Day-One Capital University Holiday Tournament

Today, for the ninth consecutive year, Damon Goodwin's Capital University Holiday Tournament tiped off in Columbus, Ohio. The 2-day event has a tradition of attracting some of the top 4th, 5th and 6th grade travel basketball teams in the region. This year, 65 teams entered the tournament.

Some of the communities represented in the tournament included: Pickerington, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, Delaware, Worthington, Springboro, Dublin, Tri-Valley, Bloom Carroll, Olentangy, Hilliard, Bexley, Marysville, Columbus, New Albany and Logan. On day-one, the teams participated in bracket play, before being grouped into to smaller championship bracket play on Thursday.

This afternoon I had the opportunity to checkout some of the action in the 6th grade division. The New Birth Warriors continued their strong play with a blowout (97-10) victory over the Worthington Cardinals. The Warriors' relentless full court pressure resulted in multiple layups and a halftime score of 56-6. From there, the game was never in question. Leading scorers in the game were: DJ Tyree (24 points), Jelani Rogers (17 points) and Paul "PJ" Jones with 14 points. Although Tyree and Rogers, both 6th graders, are the top guys for New Birth, the outstanding play of Paul "PJ" Jones deserves some mention. The 4th grade floor general is surprisingly skilled and poised for his age, and the fact that he can compete with players at least 2 years older than he is quite impressive. Keep an eye on this kid he could be special.

I also liked the Springboro Panthers, who added another win to their 19-0 record with a 29-57 win over the Marysville Monarchs. The Dublin Rocks continued to role with a lopsided victory (75-24) over the Panthers. In other action, New Albany defeated Olentangy 44-7, the Hilliard Hoopsters Blue defeated Liberty 87-12, the Whetstone Wildcats defeated the Bloom Carroll Bulldogs 45-33, Grove City defeated the Hilliard Hoopsters White 40-27, Pickerington Silver defeated New Albany 43-42, New Birth claimed their second win of the night with a 89-19 win over Olentangy, and Springboro finished 2-0 on the day with a 75-28 win over Liberty.

Some of the standout individual performers included: DJ Tyree (New Birth), Drew Holweger (Springboro), Eric Fitz (Whetstone), Jelani Roger (New Birth), Seth Currens (Pickerington), Kyran McClure (Whetstone), PJ Jones (New Birth) and Jake Bourke (Springboro).

2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase

Invitations to the 2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase went out today via a mass email. If you did not receive the email and you are interested in attending the event, you can email Rob Taylor at Taylorobe@aol.com. This is an "invitation only" event, and to attend, you must have a recommendation from a high school, middle school or AAU coach, or be able to demonstrate that you have the talent required to participate in this type of event. The showcase will feature many of the top 6th-9th graders in the Midwest. The competition and exposure opportunities offered by this event are unmatched! The showcase will guarantee 3 games with a possible all-star game for the top performers. This year's event is scheduled for March 6th and will be held at the USA Sports Academy (formally The Hoop) in Columbus, Ohio. The cost of the event is $85.00. As has been the case in past events, there will be several scouts in the house to document the action. Also, for the first time, Ty Kish of CityLeagueHoopsTV.com will be on hand to video tape the event and to prepare a highlight video of some of the top players. In addition, each of the all-star games will be videoed in their entirety and posted on this website simular to this video [http://www.fabfroshcamp.com/video_top20.html#20first] . With our new website, this year will offer more player features and stories of the standout performers. In addition, at the conclusion of the event, the various top players lists will be updated. Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase represents a starting point for players who want to compete at the highest levels and gain exposure at the same time. No promises are made; the competition will be there, the scouts will be there, the only question is, will you be there and can you compete?

You can pay the registration fee by credit card using the Pay Pal button to the upper right.

Warriors Claim Wittenberg Tourney Title

On Sunday, the New Birth Warriors rebounded from a tough loss at the hands of the Dublin Rocks the day before to go undefeated on their way to the championship of the Wittenberg Holiday Tournament. Over the course of the one-day tournament, the Warriors went 5-0 as they defeated West Liberty (38-19), West Jefferson (31-8), Upper Arlington (49-24), the Hilliard Hoopsters (47-40), and Troy (30-23). The unofficial MVP for the Warriors was DJ Tyree who averaged 13 points per game. Other leading scorers for the Warriors were Tyrell Carter (7.8 ppg), Jalen Tate (4 ppg) and Jalani Rogers (3.8 ppg). Next up for the Warriors is the Capital Holiday Tournament next week.

