Big Sully Claims Co-MVP Honors

Playing on his future home court at the Value City Arena, Jarred Sullinger (Pictured) dropped a game-high 22 points on his way to Co-MVP honors. Although Sullinger's East team was defeated by the West squad 107-104, Sullinger's performance was simply outstanding. Sully's output was even more impressive considering the fact that he fought a bout with food poisoning the night before. Down double digits late in the contest, the East team scrapped their way back to tie the game at 104 with under a minute remaining, but a last second trey by Brandon Knight (9 points) sealed the deal. Sullinger did most of his damage around the cup, but he also stepped outside and displayed his shooting touch. In the paint, the Big Smooth used his size and strength to score at will. Harrison Barnes' team-high 18 points was good enough for Co-MVP. I also liked the play of Duke recruit Kyre Irving who finished with 13 points.

The gym was far from being sold out, but the crowd was a sprinkled with VIPs. Kentucky's John Wall, Demarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe were in the house taking in the action, as was Ohio State's Evan Turner. All-in-all, it was a great night of basketball and it all went down in central Ohio. To see pictures of both the All-American Game and the slam dunk contest, visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page. Also, check out Ty Kish's video.

6th Annual Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament

The pool assignments, tournament schedule and rules can be found on the Jr. All-American Camp website.

For the 6th consecutive year, the Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament promises to be very competitive. Right now, 75 teams from across the state and Michigan will be descending on Columbus April 2nd, 3rd and 4th for the annual event. Some of the top 5th thru 11th grade teams slated to attend include: All-Ohio (Red & Purple), Queen City Prophets, Michigan Titans, Team Toledo, Cincinnati Lakers, Buckeye Prep, Dayton Salvation Army, Saginaw Panthers and the Friars Blue Storm.

This year's event will be held at multiple sites including Ohio Dominican University (ODU), Westerville South High School (West 1 & 2), Whitehall Yearling High School (WHHS 1-3). A maximum of 80 teams will participate this year. In terms of the format, there is a 3-game guarantee with the top 2 teams in each pool advancing to single elimination bracket play on Sunday. The exposure opportunities will be great, as there will be several scouting services in the house evaluating the kids. If you are interested in entering a team in the tournament you need to send an email to: Taylorobe@aol.com ASAP to reserve a spot. Send a MO payable to Rob Taylor to 585 Tall Oaks Dr. Gahanna, Oh. 43230., or make your payment via Pay Pal on the upper right of this website. Keep an eye on the comment section of this story for tournament updates.

Nike Grassrooots Tournament-Day 2

With the Ohio high school basketball season officially in the books, it's now time to turn our attention the AAU ball. This weekend, Jerry Watson's Grassroots tournament tipped of in Columbus. I had a chance to spend a couple of hours at the tournament and catch some of the action. From what I could tell, some of the young Cincinnati-area teams were dominating play. The 6th grade Elite Cavaliers were having their way on day 2, as they totally out classed a local All-Ohio team. In addition, the 7th grade Cincinnati Knights easily defeated All-Ohio Allocco. Buckeye Prep's 8th grade team handled Devine Thunder. In the 9th grade division, All-Ohio Red and the Cincinnati Lakers are on a collision course, as both teams won their Saturday games. In terms of individual performances, the following players caught my eye: DJ Wingfield (Team Jordan) Ronnie Williams & Kevin Fischer (8th Buckeye Prep), Nigel Hayes and Keon Johnson (All-Ohio), Tyreke Johnson and Leon Davis (Elite Cavilers), AJ Harris and Chris Moxley (Cincinnati Knights). Stayed tuned to Buckeye Prep for the final results of the tournament.

Magical Season Comes to an End

By most accounts, Gahanna Lincoln's run to the state final four was nothing short of magical. After defeating the then #1 team in the nation, thoughts quickly turned to a possible state championship. The dream would not be realized, as Massillon Jackson ended the Golden Lion's run with a 62-50 win in the state semi-final last night.

