More Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament Stars

Rayshawn Hamilton, Willie Foster, Dontreal Hughes, Jacob Roeth, Damask Small $ Rasheed Reed

Two weeks later, we are still combing through our material identifying standout performers at our Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament. Although we have spotlighted numerous standouts as part of out “Star Watch” feature, we recently learned there are still some players who deserve recognition. In fact, the following young guns played their butts off and caught the attention of our scouts: Rayshawn Hamilton-MKU Athletics; Willie Foster-C2K Elite; Damarko Small-Ohio Juice; Jacob Roeth-Ohio Stars; Dontrell Hughes-Ohio Rebels; and Rashad Reed-Ohio Rebels.  They're still very young, but we intend to track the progress of these six young guys over the next several years!

Buckeye Prep Invitational Star Watch

Cincy Swish Take GBA State Championship.

2024 Cincy Swish-2018 GBA State Champions

This past weekend, the 2024 Cincy Swish finished undefeated in the 17-team GBS State Championship.  Their trek to the tile included wins over the Cincy Thunder in the semi-finals and Dayton Metro in the championship game.  So far this season, the Swish has participated in 5 tournaments, winning 3; finishing 2nd in one in them, and 4th in another.  Coach Chad Schafer attributes his team's impressive 19-4 overall record to "unselfish play, the ability to execute on offense and defense, while maintianing aggressiveness and intensity for most of each game.  

The Swish are led in scoring by Lily Martin (4'10"/PG/2024/Cincinnati), Logan Palmer (5'7"/WF/2024/Union, KY) and Liz Freihofer (5'4"/SG/2024/Union, Ky). With the growth of development of all of his players and having added 3 key players from last year's team, Coach Schafer believes his team is easily one of the top 5 teams in the state in the class of 2024. Next up for the Swish is the AAU Super Regional in Cincinnati next week.  We hope to get a look at the Swish's top players at our Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase on September 8th & 9th.

Hoopstars Rolling in 2018

The 2023 Dayton Lady Hoopstars are off to a great start to the 2018 season.  Most recently, the Hoopstars finished 4-0 in the USJN Hoops in the Heartland Crossover Championships.  For the season, the Hoopstars have compiled the following resume: AAU Tip Off 9^th grade championship; Indiana Blizzard 9^th grade runner-up: 8^th grade championship Crossover Championship; and Dayton Lady Hoopstars Invitational 7^th grade championship.  With a current 17-1 overall record, the Dayton Lady Hoopsters are clearly one of the top 1 or 2 teams in the state in the class of 2023.

Ohio Stars Win Indiana Tourney

2024 Ohio Stars-Spring Run & Gun Champions

With their championship win at the Spring Run & Gun tournament in Fishers Indiana last weekend, the 2024 Ohio Stars has made a big move in our Power Rankings.  The Stars’ 4-1 run to the title included a win over NLBE (50-25), a loss against to 7^th ranked Mid-Ohio Pumas McClure (31-42), and wins over Blackout 6^th Jackson (66-38), Mid-Ohio Pumas Burris (56-34) and Mid-Ohio Pumas-McClure (44-38).

According to Coach Rob Kiser, the Star’s title run represented “a great team effort” and was the result of “tenacious defense.”  The Ohio Stars were led in scoring by Jacob Roeth and Wes Enis.  For the season, the Ohio Stars 16-5 overall.  Congratulations to the Stars’ players and parnets for the big win!

7th Grade Circuit Recap

This weekend was a mixed bag for Ohio teams on the Midwest Circuit. Ohio Champion was the best of the five teams going 4-0 with two very close wins over the Gurus and Flint Town Elite. Ohio Champion scored the game-winning basket against the Gurus receiving the ball with 5.6 seconds on the clock and sinking a shot as time expired. A good win for them and a tough loss for the Gurus. The Ohio Champion Basketball Club cemented themselves as a legitimate power on the local and national AAU scene. Champion’s final Circuit record is 9-3; good for the #3 seed in the May finale.    