Players In The Game (Scott McGlade)

The word gym rat probably conjures up images of a young basketball player in the gym own his own working up a sweat as he works on his game. Well, gym rat is the best way to describe Scott McGlade, a 1979 graduate of Zanesville High School, who has dedicated much of his life in helping to develop young central Ohio basketball players. Although McGlade was an athlete in his time (3-sport star and captain in football, basketball and baseball), he is best known in central Ohio as Coach Scott.

McGlade's passion for developing basketball skills started with individual workouts with his son, Oliver, in gyms around Reynoldsburg over 15 years ago, and has grown to a level where McGlade is now considered a "hoops guru" to many coaches, parents and players across the state of Ohio. For many years, McGlade has both coached and/or worked out some of central Ohio's top young talent. During his days as an assistant coach with the Columbus Jaguars, McGlade helped develop players such as Jared Sullinger, Kevin Gray, Nick Kellogg, Stevie Taylor, Ralph Hill, Doug Thorpe, Cody Smith and his son Oliver, and was instrumental in helping lead the Jaguars to numerous tournament championships, including two AAU Final Fours appearences and a national sixth place finish.

In addition to his years on the Jaguars coaching staff, for about 6 years, McGlade was the face of the Columbus Basketball Club in Dublin, where he helped owners Sharon Kaplin and Bobby Kortsen run youth basketball programs, including group and individual workouts. McGlade also coached 5th & 6th grade travel teams as part of the Gym Rats program, and produced teams that were considered among the best in the state.

After a one year stint as a headcoach with the All-Ohio program, McGlade joined forces with CBIZ, a northern Ohio organization, and lead a very successful AAU team. McGlade's teams were always a tough out and were always characterized as well-coached and fundamental. Many of McGlade's players have gone on to receive college scholarship. Some of those players include: Nick Kellogg (Ohio U.), Ralph Hill (Dayton), Craig Sealy (Bowling Green), Brook Turson (Robert Morris), Michael Green (Akron), Cody Smith (D-II Hillsdale), and his son Oliver (receiving interest from Lake Erie, Rio Grande, Huntington, Grace, Notre Dame, Cedarville and others).

In addition to coaching, McGlade's influence in central Ohio basketball can be found in his legendary workouts, which are based on fundamental skill development, and includes a ton of shooting. McGlade is the "master of the gun," as he concentrates on shooting fundamentals using the very popular shooting machine. If you are not prepared to shoot a thousand shoots over a 2-3 hour period of time, you might want to pass on one of McGlade's workouts. Although McGlade and his lovely wife Lianne relocated from Reynoldsburg to Upper Arlington back in 2001, and has since become very active with middle school and high school basketball with the UA program, McGlade works with any kid who is willing to work hard. As evidence, this past summer, McGlade was hard at work at Brookhaven High School, a Columbus City League school, working out their players for the upcoming season. On Sunday mornings, McGlade is up early not only working out his son and UA basketball players, but players from around the city, including future opponents. "I have a passion for helping kids get into college because I regret having not gone myself," said McGlade when asked what motivates him to put in so much time in the gym. Now that his son Oliver has reached his senior year and is well on his way to playing college basketball, McGlade refuses to take a break, and has now entered the world of girls basketball as the head coach for his daughter's, Taylor, 6th grade travel team. Look for the old gym rat in a gym near you for many years to come.

Rogers Leads Comeback

Monday night, the New Birth Warriors found themselves down early to a hot New Albany squad by about 10 points, before Westerville's Jalani Rogers put the team on his back a lead a second half comeback that ended in a 66-45 win. Rogers scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second quarter. In that game, DJ Tyree supported Roger's effort with a triple double consisting of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals. Tyrell Carter finished with 8 points and Jalen Tate contributed 7 points in the victory. Next up for the Warriors is an undefeated Dublin Rocks team.

