All-Ohio Nike City Series Tips Off

The Inaugural All-Ohio Nike City Series tipped off today at the USA Sports Academy in Columbus. Although Jerry Watson's first-year event was ambitious, and attempted to bring together the top 40 players in central Ohio, from the action that went down today, it's safe to say, the event is a keeper. As is the case with any event, there were some last minute cancellations, however, there was more than enough talent in the gym to make for exciting games. Some of the day-one standouts included: Ralph Hill, Criag Sealy, Stevie Taylor, Trey Burke, Rob Brandenburg, Anthony Jackson, Anton Hutchins, Doug Thorpe, Nate Anderson, Leo Devlin, Kevin Gray, Peter Kpan, Kyle Molock, Jake Forrest. Below are the complete rosters of the 4 teams that made up the top 40 division.

Rosters

Team # 1: Max Van Meter (Westerville Central), Dominick Royal (Pickerington Central), Michael Green (Dublin Coffman), Brandon Rushton (Reynoldsburg), Bucky Chenault (Centennial), Trey Burke (Northland), Kyle Schrimal (Canal Winchester), Doug Thorpe (Eastmoor). (Finished 3-0)

Team #2: Stevie Taylor (Gahanna Lincoln), Traevon Jackson (Westerville South), Craig Sealy (Brookhaven), Nate Anderson (Teays Valley), Matthew Rhodes (Westerville North), Christian Heine (Dublin Coffman), Leo Devlin (Beechcroft), Jake Forrest (Hilliard Bradley) and Wes Richter (Upper Arlington). (Finished 2-1)

Team #3: Rob Brandenburg (Gahanna Lincoln), Jordan Laster (East), Kevin Gray (Reynoldsburg), Shakir Dunning (Harvest Prep), Zach Joseph (Olentangy), Gerron Tate (Harvest Prep), Glavona Cartwright (Briggs), Steve Bridgeman (Lancaster) and Andrew Devlin (Beechcroft). (Finished 1-2)

Team #4: Anton Hutchins (Lima Senior), Ralph Hill (Westerville North), Peter Kpan (Brookhaven), Jordan DeVoll (Westerville Central), Kyle Molock (Dublin Coffman), Anthony Jackson (Gahanna Lincoln), Oliver McGlade (Upper Arlington), Dwayne Bazemore (Walnut Ridge), Jeremy Qualls (Walnut Ridge) and Evan Mills (Pickerington North). (Finished 0-3)

This invitation-only event continues tomorrow with a championship game in the Top 40 division (12:00 pm), the Top 20 Rising Young Players game (1:15 pm), and the Top 20 All-Star Game scheduled for 2:30 PM. If you have some spare time tomorrow, you might want to make it over to the event and get one last look at these elite players before the high school season gets underway!

Introducing The 2009/2010 New Birth Warriors

After their 2nd practice this week, Scott Bradley has chosen the players he intends to go into battle with. Below is the roster for the upcoming season:

Jelani Rogers Blendon MS (6th Grade)
DJ Tyree Galloway MS (6th Grade)
Jalen Tate Harmon MS (6th Grade)
Tyrell Carter Groveport MS (6th Grade)
Warren Yates Whitehall Prep MS (6th Grade)
Jacob Nowell Westmoore MS (6th Grade)
Jeremiah Cambell Afrocentric MS (6th Grade)
Andrew Jamison Blendon MS (6th Grade)
Brandon Burks Harmon MS (6th Grade)
Cameron Kanney Harmon MS (5th Grade)
PJ Jones (4th Grade)

A review of the New Birth schedule reflects a 17-game season that tips off on December 5th against Pickerington, and includes possibly 5 tournaments. The Warriors will participate in the following tournaments: Wittenberg-December 20th, Capital Holiday Tournament-December 30-31st, MLK Dayton Airmen Holiday Tournament-January 16th-18th, Dublin Holiday Tournament/Eastern Ohio Basketball Classic, and Beavercreek Stars Inv/Hilliard Optimist Tournament-April 2nd. Stayed tuned to Buckeye Prep as we follow the Warriors and other middle schools teams and programs throughout season. We will be providing tournament coverage as well as team and player profiles.

New Birth Warriors Prepare for Upcoming Season

One true sign that basketball season is right around the corner can be found in south Columbus at New Birth Ministries and the annual tryout for the Warriors. Known for years as the Westside Dolphins, Scott Bradley's 6th grade basketball team will soon take the court as the New Birth Warriors for the 3rd year. For 23 years, Bradley coached a 6th grade travel team for the Westside Boys Club located a stones throw from downtown Columbus. After significant budget cuts forced the elimination of the basketball program, Bradley turned to Paster Moore and New Birth Christian Ministries for financial assistance and a new home.