Ohio Champion weekend scores:Gurus 51 - Champion 53; Indiana Elite 2023 38 - Champion 58; Flint Town Elite 53 - Champion 55; Chicago Swish 52 - Champion 64 

The Gurus of Go continue to be competitive and cannot be taken lightly. The Gurus suffered a tough loss to Ohio Champion. A win in that game would have shifted the Power Rankings significantly. The Gurus are still trying to figure out if they are very good or truly elite. The only powerhouse they have beaten this season is OBC in session #2 of the Circuit. They went 2-2 on the weekend. The Gurus final Circuit record is 6-6; resulting in a #8 seed in the top of the bracket.Gurus weekend scores:

Champion 53 - Gurus 51; Sky Diggs 56 - Gurus 59; Louisville Magic 51 - Gurus 27; Gurus 55 - Manimal (IL) 32 

The Queen City Prophets are like a box of chocolates. They went 3-1 this weekend marking a good end to the Circuit regular season. They will be a tough first-round opponent for Indiana Elite 2023 in the May finale.  The Prophet's final Circuit record is 4-8, and they will be the #12 seed in the finale. Queen City Prophets weekend scores:

HBA Elite 60 - QCP 56; Flint 58 - QCP 72; Darius Miller Elite 37 - QCP 56; Great Lakes Warriors 49 - QCP 60

Team DOSE went into the weekend less than full strength again. Not only were they still without standout guard Kevin Hamilton, but they were also bitten by the flu bug. This lead to them going 1-3 this weekend. Coach Dawson is still positive.  DOSE’s final Circuit record is 5-7, and they will be the #11 seed in the finale. DOSE weekend scores: 

Darius Miller Elite 36 - DOSE 50; Chicago Swish 63 - DOSE 48; Indiana Elite Team Uprising 50 - DOSE 28; Indiana Elite 2023 49 - DOSE 29

The worst turn of fortune this weekend went to OBC, as they went 0-4 this weekend after playing in the championship game of the Buckeye Prep Tournament last weekend. The competition on the Midwest Circuit is tough. OBC played well and was in every game except one. OBC finished 5-7 and will be the #10 seed in the finale. OBC weekend scores:HBA Elite 74 - OBC 38; Indiana Elite Team Uprising 56 - OBC 48; Chicago Swish 56 - OBC 55; and Flint Town Elite 55 - OBC 49 .

Showtime Wins Irish Classic

2024 Showtime-Irish Classic Champions

This past weekend, Coach Angie Stooksbury’s 2024 Showtime squad finished 6-0 on their way to the championship of the Irish Classic in Dublin.  According to Coach Stooksbury, her team has strong posts and guards that create a challenge for their opponents.  Also, “We continue to be lead by Gigi Bowers, Jojo Eberhart, Sarah Mitchell, Lexi Stooksbury and Madison Yanka,” said Stooksbury.  Congratulations to Coach Stooksbury and her players for a job well done!

2018 Buckeye Prep Invitational Final Results

J.J. Loudon, Xavier Bowman, Jordan Briggs, Taylen Kinney & Austin Sloane 

By all accounts, the 2018 Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament was a huge success, and one of the most competitive tournaments in the region this year! In terms of the top teams in the state, just about everybody was here.  Not only did the event host 96% of the state’s top teams, we had some of the best teams from Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky as well. In addition to the top teams, the tournament hosted the top players in the Buckeye state.  

Below is a link that lists the champions and runner-ups in both the Gold and Silver divisions, as well as the tournament MVPs and All-Tournament Teams.  We’re extremely proud of this event in terms of both the competition and the exposure we were able to provide. Based on the results of the tournament, our Buckeye Prep Team Power Rankings have been updated.  Also, our Top Player lists will be updated as well. Next up will be our Summer Showdown scheduled for June 9^thand 10^th. Congratulations to all of the teams, players and coaches who collected hardware on championship Sunday.  See you in June!