Long Dominates in Blendon Win

In middle school hoops action tonight, Westerville Blendon's 8th grade squad fought off a raucous Gahanna Middle School South crowd to squeak out a 51-49 victory. Despite Gahanna's rabid student section who had declared a "black out" for the game, and the first ever cheerleader squad, Blendon rode a spectacular performance by Darryl Long to claim a hard fought victory. Long dominated the boards with double digit rebounds while also exploding offensively with a game-high 24 points. Blendon jumped out to a quick lead and entered the locker room at half time with a 27-18 lead. Gahanna's halftime adjustment included an aggressive zone press that worked to perfection and got the Lions back in the game. The Lions started strong to begin the second half with a steal and fast break layup by Julian Scott. At the end of the 3rd quarter the score was 31-39 in Blendon's favor. With 13.8 seconds left in the contest, Blendon clung to a skimpy 2 point lead (49-47). Although it appeared that Darryl Long had clinched the win when he stepped to charity strip and calmly sunk 2 free throws to put Blendon up by 2 points with 11 seconds remaining, the Lions still had one last chance to steal the victory when an Evan White trey rimmed out as time expired. The Lions were led in scoring by Julian Scott and Ethan Fernandez who finished with 14 points each, and Evan White who contributed 11 points. The leading scorers for Westerville Blendon was Long with 24 points, Torrod Carter with 12 points and Justin Bennett who finished with 8 points. What a great middle school basketball game! Oh yea, Westerville was undefeated on the night, as the 7th grade team claimed a blowout victory.

New Birth Warriors Hold Off Lions

Scott Bradley's New Birth Warriors held off a scrappy Gahanna Lions team to move to 2-1 on the young season. Playing at home, the Warriors could only manage a 24-22 point half time lead before breaking it open in the 3rd quarter and finishing the contest with a 45-31 victory. The Warriors were led by point guard Jalani Rogers who exploded for a game-high 19 points. Rogers showed an advance skill set and a little showtime as he dominated the game. Other standout performers included Tyrell Carter who went for 10 points and DJ Tyree who contributed 7 points. For Gahanna, Middle School South's Junior Arrey was impressive and finished with 6 points. Next up for the Warriors is Olentangy on Saturday.

Players In the Game (Ty Kish)

You may not know his face (pictured above), and you may not know his name (Ty Kish), but I bet money you know his work (some of the sweetest highlight videos in the country). Ty Kish, a 26 year old graduate of Monroe Middle School and Beechcroft High School in north Columbus, should be considered a central Ohio treasure for all of the exposure his highlight videos have given to central Ohio players.

Kish is not new to the central Ohio basketball scene as he, his brother and a friend were the co-founders of CityLeaguehoops.com back in 2004. After hackers broke into his website and damaged the site beyond repair, Kish had to shut down the website. Kish took a 2 year hiatus before feeling the itch to get back in the game. Still wanting to provide national exposure to central Ohio's elite players, in 2008, Kish started Cityleaguehoops.tv.com and created some of the sickest highlight videos on the world wide web. Its not about the money, as Kish does not charge any money for his videos, nor does he earn any money from the website. "I think Columbus has some of the top talent in the country. I just want to get exposure for Columbus kids," said Kish. "I want everyone to get a chance to see Columbus Basketball," offered Kish. Not only are his talents not generating income, Kish is not trying to land a a video coordinators job with a college program or looking to cash in on the videos, he simple enjoys being creative and watching each generation of hoopsters.

Ty has created some where around 300-400 highlight videos of some of the most heralded ballers in central Ohio hoops history. Players such as Estaban Weaver, Drew Lavender and Chris Quinn have all been featured in his videos, and most recently, Ty has created highlight videos of Jared Sullinger, J.D. Weatherspoon, Stevie Taylor and Trey Burke. I know for a fact that college coaches have seen Kish's videos which have also been featured on national recruiting websites such as Rivals and Scout. His videos have not only entertained thousands of hoops fans on the very popular You Tube website, but his videos have helped players get national exposure and college scholarship offers. In closing, as a word to the wise, if you see Ty Kish in the gym with his camera, you had better bring your "A game," as you are about to be seen by the world!

To see an example of his work click on the space below:

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUjR3aZxtm4&feature=related].

Hoop Scoop's Top 450 10th Graders (Ohio Players)

Below is a list of the 22 Ohio players that made Hoop Scoop's list of the top 450 sophomores in the country.

