Blue Chips off to Quick Start

It’s only January, but the 2024 North Coast Blue Chips already have three of four championships under their belts.  Coach Paul Syroka’s squad has only one loss and a runner-up finish in the four tournaments his team has participated in so far this young season.  Those results are even more impressive given the fact that the team often plays up against older teams!  The Blue Chip’s success is predicated on a fast-paced style of play and a roster full of skilled players with high basketball IQs, according to Syroka.

The Blue Chip’s roster is a virtual who’s who of nationally ranked players and their starting five alone includes players like: Jerry Easter Jr. (5’8”/CG/2024/Toledo), John Mobley Jr. (5’0”/PG/2024/Columbus, OH), Jonas Nicholas (6’1”/C/2024/Akron, OH), Xavier Bowman (5’11”/CG/2024/Lansing, MI) and Elvis Syroka (5’0”/CG/2024/Sylvania, OH).  Also on that loaded roster are Grant Hayword (5’11”/PF/2024/Indianapolis, IN), Amari Pickens (5’1”/SG/2024/PA), Sabion Cain (5’9”/WF/2024/Indianapolis, IN), and James Evans (6’1”/C/2024/Kansas).  In terms of our Ohio rankings, Nichols, Easter and Mobley are in our top three.

Coach Syroka’s goals are about the same as they were last season and are player development centered. “I just want to keep teaching, letting them grow and have fun,” said Syroka. “I also want to teach them how to play as a team.  We have a lot of individual talent so it can sometimes be difficult to get them to play like a team,” continued Syroka. Next up for Syroka is a tournament out in Portland, OR, but you can catch the Blue Chips in action in Columbus at the Buckeye Prep Invitational, which is set for April 13^th-15^th.  In all likelihood, the Blue Chips should grab the #1 spot in our Buckeye Prep Power Rankings when they are released in a few weeks. We intend to keep close tabs on this talented squad this spring and summer.