Buckeye Prep Invitational Results

Buckeye Prep Invitational Star Watch List

Buckeye Prep Power Rankings

Buckeye Prep Invitational Day III Photo Gallery

Hamilton Powers SMAC Akron over Another Level in OT

Brayden Hamilton, Connor Sams, Deitrich Hurst & Sam Marbury

Leading for most of the game, 2022 SMAC Akron needed 3 clutch free throws and over time to get by a scrappy Another Level squad in Gold Bracket play at the Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament in Columbus. Up by 2 points with under 3 seconds left, a Another Level player fouled a 3-point shooter, and after 3 clutch freebies, the game entered OT.  SMAC would control the overtime period to advance to the semifinals.  SMAC was led in scoring by Braden Hamilton (6’1”/SG/2022/Brunswick), who was smoking hot from beyond the arc and scored a team-high 18 points.  Behind him in scoring was Aiden Palmes (11 points) and Connor Sams (9 points).  This SMAC Akron team is very well coached, fundamental, talented and has a roster is full of high skill guys who can all shoot, pass and dribble.

We were also really impressed with Another Level who is also well coached, physical and play hard. The man for the Cleveland-based team was Deitrich Hurst (6’1”/WF/2022/Cleveland), who was too big, strong, physical and athletic to keep from scoring at the rim.  Hurst dropped a game-high 24 points.  Also playing well for Anther Level was Sam Marbury (6’1”/SG/2022/Cleveland), who finished with 12 points.  They gave the game away at the end, but from what we saw from Anther Level, they should receive top 10 consideration when we update our Power Rankings next week.

On another note, Ed Heban's TNBA Ohio Shooting Stars exacted some revenge on the Ohio Basketball Club from a loss last week with a 66-65 squeaker in Gold Bract Play. Despite a monster effort from Elmore James IV (19 points) and Danny Young Jr. (18 points), OBC went down.  Michael Bova was a stud, finishing with a game-high 22 points in the win.  Three other players were in double figures including Raymar Pryor and Jalen Wenger.  Two very competitive games!

Wenger Leads Shooting Stars in Win Over Blue Chips

Jalen Wenger 6'1" WF 2022 Dalton

It wasn’t an upset, but TNBA, ranked #2 in the Buckeye Prep Power Rankings, was wounded after an upset loss (27-59) in pool play to 13^th ranked Ohio Hoopsters-Hill, when they took the court against the 5th ranked North Coast Blue Chips.  The score was close through out the game, and in fact, the score was knotted at 52 with 9 seconds left.  TNBA would hold on to secure the 54-52 victory on the strength of Jalen Wenger’s (6’1”/WF/2022/Dalton) game-high 16 points.  Wenger showed the ability to shoot it from deep and finish at the rim on drives.  We always new he was good, but his outstanding play today re-confirmed his status as one of the best players in the state.  In support, Raymay Pryor poured in 11 points. Ray Green III and Sean Jones were the leading scorers for the Blue Chips with 11 points each. Next up for TNBA is a rematch between the 3^rd ranked Ohio Basketball Club, who is fresh off a win over 10^th ranked C2K Elite in the opening game of the Gold Bracket.

Blue Chips Take Bearcat Classic

2023 North Coast Blue Chips-2018 Bearcat Classic Champions

In preparation of this weekend’s Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament, Coach Shawn Thigpen’s 2022 North Coast Blue Chips (NCBC) squad not only participated in the Bearcat Classic in Cincinnati, they won the 8^th grade division title. NCBC’s trek to the title went through Team Next (51-23), APEX Basketball (51-25) in pool play, and Mid-Oho Pumas (53-48), Team Rise (55-45) and SMAC Premier in the championship game (54-43).

According to Coach Thigpen, Sincere Harris was dynamic every game, especially against Team Rise and SMAC. In the Team Rise game, Harris went on a one-man, 14 straight point run and ended up with a game-high 21 points.  Said Coach Harris “He also dominated SMAC Premier. This kid does it all and plays the right way.  To be honest, he could average a triple double in AAU.  He was electric and is the most underrated players in the county. I would put him up against any player in the country.”

Also playing well for NCBC was Trey Dennis, who is back and healthy after an injury. Coach Harris mentioned that Dennis “…played well this past weekend in every game.  He shot the ball well and dominated the person guarding him, and he couldn’t be stopped.”  Other standouts included Elijah Brown and RG3.  With Harris on the roster, NCBC is one of the favorites to claim the 8^thgrade championship at the Buckeye Prep this weekend.  I can’t wait to get another look at this team with Harris on the roster!