#25 Elijah Macon 6'8 PF Columbus

#89 Jalen Robinson 6'7 PF Columbus (Pictured)

#102 Kenny Kaminski 6'7 WF Medina

#112 Kyle Molock 6'2 PG Dublin

#136 Dylan Kaufman 6'4 WF Berlin

#166 Adolphus Washington 6'5 PF Cincinnati

#186 Deontae Hawkins 6'6 WF Dayton

#199 Lorenzo Cugini 6'7 WF Akron

#218 Malik London 6'8 C Chillicothe

#237 Jermaine Davis 6'8 C Garfield Heights

#261 Myles Hamilton 6'1 WG Lakewood

#272 KeChaun Lewis 6'4 WG Columbus

#290 Willie Moore 5'11 PG Cincinnati

#308 Seger Bonifant 6'5 WF Strasburg

#325 Devin Carter 6'2 WG Cleveland

#343 Treyvon Crater 6'3 PG Akron

#362 Jalen Lowe 6'3 WG Cincinnati

#379 C.J. Getty 6'9 C Findlay

#397 Devon Scott 6'7 PF Columbus

#411 Eric Truog 6'8 C Chagrin Falls

#432 Tyler White 6'0 PG Lima

#443 Cameron Wilson 6'1 PG Dublin

All-Ohio Slam-N-Jam Hoops Preview Recap

By most accounts, the Jerry Watson's All-Ohio Slam-N-Jam Preview was a success. This year's event was held at Pickerington Central High School and featured 12 games starting at 2:00pm and ending about 12:00am the next morning. As evidence of the competitiveness of the event, 2 games (Westerville Central vs Cincinnati Woodward and ASVSM vs Wilmington) finished in ties, and 2 other games (Brookhaven vs Trotwood Madison and Eastmoor vs Bowling Green) were decided by only 2 points.

Some of the standout performers I saw included Jared Sullinger who played like a man possessed in a grudge match between Columbus Northland and Cincinnati Aiken. In that game, which was very physical and contentious, "Big Sully" went for a game-high 13 points including 5 mean-spirited blocks. When he was not blocking shots, Sullinger had guys altering shots trying to prevent more crowd hyping blocks. While Sullinger patrolled the post, Trey Burke held it down the perimeter and contributed 9 points. Aiken's Aaron Thomas played a great game and kept his team in the game with several timely 3-pointers. Thomas finished with a team-high 10 points. Thomas' play help solidify his case as the top wing in the state.

I was really impressed with Miami of Ohio bound Quinten Rollins who led all scorers with 12 points. Rollins is a super smooth point guard who is quick and aggressive to the hoop. Just when you think his game is only about slashing to the cup, he hits you with a 3 ball or drops off a dime for an easy bucket. This kid is nice. Akron's Ricky Johnson also had a good night and paced his team with 10 points.

Although Cincinnati Taft is known more for it's 3 talented sophomores (Adolphus Washington, Dwayne Stafford and Orlando Barry Jr.), the Mitchell boys (Kevin and Cameron) led the way for Taft with 9 and 8 points, respectively. With that said, Washington had a big night and made a couple of "next level" plays. Washington is already being compared with one of the top undersized big men in Ohio history in Jamel Cornley.

Other standout performers included Bowling Green signee Craig Sealy from Boorkhaven who led his team with 9 points. Add Dayton commit Ralph Hill from Westerville North who finished the game with 8 points. I also liked Westerville Central's Max Van Meter who led his team with 12 points. In the same game, Cincinnati Woodward's Mervin Taylor had a big game and led all scorers with 19 points. I can't forget about Columbus Walnut Ridge's Austin Traylor who exploded with 13 points and Reynoldsburg's Brandon Ruston who finished with a team-high 8 points. Jeremey Qualls also played well with a 7 point effort.

Final results:

Dayton Stivers defeated Independence 32-24. Leading scorers: Regis Motley (12), Brett Strange (9) and Brandon Tyler (9).

Liberty Benton defeated Dayton Jefferson 33-32. Leading scorers: Jordan Benson (15), Aaron Craft (13) and Adreian Payne (13).

Harvest Prep defeated Cincinnati Winton Woods 40-30. Leading scorers: Gerron Tate (11), Shakur Dunning (10), Tyrus (7) and Harris (7).

Columbus Eastmoor defeated Bowling Green 33-31. Leading scorers: Matt Ryan (13), Doug Thorpe (10), Chauncy Orr (10), Max Meattie (8) and Xavier Brown (6).