With the assistance of DeRell Sills, a long time friend, youth coach and Athletic Director at the Church, Bradley is once again preparing for the upcoming season. As he has done for 25 years, Bradley will assemble a team of some of the top 5th & 6th graders in central Ohio. Because Bradley's teams have enjoyed so much success over the years, and have dominated the local competition, they will once again be barred from the local travel basketball league where they would face the most competition. "All we want to do is teach our kids fundamentals and prepare them for middle school, high school (basketball) and beyond," said Bradley. According to Bradley, "in the inner-city, few people teach fundamentals." You only have to watch a few minutes of one of Bradley's practices to understand why his teams are so feared. In addition to skills and drills, conditioning is a must for any player who wants to see the floor. Bradley's teams play smothering man-to-man defense, which often limits their opponent's ability to run their offense, and explains why so many COBBA coaches shy away from that type of pressure.

The Central Ohio Boys Basketball Association, known as COBBA, decided several years ago that Bradley's teams were just too dominate to participate in their league and/or their post-season tournament. COBBA teams attract the best kids from suburban communities such as Dublin, Gahanna, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Pickerington, Westerville, New Albany, Bexley and others, and compete against one another in league and tournament play in an effort to prepare their kids for school basketball. According to Bradley, because many of the COBBA league coaches complained about being beaten so soundly by his teams, and threatened to pull out of the league, administrators refuse to allow Bradley's teams, made up mostly of kids from inner-city Columbus and some surrounding communities, to participate in their final tournament. When asked to justify their decision, COBBA officials cited the fact that Bradley's program was not "community based" and represented an "AAU" team.

Rather than giving up, and depriving his kids the opportunity for travel and to compete at the highest levels, Bradley will enter his team in up to six or seven elite tournaments between December and February. In addition to picking up a couple of games against the handfull of COBBA teams willing to play them, the Warriors will travel to the Dayton area for a couple of tournaments then return to Columbus for tournaments in Hilliard and at Capital University. Not only has the Warriors been exiled from the season-ending COBBA tournament, but tournament organizers in Pickerington have also decided that Bradley's kids are too talented for their tournament and refuse to allow them to participate in their Thanksgiving event.

For as many years as I can remember, the Westside Dolphins has been the home of some of the most talented kids central Ohio has had to offer. From what I saw at the tryout tonight, this year's Warriors squad will uphold the program's rich tradition. Kids like Jelani Rogers, a 4'9 PG from Westerville, Tyrell Carter, a 4'7 PG from Groveport, Jelen Tate, 5'6 WG Pickerington and DJ Tyree, a 5'0 PG from Galloway could be future stars if they continue to work hard and develop. The Warriors will hold one more day of tryouts on Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. If you have some time this winter and you want to watch some great youth basketball and get an early peek at some of the next great players, make your way to south Columbus and catch a Warriors game; you will be glad you did! Stay tuned, as we will introduce the 2009/2010 Warrior team and the conclusion of tryouts.

Nike Fall League All-Tournament Team

The Nike fall League finished up on Saturday and a Jarred Sullinger led Sonics squad soundly defeated a Stevie Taylor led Blazers team to claim the championship. Below is a list of the players selected to the All-Tournament Team:

All Tournament Team

Jared Sullinger-MVP

Aaron Craft

Adam McCall

Marquies Lawrence

Stevie Taylor

Shawn Flemming

Nike Fall League All-League Team (8th/9th Grade)

On Saturday, the Nike Fall League crowned a champion. Coach Patterson's Celtics squad held off a feisty Bulls team to claim the 8th/9th championship (61-63). Although the Celtics jumped out to a big lead, 8th grader Manual Powell Jr. sparked a come back that did not end until overtime. Powell finished the game with a team high 15 points. For the Celtics, man child Juan Ford dominated the action and finished with a game high 20 points. Point guard RJ Mims finished with 11 points while Adam Gigax contributed 10 points in the contest. Below is a list of players who were selected to the Buckeye Prep All-League Team:

All-League Team

Juan Ford-MVP

RJ Mims

Adam Gigax

Asante' Patterson

Manull Powell Jr.

Taz Collins

Mylan Smith

Hoop Scoop's Top 75 6th Graders (Ohio Players)

Last night, Hoop Scoop release their list of the top 75 players in the nation, and 6 Ohio kids made the list.