Arctic Rush Primed for Buckeye Prep Tourney

2022 Arctic Rush-All-Ohio Nike Cup Champions

The 8^th grade Arctic Rush is playing their best basketball in advance of the Buckeye Prep Invitational this weekend.  Arctic Rush used the All-Ohio Nike Cup as a tune up for this weekend, finishing 5-0 in route to the 8^th grade championship.  In pool play, Rush cruised to victories over All-Ohio Phenom (92-45), All-Ohio Red 2023 (73-45) and Next Lighting (72-47).  In bracket play, Arctic Rush also cruised with wins over Next Thunder (100-55) and All-Ohio Black (57-51). Jared Frey was named Tournament MVP, while Doogie James, Trey Robertson and Evan Spires all made the All-Tournament Team.  For the season, Arctic Rush has an impressive 17-1 overall record, and is poised to make a deep run at the Buckeye Prep this weekend!

Pair of Ohio Teams Take 1st Loss in Circuit Play

Session 2 of the Midwest Circuit tipped off in Toledo last weekend, where two of the state’s top 8^thgrade teams would eventually take their first L. Both the Ohio Basketball Club (OBC) and TNBA Ohio Shooting Stars entered the weekend undefeated and knowing that the scheduled matchup between the two of them could impact our Power Rankings.  After getting by Wisconsin Rise (45-35) in the opening game, Coach Danny Young’s squad would face off against their Northern Ohio nemesis, the TNBA Ohio Shooting Stars.  By the time the dust had settled, OBC had grabbed bragging rights, while unseating Coach Ed Heban’s team for the #2 spot in the state with a 59-48 victory. OBC would later run their session record to 3-0 with a 56-29 win over G3 Grind, before running into the top team on the circuit in Michigan’s DV45.   OBC would suffer their first blemish with the 52-45 loss. OBC enjoyed great play out of Danny Young Jr., Elmore James, Aiden Lai, Antwan Woolfolk, Jordan Huff, Tyler Ganley and Willis Sterwart.

TNBA’s weekend was a mixed bag after back-to-back losses to Manimal Elite 2022 (38-49) and OBC.  The Shootings Stars later regained their footing with a big time win (70-52) over the powerhouse Indiana Elite 2022, followed by a 70-65 victory over Illinois Speed.  So far, TNBA’s overall record is 6-2 and OBC is 7-1 in Circuit play.

In terms of the other Ohio teams, Nova Village finished 2-2 on the weekend with wins over Starz United (72-33) and G3 Grind (60-54), and losses against Wisconsin United 8^th(67-43) and DV45 (65-46). Unfortunately for C2K Elite, the competition did not get any easier in their home state, as they suffered another 0-4 record against Indiana Elite (61-28), Louisville magic (63-27), Manimal Elite (52-44) and Michigan Mustangs (58-55).

In the 6^thgrade division, Nova Village-Rice went 3-1 with wins over the Ohio Kings (66-65), R4L (59-34), and Great lake Warriorz (45-43).  Nova’s lone loss came at the hands of Ohio’s TAD (46-43).  The Ohio Kings knocked off a pair of Ohio teams in OBC (45-21), Ohio Dose (55-54) before loosing to ITPS Pittsburgh 2024 (47-43) to go 2-2 in Toledo. TAD also went 2-2 with wins over Nova Village Rice (46-43) and Memphis Grind (74-35).  TAD was upended by Ohio Dose (42-39) and MWA Elite 2024 (49-40). OBC finished 1-3 with their lone win against Indy Hoops (45-42).  The R4L Pioneers had another tough weekend finishing 0-4 and 1-7 over 2 sessions.

Ohio Dose (2025) is an impressive 7-1 after 2 sessions and notched another 4 wins last weekend. Their wins were over Ohio Kings (43-33), OBC 2025 (46-15), Illinois Speed (52-24) and D. Rice Elite (62-32).  The R4L Pioneers went 2-2 with wins over Miller Factory 2025 (60-43) and the Kentucky Kings (55-46). Their losses were to Manimal Elite (63-48) and Lansing Quest (55-26). Miller Factory’s overall record stands at 4-4 after a 2-2 finish in Toledo.  The Ohio King’s 1-3 weekend runs their overall record to 3-5 and OBC stands at 1-7 overall after a 1-3 weekend.