Columbus Walnut Ridge defeated Reynoldsburg 32-23. Leading scorers: Austin Traylor (13), Brandon Rushton (8), Jeremy Qualls (7) and Jaleel Washington (5) and Kevin Gray (3).

Westerville Central and Cincinnati Woodward tied at 29. Leading scorers: Mervin Taylor (19), Max Van Meter (12), Quinten Henderson (6), Jourdan Devoll (6) and Aaron Cephas (6).

Pickerington Central defeated Toledo Libbey 30-20. Leading scorers: Anthony McGrath (10), Dominigue Royals (8), M. Birdsong (7) and B. Underwood (6)

Cincinnati Taft defeated Westerville North 35-29. Leading scorers: Kevin Mitchell (9), Cameron Mitchell (8), Adolphus Washington (8), Kenny DeBoer (8) and Ralph Hill (8).

Dublin Coffman defeated Toledo Start 35-25. Leading scorers: Anthony Henderson (11), Christian Heine (10) and Michael Green (10).

Brookhaven defeated Trotwood Madison. Leading scorers: Craig Sealy (9) and Tibbs (13).

Akron St. Vincent St. Marys and Wilmington tied at 28. Leading scorers: Quinton Rollins (12 ), Ricky Johnson (10).

Northland defeated Cincinnati Aiken 35-30. Leading scorers: Jared Sullinger (13) Aaron Thomas (10) and Trey Burke (9).

http://www.hoopsreport.com

Thanksgiving Showcase Scrimmage Recap

Although high school basketball does not officially tip off until next week, prep hoops could be found in abundance in Central Ohio. Head Coach Mike Bates of Africentric High School, hosted a 9-team scrimmage at Reynoldsburg High School this morning. For the 4th straight year, coach Bates bought together quality teams from around the state for his scrimmage. The teams who participated in this year's event included: Columbus Northland, Huber Heights Wayne, Cincinnati Taft (Pictured), Canton Timpkin, Toledo Libby, Mansfield, Columbus Walnut Ridge and Africentric. As was the case a week ago, Columbus Northland was the top team in gym. After handling Reynoldsburg (34-27) in the 1st game of the day, Northland dismantled Mansfield 34-17 before dominating Huber Heights Wayne 31-19 for the 2nd time in as many weeks. In the re-match, Jared Sullinger led Northland with 9 points while Travis Trice paced Wayne with 7 points. Markus Crider was held scoreless while JD Weatherspoon contributed 6 points and Trey Burke kicked in 2 points. Other players of note included Reynoldsburg's Kevin Gray who was fantastic in the team's loss to Northland. Gray almost single handily kept Reyonoldsburg in the game. Timpkin's Jehvon Clarke led his team to a 17-16 point victory over Reynoldsburg. Cincinnati Taft and it's collection of young talent had a good day as well. In the one game I watched, Taft defeated Reynoldsburg by a score of 22-17. Because I had to leave early, I missed the Northland vs Taft game. From what I heard, the game got a little chippy late, causing the Northland players to walk off the court with about 3 minutes left in the game. Northland was up about 12-13 points when they walked off. Taft finished 4-1 on the day. Each team played five 20-minute halves. Northland finished 5-0.

Gahanna Lincoln's Big Three Poised for Special Season

Gahanna Lincoln High School has enjoyed a great deal of success over the last couple of years, however, after knocking on the door of a District Championship 4 years ago the program has never claimed a district title. Last season the Lions were a few points short of reaching a District Championship game where they would have faced off against Columbus Northland, the eventual state champions. This could be the Lion's year if Gahanna's "Big Three" has anything to say about it. Gahanna's backcourt boasts of three Division I guards in 5'9 PG Stevie Taylor, 6'2 WG Rob Brandonburg, and 6'0 WG Anthony Jackson. By most accounts, the trio represents one of the top backcourts in the state. Brandonburg has already committed to VCU, while Taylor has several offers including Providence, Ohio University, Akron, and George Mason and Jackson has serious interest from the likes of Eastern Michigan, Wright State and Stony Brook. According to most experts, Gahanna is ranked among the top 10 teams in the state, and has a chance to reach a regional championship game for the first time in school history. Last season, Gahanna tied a school record for most wins in a season with an 18-5 effort. Although the team lost a key player in Ian Taylor, the transfer of Anthony Jackson, a POY, All-State and 1st Team All-District performer from Westland High School, more than fills the void left by Taylor. Gahanna is favored to win the OCC Ohio Division, but must get by a Kevin Gray-led Reynoldsburg team to claim the school's first district championship. Potential district match-ups include: Dublin Coffman, Westerville North and South and Upper Arlington. Also, look for a couple of City League teams to make some noise such as Boorkhaven and Marion Franklin.

