a nice defensive prescence to his squad, feuled by his nonstop effort. Doucet will have a big role increase with his Fairmont team for his junior season, going from a contributor off the bench, to a starter and key part of the young team’s future. Plan on this year being a breakout season for the 2022 forward.

Shayne Ferguson & Jeremiah Thompson both served as quality role players for their team. Thompson didn’t let his height be a disadvantage, shifting defenders for shots around the perimeter, while Ferguson scored easy buckets down low. Both contributors stepped up on the defensive end, especially late in their game, forcing turnovers against Team Eight when it set in that their undefeated streak was on the line. Expect them to translate that same play style over into their final seasons at the varsity level.

Team 7 – Nate Johnson, Ben Knostman, Wilson Suggs, Antaune Allen

Team 7 was arguably the favorite to go undefeated for this weekend. With a stacked roster consisting of two division one prospects including, 21′ Nate Johnson (Lakota East) and 21′ Ben Knostman (Tipp), alongside 22′ Wilson Suggs (Tri-Village) and 23′ Antaune Allen (Belmont). 22′ Ray Greene (Wayne) didn’t show for Team Seven.

They first faced off against Team Four. The star of the event, Nate Johnson started out slow from the field, going 0-4. But, Johnson put his team on the board with a put back over Christian Rand to bring his team’s deficit down to 3-1. With the game tied 6-6, Antaune received a nice dime down low for an easy to finish to start Team Seven out 1-0.

Team Seven returned but this time to face Team One. This was another close game for Johnson and his crew, but Johnson sent himself to the line to end it after a nice shot from deep. He couldn’t finish at the line, but in the end Team Seven came back out on top, now 2-0.

For their third match-up, they were faced up against Team Eight. Their third games was another close one, but once again they came out on top.

Nate Johnson started out the day a little disappointing from the field, but he instantly bounced back after his first four shots to spark our interest. He made it difficult for defenders to stop him after he reached the paint. His quick crossover and lethal leaping ability resulted in Johnson scoring majority of his points in the paint, but he also showed he could hit shots from quality range on a consistent basis. Johnson played with a type of nonchalance and confidence throughout the run. His athletic build, speed, and overall athleticism definitely screams division one. The 8th highest ranked player in Ohio (247sports) holds offers from Miami (OH), Kent St, & Ohio, along with interest from Dayton & Cincinnati.

Ben Knostman was the other division one prospect highlighting the event. The Tippecanoe guard stood out as one of the best passers. He was able to consecutively find and hit Johnson along with his other teammates on the fastbreak for easy finishes in transition. His above average length for a guard also stood out from the others in the gym. Knostman would periodically create his own shot off the dribble, looking nice on the mid-range pull up. He led Tippecanoe to a conference championship, and along the way earned himself the conference player of the year title. Knostman is in the race for Ohio’s best passer and currently holds six offers including from Lehigh. He also has interest from FGCU & Yale.

Antaune Allen, much like his brother, has incredible athleticism around the rim compared to other 2023 players in the area. The young guard hasn’t received much interest, but surely will with some more exposure and coverage for his next three seasons. His explosive quickness and vertical is something that many 2021 players in Dayton have even yet to obtain. Expect Allen & his brother to climb many player rankings in the area this upcoming season.

Wilson Suggs, similar to Mason Shrout, is a player we’ve heard great things about, but didn’t show too much for this run. Suggs definitely showed he could run with the elite varsity talent without turning over the ball, and added in a few buckets, but didn’t stick out as a star. He was a nice role player for his team, and can be expected to step up more with an increase in confidence over the next couple weeks. Suggs is also expected to have a big season with Tri-Village in the CCC. Paired with another top sophomore player in the area, Layne Sarver, Suggs & Tri-Village will be making a lot of noise.

