NEO 1st Day Recap

8th Grade Top Performers

Andy Barbra (#202)
If you're familiar with basketball in NE Ohio then the name Barbra should ring a bell. Andy, the younger brother of Columbia University freshman Peter Barbra, is well on his way to continuing the family success train. Andy is a crafty lefty who is capable of playing several positions on the floor. His length allows him to finish around the bucket, and he has proved to be an above-average shooter.

Montorie Foster (#243)
Before any amount of time ticked off of the scoreboard and while some late arrivals were still trickling in, there was a kid attempting to throw himself an alley-oop off the backboard and dunk it. That kid was Montorie Foster. Foster, who stands under 6 feet tall, is athletic as they come in the 8th grade class. When you combine elite athleticism with the skillset and confidence that Foster has, the result is a point guard who cab kill you in a lot of different ways.

Darion Henry (#217)
Henry was the most physically opposing player at Garfield Heights High School on Saturday as he bullied his way to second and third chance opportunities around the bucket. The 6'4 forward has a physique and maturity to his body that rivals that of some upperclassmen in high school. Due to his unique combination of strength and quickness, Henry made it virtually impossible for the opposition to stay in front of. 

Grant Huffman (#372)
Perhaps the best player in attendance this past weekend, Huffman brought a little bit of everything to the table. Huffman is a 6'2 guard who has an incredible feel for the game that is rare for a player of his age. Regardless of the pace or tempo of the game, Huffman never looks rushed. With less than 10 seconds remaining in a tight game against a squad led by Andy Barbra, Huffman went around his defender and made the game-winning assist, one of his many on the day. 

John Hughley (#253)
With sophomore Tyler Williams and freshmen standouts D.J. Dial and Andre Harris blossoming into their own, the class of 2020 brings some hope to a young Brush Arcs group that is in the process of rebuilding from the ground up with head coach Chet Mason. John Hughley, a 6'6 forward, may have the most immediate impact out of next year's freshmen class. During Sunday'ssecond round of games, it was Hughley who squared off with Cincinnati native Darion Henry in what turned out to be one the most intriguing individual matchups of this past weekend. Even though he didn't show much of a skill set offensively with his back to the basket, Hughley proved to be a willing passer from the post.

Jesse Laster (#254)
Every time he stepped foot on to the court at Garfield Heights High School, Jesse Laster demanded the attention of everyone in attendance, and it won't be the last time. Laster, a guard in Coach Sonny Johnson's upcoming freshmen class, put on a show in transition. The wiry 6'1 athlete put down the only dunk that I saw this weekend when he crushed a one-hand throw down after a sweep through drive to the basket. 

Other Notable Performers:
Nehemiah Benson (#325)
Brent Darby Jr. (#307)
Quentin Richardson (#122)
Tevin Jackson (#121)
Jalen Dial (#218)

Recap Written By:
T.J. Peatross
NEO Youth Elite Blogger
Twitter - @tjpeatross

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