Northland Dominates Multi-Team Scrimmage

On the eve of the 2009/2010 high school basketball season, Columbus Northland appears to have picked up where they left off last season, and are poised to repeat as state champions. From what this writer observed at the USA Sports Academy in Columbus this morning, it's Northland, and then there is everybody else. Although Travis Trice's Huber Heights Wayne squad (Pictured) looked good, and are more than deserving of their top 5 state ranking, it was clear they were the 2nd best team in the gym today. To be fair to Wayne, they were without the services of Indiana transfer, Xavier Jones, who sat out the scrimmage due to an injury. Both teams were undefeated on the day, heading in their much anticipated match up. In this game, as expected, Jared Sullinger, arguably the top player in the nation, took control of the game and willed his team to a 7-15 victory. In that game, "Big Sulley" was the man for Northland. For Wayne, point guard Travis Trice Jr. logged in an impressive performance and was his team's leading scorer. Trice hit a couple of treys and scored on a fast break layup. Some of the other standout players at the event included: Jared Sullinger, Markus Crider, Nick Kellogg, Travis Trice, Trey Burke, Max Van Meter and Jeremy Qualls. Of the roughly 15 teams that participated in Rodney Taylor's pre-season scrimmage, the top 5 teams were: Columbus Northland, Huber Heights Wayne, Toledo Starte, Columbus DeSales and Westerville Central. The full list of teams included: Columbus Northland, Huber Heights Wayne, Columbus DeSales, Westerville Central, Toledo Starte, Bishop Hartley, Columbus East, Columbus Eastmoor, Dublin Scioto, Columbus Independence, Cleveland St. Joes, Columbus Walnut Ridge, Columbus Briggs, Lexington. I also saw several college coaches in the house checking out the action.

Hoopin For Hope Charity Basketball Event

For many of us, we know firsthand how prevalent cancer can be, because we have family and friends who have been stricken with the deadly disease. Mary Jenkins and the Hoopin For Hope organization is doing it's part to help lessen the financial burden cancer causes to individuals and families by sponsoring an OHSAA-sponsored Foundation Game where the proceeds will be donated to cancer victims. The Pickerington Central vs Beechcroft game is scheduled for 7:00 pm Saturday, November 28th at Beechcroft High School located at 6100 Beechcroft Rd. Admission is $10.00. You can receive a $5.00 discount on your ticket if you bring 5 canned goods for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. As a community, lets all try and support this very worthy event!!

Hoop Scoop's Top 600 11th Graders (Ohio Players)

Below is a list of Ohio players who made Hoop Scoop's list of 600 top juniors in the nation. In total, 33 Buckeyes made the cut.

