All-Ohio Girls Fall League Standouts

Alexia Smith, Arianna Smith, Kennedy Harris, Eden Battle & Makiya Miller

Yesterday Travecia “T” Franklin, our brand new Director of Girls Basketball, spent some time at Africentric High School covering Jerry Watson Girls Fall League.  Based on her extensive report, there was a ton of talent in the gym.  Below is a list of standout performers on the day.

Alexia Smith (Africentric HS) is a strong body defender with the ability to affect the game in multiple area’s. She stands about 5 foot 9 and is very quick. She jumps out the gym for sky high rebounds. She is a silent killer. Alexia has natural strength that allows her to control the game on the offensive and defensive ends. Alexia hasn’t committed to any schools yet but going into her junior year at Africentric High School where she is expected to receive multiple offers from several D1 schools. 

Arianna Smith (Africentric HS) is the next big thing to come out of Columbus, Oh. With her shear strength she dominates underneath the rim. She is expected to make a big impact this year for the Africentric Lady Nubians. Arianna Smith stands about 6’2 and in extremely aggressive underneath the basket. Her touch underneath the rim is almost perfect. Arianna Smith is the younger sister of Lady Nubians Alexia Smith. This duo will be extremely hard to stop this upcoming season. I’m sure just like her sister we will capture the attention of several college coaches. 

Ohio State Commit Gabby Hutchinson (Westerville South HS) is the perfect mixture of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. She has the skill of a guard and the size of a 4 man. What makes Gabby so dangerous is the fact that you can move her around to any position. She stands about 6’3 and guards can’t guard her and big men can keep up with her. This year at Westerville south she is expected lead the wildcats to a championship after falling short her previous 2018-19 season. Keep an eye out for her throughout the 2019-20 girls basketball season. 

Kennedy Harris (Gahanna HS) will be entering into her senior season with the Gahanna Lincoln Lions who are expected to make some noise in the Ohio Capital conference. She has mastered the title point “God.” She handles the ball very well. The 5’7 guard is interested in several Division schools such as Miami of Ohio, Old Dominion and LIU. She dominates the court on the offensive and defensive side. Don’t let the height fool you though and is extremely quick and explosive. 

Ohio State commit Anyssa Jones (Westerville South HS) stands at about 5’9 and is a force to be reckoned with. She is a sharp shooter who has unlimited range. She also has really good size and moving her to a bigger guard spot is definitely a possibility. While she has to ability to light it up from the three she can also get to the rim. Another returning starter for the Westerville south wildcats she is expected to lead them to a chip. 

Morgan Darnell, Alyssa Jones, Gabby Hutchenson, Nyam Thorton, & Sakima Walker

Eden Battle is the true definition of her last name. She goes toe to toe with anyone in her way. She plays with so much enthusiasm and passion. She is definitely a problem from behind the arch. Leave her open for more than a second and she will make you pay. She so aggressive off the ball as well. She has committed to play for Miami of Ohio in fall of 2020.

Morgan Darnell is probably the most underrated player coming out of Columbus. She’s a vocal leader who controls the floor and is an all around great player. She has a little bit of everything. She can score at will and she can also change the game on the defensive end. Morgan stretches the floor on the offensive end because she has mastered the 3 point shot. Entering her senior season with Gahanna Lincoln she is in search of some potential collegiate interest. I definitely believe she has what it takes to go to the next level. 

Trinity Ramos is a sophomore PG for Olentangy Liberty High School. She plays with a lot of passion. Trinity passes the ball extremely well and isn’t afraid to get on the floor. With her being just a sophomore she has the potential to play at the next level. 

Makiya Miller will be entering her sophomore season at Reynoldsburg High school. She stands about 5’7 and is an overall great player. Makiya definitely has a lot of growing to do but she is in a great position to make some noise this year for the raiders. She has a very high basketball IQ and it shows on the court. 

Sakima Walker (Africentric HS senior 6’3 Ohio State, Cincinnati, Virginia, Auburn)

is entering her senior season with the Africentric lady Nubians and will hopefully help them bring in another state title. She stands about 6’3 and guards the rim like no other. She is thin but she has so much height it only helps her rebound the basketball. If she receives the ball in the paint it’s pretty much over after that. She has several D1 offers such as Ohio State, Auburn, Virginia, Cincinnati and several more. She will soon make the decision where she decides to play in college. 

