Ohio's Top Rising Freshmen (2015)

MaCio Teague

Below is a list of Ohio's top rising freshmen (2015).  As I have said before, if you are a youth basketball fan in this state and you have followed this class over the years, you already kind of know who many of the top players are in this class.  Although I have formalized the process by documenting the names on this site, you, the fan, have your own ideas about who the best players are at this point.  I'm not going to go into preach mode with this piece, I have said all I need to say. 

My list of the top guys is based on most of my own observations over the past couple of years, as well as input I received from many of the top coaches in this class, and a few fans who I trust to give me credible and unbiased input (it's so hard to find!).  Like the others, this list will continue to evolve over time and will be updated periodically.  Over the next several months, I will be further defining the lists and assigning numbers (1-30) to the players on the lists.  Also, I will soon be developing a "Next 20" list so that I can submit a top 50 list to John Stovall, (ESPN analyst, Nike rep and Prep Spotlight co-founder) to serve as a foundation for his initial top 50 freshman list in the fall.

Finally, as I have done with the others, I have posted all 3 top player lists on the side bar on the front page of this website, where I will make periodic changes (additions & subtractions), as we proceed through the summer and fall. I know this list will cause some debate, but that's ok, as players will be added as they shine on the bigger stages. Enough said; enjoy/debate the list!!

Ohio's Top 30 Rising Freshmen

Top 30 Player Pictures

Nike EYBL Report-Day Two

EYBL Standings through Saturday Night

All-Ohio finally got back on track Sunday Morning with a convincing 82-62 to win over the Texas Titans.  All-Ohio stepped on the pedal early, as Kenny Kaminski drained a trey to start the game. The lead exchanged hands early until Red went on a 7-0 spurt at about the 11:15 mark (10-6). Shortly thereafter, Jake Kretzer knocked down a 3 pointer, Teddy Hawkins hit a trey, followed by an All-Ohio steal and a Jalen Robinson layup increased the lead to 18-8.  Yet another 7-0 run by All-Ohio put the lead at 25-8 with 6:40 left in the half. All-Ohio continued to increase the lead for the remainder of the period, and entered the locker room up 38-20.  Both Elijah Macon and Teddy Hawkins paced Red with 8 half time points.

All-Ohio bought a ticket to the Kenny Kaminski/Jake Kretzer show to start the second, as both players combined for five 3 balls early to extend the All-Ohio lead to 53-25 by midway through the second half.  Kenny Kaminiski would then play the role as the leading man, as he finally found his stroke to the tune of 7 treys.  There really was not much drama left in this one, as All-Ohio would eventually bury Texas to claim an impressive 82-62 win.  Kaminski would finish with a game-high 24 points, followed by Jake Kretzer (19), Terry Rozier (11), Elijah Macon (11), Teddy Hawkins (8), Myles Hamilton (2), Jalon Robinson (2)and Jordan Potts (2).  

Kenny Kaminski dropped 24 pts on 7 treys

The second game of the day for All-Ohio Red started much like game one, with Jake Kretzer and Kenny Kaminski bombing treys.  After a Terry Rozier layup to start the game; back-to-back treys from Kretzer, and a Kenny Kaminski 3 pointer from deep; All-Ohio found themselves with a 12-0 lead to start the game. Michigan's The Family did not score until a layup at the 13:20 mark, then they drained a trifector of their own to close he lead to 12-5.  From there, The Family went on a short run to cut the lead to 9-13 with 11:12 left in the half.  Kaminski's deep three extended the lead to 17-9 with 10:40 left, but Red would begin to loose focus, allowing The Family to rally and cut the lead to 16-17 by the 8:30 mark. The Family would later take their first lead of the game with about 3:00 minutes left in the period, then continue to ride their new found momentum to a 42-30 half time lead.

The Family started the 2nd half with a layup to extend the lead to 45-30, but Terry Rozier answered with a jumper.  Each team would go back and forth scoring, until Red went to an effective 2-3 zone, which forced The Family it to launching threes with little success.  Although the zone slowed The Family, and All-Ohio would rally, too many empty possessions would eventually lead to another disappointing loss for All-Ohio.  Terry Rozier led All-Ohio with 14 points, followed by Elijah Macon (12), Jake Kretzer (10), Kenny Kaminski (7),  Myles Hamilton (6), Teddy Hawkins (6), Leroy Alexander (5), Jordan Potts (3) and Jalan Robinson (2). 