#43 Jakarr Sampson 6'8 WF Akron

#64 James "Zac" Price 6'10 C Lakewood

#88 Stevie Taylor 5'9 PG Gahanna

#98 Anton Grady 6'8 PF Cleveland

#105 Marcus Crider 6'5 WF Huber Heights

#118 Trey Burke 6'0 PG Columbus

#136 Aaron White 7'7 WF Strongsville

#152 Aaron Thomas 6'5 WF Cincinnati

#174 Traevon Jackson 6'3 WG Westerville

#194 Trey Lewis 5'11 PG Garfield Heights

#220 Travis Trice 5'11 PG Huber Heights

#238 Paul Hogniford 6'8 PF Sugarcreek

#261 Ricky Johnson 5'8 PG Akron

#280 Kirby Wright 6'7 PF Middletown

#303 Nate Anderson C Ashville

#317 Maurice Taylor 6'4 WF Toledo

#334 Shonn Miller 6'3 WG Cleveland

#354 Jehvon Clarke 6'0 WG Canton

#371 DeVonte Beard 6'1 PG Akron

#386 Eddie "Cheatum" Norrils 5"11 PG Toledo

#405 Nyles Evans 5'9 PG Toledo

#421 Brandon Neel 6'5 WF Cincinnati

#438 Darius Carter 6'6 WF Akron

#457 Jared Bryant 6'7 C Cincinnati

#483 Will Weeks 6'4 WF Garfield Heights

#496 Dallas Harper 6'9 C Massillon

#511 Delbert Love 5'10 PG Lakewood

#533 Chester McFadden 6'3 WG Holland

#551 Blake Justice 6'1 PG Pebles

#563 Charlie Byers 5'9 PG Cincinnati

#577 Damon Powell 5'9 PG Toledo

#594 Robert Davis 6'2 WG Toledo

Kevin Gray Signs National Letter of Intent

Early this morning at Reynoldsburg High School, Kevin Gray and his family realized a dream; a dream of playing Division I college basketball. Although many college coaches were slow to recognize Gray's talent, the staff at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, caught the vision and offered Gray a full scholarship several weeks ago. Kevin had also received interest from Ball State, Appalachian State and few D-II schools. Gray's talent has been well documented since his days with the Columbus Jaguars. As early as the 4th grade, Gray was dominating the competition at the national level. During his Jaguars years, Gray led his team to back-to-back final four appearances, including 6th and 12th place finishes at the AAU Nationals. Back then, because of his size, strength and will to win, Kevin was a post player, and was forced to guard the other team's biggest and strongest player. Because of his stellar play at the 7th grade AAU Nationals, where he put in the kind of performance that legends are made of, the Hoop Scoop ranked Gray as the # 1 7th grader in the country. Prior to his 8th grade season, Kevin joined All-Ohio and began to remake his game and make the transition from the post to the perimeter. With All-Ohio, Kevin continued to enjoy success, and played a major role in multiple AAU National championships. At this point in his career, its safe to say that Kevin has made the transition from center to gaurd, and is now one of the most feared marksman in the country. For those of us who have followed Kevin's career over the years, its not surprising that Kevin has reached his goals. The Buckeye Prep Report would like to both congratulation Kevin and his family on this special occasion, and to wish him much success as he prepares to take his passion, dedication and talent to the next level.

Buckeye Prep Visits ODU Practice

Tonight, Coach Gary Scott and a few of his Buckeye Prep players attended practice at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus. For about 2 hours, Coach Scott and his crew of 8th graders had an opportunity to look inside a college practice and to get some insight of what it takes to play at the next level. Because development is one of the primary goals of the Buckeye Prep organization, exposure to the college game helps influence young players to focus on fundamentals and skill development. Pictured are a Coach Gary Scott, and a few of the area's top 8th graders including: Ronnie Williams, Darryl Long, Cameron Ball and Julian Scott. Buckeye Prep would like to thank ODU and Coach Artie Taylor for providing a great learning opportunity to our players.

Sullinger Ranked No. 1 in the Country

Last night, the Hoop Scoop confirmed what many of us have known for years; Jarred Sullinger is the top senior in the country. Clark Francis has been a Big Sully fan for some time, and gave the big guy the nod for the top spot in front of guys like Brandon Knight and Harrison Barnes. In addition to Sullinger, the Hoop Scoop include a total of 33 Ohio players in their list of the top 750 players in the nation. Below is the list of the Buckeyes who made the list:

#1 Jarred Sullinger 6'8 PF Columbus (Pictured)
#50 Jordan Sibert 6'3 WG Cincinnati
#100 Adrian Payne 6'8 C Dayton

#109 Juan Staten 5'10 PG Dayton
#119 Xavier Jones 6'3 WG Huber Heights (Transfer from Indiana)