Although the Gahanna (26-1) loss could be blamed on poor shooting; the size and toughness of the Polar Bear front line was the difference in the contest. Despite the fact the Golden Lions were only down 2 points at the half, a 15-3 run to start the 3rd quarter gave Jackson the margin they needed to claim the win. Akron signee Josh Eigner had a big night, finishing with a game-high 23 points. The leading scorer for Gahanna was Anthony Jackson who finished with 23 points. Next up for Jackson is Cincinnati Moeller who downed Mentor in the other semi-final game. Congratulations to Gahanna Lincoln for a spectacular season! To see pictures of the game visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page. Check out the story the appeared on Slam Magazine.com

All-Star Saturday All-Star Game Rosters Set

For the 12th consecutive year, Richard Crockett, CEO of Capital Transportation and Buckeye Prep partner, will be hosting "All-Star Saturday" at the Bruce Howard Recreation Center located at 2505 North Cassidy Ave (at Agler Road) on Saturday April 2nd. The day-long event has long featured the Columbus' largest Easter egg hunt as well as a series of four very competitive all-star games.

In terms of the schedule, the Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 10:30 am, followed by the 6-8 year old all-star game at 11:00, the 9-10 year old game at 12;30pm, the middle school game at 2:00 and the high school game at 3:30. In addition to the free food and drink, Power 106 FM's "City" will be in the house to MC the games. Each all-star game participant will recive a very nice award for their participation in the event. Below are the all-star game rosters:

Middle School Game:

East All-Stars: Wiiliam Green, JeMichael Blanton, Jhustice Cornley, Mylan Smith, Asante' Patterson, Chris Little, Arius Moore, Nate Jamison JB Bess and Adam Gigax. West All-Stars: Jaylen Jones, Ronnie Williams, Julian Scott, Brice Bailey, Danny Hummer, Antonio Gay, Alex Stewart, Darryl Long, Cameron Ball and Granger Long.

High School Game:

East All-Stars: Isiah Boddy, Anthony Jackson, Damon Powell, DeMarkeo Lyshe, Kyle Scherimal, Devon Benson, Garrin Tate, Chester McFadden, Andrew Bendolph. West All-Stars: Rob Brandenburg, Buckey Chenault, Desmond Pack, Doug Thorpe, Sam Bott, Matt Ryan, Adam Westbelt, Dwayne Basemore, Cameron Robinson and Diallo Ford. (Note: all-star game rosters are subject to change)

Buckeye Prep and Prep Spotlight Join Forces

Youth basketball in Ohio just got another platform. For the first time in the history of the magazine, John Stovall's Prep Spotlight will highlight the top middle school-aged players in the state in its quarterly magazine. Starting with the current issue (pictured), through "The Buckeye Prep Back Page," the Buckeye Prep Report will now be providing content to the magazine that spotlights the top 8th graders in the Buckeye State. Prior to this collaboration, Stovall had not started ranking/evaluating kids until their freshmen year in high school. As most people know, John Stovall and Prep Spotlight are highly respected on the local and national basketball scene, and players highlighted in their magazine have traditionally gone on to become high school stars, college-level and even NBA players. In addition to his magazine, Stovall contributes to ESPN.com, he is a Nike rep, and he runs his own scouting service. If you are a fan of high school (and now middle school) basketball, be sure to pick up your copy of Prep Spotlight Magazine.

Gahanna Lincoln Shocks #1 Northland to Advance to State Final Four

Although many felt it could not be done, the Gahanna Lincoln Golden Lions out played Northland 71-45 last night in front of 6,000 fans to claim a birth in the state tournament. Despite Gahanna's significant size disadvantage, Gahanna's guard play was the difference in this game. Although Northland jumped out to 7-0 lead with consecutive dunks, and led 12-10 at the end of the 1st quarter, Gahanna seized the lead early in the 2nd quarter and took a 33-22 lead into the half.

In the 2nd half, Gahanna remained aggressive, continued to attack the cup and stayed hot from the perimeter. Gahanna maintained the lead throughout the 3rd quarter and carried a 50-31 lead into the 4th quarter. Although most in attendance at the Fairground Coliseum waited anxiously for a Vikings run, Gahanna guard play controlled the tempo of the game, and actually extended the lead.