Despite arriving in LA with an impressive 8-2 league record, sitting at 1-3 after 2 days was concerning for All-Ohio.  Red may have already qualified for the league championship prior to making the trip to the west coast, in terms of seeding for the Peach Jam, things were looking pretty bleak.  Hopefully All-Ohio can right the ship and pick  up a badly needed win against Chicago's Mean Streets on Sunday morning.

Unfortunately for King James,  they could not follow up on their win yesterday, as they dropped a tough one to Each-1-Teach 1 50-52. Apparently, King James led for most of the game, and was actually leading by 8 points with about 8 minutes left in the game, when team chemistry issues caused them to loose focus and cohesion, allowed Each 1 Teach 1 to go on an 8-0 run, resulting in the heart breaker. To see the pictures I took at the event, visit the Buckeye Prep Face Book Fan Page.  See more pictures. 

Nike EYBL Report-Day One

Session 3 of Nike's EYBL tipped off today at the HAX Athletic Facility in LA. California. The action was fierce right from the tip, as the 40 Nike-sponsored teams fought hard to qualify for the Peach Jam, the league’s championship tournament. For one of the few times this season, All-Ohio Red got off to a quick start in their opening EYBL game against the Mac Irvin Fire.  Red took advantage of the late arriving Fire (was 10 minutes late for the game), by going up 8-0 to start the 1^st half.  Red was led early but a hot shooting Jake Kretzer who buried 2 treys in the first period.  Despite their fast start, All-Ohio would have let down late in the half, allowing the Fire to knot the game at 28-28 to close the first half.

Although All-Ohio got on the board first to start the second period, the Fire came right back with a little mini run.   Now that Mac Irvin was feeling good about themselves after have grabbed some of the momentum, the game was close for most of the final period.  With about 3 minutes left, the Fire grabbed a 3-4 point lead and held on to it late.  All-Ohio would eventually wrestle away a 1 point lead before the Fire answered back to retake the lead.  The game was knotted again late, and All-Ohio had a couple of late chances to win, but missed free throws (about 6), blown layups (point blank), and poor rebounding were too much for Red to over comes.  However, All-Ohio still had a chance to tie the game, as the coaching staff drew up an out of bounds play for Kretzer with the ball and 6 seconds left , but the shot was rushed and errant, as All-Ohio dropped the game 57-54. The Fire’s 6’7 Jabari Parker was a monster, as he led Mac Irvin with 16 points, with Jahlil Okafor adding 12 markers. I have to give props to Derrick Randolph, Fire's undersized point guard, who stayed in the paint and either scored or dished off for easy scores. Kenny Kaminski led All-Ohio with 11 points, followed by Terry Rozier (10), Leroy Alexander (8), Elijah Macon (6), Jake Kretzer (6), Jordan Potts (4) and Jalon Robinson (2).

Jahlil Okafor

Much like they did in game one, All-Ohio got off to a good start against Tennessee's YOMCA, the second best team in the division.  Shakers Height's Terry Rozier was hot early, draining back-to-back treys and getting to the cup to give All-Oho a 7-2 lead early.  However, 3 consecutive turnovers with about 8 minutes left in the half allowed YOMCA to cut the lead to 14-16.  At about the 7:26 mark, YOMCA tied the game for the first time at 16-16.  Red answered back with a Jordan Potts jumper, then Leroy Alexander knocked down a 3  pointer to give All-Ohio back the lead.  Dayton's Teddy Hawkins came off the bench and hit two quick jumpers to give Red a 36-27 lead heading into half time.  Terry Rozier finished the 10 half time points.

