2014 Flyin' To The Hoop Saturday recap

On the second day of the Good Samaritan Hospital Flyin' To The Hoop Invitational, a slew of talented prospects put on dazzling performances in front of thousands of spectators at Kettering's Trent Arena. Let's take a look at some of Saturday's top performers.

Luke Kennard (6'5 SG / Franklin / 2015):

Going for a day-high 38 points, Kennard's high-scoring antics were put on the highest display in Franklin's contest vs. North Carolina commit Justin Jackson and Houston HCYA. Falling to HYCA 67-64, Kennard dazzled with his shot-making ability and knack for getting to the basket in front of a slew of college coaches, none bigger than Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Kennard was matched up with Jackson for the majority of the night, and showed no fear, attacking the lane and drawing contact for the entirety of the game. Including Ohio State among his top seven last week, Kennard put on a performance to remember in front of Buckeyes assistant coach Jeff Boals on Saturday night.

Justin Jackson (6'8 SF / Houston HCYA / 2014):

Committed to North Carolina, Jackson was arguably Saturday's top performer, going for 35 points, nine rebounds and four steals, Jackson's fourth quarter scoring was enough to pace HCYA over Kennard and Franklin, 57-54. At 6'8, Jackson has incredible length, underrated athleticism and an ability to get his own shot at anytime. Matched up with Kennard, Jackson held his own in swatting a few shots along the way to the win. Joining a talented Tar Heel recruiting class including Florida point guard Joel Berry II and North Carolina forward Theo Pinson, head coach Roy Williams will have an arsenal of weapons at his display in Chapel Hill next season.

Tyler Ulis (5'10 PG / Chicago Marian Catholic / 2014):

In a head-to-head matchup with Ohio State commit AJ Harris, Ulis showed exactly why Kentucky basketball fans are exciting about his arrival in the fall. Going for a game-high 30 points, Ulis impressed with incredible ball-handling skills, shot-making ability, and command of the offense en route to Marian Catholic's 67-60 win vs. the hometown Dayton Dunbar Wolverines. With excellent court vision, quickness and awareness on each end of the floor, Ulis was the top point guard in attendance on Saturday, and the primary reason for the success of Marian Catholic's offense in the fourth quarter vs. Dunbar. Ulis has an elite knack for getting into the lane, and with impressive body control and finishing ability, look for the Lima native to have a success career in Lexington under the tutelage of Calipari.

Amos "AJ" Harris (5'8 PG / Dayton Dunbar / 2015):

In arguably the biggest one-on-one matchup of his career thus far, Harris was no slouch in a close loss to Ulis and Marian Catholic. Going for a team-high 25 points, Harris, an Ohio State commit, added three rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot in the 67-60 loss. Knocking down two buzzer-beating threes (after the first, and fourth quarters), Harris showed that he is more than capable of getting off his shot vs. taller defenders, and had no problems getting into the lane for scores. One of the quickest guards in the country, Harris was a difficult matchup for Marian Catholic's guards, scoring 14 of his 25 in the second half. The first commitment in what looks to be a promising Buckeye recruiting class for 2015, Harris' play-making ability should attract top prospects to Columbus in the coming years.

Doug Taylor (6'8 C / Columbus Northland / 2015):

Continuing a breakout junior season, Northland's Taylor was a major reason for the Vikings' 49-42 win over Roselle Catholic (NJ). Going for a game-high 14 points and 13 rebounds, Taylor was a major force to be reckoned with in the middle and provided Northland will a huge lift in the rebounding department. Tasked with defending multiple Roselle post players at 6'8 and taller, Taylor played excellent low-post defense and pulled down several tough rebounds in traffic. Cracking the Northland starting lineup as a junior, look for Taylor to continue to improve his stock as the year goes on. Alongside 6'7 senior power forward Jaylen Tucker in the post, Northland enjoys an advantage in the paint in the majority of the games that the Vikings play in.

Tarik Wright (6'3 SF / Columbus Walnut Ridge / 2016):

Having his best performance thus far in the season, Wright's 18 points and 11 rebounds helped Walnut Ridge improve to 11-2 on the year with a 59-49 win over Cincinnati Summit Country Day. Scoring 14 of his 18 in the second half, Wright stretched the floor with impressive perimeter shooting late as the Scots pulled away from Summit. With a true inside-outside game, Wright is a difficult matchup on the wing, as he has the strength to overpower smaller defenders, and the shooting ability to stretch the floor with bigger forwards. After scoring a season-high 26 points vs. Africentric earlier in the year, Wright added another impressive performance to a solid sophomore season.

Antonio Woods (6'1 PG / Cincinnati Summit Country Day / 2014):

Committed to Penn as a football prospect, Woods showed great quaterbacking ability in leading the Summit Country Day offense on Saturday. Finishing with a game-high 19 points, Woods added six assists to an impressive stat line. Going up against the solid perimeter defending guards of Walnut Ridge, Woods showed no signs of a slow down on Saturday, and nearly had enough for Summit to reverse the tide in the fourth quarter. Woods has good size and athleticism for the point guard position, highlighted by the fact that the senior intends to be a two-sport athlete at Penn in the fall. Opening up opportunities for senior center JC Kraml, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Woods has been one of Cincinnati's top senior guards this season.

Jaquan Harrison (6'3 SF / Columbus Africentric / 2015):

Although Africentric has been in a bit of a funk lately, Harrison has been on the top of his game, and continued that hot streak on Saturday. Going for a game-high 20 points, in addition to 11 rebounds, the junior Harrison, thought to be the top 2015 prospect in Columbus, was Africentric's lone consistent scorer in an 83-51 loss to Cincinnati Roger Bacon. Improving his overall skill set, Harrison showed impressive ball-handling ability on Saturday, and was an overall solid playmaker in leading the Nubians. Adding three big blocks to an impressive stat line, Harrison was a force to deal with around the basket, finishing a pair of high-flying slams. On an Africentric team that has greatly underachieved this season at 7-8, Harrison has been one of few bright spots in a season that has gone worse than what many expected.

Carlas Jackson (6'4 SG / Cincinnati Roger Bacon / 2014):

Scorching the nets from behind-the-arc in Roger Bacon's 83-51 win vs. Africentric, Jackson finished with a team-high 19 points in the win. At 6'4, Jackson has impressive size for the two-guard position, and created several opportunities in transition for the Spartans, causing four steals. Looking to be a borderline Division-I prospect, Jackson improved his stock with a solid performance against a talented Africentric team. One of the leading scorers on a Roger Bacon squad ranked No. 1 in the AP's Division-III rankings, Jackson was a major reason for the Spartans' success beyond the arc on Saturday.