#129 Aaron Craft 6'2 WG Findlay
#131 Cameron Wright 6'4 WG Cleveland
#137 Geron Johnson 6'3 WG Dayton
#146 J.D. Weatherspoon 6'6 PF Columbus
#163 Griffin McKenzie 6'9'C Cincinnati
#178 Allen Payne 6'3 WF Cincinnati
#204 Nick Kellogg 6'2 WG Westerville
#214 Derek Jackson 6'0 PG Cleveland
#228 Ralph Hill 6'6 PF Westerville
#256 Rob Brandonburg 6'3 WG Gahanna
#286 John Harris 6'7 PF Twinsburg
#287 Kenny Knight 6'7 PF Cincinnati
#335 Josh Egner 6'6 PF Massillon
#358 Quinton Rollins 5'11 PG Wilmington
#386 Criag Sealey 6'7 PF Columbus
#412 Mark Henniger 6'7 PF Massillon
#425 Kennis White 6'3 WF Warren
#439 Anton Hutchins 6'3 WG Lima
#478 Anthony Henderson 6'1 PG Toledo
#500 Cameron Black 6'9 C Kent
#519 Kevin Gray 5'11 PG Reynoldsburg
#543 A.J. Prichard 6'8 C Vandalia
#586 D.J. Martinez 6'7 PF Troy
#612 Ryabn Bass 5'9 PG Dayton
#641 Nate Tait 6'0 PG Lyndurst
#663 Brook Turson 6'3 WF Plymouth
#689 Michael Green 6'6 PF Dublin
#716 Anthony Jackson 5'11 PG Galloway

All-Ohio Nike City Series All-Star Game Recap

The Inaugural All-Ohio Nike City Series concluded with a Top 40 all-star game. Below are all-star rosters and scores. Westerville North's Ralph Hill lead his team to a 94-87 victory and lead all scorers with 23 points. Gahanna Lincoln's Rob Brandenburg was the leading scorer for the loosing team with 15 points.

Team 1: Kyle Molock (12 Points), Doug Thorpe (7 points), Jalen Robinson (8 points), Rob Brandenburg (15 points), Oliver McGlade (8 points), Steve Bridgeman (10 points), Craig Sealy, (10 points), Aaron Jackson (8 points), Bucky Chenault (3 points) and Marquise Lawrence (0 points).

Team 2: Stevie Taylor (21 points), Devin Scott (6 points), Max Van Meter (9 points), Ralph Hill (23 points), Jourdan Devoll (0 points), Adam McCall (5 points), Anthony Jackson (9 points), Jordan Laster (12 Points), Jeremy Qualls (2 points) and Shakir Dunning (8 points).

All-Ohio Nike City Series Top 40 Game Champions

The championship game of the All-Ohio Nike City Series featured a day-one rematch of the top 2 teams in the series. A Tony Lavender coached Team #1 entered the game undefeated (3-0), while Rob Taylor's Team #2 came in at 2-1. In the end, Team #2 claimed a 79-72 victory in a very competitive game that came down to the wire. Leading scorers included Michael Green (21 points), Craig Sealy (18 points), Bucky Chenault (17 points), Christian Heine (17 points), Leo Devlin (15 points) and Stevie Taylor (11 points).

MVP: Craig Sealey All-Tournament Team: Stevie Taylor, Jake Forrest, Nate Anderson, Michael Green and Bucky Chenault.

All-Ohio Nike City Series Top 20 Game Recap

In addition to the Top 40 games, the All-Ohio City Series event included a Top 20 Rising Young Players game. In that game, many of the region's elite freshmen and sophomores played a single game on day-two of the event. Despite building almost a 20 point lead at the half, the Elite team mounted a furious comeback to win the contest 52-48. Leading scorers in the game included Devin Scott (10 points), Isiah Rogers (9 points) and Nick Archer, Adam McCall and Jordan Potts (8 points). Below are the game rosters:

Elite Team: Terry Hopewell (Independence), Nick Archer (Olentangy Liberty), Nick Neale (Dublin Jerome), Channing Doerman (Westerville Central), Aaron Jackson (Gahanna Lincoln), Adam McCall (Harvest Prep), Khalid King (Brookhaven), Jordan Potts (Northland), Matt Kurelic (Worthington Christian) and Jack Gibbs (Westerville North).

Gold Team: Devin Scott (Nothland), Eric Weisenbach (Dublin Coffman), Marquies Lawrence (Dubin Coffman, Kechan Lewis(Northland), R.J. Raglin (Rynoldsburg), Isiah "Zeke" Rogers (Westerville South) Doug Richely (Harvest Prep), Grant Harris (Harvest Prep), Ronnie Stokes (Gahanna Lincoln) and Matt Rhodes (Weterville North).

MVP-Adam McCall All-Tournament Team: Nick Archer, Khalid King, Terry Hopewell, Devin Scott and Kechaun Lewis

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.