Senior guard Nyam Thorton is so explosive and aggressive it’s almost impossible to stop her once she gets past half court. Her handle is sort of like Kylie Irving she just happens to be from Columbus, OH. She has stellar talent and will definitely make some serious noise this year for the Africentric Lady Nubians who are on track to win their 8^thstate title, the most ever in school history. Nyam has committed to play for Texas Tech this upcoming fall.

Franklin Joins Buckeye Prep As Director of Girl's Basketball

Travecia "T" Franklin-Dir Girls Basketball

In an effort to provide more coverage of girl’s basketball, the Buckeye Prep Report has added Travecia “T” Franklin to the staff as Director of Girls Basketball. T will be providing the bulk of our girl’s coverage going forward. T is not new to the Buckeye Prep Report as she joined our staff earlier this year as a scout and coach. T will be spending a majority of her time and efforts attending and covering girls events.  She will also take a lead role in developing and managing Buckeye Prep vents on the girls side.

In terms of her background, T was a standout for Brookhaven HS where she graduated in 2011 before heading to Indiana State University to play Collegiately.  While at Brookhaven, T was ranked 114^thin her position by ESPN, was selected as Honorable Mention All-State in 2010 and was described as follows: “Lean athletic guard who, like all of Reggie Lee's players, will get after it on defense. Offensively she has the ability to slash but will have to demonstrate an effective perimeter shot as she progresses.” Help us welcome T to our staff!

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Final Results

Sean Martin, Sharon Barnes, Chris McLavish Jr., Jaylen Rigdon & Michael Maldanado

By most accounts, the 2019 fall Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase was a success!  With a slate of very competitive inter and intrastate rivalry games on Saturday morning, followed by very competitive showcase games later in the day, the storied event delivered on its promise of “Elite Competition & Maximum Exposure!”  In terms of the early morning all-star games, the class of 2026 was well represented, as the event hosted many of the classes’ top players.  Some of those players included TJ Crumble, Brayden Fogle, Khani Thomas, Darek Whitfield, Malsi Pearson, Cole Albers, JR Bates, Drake Ahrens, Dantrell Hughes and Amari Addy.

As a recap, in the 2026 North vs South All-star game, the South All-Stars defeated the North by a score of 53-44. MVPs for the game were Khani Thomas,who scored a team-high 14 points for the South and Brayden Fogal,who knocked down a game-high 15 points for the North.  In the 2025 Ohio vs Michigan contest, Team Michigan notched an impressive 67-54 win over Team Ohio.  Michigan was led in scoring by John “Trey” McKenny III, who went for a game-high 26 points on his way to MVP honors.  Team Ohio was led in scoring by Arness Lawson who grabbed MVP honors on the strength of a team-high 17 points. In the 2026 Ohio vs Michigan game, Team Michigan pulled a first-ever sweep of Ohio with a 41-35 victory.  MVPs for the game were TJ Crumble, who poured in a team-high 13 points for Ohio and Keyshawn Summerville, who dropped a game-high 16 points for Team Michigan.  

At the conclusion of the event, two additional all-star games were held featuring the day’s top middle school and 4^th/5^th& 6^thgrade players. The top performers in each of the games were presented “Top 5 Awards.”  In the Middle School game those awards went to Sean Martin, Sharod Barnes, Chris McLavish Jr., Michael Maldanado and Kentucky’sJalan Rigdan.  In the 4^th/5^th/6^thGrade game, the Top 5 Awards were presented to Damere McClellan, Malsi Pearson, Taveon Vaughn, Drake AhrensandDarek Whitfield.

Damere McClellan, Malsi Pearson, Taveon Vaughn, Drake Ahrens & Darek Whitfield

 During the course of the showcase games each player was evaluated and ranked, with the top 2-3 players being selected for the final all-star games.  According to the coaches’ evaluation sheets, the following players were ranked as the #1 player on their respective teams: (Middle School Division) Sharod Barnes, Michael Maldanado (2025), Christian Wilkins, Chris McLavish Jr., Sean Martin and Peter Penrod. (4^th/5^th/6^thGrade Division): Mario Murray, Keyshawn Summerville, Khani Thomas, Demere McClellan, Brandon Mercer and Drake Ahrens. 