Jarred Sullinger had his typical outstanding performance, but it simply was not enough, as the Golden Lions had everything clicking on what turned out to be a special night. Gahanna was led in scoring by Stevie Taylor (scored his 1000th point in the game) and Rob Brandonburg who both finished with 19 points; Sam Bott who had a stellar game with 14 points and Anthony Jackson who contributed 12 points. Northland was lead by Sullinger's 24 points, followed by JD Weatherspoon with 13 points and Trey Burke's 8 points. Next up for Gahanna is Massalin-Jackson in the state final four. To see pictures of the game, visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page. Checkout the Ty Kish video. the Cap City Prep video and the Columbus Dispatch story for more on the game. More pictures added. With the win, Max Preps has ranked Gahanna 6th in the nation and USA Today has the Lions at 10th! Check out the Central District All-Tournament Team selections.

Northland Routs Cincinnati Colerain

There was a time when Cincinnati-area teams flocked to Columbus this time of year in hopes of landing a state tournament birth. However, with the emergence of Northland and other elite teams, central Ohio has not proven very hospitable the last couple of years. As was the case tonight as Northland brushed off an early rally (35-27 at the half) by Colerain before making a 12-2 run early in the 3rd quarter.

Although Colerain was hot from the perimeter early in the contest, their shots went cold in the second half, as the Vikings went on one of their infamous runs to finish with yet another blowout victory (70-41). The Vikings were led by Trey Burke and Jared Sullinger who both finished with 17 points. JD Weatherspoon added 14 points. For Colerain, Josh Quigley finished with a team-high 17 points.

With the win, undefeated Northland will return to the regional finals on Saturday where they will face off against second ranked Gahanna Lincoln (25-0) for a spot in the state final four. This match-up has been highly anticipated all year, and promises to be a very entertaining game. With the number of D-I caliber players on the floor, the game should be very competitive. To see pictures of tonight's action visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook fan page.

Gahanna Lincoln Advances to Elite 8

In front of a raucous crowd at the Ohio Fairgrounds Coliseum, Gahanna Lincoln (25-0) jumped out to a 10-2 lead and held on to claim a 59-53 victory over Dublin Cofman to advance to the regional finals. The Lion's fast start began with Sam Bott's opening possession trey, and Gahanna never relinquished the lead. Although Dublin Coffman was able to cut the lead to 3 points late in the 4th quarter, Stevie Taylor's baseline rip through, bucket and free throw gave Gahanna the final spread it needed to get the win. The undefeated Lions await the winner of tonight's Northland vs Cincinnati Colrain winner for a chance to punch their ticket the state final four. The leading scores for Gahanna were Stevie Taylor with a game-high 17 points, followed by Anthony Jackson (12 points) and Sam Bott (11 points). For Dublin, the leading scores were Kyle Molock with a team-high 13 points, Michael Green contributed 11 markers, Conner Viers finished with 11 points and Christian Heine added 7 points. To see pictures of the game visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page. Checkout the Columbus Dispatch Story.

Gahanna Wins School's First District Championship

Entering the district championship game 23-0, the 2nd ranked (state) Golden Lions made history with the school's first district championship in school history! Because Westerville North was the last team to beat Gahanna last year in the district semi-finals, Lincoln players had an extra bit of motivation to avenge that upset loss. As evidence of the competitiveness of the contest, an extra 4:00 minutes was needed to crown a champion; and by most accounts, the game is an instant classic.

The game featured multiple ties and lead changes, including a BIG trey by the Warriors' Matt Rhodes to send the game into over time (50-50). Despite the heroic efforts of Dayton signee Ralph Hill, who finished with a team-high 22 points, Gahanna was able to hold on to a 60-54 victory. Gahanna was led by Anthony's Jackson's game-high 25 points, including solid guard play by Stevie Taylor (10 points). Rob Brandenburg and Justin McDowell contributed 8 points each. The other leading scorers for Westerville were Kenny DeBoer (11 points) and Matt Rhodes (6 points). The Golden Lions will face Dublin Coffman Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the regional semi-finals. To view pictures of the game visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page.