#22 Ashon Riggens 5'8 WF Cincinnati-Harrison Elm

#33 Jelani Rogers 4'8 PG Westerville-Blendon MS

#41 Nick Ward 5'8 PF Columbus-MS Unknown

#53 Rodrick Caldwell 5'0 PG Dayton-Westwood MS

#66 Tyrique Johnson 6'0 PF Cincinnati-MS Unknown

#71 Xavier Simpson 5'0 PG Lima-MS Unknown

Ohio's Top 7th Graders (2016)

Below is an initial list of some of the top 6th graders in the state. As I have said before, it is very early in terms of identifying elite players. Over the next several months, I will be watching and evaluating players to better determine if their talent warrants continued placement on this list. This list should serve as motivation for those listed as well as those players who have not yet been identified. This list has been submitted to the Hoop Scoop to assit them in developing their national top player list.

Southern Ohio

Rashaad Ali-Shakir 5'0 PG Cincinnati-St Barts MS

Nick Bennett 5'9 WF Cincinnati-St. Veronica MS

Blake Bickett 5'2 PG Dublin-Dinlin Grizzell MS

Damion Blythe 5'8 WF Cincinnati-MS Unknown

John Bubenhofer 5'1 WG Cincinnati-St. James Elm

Courtney Byrd 5'6 PF Dayton-MS Unknown

Rodrick Caldwell 5'0 PG Dayton-Westwood MS

Caleb Canter 5'2 PG Cincinnati-Glen Este MS

Jarron Cumberland 5'5 WG Hillsboro-MS Uknown

Derek Daniels 6'0 C Dayton-Mary Queen of Peace

Anthony Dockery 5'11 PF/C Cincinnati-HC Math & Science Academy

Payton Ellison 5'7 WF Cincinnati-MS Unknown

FisherLamar Florence 5'8 PF Dayton-Dayton Leadership Academy

Matt Gibson 5'9 C Chillicothe-Southeastern MS

Drew Holweger 5'5 WG Springboro-MS Unknown

Jamal Howard 5'6 WG Winton Woods-MS Unknown

BJ Henderson 4'11 PG Lakota-MS Unknown

Tyrique Johnson 6'0 PF Cincinnati-MS Unknown

Carlick Jones 5'1 WG Cincinnati-MS Unknown

Hunter Lampley 5'0 PG Wyoming-MS Unknown

Jeremy Larkin 5'2 PG Cincinnati-St. Barts MS

Bryson London 5'7 PF Chillicothe-Chillicothe MS

Darryl McClusky 5'2 PG Dayton-St. Rita MS

Evan Monaghan 5'5 WG Dayton-Spinning Hills MS

Matt Moyer 5'10 WF Columbus -Dominion MS

Mitch Peterson 5'6 PG/WG Richfield-Reever MS

Demond Parker 5'4 WG Dayton-MS Unknown

James Prater 5'2 PG Beavercreek-MS Unknown

Ashon Riggens 5'8 WF Cincinnati-Wilson MS
David Rowlands 4'10 PG Clayton-Northmont MS

Jerell Taylor 5'9 WF Dayton-Northmont MS

Jackson Tedder 5'5 WF Beavercreek-MS Unknown

Kwamane Watson 5'10 PF Cincinnati-Winton Woods MS

Central Ohio

Corey Benton 5'2 WG Westerville-Genoa MS

Morgan Billups 5'8 PF Westerville-Genoa MS

Tyrell Carter 4'7 PG Groveport-Groveport Prep

Marcus Dempsey 5'1 WG Zanesville Dresden-Tri-Valley MS

Eric Fritz 5'9 C Columbus-Tree of Life MS

Joe Levit 5'7 WF Upper Arlington-Hasting MS

Kyran McClure 5'4 WG Columbus-Ohio Virtual Academy

Matthew Moyer 5'8 PF Columbus-Dominion MS

Jacob Nowell 4'9 PG Columbus-Wstemore MS

Jelani Rogers 4'8 PG Westerville-Blendon MS (Pictured)