Below is a complete list of players who were selected to the all-star games.  Also below are the final showcase rankings. Those rankings were based on the all-star game results coupled with where players were ranked by their respective coaches. As an example, the MVPs of the early all-star games and the Top 5 Award winners were ranked in the top 10, then the #1 ranked players, the #2 ranked players and so on were added.

 All-in all, it was a great day of competitive basketball!  Shout out to the class of 2026 who came strong and represented their loaded class.  Finally, big props to the Michigan players who supported the event and represented their state very well!  See you in February!

All-Star Game Rosters

Final Showcase Rankings

Michigan Pulls Sweep with 2026 Win

Keyshawn Summerville & T.J. cCumble-MVPs

With a 41-35 win over Team Ohio, Team Michigan secures a first-ever sweep of Team Ohio at the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase. Led by Keyshawn Summerville who dropped a game-high 16 points, Team Michigan was able to pull away late in the 2^nd half to lock down Michigan’s second win of the morning. Team Ohio was led in scoring by big T.J. Crumble who poured in a game-high 13 points for the Buckeyes. As was the case in the earlier game, Michigan’s full court pressure proved problematic for Coach Mike Daniel’s Ohio squad.  Next up is the elite showcase were many of these elite players will go head to head again in hopes of making the final all-star game later tonight.

Team Michigan Downs Team Ohio in 2025 Game

John "Trey" McKinney III & Arness Lawson-2025 MVPs

In the 2^nd all-star game of the day at the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, a very talented Michigan squad used a team-oriented approach and an effective full-court press to take home a 67-54 win.  Although it was nip and tuck for most of the game, and Team Ohio was ahead during the course of the game, by the time the horn sounded, the “Team Up North” had secured bragging right for another year over the Buckeyes.

MVPs for the game were  Michigan's John “Trey" McKennny III, who finished with a game-high points 26 points and Columbus’ Arness Lawson, who knocked down a team-high 17 points.  Also playing well were Michigan’s Jayden Savoury who added 18 points and Cincinnati’s Michael Maldanado who poured in 12 points.

All-in all, it was a very competitive game. Next up is the 2026 Ohio vs Michigan game, which will feature Ohio’s best against many of Michigan’s top guys.

Ohio South Downs the North in Opening Game

Khani Thomas & Brayden Fogle

In the opening game of the 2019 fall Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase; the Ohio South team fought back a comeback from the North to notch a 53-44 win.  Down 32-10 at halftime, the Brayden Fogle led (15 points) North came roaring back to cut the lead to within 8 points late in the 2^nd period.  However, paced by Khani Thomas’ team-high 14 points, the South was able to hold on for the win.  Both Fogle and Thomas were named MVPS.  Next up is the 2025 Ohio vs Michigan all-star games, which promises to be as equally competitive!

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Schedule & Rosters

Below is an initial draft of this weekend's Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase schedule, rosters and event rules.  Also below is an email that went out to parents who have registered their son for the event. Regardless of payment arrangements, every player MUST register for the event. Once again, this should be a very competitive event!  If you have any questions, please contact us at 614-502-9359 or Buckeyeprep@yahoo.com.

Showcase Schedule & Rosters (last Update 9-6-19 @ 11:12am)
Registration Link

Parents/Coaches,

I hope you and your son are excited about this weekend's event! Please find attached the initial draft of the showcase schedule, rosters, event rules & format.  Please make note of the fact that this will be a 1-day event only (Saturday).  Also note that based on the participant numbers in each grade division, the devisions had to be combined.  This could not be avoided. Also, please review the complete document very carefully to confirm you son/player's name is spelled correctly, is listed in the correct grade division, is not duplicated on a second team, and that his team has all of their games accounted for. Also, if you see a kid's name on the roster and you know he does not plan to attend please contact us ASAP! If you see any mistakes please respond to this email with the need corrections.  If your son's name is listed and you have decided not to attend this event, please let us know ASAP so we can make adjustments. 

At this point, if your child is unable to attend, we will extend a full credit for are March event. We will be posting and needed update on our website at: www.Buckeyeprep.blogspot.com up until the day of the event. For those players who are participating in the event, you will need to arrive at least 45 minutes before the first game.  For everyone else, you will not need to arrive until 1:30pm to complete the registration process. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Rob Taylor