Green Paces Dublin Coffman In District Championship

The first game of championship Saturday pitted the OCC's Dublin Coffman against the Columbus City League's Marion Franklin. Although Marion Franklin drew first blood, and early pressure by the Red Devils forced Coffman into costly turnovers, the Shamrocks adjusted and entered the locker room at the half with a 34-26 lead. In the second half, Coffman's Michael Green got hot from the perimeter and propelled his team to a 52-40 lead to close the 3rd quarter.

Compounding Marion Franklin's problems was the fact the Elijah Macon, a West Virginia verbal, was in persistent foul trouble, and was relegated to the bench for most of the 3rd quarter. With their inability to shoot from outside, Marion Franklin was reduced to one-on-one moves to the bucket. By the time the horn sounded on the contest, Michael Green's 30 points was the key factor in Coffman's 78-59 victory. Other leading scorers for Dublin were Kyle Molock (12 points), Christian Heine (11 points) and Conner Viers (10 points). For Marion Franklin, Trevon Youngblood contributed a team-high 15 points, while Nate Spears and Dejuan McGaughy finished with 10 points and Jeremy McCoy added 8 points. Next up for the Shamrocks is Gahanna Lincoln on Wednesday in the regional semi-finals. To view pictures of the game visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page.

Reynoldsburg Girls Avenge Boy's Loss to Gahanna

Three days after the Reynoldsburg boys lost to Gahanna Lincoln in the Central District semi-finals, the Lady Raiders had their back, as they defeated the Lady Lions 44-31 in a regional semi-final game at Otterbein College in Westerville. Although Buckeye Prep has never covered girls basketball (that may soon change), we had to go out and support the home team tonight, and writing about the game proved to be irresistible.

The Lady Raiders (20-5) open the contest in the 3rd quarter, as Gahanna Lincoln (17-7) only managed to score 1 point (33-15) in the quarter. The key to the game was Reynoldsburg's size, athleticism and superior guard play. The more physical Raiders controlled the paint, as 5'10 C T'Shere Lucas had a big night with a game-high 18 points. Lucas was the most dominate player on the court, as she consistently finished around the bucket and hit her free throws. On the perimeter, Reynoldsburg's guards controlled the tempo and limited turnovers. Most of the night, Gahanna's guards struggled to bring the ball up the court and to get their team into an offense. With the win, Reynoldsburg advanced to the regional finals where they will face off against a very talented Pickerington North team. Visit Buckeye Prep's Face book Fan Page to view pictures of the game.

2010 BPR Elite Showcase "Honorable Mention"

As is the case at every showcase or tournament when individual honors are handed out, the 2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase had some "Just missed" kind of players who fell just short of making one of the all-star games. In some cases, these players may have made an all-star team under a different set of circumstances (i.e., on a stacked team, was part of a tie, came on late in the showcase, etc.). Although they did not make the cut this time around, many of the players listed below will be talked about and written about over the next couple of years. In any respect, this list of players deserve a little bit of recognition, as they were ranked in the top 5 of their respective teams and very easily could have been an all-star. I'm calling this list my "Showcase Honorable Mention."

6th Grade: Dale "DJ" Tyree, Chandler Rankin, Andrew Jamison, Rashaad Ali Shakir, Joe Levitt and Seth Towns. 7th Grade: Tyler McCafferty, Kevin "Sticks" Fischer, Jamelle Curtis, Ronald Robinson, Xavier Holston-Sims and Ryan Grooms. 8th Grade: Jae'sean Tate, Bruce Hodges, Darius West, Jaylen Jones, Brandon Manley, Ryan Frey, Adam Gigax, Daniel Cage, Bryce Bailey Darion Burns, Chris Little, Larry Moore and Aaron Harris. 9th Grade: Breon Robinson, Jeavon Bess (8th) and Drexler McColly. Keep an eye on these kids. They may have just missed the cut, but they can still ball!! Check out the mix tape video shot at the showcase.

Nike Unveils Inaugural Elite Youth Basketball League "EYBL"

As reported in an earlier story, for the first time this spring and summer, Nike travel teams will be playing in the brand new Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, know as "EYBL." Well, this week Nike released the league makeup and schedule. Below are the four divisional break downs and schedule.