The 2026 Ohio Juice leads all Ohio based teams with an overall 5-3 record. Last weekend  they went undefeated with wins over R4L Pioneers (43-30), Ohio Hoopsters (41-31), Flame Elite (43-34) and Ohio C2K (38-15).  The R4L Pioneers are 4-4; Ohio C2K Elite is 3-5; the Ohio Kings are 3-5 and the Ohio Hoopsters are 1-7.  Look for many of the above teams to faceoff again at the Buckeye Prep Invitational this weekend in Columbus.

Midwest Circuit Session 2 Recap (2023)

This weekend was session 2 on the Midwest Circuit held in the Toledo/Maumee/Perrysburg areas. Session 2 proved to be a bounce back session for the Gurus of Go and DOSE both of whom went 3-1 over the weekend and had some very competitive games. The Gurus opened the weekend with a victory over Darius Miller Elite (KY) 64-35 and then lost to an aggressive CMB Runnin Rebels (Flint, MI) team by 3 points (58-55). The Gurus then beat The Great Lakes Warriorz (MI) 57-39, and the highlight of the weekend was the match up against local rival OBC 2023. The game was fast paced and competitive, but the Gurus had too much for the Ohio Basketball Club. They jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back winning by a final of 55-47.

DOSE had an equally impressive weekend going 3-1 as well without Kevin Hamilton. This team is the leader in excitement on the court. They are always in the most riveting games and they had three close ones again this weekend. They opened up by defeating Ohio Champion Basketball by one point 54-53. Then, they followed that win up with a two-point victory over the Queen City Prophets 43-41. If that wasn’t enough, they started the day off on Saturday with a two-point loss to OBC 2023 (40-38). They lead by 6 (36-30) late in the game, but OBC was able to fight back and pull out the victory. DOSE closed out the weekend with a win over the Great Lakes Warriorz 50-37.

OBC 2023 went 2-2. Coach Wypasek was not happy with his team's record this weekend. While they played hard, they came up short against Michogan’s MWA Elite 2023 (52-49). They defeated Manimal Elite (IL) 48-21, and they closed out by splitting a pair of games beating DOSE and losing to the Gurus.    

Ohio Champion Basketball went 2-2, with losses to DOSE (54-53) and powerhouse Louisville Magic (70-60), and closing out with wins against MWA Elite 2023 (68-56) and Indiana’s HBA Elite (61-46). Coach Hardewig will be looking forward to the next practice session with his team after the weekend.

The Queen City Prophets went 2-2 opening up with losses to Louisville Magic (49-28) and a loss to DOSE (43-41). They closed the weekend with wins against Manimal (IL) (49-36) and a huge upset victory over Indiana Elite 2023 (52-45). This team has talent and can play with anyone. It is always interesting to see how they play when they take the court.  We can’t wait to see these teams next week at the Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament!

Ohio Team Standings (7^thgrade) after 2 sessions: OBC 5-3; Ohio Champion Basketball 5-3; Gurus 4-4; DOSE 4-4; and Queen City Prophets 2-6.

TNBA Attack Makes Jump in Power Rankings

2024 TNBA Assault-NEO Make It Rain Jammiest Champions

With their undefeated (6-0) run at the NEO Make it Rain Jammiest in Northeast Ohio this past weekend; Coach Jason Ioppolo’s 6^th grade TNBA Attack squad deserves a bump up in our Power Rankings. To claim the Platinum Bracket Championship, TNBA made a 4-game run on Sunday that included wins over TNBA West Black (60-40), Red Storm (55-52), All-Ohio-Cleveland (53-39) and The X Team (65-50).  

TNBA's championship run this past weekend makes the 2^ndchampionship in as many weeks, and represents a 12-0 overall record to start the 2018 season.  TNBA Attack will be tested when they roll into Columbus this weekend for the Buckeye Prep Invitational. Looking at their pool assignment, TNBA will certainly have their work cut out for them!  Congrats to Coach Loppolo, his players and parents for a fantastic early-season start!

