Cleveland Heights secured two wins over a pair of top 25 teams on Saturday and Sunday at the inaugural Great Lakes Classic. After a nail-biter against number 7 St. Ignatius, Heights escaped regulation with a three-point victory over Cornerstone Christian after an open look from senior Titus Wheeler rimmed out.

The Tigers were able to get loose against Cornerstone as both teams were looking to push the tempo. The rise of juniors Javon Roberts and Grayson Green have given the team more speed on the perimeter and has resulted in the team scoring a combined  149 points in their first two showings. 

Opening weekend is officially behind us and as we get ready to move forward in the month of December, let's take a look at the top performers from the Great Lakes Classic as well as a video recap via 3rdCoastHoops!

Cleveland Heights

Yahel Hill, 6'0 Jr. - The stars were aligned Sunday night for junior Yahel Hill. The combo guard was as assertive as we have ever seen him en route to a career-high 37 points. Hill entered Sunday's matchup against Cornerstone Christian anxious for the matchup with his AAU teammate and close friend, Michael Bothwell. The two traded buckets throughout the first three quarters and put on one of the better back-and-forth battles in recent memory.

Jaylen Harris, 6'5 Sr. - While Hill's scoring is what most left the gym buzzing about, Harris' clutch play late was the difference. After Bothwell found his groove coming out of halftime, Harris accepted the challenge of defending the junior guard and slowed down his play. It was just the night before when Harris blocked what was likely going to be a made field goal by Ignatius' Matt Davet. Harris also connected on 14 out of his 15 free-throw attempts between the two contests.

Cornerstone Christian

Michael Bothwell, 6'3 Jr., G - Bothwell nailed a pull-up midrange jumper in the opening quarter against Cleveland Heights and secured the 1,000 point of his career just two games into his junior season. A monster third quarter by the junior swung the momentum in favor of the Patriots in which turned out to be the most competitive game of the event, Bothwell finished with 29 points. 

Brandon McQueen, 6'1 Sr., G - McQueen earned NEO Spotlight Player of the Week honors after an impressive showing in the last week of preseason action. McQueen's second half explosion Saturday night was key to the Patriots busting the game open and securing a 73-43 win over East Tech. The senior guard can score the ball in bunches, but his motor and vocal leadership will be the driving force behind Cornerstone's quest for another state title. 

Glenville

Nelson Wheatley, 6'1 Jr., G - One of the surprise performances of the weekend came from Wheatley. The Senate League guard brings toughness and a much needed scoring ability with the exit of Christian Guess. Wheatley was able to get rim-to-rim with the rock as quick as anyone who played at the two-day event. 

Lutheran East

Maurico Tate, 6'1 Sr., G - While he began the weekend off to a relatively slow start versus Orange, Tate kicked things up in the second half of the Falcons matchup with Shaw, finishing with 20 points, 5 assists, and the game's MVP honors. The senior guard placed the ball in the right spots and his teammates were able to get in a groove early. The GLC allowed Tate to get acclimated with the Falcons offense as they prepare for a tough December schedule. 

Maple Heights

Alfonse Hale, 5'10 Jr., G - Hale's scoring outburst on Sunday was one of the key reasons why Maple Heights was able to get out to a double digit lead at the half against Glenville. After scoring 17 of his 25 points in the game's first 16 minutes, including a ridiculous finish at the basket, Hale carried over his play from the team's final scrimmage and is on pace to really breakout as a junior.

Martin Luther King

Ronald Vann, 6'2 Sr., G - A powerfully built wing guard, Vann had a few highlight plays against Richmond Heights, including a big two-hand throwdown. Vann was able to get into the paint and finish through traffic and alongside Rob Carr, the two are in the discussion for one of the area's most athletic duos. Expect MLK, East Tech, and Glenville to compete for the top spot in a wide-open Senate League.   

New Day Academy

Traevon Fann, 6'4 Sr., F - An athletic and versatile forward, Fann has flown under-the-radar in the 2017 class. His athleticism combined with his lefty shooting stroke gives the senior a bit of upside moving forward, he led New Day in scoring in their 78-58 win over Rhodes. 

St. Ignatius

Matt Davet, 6'6 Sr., F - Davet was a man on a mission Saturday night. Even with the surplus of size and athleticism on the floor for the Cleveland Heights, Davet was able to find his go-to spots on the floor, and get whatever he wanted, connecting on an array of spin moves, jump hooks, and stick backs around the bucket. Davet poured in an efficient 34 points in Ignatius' one-point loss, the senior has pledged a verbal commitment to Emory University in Georgia.  

• G'Warren Douglas (Shaw) 6'7 Sr., F - Douglas has been working on developing his ball skills under Coach Rasul and it has appeared to pay off for the wiry forward.
• Grayson Green (Cleveland Heights) 6'2 Jr., G/F - Two impressive showings for the rising junior as he provided a big time spark off the pine, scoring 11 and 13 in a pair of wins. 
• Tyree Harris (Maple Heights) 6'2 Sr., G - Harris was in attack mode from the opening tip and came up with some key transition buckets down the stretch when Hale cooled off.
• Jaylan Hewitt (Orange) 6'4 Sr., G/F - A strong second half from Hewitt wasn't enough to get over the hump versus Lutheran East, but the senior managed to tally a 15-point, 10 rebound double double in the loss. 
• E.J. Onu (Richmond Heights) 6'9 Sr., C - Onu has proven to be arguably the state's top rim protector. On Saturday, he once again showed off his length, athleticism, and unique skillset.
• Tyler Powell (Lutheran East)  6'0 Sr., G - The senior shot the ball as well as anyone over the course of the showcase, and Powell's outside presence was key for Coach Jones and staff as they wait for reinforcements. 
• Kevin Tucker (Rhodes) 6'0 Jr., G - Tucker was one of the lone bright spots for a Rhodes team that was never really in the game against New Day Academy, a non-OHSAA school in Eucld. Tucker came out the gate on fire and scored half of his game-high 26 in the opening quarter.