Division A: Albany Rocks, Baltimore Elite, Georgie Blazers, Howard Pully, Louisiana Select, Mean Streets, Team Final, Tennessee Travelers Wisconsin Elite and YOMCA.

Division B: All-Ohio Red, Arizona Stars, Each One Teach One, King James, South Carolina Ravens, Seattle Rotary, Spiece, Team Takeover, Team Texas and The Family.

Division C: Alabama Challenge, Athletes First, Birmingham Storm, Boo Williams, California Supreme, Houston Hoops, ICP, Jackson Tigers, Oakland Soldiers and st. Louis Eagles.

Division D: Arkansas Wings, BABC, Charlotte Royals, D-One Sports, Friends of Hoop, Georgia Stars, Mac Irvin Fire, Metro Hawks, New Jersey Playaz, New york Gauchos, Southern Kings and Team Florida.

The EYBL, will played in 4 sessions beginning with April 9-11 in Hampton, Virgina, May 14-16 in Houston, Texas, May 29-31 in Los Angeles, California and the league championship at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina July 12-15th.

All-Ohio will kick off league play in Hampton, VA. with non-league games against the Albany Rocks, YOMCA, St. Louis Eagles, Wisconsin Elite and the Oakland Soldiers. With their announcement, Nike also listed dates and locations for their other elite events such as the skills Academies, including the LeBron James Skills Academy, the Hoop Jamboree, the King City Classic and the Global Challenge. Stay tuned to Buckeye Prep this summer as we cover all of the action at these four new events.

NCAA ihoops First Team Attends Elite Showcase

As I eluded to in an earlier story, in addition the local scouting services at the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, three members of the ihoops First Team program were in the house evaluating 8th and 9th graders for selection to their program. Although I have already discussed the merits of this program (see earlier story), what I will say, you want your son in this program! At the end of the event I asked the First Team guys to give me their list of standout players on the day. They gave me a 11-player list of the kids they liked the most. This list is significant for a couple of reasons. Number one, their opinion is as objective as you are going to get, plus, First Team looks for college-level potential when recruiting for their program and they have a good track record of identifying talent; but it's not just talent, they watch for attitude issues as well. Below is the list of players they gave me: Devin Williams (9th grade), Tyler Herrion, Tyler Ulis, Ronnie Williams, Mario Davidson, Larry Moore, William Green, Kory Pearson, Jae'sean Tate, Antonio Woods and Bruce Hodges III. As I stated at the showcase, early exposure creates early exposure. Don't let anybody convince you that exposure for you child does not matter. For the 11 players list above, they may be getting a call (or letter) very soon!!

2010 BPR Elite Showcase 9th Grade All-Stars

Although it was the smallest of the 4 divisions, there was some good 9th grade talent in the gym. By far, the top performer was Cincinnati Withrow's Devin Williams who logged in a dominate performance on his way to MVP honors. Below is a list of players who were selected to the all-star teams. Red team: Adrian Cook, Austin Gardner, DeVon Price, Theo Williamson, Devin Williams, Darron Lee, Brian Marshall, Aaron Jackson, Will Hill Jr. and Drexler McColly. White team: Robbie Stokes, Austen Rankin, Dijuan Scott, Troy Munday, Demetrius Woodley, Lance Leslie Jr., William Cox, Eric Tivis, Evan Gardner & Javon Bess (8th). The Top 5 Award winners were: Ronnie Stokes, Austen Rankins, Aaron Jackson, Brian Marshall and Devin Williams (MVP). To view Devin's highlight video, click on his name.

2010 BPR Elite Showcase 8th Grade All-Stars

Below is a list of players who who made the 8th grade all-star teams, including the Top 5 Award winners and MVP: Red team: Tyler Herron, Mario Davidson, Evan Bailey, Aaron Bushner, Cameron Taylor, Kory Pearson, Tyler Ulis, William Green, Mike Clark, Darryl Long and Manuel Powell Jr. White team: Robert Caldwell, Ra Chaun Martin, Jalon Lewis, Cory Stewart, Andrew Deberry, Antonio Woods, Ronnie Williams, JaMichael Blanton, Blake Simpson and David Mitchell. The Top 5 Award winners were Ra Chaun Martin, Antonio Woods, Mike Clark, William Green and Tyler Ulis. As a side note, this morning I received a text from a high-major college coaching asking about Tyler. Apparently, he saw Tyler's highlight video (a Ty Kish production) and liked what he saw!