Ohio Rebels Coming to Win It

2026 Ohio Rebels

Coming off a 6-0 run and a 4^thgrade championship at the All-Ohio Nike Grassroots Tournament last weekend, Coach John Brooks has his 2026 Ohio Rebels squad poised to make another run at the Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournamentnext weekend in Columbus. In order to take the title back to Toledo, the Rebels will have to get by the likes of All-Ohio Phenom, Miller Factory, Ohio C2K, MWA Elite, R4L Pioneers and the Ohio Hoopsters just to name a few.  

Based on their selection to the All-Tournament Team last week, the Rebels appear to be powered by Brayden Fogle(MVP), Kaylen Brooks, Rasheed Reed Jr.and Dantrell Hughes.  Although we do not yet include the class of 2026 in our Buckeye Prep Power Rankings, we have to think the Ohio Rebels are a top 10 team in the state!  On that note, if some of the top coaches in that class want to reach out to us to provide information about that class, we would be willing to put together 2026 team ranking. After next weekend we should have a better idea just how good the Ohio Rebels really are!

All-Star Saturday Standouts

Julius Brown, Netty, Lewis Robertson, James Key & K'Brian Davis

Last Saturday, the 20^th addition of All-Star Saturday tipped off at the Bruce Howard Rec Center in Columbus.  In addition to the citywide Easter egg hunt, the event included a series of 5 all-star games from 5-8 year olds to high school seniors.  As is the case with any all-star game, there were several players who proved to be the best of the best.  

The following is a list of the all-stars: K’Brain Davis (5-8 year olds); James Key (9-12 year olds), Lewis Robertson (Middle School game); Netty (Girl’s High School game); and Julius Brown (Boy’s High School game).  Other notables included: DeShon Daniels (won the dunk contest), Datrey Long, 8^th grader Evan Unruh, who played in both the middle school and high school game, Jerrell Lindsey, Tayshun Mayfield (2022), Cameron Johnson (2022) and Jaylen Simmons. All in all, it was a great day of basketball!

Sweet Dreams Event Attracts Ohio’s Elite

Chris Livingston, Raymar Prior, Elmore James IV, Garce VanSlooten, Mahogany Cottingham & Bella Ward

When the Inaugural Sweet Dreams Middle School All-Star games tip off tomorrow night at the LeBron James Arena in Akron, the lucky fans in attendance will be treated to some of the best players the state has to offer.  Guys like Chris Livingston, one of the top 2 players in the country, Raymar Pryor, Sincere Harris, Elmore James IV, Sean Jones, Adam Duvall and Cordell Livingston, and girls like Grace VanSlooten, Mahogany Cunningham, Mari Russell, Bella Ward and Mari Bickley will get another opportunity to display their immense talent.  

The Born 2 Ball Association-sponsored event is a fundraiser, and the proceeds will help raise infertility awareness. A majority of the players participating in the games have all been standout performers at prior Buckeye Prep Elite Showcases. The Girl’s game is set to tip off at 6:00pm, while the boys will take the floor at 7:30pm. The Buckeye Prep Report is looking forward to attending the event and reporting back, on which players were the best among the best.

D Miller Elite Does Not Miss A Beat

D-Miller Elite-Ohio Players March Madness Tournament Champions

Formally known as All-Ohio Red, Paul McMillan has moved his 2022 team over to the Darius Miller-sponsored D- Miller Elite program, and has already re-established the team’s winning tradition. Case in point, last weekend, McMillan’s team ran through the U-15 division on their way to the championship of the 2018 Ohio Players March Madness Tournament in Cincinnati. D-Miller Elite’s trek to the title ran through OCA-Moore (71-57), FMO Wolfpack (81-24), Kentucky Knights (75-33), All-Ohio Wolves (56-43) and Cincy’s Finest (57-53). 

In pool play, Cameron Miles, Jerry Saunders Jr., Khalil Luster and newly added Cameron McKenzie helped Paul McMillan IV with a balanced attack, as all 5 starters scored in double figures each game. Once the lights were on and the game tighten up in bracket play, McMillan showed why he is one of the nation's best in the class of 2022, scoring 24 points in the semifinal and another 26 points  in the final game in front of a standing room only crowd.  Other notable players included Jourden Hale-Frater and Bowen Hardman. 