Jalen Tate 5'6 Pickerington-Harmon MS

Dale "DJ" Tyree 5'2 PG Columbus-Galloway Ridge Elm

Nick Ward 6'0 C Columbus-MS Unknown

Northern Ohio

Isa Alim 5'1 PG Northridgeville-MS Unknown

Kyle Ahrens 5'5 WG Versailles-Versailles MS

Trevon Clark 5'0 WG Cleveland-MS Unknown

Cameron Copeland 4'11 PG Toledo-DeVeaux MS

Devon Christian 5'4 WF Akron-MS Unknown

Raynel Franklin 5'10 PF Cleveland -Garfield Heights MS

Keith Griffin 5'1 PG Cleveland-MS Unknown

Charles Jackson 5'1 PG Cleveland-MS Unknown

Carl Jones Jr. 5'3 WG Twinsburg-MS Unknown

Larnell Nelay 4'11 PG Cleveland-Garfield Heights MS

Christian Oakley 5'1 PG Lyndhurst-Greenview MS

Phillip Grant 5'2 WG Versailles-Versailles MS

Brandon Peters 5'2 PG Bedfore-MS Unknown

Mitch Peterson 5'2 WG Bath-Revere MS

Michael Ryan 5'9 WF Cleveland-Bethlehem Christian Academy

Xavier Simpson 5'0 PG Lima-MS Unknown

Keith Smith 4'9 PG Toledo-Glendale-Feilbach Elm

Kyle Tomsach 5'5 WG Mayfield-MS Unknown

Nike Fall League (The Middle School Guys)

Over the last 3 weekends, several young players have been competing against some of the top high school players in the state. Every fall, Jerry Watson's fall basketball league is the place to meet for a quality run before the school season starts. Although the league is primarily designed for high school level players, on Saturdays in Columbus, several middle school-aged ballers can be found running the court with the big dogs. In most cases, the middle school guys are the smallest kids on the court, but despite their small stature, they seem to find a way to compete. Some of the standout performers I have seen over the past couple of weeks include 8th grader Rodrick "RJ" Mims Jr., a 4'11 PG from Whitehall, 8th grader Manual Powell Jr., a 5'0 PG from Gahanna, 8th grader Juan Ford a 5'9 WG from Huber Heights, 8th Grader Adam Gigax, a 6'3 PF from Mason, 7th grader Asante' Patterson, a 5'5 PG from Dayton, 7th grader Jimmer Ryan, a 5'7 WG from Blacklick and 6th grader DJ Tyree a 5'2 PG from Columbus. Although it is highly unlikely any of the above players will be selected MVP, or lead their respective teams in scoring, they are all gaining valuable experience playing with and against the older and more talented players. The league will conclude next weekend with the league playoffs. The BPR will be on hand to see how the little guys finish off the league.

Hoop Scoop's Top 100 7th Graders (Ohio Players)

Last night, the Hoop Scoop released their list of the top 100 7th graders in the country, and 6 Ohio players made the cut. To see the full list visit the Hoop Scoop website.

#31 A.J. Harris 5'5 PG Dayton

#47 Clay Quaypicou 6'1 PF Hamilton

#55 Lavonte Collins 6'2 PF Lima

#71 Isiah Jones 5'5 WG Hamilton

#77 Isaacs Anderson 6'0 PF Columbus

#92 Macio Teague 5'6 PG Springdale

Ohio's Top 25 7th Graders (2015)

Below is a list of some of the top 7th graders in the state. This is a very early list and there is no doubt in my mind that there are a number of players who are not, but should be, on this list. As I get a chance to see and evaluate the players listed, as well as other kids, I will be making updates to the list, in order to better define the rankings and determine who the truly best kids are. The next updates will occur during the middle school season and more significant changes will be made after the March 6th elite showcase. At this age, I would not be too disappointed if your name does not appear on this type of list, as this list or any other in no way guarantees future success or failure. If your name appears on the list I would suggest that you continue to work hard on your game and your grades, as some kids are working hard to garner their own recognition. The best advice I can give players and parents at this stage is to continue to find opportunities for your child to develop and gain exposure. This list was provided to the Hoop Scoop to assist them in developing their national top player list. The Hoop Scoop list should be released by the weekend.

Top 25 (Alphabetical Order)

Chris Allocco 5'2 WG Upper Arlington-Hastings MS
Isaacs Anderson 6-0 PF Columbus-Sherwood MS
Trey Avery 5'6 PG Mansfield-MS Unknown
Noah Bramlage 6'2 PF Ottawa-Ottawa-Glandorf MS
Lavonte Collins 6'2 PF Lima-West MS
Sean Cook II 5'6 WG Cincinnati-Princeton MS
Javon Cumberland 5'6 PG Goshon-Goshon MS
Corde' Donald 5'10 WF/PF Dayton-Richard Allen MS
David Dowell 5'10 PF Northridgeville-Open Door Christian MS
Kevin "Sticks: Fischer 6'6 C Columbus-Groveport MS
Nate Fowler 6'3 C Hide Park-St. Marys MS
Andrew Francesconi 5'11 PF Tallmadge-Tallmadge MS
Mitchall Gardner 5'8 WG Bowling Green
Esa Ahmad 6'1 PF Shaker Heights-Shaker Heights MS
A.J. Harris 5'5 PG Dayton-Mary Queen of Peace
Isiah Jones 5'5 WG Hamilton-Northwest MS
Dylan Lowrey 5'3 WG Lakota-MS Unknown
Kipper Nicholas 6'0 PF Orange-Orange MS
Chris Oakley 5'6 PG Cleveland-MS Unknown
Asante' Patterson 5'7 WG Huber Heights-Studebaker
Elijah Pughsley 5'5 WG Lima-St. Charles MS
Clay Quaypicou 6'2 PF Hamilton-Wilson MS
Lomonte Stone Jr. 5'5 PG Bowling Green
Macio Teague 5'6 PG Springdale-Princeton MS
D'Mitrik Trice 5'6 WG Huber Heights-Studebaker MS