2010 BPR Elite Showcase 7th Grade All-Stars

Below and the names of the players who made the 7th grade all-star teams including the Top 5 Award winners and MVP: Red team: LaManta Stone Jr., Gage Hisey, Tyler Dunlap, Josh Bryant, Luke Fisher, Kyle Ahrens, Kyle Stergis, Brad Smith, Trey Avery and Chris Cook. White team: Javeon Peterson, Joshua Williams, AJ Harris, Austin Marciniak, Jaevon McClain, Noah Howell, Lavontay Collins, Andrew Francesconi, Caleb Harris and Frankie Weirick. The Top 5 Award winners incude: AJ Harris, Andrew Francesconi, Kyle Sturgis, Trey Avery and Brad Smith (MVP).

2010 BPR Elite Showcase 6th Grade All-Stars

Below is a list of the 6th grade all-stars including the Top 5 Award winners and MVP: Ashon Riggins, Nick Ward, Michael Ryan, Roderick Caldwell, John Bubenhofer, Jelani Rogers, Teddy Hughes, Mitch Peterson, Xavier Simpson, Jaron Cumberland, Corey Benton, Jamison Bradley, BJ Henderson, Matthew Moyer, Anthony Dockery, Caleb Canter, Joey Williams, Aaron James, James Mann and Jake Fischer. The Top 5 Award winners were Ashon Riggins, Xavier Simpson (MVP), Anthony Dockery, John Bubenhofer, Nick Bennett and Jarron Cumberland.

2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase A Great Success!!

By most accounts, the 2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase was a GREAT success! 210 of the state's top young players rolled into Ohio Dominican University (ODU) in Columbus and put on a show. The showcase kicked off with skill and drill instruction on each of the facilities' three courts, and after a motivational speech by the showcase director, the games began! From 9:15 in the morning until about 7:00 in the evening, the Buckeye State's top young hoopers battled it out to make all-star games and come away with some hardware.

Each of the showcase participants played 3-4 games, and all-star games were played in each of the 4 divisions from 6th-9th grades. As promised, there were a number of scouting services in the house evaluating kids, including: Rodger Bohn (Slam Magazine), John Stovall (ESPN/Prep Spotlight), NCAA First Team (3 evaluators), Kurt Stubs (JJ Huddle and Ohio High School Hoops) and video guru Ty Kish.

From the feedback I received from patrons, the event was very well received. It was a great day of basketball which produced minimal injures, and was conducted in a healthy and professional atmosphere. In separate stories, I will detail the standout performers in each of the four divisions. I would like to thank my family, friends, coaches and supporters for making this event for the 6th consecutive year. Also, special thanks to ODU's Coach Artie Taylor for allowing us to use his beautiful facility! Checkout the showcase pictures of the event at the Buckeye Prep Facebook page!! Finally, Ty Kish and CityLeagueHoopstv.com will be dropping a showcase-long highlight video within the next couple of days. You don't want to miss that, as his videos are smoking!

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Sold Out!.

The 2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase is SOLD OUT! This year's event is the biggest yet, and has attracted 220 of the top 6th-9th grade players in Ohio, including kids from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Last night, tentative team assignments, rosters, and game schedules were emailed out to everybody registered for the event (if I had your email address). As a reminder, the event is being held at Ohio Dominican University located at 1216 Sunbury Rd. Columbus, Oh. (not the Hoop/USA Sports Acd). Registration will begin at 8:00 am, the games are scheduled to start at 9:15a. and the event will run thru about 6:30pm. Players should have solid black shorts and they will be provided with a reversible jersey. If you have registered for the event but have not been receiving the emailed updates, please email me at Taylorobe@aol.com ASAP so you can receive the information. Visitors are welcome but there will be a $5.00 entry fee. Please continue to visit the website as we feature the standout performers at this event. The competition is going to be soooo HOT!