Hoops Heaven: My Day at Midwest Live

I got in the car and headed to Midwest Live in Sandusky on Friday, June 28 at the Cedar Point Sports Complex in Sandusky. The event was silly enough to grant me a media credential to cover the event. The idea was to go and watch some great basketball, and focus on some kids that Kent State was recruiting. Midwest Live features some of the best high school teams in Ohio and Michigan, converging for three days of basketball.

For someone like me, it was hoops heaven. With college coaches everywhere and great competition and players, what could be better.

I arrived around 1:15pm and watched the end of the Reynoldsburg and Warren Lincoln game. Reynoldsburg features several Division I talent, including Toby Nwkolo who recently committed to Toledo and Jordan Fisher, who recently committed to Ohio. Jordan Bowens is a class of 2026 wing that Kent State has offered. It doesn’t take me long to realize I am far from alone watching this game. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo is on the baseline just to my right, sitting near his former assistant and newly appointed Detroit Head Coach Mark Montgomery. Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalcyzk and assistant Jordan Lauf watch under the basket, and Kent State Head Coach Rob Senderoff is on the far baseline.

At 2:00pm I settle in for what promises to be one of the best games of the day. Court Five features East Lansing High School vs. Cleveland Saint Ignatius. Ignatius features Class of 2025 point guard Quinn Woidke. Kent State has offered him and is very high on him. They aren’t alone, as College of Charleston, Duquesne, Miami (OH), Furman and Ohio, among others have also offered. It’s not hard to see why. Woidke can get in the paint and finish with either hand, plays with great pace and is strong in the upper body. He was the Wildcats quarterback last year. Ignatius is coached by former Flash Cam Joyce, younger brother of newly appointed Duquesne coach and former Akron Zip Dru Joyce. So perhaps Duquesne has the upper hand on landing the PG. Speaking of Duquesne, new Dukes assistant Julian Sullinger was in attendance for the game.

Saint Ignatius, the Ohio State Champions in Division I last year, also feature big man Damon Friery. At 6-10, 190 pounds, Friery is skilled and athletic. Kent State, Duquesne, Arizona State, Dayton, Loyola, Crieghton and others have offered this highly sought after class of 2025 big.

The baseline is packed for this game. Senderoff sits with Sullinger and Ohio Head Coach Jeff Boals. Izzo, Cincinnati Head Coach Wes Miller, Akron’s John Groce, Western Michigan’s Dwayne Stephens, Bowling Green’s Todd Simon and many, many others make their way over for this game.

East Lansing features Cameron Hutson, another Kent State target. A 6-6 wing, Hutson is smooth. East Lansing posts him up quite a bit, and Friery matches up with him. Hutson has offers from Kent State, Toledo, Loyola, Akron, Old Dominion and others. All three players showcase themselves throughout the game. East Lansing wins a close game.

From there it was over to Court two to check out one of the top point guards in the Class of 2026, Brunswick’s Trey Drexler. Drexler picked up an offer from the Flashes in June, after attending a skills camp at the MAC Center. Drexler, at 5-11, 160 pounds is a smooth lefty point guard. He lets the game come to him, and takes over when he needs to. Brunswick played Grand Rapids Northview. Drexler can get in the paint all day, plays off two feet, changes pace well, and finishes with either hand. Making three’s in transition and off the dribble, Drexler leads his team to a win and explodes for 34 points. Akron has also offered him. It’s not hard to see why Drexler is one of the top guards in the state for his class. He helped lead his Blue Devils to the Elite Eight last year, and played in the regionals at the MAC Center. Brunswick also features Sean Barnett, younger brother of new Kent State guard Marquis Barnett.

At 4:00pm it was over to Court six to check out Margaretta, and class of 2026 wing Julian Washington. Washington picked up an offer from Kent State last week. He also has offers from Toledo and Ohio. At 6-4 with long arms, Washington is a bouncy athlete. With a steal in transition and a thunderous dunk, Washington is legit. As the game starts, Groce and his staff sit down on the baseline, back to back with Sullinger and Kowalczyk.

I was able to check out Pickerington North’s Arness Lawson, class of 2025 point guard, as they battled University of Detroit Jesuit. Lawson, with offers from Kent State, Ohio, Duquesne, Northern Kentucky, Murray State and Appaclachian State, looks like he would be a stud in the MAC. At 6-2, 175 pounds Lawson is tough, can score from all three levels and competes very hard.

Another player Kent State is very high on at this event is Olentangy Orange’s Devin Brown, a class of 2025 shooting guard with offers from Kent State, Toledo and Ohio.

Around 5:30pm I am contemplating heading home for the day. Senderoff texts me to join him on the baseline on Court 1. Senderoff is sitting with former Central Michigan Head Coach Ernie Ziegler (current Nebraska assistant) and Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg. I am an absolute nobody, a high school coach, and a fly on the wall for this event, so naturally I sit down with the winngingest coach in Kent State history.

Senderoff and I watch the rest of the Cincinnati Moeller vs. Ferndale game. Senderoff is watching a player on Moeller. Senderoff and I chat about a variety of topics. He expects the Flashes to be a lot more physical this year on both offense and defense. We talk personnel, schedule and a little bit about everything.

At 6:00pm, the final round of games for the day is a great one we are treated to. University of Detroit Jesuit plays Toledo Whitmer. This is another big time game with a lot of talent on both sides. The game resembles a football game, with both teams going at each other. Whitmer features guard Antione West, with offers from Arizona State, Creighton, Ohio State, Dayton, Nebraska, Georgia, Xavier and Purdue. Senderoff and Hoiberg talk about their summer plans with their teams. Ohio State Head Coach Jake Diebler comes by at one point to shake hands with Hoiberg and Senderoff. This is another packed baseline game with Ohio, Bowling Green and Toledo, among many others on the baseline across from us. All in all, eight of the twelve MAC schools were represented today.

Whitmer is coached by former BGSU legend Anthony Stacey. Both coaches coach it like a championship game. Detroit Jesuit wins by 2. Whitmer had a sideline out of bounds with 1.3 seconds left coming out of a timeout. I quiz Senderoff on what he would run here and we talk about Kent State’s favorite sideline out of bounds plays.

The game ends and its time to head home. A day filled with hoops, with great teams and players. For a hoops junky like me, it may have well been hoops heaven.