Ohio's Top 8th Graders (2015)

Below is an early list of some of the top 7th graders (2015) in the state. This list will be updated on a regular basis as new kids surfice.

Southern Ohio

Cameron Arminio 5'5 WF Cincinnati-MS Unkown

Chris Buchmer 5'8 WG Cincinnati-St. Gabriel MS
Sean Cook II 5'6 WG Cincinnati-Princeton MS

Javon Cumberland 5'6 PG Goshan-Goshan MS

Messiah Dweaver 5'7 PG/WG Dayton-Precious Blood MS
Corde' Donald 5'10 WF/PF Dayton-Richard Allen MS

Timothy Fleming 5'7 WG Fairfield-Fairfield MS
Nate Fowler 6'3 C Hide Park-St. Mary's MS
Nate Georgston 4'11 PG Cincinnati-MS Unkown

A.J. Harris 5'5 PG Dayton-Mary Queen of Piece MS
Caleb Harris 5'2 PG Dayton-Smith MS

Brice Hinton 6'1 C Trotwood-Trotwood Madison MS

Darnell Hopkins Jr. 5'4 PG (Lives in Pennsylvania now)

Diro Jeroski 5'7 WG Dayton-Patterson MS
Isiah Jones 5'5 WG Hamilton-Northwest MS
Bo Justice 5'8 WG/WF Peobles-MS Unknown

Tyree Kinnel 5'7 WG/WF Huber Heights-Weisenborn MS
Chris London 6'2 C Chillicothe-Chillicothie MS
David Long 5'10 PF Dayton-Richard Allen MS

Dylan Lowry 5'3 WG Lakota-MS Unknown

Dylan Miles 5'6 PG/WG Chillicothe-Southeastern MS
Mike Mills 5'0 PG Dayton-North Dayton School of Discovery MS
Elante Moore 5'10 PF Canal Winchester-Canal Winchester MS

Clay Quaypicou 6'2 PF Hamilton-Wilson Jr. High
Asonte Patterson 5'7 PG/WG Huber Heights-Studebacker MS
Teandre Perkins 5'8 PF Dayton-Louise Troy MS

Jake Skeens 5'11 PF Chillicothe-Southeastern MS

Macio Teague 5'6 PG Springdale-Princeton MS

Caleb Tregre 5'0 PG Cincinnati-Cincinnati Country Day MS
D'Mitrik Trice 5'6 PG/WG Huber Heights-Weisenborn MS

Central Ohio

Gage Hisey 6'1 WF/PF Dublin-Sells MS

Chris Allocco 5'2 WG Upper Arlington-Hastings MS
Isaacs Anderson 6'0 PF Columbus-Sherwood MS
Tony Anderson 6'0 C Groveport-Groveport MS
Loyd Chattman 5'2 PG Reynoldsburg-Waggener Road Jr. High
Chris Cook 5'7 WF/PF Westerville-Blendon MS
Daquan Daniels 5'11 C Columbus-Ridgeview

David Dennis, Jr. 5'7 PG Hilliard-Heritage MS
Kevin "Sticks" Fischer 6'6 C Columbus-Groveport MS

Ryan Grooms 6'0 PF Grove City-Brook Park MS
Jalen Lewis 5'2 PG Reynoldsburg-Wagner Rd Jr. High
Jordan Jones 5'9 PF Reynoldsburg-Wagner Rd Jr. High
Javeon Peterson 5'7 PG/WG Hilliard-Weaver MS
Saun Rankin 5'1 PG Dublin-Sells MS

CJ Saunders 5'2 PG Dublin-Sells MS

Laron Senior 5'4 WF Columbus-Berwick MS

Michael Simon 6'3 C Hilliard-Weaver MS
Xavier Holston-Sims 5'2 PG Columbus-Monroe MS