Based on their success last season as well as the team's recent tournament championship, McMillan's team has retained their #1 ranking in our recently released Buckeye Prep Team Power Rankings.  D-Miller Elite will be in action next weekend at the Buckeye Prep Invitational where the competition will be a little stiffer.  We can't wait to get a good look at this team!

Last Call for Buckeye Prep Invitational

The 2018 Buckeye Prep Invitational is scheduled for April 13^th-15^th in Columbus, OH.  Registration will close this Thursday!  Because we are currently putting together our pools, all teams must be registered and paid by Thursday!  There will be no exceptions.  Below is a registration link that takes less than 5 minutes to complete (no excuses).

Now that the house keeping has been taken care of, the Buckeye Prep Invitational is absolutely LOADED with the Ohio’s top teams!  In fact, each grade division from 5^th-8^th will have at least 8 teams out of the top 10 teams in our Power Rankings in the House (8^th grade-9, 7^th grade-9, 6^th grade-8 & 5^th grade-all 10), and that does not even include additional teams in our top 20, Honorable Mention as well as the elite teams for out of state!  If you’re an Ohio-based team and you’re not in this event, it’s clear you are not about that competition!  Also, if you’re not here to compete against the best in the state, don’t even think about complaining about where/if you’re ranked!

We hope to have the schedule posted by Tuesday night of next week, but of course that depends on coaches (dropping last minute)!  If you have previously committed to attend the event but have changed your minds, please text, email or call us ASAP so we know.  We are extremely excited about this field and we will do our very best to provide as much exposure as possible!

Registration Link

Event Information Page

2018 Power Rankings

Buckeye Prep Power Rankings Return

Below is a link to our initial release of our 2018 Buckeye Prep Power Rankings. Over the course of the season we will use the following criteria to update our rankings: head to head results; results from common opponents; margin of victory; final placements in tournaments; number of ranked players on a roster; and level of competition played. Unfortunately, many of the top teams in the state fail to play against each other during the season.  This happens for several reasons.  In some cases it’s just fate, as teams lose early in a tournament and just don’t meet, while some teams intentionally avoid playing in some of the better tournaments where that may be forced to play other top teams in the state.  We will monitor that situation and factor it in accordingly. At the end of the day, teams and programs know where the competition is playing! In addition, although we attempted to use historical data from previous seasons, that’s difficult because of the high roster turnovers as players change teams.  Also, in many cases, players grow and get better, which impacts a team’s overall talent level. I 

Because we can’t be present at every event, we must rely on information from a network of coaches and sources around the state.  In order to produce credible updates, we need coaches and parents to send us accurate and unbiased information at the conclusion of weekend tournaments.  To this end, we have produced a “Tournament Results Reporting Form” designed to capture the information we need to update our rankings and produce feature stories for the website.  If we can get coaches and parents to buy in and take the effort to get the information we need, then we can more accurately track both team and individual progress.  This will help insure that  teams and players gets credit for their efforts.  At the end of the day, if your team is not playing in the top events against the top teams, and is not providing us with your team’s results, you can’t complain about where your team is ranked (or not ranked)!

It should go without saying that we have done our best to be fair and accurate with our rankings.  We mean no disrespect to any team with where we have them ranked.  If you feel you have been unfairly ranked, simply enter tournaments where the ranked teams are playing and beat them.   Our initial release is based on what we know at this point and in some case based on a team's raining last season.  As information flows in about who beat who, we will update the information almost daily.  If your team is unranked or under ranked and you have beaten some ranked teams, simply forward that information to us, we will verify it, them update our rankings. Because so many of the top teams will be attending our Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament next week, there could be a shake up in our rankings. We’re excited about this project and we hope it inspires and motivates players, coaches and parents to seek out the highest competition possible and elevate to level of play in the state.  Finally, please feel free to offer your feedback at Buckeyeprep@yahoo.com, and please remember, we put the rankings together as a FUN way for teams to follow the season's progress of Ohio teams.  Let the debate begin!!


2018 Buckeye Prep Power Rankings

Tournament Results Reporting Form

Happy Easter From Buckeye Prep

The Buckeye Prep Report staff and family wolud like to wish everybody a Happy Easter.  Enjoy your time with family and friends, as life is way to short!!