YOMCA scored first to start the second period and would make a 6-2 run to cut the lead to 31-36.  All-Ohio finally got on the board with a Myles Hamilton jumper (38-33). YOMCA took their first lead (41-40) at about the 11:39 mark, followed by a trey to increase the lead to 43-40.  YOMCA's full court pressuer rattled All-Ohio, leading to turnovers and a YOMCA 8-0 run. Jordan Potts's jumper with 10:06 left in the half stopped the bleeding and cut the lead to 5 points (42-47). Dayton's Teddy Hawkins' layup at 6:15 and a big trey with 5:10 left gave Red the  53-52) lead.  The 2 teams would take turns holding the lead for the rest of the contest.  A Myles Hamilton put back gave All-Ohio a 61-60 lead with 1:42 remaining, but YOMCA came right back to reclaim a 1 point lead. With the game tied at 64-64, a YOMCA guard was fouled on his way to the bucket and was sent to the line, where he cashed in on both freebies to lift his team to a 66-64 lead with 25.4 seconds left.  Down 2 with just over 25 seconds left ,All-Ohio drew up a play that left Kenny Kaminski wide open for a short corner jumper, but the shot would miss the mark, leading to a YOMCA rebound, an All-Ohio foul and 2 more free throws for YOMCA.  Although Terry Rozier would hit a desperation 3 pointer with only 3 seconds left and down, All-Ohio would go on to take their second loss of the day (69-67). Terry Rozier led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Myles Hamilton (10), Elijah Macon (8), Kenny Kaminski (8),Teddy Hawkins (7),  Jordan Potts (4), Leroy Alexander (3) and Jalon Robinson (2).

Terry Rozer's 20 pts led All-Ohio

Things did not go much better for King James, the only other Ohio team in the event, as they would give up the lead late in the second half and go on to take a 58-50 "L" at the hands of Louisianan Select.  According to the coach, a closely officiated game resulted in his 2 bigs Sheldon Jetter continued to pace the team, while Devon Carter and Antonio Herns both had solid games.  King James would right the ship in their second game, as they took down the Tennessee Travelers 74-77.  Although King James would trail by as much as 13 points in the first half, a feverish comeback resulted in a tied game by half time. The 2 teams would take turns with the lead for most of the second half, but the Akron-based team would go on to get the badly need 3 poit win.  Lorenzo Cujini had a a big game, as he split defenders who were rushing out at him to take away the trey, allowing him to get to the rack.  Also playing well for King James was Antonio Herns.  Tomorrow should be another competitive day of hoops, as both teams have two more games.

Lorenzo Cugini

Ohio's Top 100 Rising Freshmen (2015)

Amos "AJ" Harris

Identifying the elite players in the class of 2015 is becoming much more relavant, as the players in the class will be entering their freshman year in high school in just a few short months.  At this age, college coaches and scouting services really begin taking a look at this class as they attempt to identify the best players in the state.  From my experience, many of the kids featured on the below list will become household names in just a few years. 

Below you will find a link to my list of the top 100 rising freshmen in the state. So far, this class appears to have a good group of guards at the top, as well as a handful of long-term post prospects.  Although Amos "AJ" Harris is considered by many to be the top player in this class, there are a few kids nipping at his heels for this honor.  The names of the top kids in this class may come as no surprise to our regular readers, as many of them have been featured on this site over the past couple of years. Although kids such has Luke Kennard, MaCio Teague, Nate Fowler, Esa Ahmed have become well known names to many of us, guys like Dayton's D'Mitrik Trice, Versailles' Kyle Ahrens, Hilliard's Michael Simon, Columbus' Issac Anderson and Orange's Kipper Nichols could make a push over the next couple of months. 

It is also important to note that there are still a number of very talented players who have not yet burst on to the statewide scene, but they will eventually begin making names for themselves through school ball, AAU events or camps and showcases. In fact, word has it, there are a couple of northern Ohio kids who deserve some love; however, until they get it done on the bigger stages, where people can see and evaluate them, they may remain just under the radar until later in their young careers. Also, as I have said many times, my list represents a "snapshot" of the kids who are consistently getting it done right now, and does not necessarily attempt to predict future success.  Some of the kids on the top of the class will fade, and some other kids will grow and develop their way to the top.  Remember, "the creme always rises to the top!"

Finally, within the next day or so, I will be publishing a smaller list of the top 30 kids in the state.  As I pointed out in an earlier piece, these list will be updated regularly, as I get a chance to see more kids. Finally, I will be turning over a list of the top 50 kids to John Stovall, ESPN Analyst, Nike rep and co-founder of Prep Spotlight Magazine, which he will use as the foundation for his list of the top 50 freshmen in the state.  As always, I encourage kids and parents to be more focused on development than the rankings and stay in the gym, because at the end of the day, it's about you game, not your name!  Enjoy the list!!