Camden Taylor 4'9 PG Columbus-Berwick MS
Kalil Wade 5'8 WG Columbus-Monroe MS

Frankie Weirch 5'7 WF Pickerington-Lakeview MS

Shawon Wilson 5'5 WG Columbus-Harvest Prep MS

Northern Ohio

Trey Avery 5'6 PG Mansfield-MS Unknown
Justin Blanks 5'5 WG Barbeton-U.L. Light MS
Blake Blevins 6'1 WF Ottawa-Ottawa-Glandorf MS
Noah Bramlage 6'2 PF Ottawa-Ottawa-Glandorf MS
Lavonte Collins 6'2 PF Lima-West MS
Joey Denardo 5'3 PG Aurora-Aurora MS
Andrew Dowell 5'6 WF Northridgeville-Open Door Christian MS
David Dowell 5'10 PF Northridgeville-Open Door Christian MS
Andrew Francesconi 5'11 PF Tallmadge-Tallmadge MS
Mitchell Gardner 5'8 WG Bowling Green-Bowling Green MS
ESA Graham 6'1 PF Shaker Heights-Shaker Hgts MS
Reggie Jones 5'4 WG Twinsburg-Twinsburg MS
Justus Harris 5'3 WG Painesville-Heritage MS

Kipper Nichols 6'0 PF Orange-Orange MS
Chris Oakley 5'6 PG Cleveland-MS Unknown

Elijah Pughsley 5'5 WG Lima-St. Charles MS
John Roberts 5'1 PG Euclid-St. Felici MS

Joey Schmook 5'3 WG Parma-MS Unknown
Lamonte Stone Jr. 5'5 PG Bowling Green-MS Unknown

Simon Texidoe 5'4 PF Euclid-St. Felici MS

Josh Williams 5'5 WF Medina-Medina MS

Hoop Scoop's Top 150 9th Graders (Ohio Players)

Last night, the Hoop Scoop released it's list of the top 150 8th graders (2014) in the country, and 9 Ohio kids made the cut. Below are the Ohio kids listed:

#41 Tyler Uliss 5'0 PG Lima

#58 Tyonte Robinson 5'11 PG Cincinnati

#72 Marcellus Jones 6'4 WF Garfield Heights

#86 Tyler Herron 6'8 C Cleveland

#93 Zach McCormick 5'11 WG Wilmington

#108 Ronnie Williams 6'1 WG Columbus

#122 Robert Caldwell 5'7 PG Dayton

#132 Juan Ford 5'9 WG Huber Heights

#150 Corey Stewart 6'2 WG Lima

All-Ohio Slam-N-Jam Top Performers

Below is a list of players that caught my eye at the All-Ohio Slam-N-Jam Showcase:

Brock Ammons 2011

Nate Anderson 2011

Steve Bridgeman 2011

Trey Burke 2011

Aaron Craft 2010

Jake Forest 2011

Myles Hamilton 2012

Anton Hutchins 2010

Treavon Jackson 2011

Jake Kretzer 2012

Jordan Laster 2010

Malik London 2012

Marc Loving 2013

Demarko Lyshe 2011

Elijah Macon 2012

Jeromy McCoy 2011

Isiah Rogers 2012

Brandon Rushton 2010

Kyle Schriml 2011

Stevie Taylor 2011

Jared Sullinger 2010

J.D. Weatherspoon 2010

Tyler White 2012

Hoop Scoop's National Freshmen Rankings (Ohio Players)

Below is a list of Ohio players who made Hoop Scoop's top 200 freshmen list:

#33 Marc Loving 6'6 WF Toledo (St. Johns)

#68 Elijah Brown 6'0 WG Lakewood (St. Edwards)

#78 Tony Farmer 6'5 WF Garfield Heights (HS)

#112 Demonte Flannigan 6'6 PF Cleveland (St. Joesph)

#145 Maurice Orfield 6'5 WF Chadron (Notre Dame-Cathedral)

#155 Nigel Hayes 6'7 PF Toledo (Whitmer)

#171 Chris McGuire 6'1 PG Dayton (Chaminade-Julienne)

#185 Mark Williams 6'7 PF Cleveland (Benedictine)

#196 Nick Wells 6'5 PF Akron (St Vincent-St. Marys)

Hoop Scoop will be releasing thier national 7th & 8th grade rankings within the next couple of weeks.

Ohio's Top 20 9th Graders (2014)

The following is a list of the top 20 kids in Ohio. This list will continue to evolve over the next couple of years as we get a chance to see these (and others) kids play. This list was recently turned over to the Hoop Scoop for their upcoming national rankings.