Team 8 – Stanley Shrivers, Colin Rodrigues, Kalerrio Reaves, Isaiah Ramey

Team Eight was another team spectators were looking forward to seeing, due to the rec debut of a top player in the area, Stanley Shrivers, along with the event’s first out of state participant, Colin Rodrigues. The team not only included 21′ Stanley Shrivers (West Carrollton), and 21′ Collin Rodrigues (South Carolina), but also 23′ Kalerrio Reaves (Meadowdale), and 21′ Isaiah Ramey (Cedarville). 21′ Courtney ‘Deuce’ Blake (Trotwood) was absent.

Team Eight started out with a tough loss against Team Three. But, Team Eight rebounded from their loss in their next match-up against the undefeated Team Six. Ramey started out nice after a rough start shooting from the field, leading the team to a 3-0 lead. Reaves followed with a two to put them up 5-0. Team Eight closed the doors on a potential comeback for Team Six, putting an end to their 8 game undefeated streak.

Stanley Shrivers was one of two West Carrollton’s stars for the upcoming season to made their rec debut in week three. The other being Allen Lattimore, Shrivers and the pirates are on track to have their biggest season in the school’s recent decades. After what was shown this recent weekend, the pair of Shrivers and Lattimore will give West Carrollton one of the toughest back-courts in the city. With the addition of Lattimore & D’Shawn Ferguson, along with their current team, Shrivers will almost certainly lead the conference in assists per game. Expect Stanley Shrivers to be the most all around statistical player in the MVL.

Colin Rodrigues took home our Week Four Rec Player of The Week. Rodrigues’ athleticism was unmatched. His ability to explode off the dribble and soar through the air opened up many opportunities on the offensive end. Rodrigues’ air time would frequently allow him to pass up finishes after beating his defender to find and hit open guards on the perimeter. The 2021 forward transferred from Dayton to North Augusta High School in South Carolina his freshman year. He also showed he was able to hit shots behind the arc. According to Rodrigues, his recruitment so far has seen a lot of interest. He’s definitely a player we hope to see in action again.

Team Eight was full of new faces to the rec runs, including Isaiah Ramey. The Midwest AAU guard was a little off from the field, not getting many shots to fall. But, Ramey was one of the more confident players in the run based off his play. He constantly went into contact and wouldn’t shy away from it on the drive. He had difficulty finishing at the rim, but in an official game, most of his finishes would’ve been met with a foul call. The 2021 prospect has earned a couple offers from prep schools, along with an offer from Sinclair at the JUCO level. He and his father’s ability to network and build connections has been the perfect supplement to Ramey’s recruitment, on top of his already nice skill set and work ethic. Along with expecting more offers to begin flowing in, Ramey can be expected to have a big season in the OHC with Cedarville along teammate, Trent Koning.

Kalerrio Reaves was the second Meadowdale player of the run. The young prospect is one of the top and most underrated in his 2023 class. Reaves’ Meadowdale squad is on track to finish as one of the top teams in the Dayton City League, returning their stars in Will Hill & Justin O’Neal. The sky is the limit for Reaves, having two elite 2021 prospects with division one interest by his side to learn from. With his quickness and ability to spot up and hit easy shots around the perimeter, he’ll be on a lot of 2023 watch-lists.

Outro

After another weekend of Dayton rec runs at Flyght Academy, week five is on track to repeat its successfulness. After feedback from participants & spectators, Coach Render and Osborne made the decision to cut back on the teams, and go back to the original six team, six player format.

23′ Will Maxwell (Oakwood), 21′ Jakob Reed (Stebbins), 22′ Ben Southerland (CHCA), 22′ Adam Duvall (Beavercreek), 21′ Larry Kocisko (McNicholas | ISA Prep), and 24′ Delamarr Blanton (Trotwood), will all be making their much deserved debuts.

Big things are on the way for the two coaches, as they’ve also put in plan a college/pro run to go along with the current high school runs. Top college players from around the area have already earned themselves a spot in the event, including Caleb McConnell (Dunbar | Rutgers), AJ Harris (Dunbar | New Mexico St), and Trey Landers (Wayne | Dayton).

Dear players & coaches, if you come across any misinformation about you or your players, be sure to let us know by contacting us on one of our social media platforms !