Ohio's Top 100 Rising Freshmen

Ohio's Top 30 Rising Eighth Graders

Ashon Riggens

Below is a link to the top 30 seventh graders in Ohio.  For those kids who made the list, congratulations.  For those who did not make the cut this time, keep working.  It's my hope that players use the list as motivation to either stay on the list, or make the list.  It should be understood that just because a player's name is listed, does not mean they will continue to be listed in the future.  I have seen it happen too many times, a player gains some recognition and feels like they do not need to continue to work, allowing other players to out work them, then displace them as a top player in the state. 

Having been through this process many times with my own 2 sons, I fully understand how difficult it is for kids when their name do not appear on top player type lists.  I also understand how parents and coaches feel when they believe their son has been slighted or is not receiving the recognition they think they deserve.  The only advice I can give you, if you care about these type of lists, your son needs to get exposure, and you need to insure he plays against the best talent possible, either in AAU-type tournaments, camps or showcases.  If your son is not playing where people can see him play and evaluate his talent, then his game will continue to be under appreciated.

In addition, you will read on various message boards that rankings at this age "don't mean anything."  Don't believe that.  I get calls, texts and emails all of the time asking for the names of the top young players in the state.  College coaches are tracking these young players as we speak.  In addition, some kids enjoy more opportunities if they are highly ranked at a young age.  These opportunities can help with thier development and gain them additional exposure. With that said, I would agree that ranking kids this age does not always serve as good predictor of where a kid will end up by the time they are high school seniors, nor does making a list like this garuntee a college scholarship.  In fact, there are a number of kids not listed here who will go on to surpass some of the kids on this list for various reasons. 

That's ebough of that, now to the top 30 list.  At this point, I have decided not to rank the players from 1-30, but rather list them alphabetically, as it has been my experience that doing so thise early causes way too many hard feelings at this point.  However, as I continue to watch the players (and others) over the next several months, and as I get more comfortable ranking the kids, I will start fine tuning the list in and effort to better establish who the top kids truly are.  As I see more kids who deserve a top 30 ranking, I will be adding and subtracting names as I go, based on what I see at various events.  So, with out further preaching, below is a link to Buckeye Prep's top 30rising eighth graders.  Also, below are pictures of many players on the list.  Enjoy!

Top 30 Rising Eighth Graders

Player Pictures

Ohio’s Top 150 Rising Eighth Graders

Trevell Beck 6'5 WF Cleveland

Below is a link to my list of the top 150 rising 8^th graders (Class of 2016) in the state of Ohio.  In terms of the process, the list was compiled from both my personal observations of many of the players on the list, as well as the input I solicited and received from many of the top coaches in this class.  This list is not intended to predict long term success, rather, it should serve as a simple list of some of the players who have excelled and been seen at major tournaments, camps and showcases to date.  Let me be clear, there are still many kids around the state who are very talented, but for whatever reason, have not been seen by the right people at the right time.  Also, just because a player is considered a “top kid” at this point in their career, if he does not continue to work hard and develop his game, there will be kids who catch and surpass him over the next couple of years.  Also, some kids excel early because they are bigger and stronger at an early age, however, some smaller kids will continue to grow and develop, and will play their way onto subsequent lists down the road.

In terms of my updated list, as most people know, I originally posted a top player list for this class over one year ago, and since that time, the list has continued grow.  In addition, and a few kids have developed to the point where they have separated themselves from the pack.  This list will continue to evolve, as players continue to develop and are seen at various events.   As I did with my initial list, I have divided the state into 3 sections, Southern, Central and Northern Ohio.  Also, the names are listed alphabetically, with no numerical ranking given at this point.  However, within the next day or so, I will be posting a smaller list of the top 30 players in the class. To see the list, click on the link below.  As I always say, let the debate begin!!

  

Top 150 Rising Eighth Graders

Check out the highlight video of some of Ohio's top players at Buckeye Prep's Fall Elite Showcase last September.