Top 20 (Alphabetical)

Marcus Bagley 5'9 WF Cleveland Heights-Wiley MS
Aaron Bushner 5'8 PG Akron-Litchfield MS
Robert Caldwell 5'7 PG Dayton-Westwood MS
Victor Dorsey 6'6 WF/PF Akron-Spring Hill MS
Vincent Edwards 6'3 PF Middletown-Vail MS
Juan Ford 5'9 WG Huber Heights-Studerbaker MS (Pictured)
Marcellus Jones 6'4 PF Garfield Heights-PEP
Marcellus Hamilton 6'3 WF Berea-Roehm MS
Tyler Heron 6'8 C Cleveland-MS Unknown
Omari Hicks 5'10 WF/PF Toledo-Devaux MS
Jahmal Hughes 5'5 WG Columbus-Monroe MS
Desean Kiser 6'0 PG/WG Toledo-Devaux MS
Darryl Long 6'3 PF Westerville-Blendon MS
Zach McCormick 5'11 WG Wilimington-Wilmington MS
Kory Pearson 6'0 WG/WF Cleveland Heights-University School
Tyonte Robinson 5'11 PG/WG Cincinnati-Chase MS
Tyreze Shepherd 6'3 WF/PF Cleveland Heights-Cleveland Hgts MS
Corey Stewart 6'3 WF Lima-St. Geralds MS
Ronnie Williams 6'1 WG Columbus-Spanish Emersion MS
Tyler Uliss 5'4 PG Lima-Shawnee MS

Northern Ohio Top 27 8th Graders (2014)

Greg Alexander Jr. 5'8 PG South Euclid-Memorial MS

Marcus Bagley 5'9 WG Cleveland Heights-Wiley MS

Aaron Bushner 5'8 PG Akron-Litchfield MS

John Cerillo 6'1 WF Pepper Pike Gesu School

Michael Clark Findley-MS Unknown

John Davis 5'8 PG/WG Beachwood-Beachwood MS

Andrew Deberry 5'7 PG Lima-South MS

Victor Dorsey 6'6 WF/PF Akron-Spring Hill MS

Anthony Glover 5'7 PG/WG Toledo-Devaux MS

Sean Gooden 5'9 WG South Euclid-Memorial MS

Austin Gutting 6'2 WF Findley-Findley MS

Marsalis Hamilton 6'3 WF Berea-Roehm Ms

Nathaniel Harris 6'4 WF/PF Toledo-Devaux MS

Johnell Hayes 5'10 WG/WF Cleveland-MS Unknown

Tyler Heron 6'8 C Cleveland-MS Unknown

Omari Hicks 5'10 WF/PF Toledo-Devaux MS

Marcellus Jones 6'4 PF/C Garfield Heights-PEP

Desean Kiser 6"0 PG/WG Toledo-Devaux MS

Vonte Montgomery 5'9 PG Garfield Heights-Garfield Hgts MS

Kory Pearson 6'0 WF/PG Cleveland-University School

Tyreze Shepard 6'3 WF/PF Cleveland Heights-Cleveland Hgts. MS

Torrey "TJ" Steele 5'4 PG Shaker Heights-Shaker Hgts. MS

Cory Stewart 6'2 WF Lima-St. Gerard MS

Chase Thrower 5'6 PG Garfield Heights-Garfield Heights MS

Tyler Uliss 5'4 PG Lima-Shawnee MS (Pictured)

Dariuos West 5'8 WG Lima-St Gerard MS

Spencer Williams 5'7 PG Cleveland-MS Unknown

Southern Ohio Top 9th Graders (2014)

Below is a partial list of some of the top 8th graders in Cincinnati, Dayton and surrounding areas:

Davion Ash 6'3 PF Dayton-Valerie MS
Michael Barwick 6'1 WF Fairfield-Fairfield MS
Deshonte Bennett 6'0 WF/PF Dayton-Rosa Parks MS
Justin Bibbs 5'11 Dayton-Precious Blood
Bailey Butler 5'2 PG Finney Town-Finney Town MS
Robert Caldwell 5'7 PG Dayton-Rodger Westwood MS
Dwayne Chestain 5'5 PG Dayton-Wagerman MS
Vincent Edwards 6'3 PF Middletown-Vail MS
Eric Eichler 6'2 WG/WF Liberty TWP-Liberty MS
Juan Ford 5'9 WG Huber Heights Studerbaker MS
Jalen Freeman 5'8 WG Dayton-Edisen MS
Ryan Fry 5'10 WG Cincinnati All Saints MS
Adam Gigax 6'3 WF Mason-Mason MS
William Green 5'11 WF Dayton Wagaman MS
Aaron Hammons 6'0 PF/C Dayton Mary Queen of Peace MS
Aaron Harris 5'6 PG Dayton-N0rth Dayton School of Discovery
Wesley Harris 5'6 PG Dayton-Smith MS
Carlos Jackson 5'9 WG Cincinnati-St. Clemons MS
Isaiah Johnson 6'0 WF Chillicothie-Chillicothie MS
Jordan Jones 5'7 PG Dayton-Valerie MS
Martin Jones 6'2 WF/PF Forrest Park-Winton Woods MS
Aaron Kirksey 6'2 C Dayton-North Dayton School of Discovery
Jeffery Larkin 5'9 WG Cincinnati-MS Unknown
Chris Little 5'11 WG Beavercreek-Ankeney MS
Matt Kittle 6'3 PF Cincinnati-St. Mary MS
Zach McCormick 5'11 WG Wilmington-Wilmington MS
Chris Mack 5'7 PG Trotwood-Trotwood MS
Rodrick Mills 6'4 WF Liberty TWP- Liberty MS
David Mitchell 6'2 WF Von Hill-Von Hill MS
Airius Moore 5'9 WG Beavercreek-Ankeney MS
Larry Moore 5'10 WG Cincinnati
Lowell Pierson 6'2 C Dayton-MS Unknown
Tyonte Robinson 5'11 PG/WG Cincinnati-Chase MS
Blake Simpson 6'3 C Finney Town-Finney Town MS
Austin Taylor 6'1 PF Milford-Milford Jr. High
Cameron Taylor 5'11 Clayton-Northmont MS
Aamand Walker 5'9 PF Dayton-MS Unknown
Antonio Woods 5'10 PG Forest Park-Horizon MS

I would like to thank all of the coaches who assited me with compiling this list. Up next is the Northern Ohio list followed by the State-wide list.

Central Ohio Top 25 8th Graders (2014)

I'm starting to update my top player lists for the State of Ohio. I will start with 8th graders and work backward to younger players. Below is a top player list for central Ohio:

Brice Bailey 5'5 PG Pickerington-Columbus Academy
Cameron Ball 5'9 WG Reynoldsburg-St. Pius MS
Javon Bess 5'6 WF Gahanna-Middle School West
Jared Brandaway 6'1 WF Columbus-St. Catherine MS

Torrod Carter 5'9 WF Westerville-Blendon MS
Jhustice Cornley 5'6 PG Columbus-Woodward Park MS

Antonio Gay 6'3 PF Pickerington-Ridgeview MS
Solomon Grace 6'0 PF/C Reynoldsburg-Reynoldsburg Jr. High

Kashawn Guiece 5'10 PG/WH Westerville-Herritage MS

Seth Hill 5'3 PG Columbus McCord MS
Ty Hairston 5'10 WF Columbus-Ridgeview MS
Jamal Hughes 5'6 PG Columbus-Monroe MS
Danny Hummer 5'7 PG Upper Arlington-Jones MS

Eric James 5'10 WG Westerville-Genoa MS
Nate Jamison 6'2 WF Columbus-AIMS MS
Jalen Jones 5'7 PG Pickerington-Ridgeview MS
Darryl Long 6'3 PF Westerville-Blendon MS
Alex McCoy 6'1 PF Canal Winchester -Canal Winchester MS
Brandon Manley 6'2 PF Canal Winchester-Canal Winchester MS
R.J. Mims 5'0 PG Whitehall-Rosemore MS
Chris Moxley 5'10 WF Columbus-St. James The Less
Tim Murphy 6'2 C Grandview-Thomas Edison MS
Manual Powell Jr. 5'0 PG Gahanna-Middle School East
Devon Rogers 5'8 WF Galloway-Pleasantview MS

Jimmer Ryan 5'7 WG Gahanna Middle School East
Julian Scott 5'7 PG/WG Gahanna-Middle School South
Milan Smith 5'5 PG Columbus-Harvest Prep
Jae'son Tate 5'11 WF Pickerington-Pickerington Jr. High
Shamar Waugh 5'4 PG Canal Winchester-Canal Winchester MS

Jalen Wells 6'1 WF Worthington-Worthingway MS
Evan White 5'11 WF Gahanna-Middle School South
Ronnie Williams 6'1 WG Columbus-Spanish Emersion MS (Pictured)

Over the next couple of weeks I will be compiling top player lists in Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland and other areas in Ohio.