OBC Adds Pieces for 2017 Campaign

Omar Abuhamdeh, Jalen Dial & Tae Perie

The 2017 travel basketball season is only a few short months away and teams continue to solidify their rosters.  When the season tips off in March, Ronell Perie’s Ohio Basketball Club Black (OBC) squad’s roster will reflect some upgrades. New to the team this season will be Omar Abuhamdeh (5’7/combo guard/North Royalton), a consensus top 10 player in the state.  Abuhamdeh has been a consistent standout at our Buckeye Prep Elite Showcases, where he is a perennial all-star and Top 5 Award winner.  Moreover, Abuhadeh was selected to Buckeye Prep’s 2nd Team All-State this past season and was selected to participate in the prestigious Ohio North vs South and Ohio vs Kentucky All-Star games in September.

We’ve also featured Abuhadeh on this site several times and had this to say about him in our last piece “…Abuhamdeh is strong, skilled and possesses an elite motor.  He’s not just a catch and shoot threat, as he’s more than capable of shooting off the bounce and off picks. A solid handle and excellent vision makes him a excellent player maker as well. Blessed with solid stroke from the perimeter, Abuhamdeh also excels at powering his way to the bucket.” (See article).  Needless to say, Abuhamdeh will command a starting spot from day one.

In addition to Abuhamdeh, OBC has added Jalen Dial (5’9/combo guard/Cleveland).  Dial was originally a 2020 kid who has reclassed to 2021, and should make an immediate impact for Piere’s team.  We’ve also been real impressed with Dial’s game in the past and had this to say about him from an earlier event, “…We haven’t seen him in a while, but Jalen Dial (5’10”/PG/2020/South Euclid) is as good as we remember.  Dial, like his brother, has the rock on a string and is always in complete control. He’s difficult to speed up, and his package of dribble moves allow him to get into the paint where he consistently makes solid decisions.  As with any elite floor general, Dial has good vision and consistently delivers pinpoint passes.”  It’s important to note that Dial was selected as Fifth Team All-Ohio in the class of 2020 last season.

Also new to the team are Kobe Johnson (6’2/WF/Canton) and Stone Ambos (6’5/C/Cleveland).  The addition of Johnson and Ambos will add length and athleticism to the team.  Returning starters include Tae Perie (5’7/combo guard/Akron) and Jayden Ballard (6’2/WF/Massillon).  Perie had a break season this past year, which he parlayed into a national ranking.  In addition, we certainly have seen him at several of our events and consider him to be among the top 10-15 players in Ohio.  Also, we had this to say about Perie at an earlier event, “…We have to add Tae Perie (5’3/PG/2021/Akron) to the list if elite guards at the event. Perie, a lefty, played with poise, showed great vision and was strong.”

The rest of the 2017 roster includes MarSuan Robinson (5’6/combo guard/Oberlin), Jonah Lytle (5’7/WF/Canton), Kamron Thomas (6’5/C/Lorain), Demar Small (6’5/C/Akron), Ky’ree Young (6’3/C/Barberton) and Austin Speed (6’1/WF/Solon).  According to Coach Perie, his team will be better in 2017. “We got better, and got a big shot in the arm with [acquiring] Omar.” Perie said. ‘[Kobe] Johnson and [Jayden] Ballard will make us long and athletic,” continued Perie.  Even with his excitement about his 2017 team, Perie is still realistic about where his team stands in the state. “Realistically, we/re not better than Tru Game, maybe a notch below them.  All-Ohio Red has an edge on us with their size,” Peire said.  “We’ll be a team you can’t press.  We will surprise some people.  All in all, we have the best backcourt of the all,” continued Perie.

If Adidas includes the 8^th class as part of the Gauntlet (Adidas’ elite high school basketball circuit); Perie expects to participate in those events.  If not, he will play the most competitive tournaments they can find, including playing up a grade or 2 in local tournaments.  Finally, Perie indicated that OBC will field a second team in the class with OBC White.  He feels this team is talented enough to warrant a top 10 ranking.  We look forward to catching OBC in action at our Buckeye Prep Invitational on March 31^st-April 2^nd!