Ohio State Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic Recap

The first game of the Ohio State Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic tipped off today and matched Dayton Jefferson against Harvest Prep. Although there was not a lot of of stellar action in the contest, Dayton Jefferson's Adreian Payne provided a few fireworks to the tune of 21 points and 18 assists to pace the Stallions in a 66-56 win. Harvest Prep's Geron Tate contributed a team-high 21 points in a loosing effort. Both Payne and Tate took home MVP honors.

9th Annual Ohio State Play-by-Play Classic

Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, Cameron Wright, Adrian Payne, JD Weatherspoon and Jordan Sibert, are just a few of the elite players who will be competing at the 9th Annual Ohio State Play-By-Play Classic this Saturday at the Value City Arena on the campus of Ohio State University. The first of 7 games tips off at 10:30am and the night cap between Cleveland Benedictine vs Cincinnati Princeton starts at 8:45pm. Over the years, this event has hosted the likes of LeBron James and many other elite players and should be considered a must-attend event. Below is the complete slate of games.

10:30-Harvest Prep vs Dayton Jefferson
12:30-Logan Elm vs Westerville South
2:00-Chillicothe vs Canton Timpkin
3:34-Wilmington vs Columbus DeSales
5:30-Massillin Jackson vs Huber Heights Wayne
7:15-Bishop Lauers vs Columbus Northland
8:45-Cleveland Benedictine vs Cincinnati Princeton

Dayton's Rodrick Caldwell Has Special Qualities

I'm well aware that many of my colleagues will take exception to hyping a 6th grader, but Rodrick Caldwell, a 5'1 PG from Westwood Middle School in Dayton, has the type of special qualities that begs to be written about. Yes, Caldwell is a highly skilled point guard who can light up a score board (I saw him put up 49 points in 2 games this weekend), and yes, he handles the rock better than kids twice his age (he has all the dribble moves and can get to the paint at will), and yes, he has command of his team (he almost single handily willed his team to a championship on Monday), but it's the way he approaches the game that makes him so special.

What do I mean by "special?" From what I saw this past weekend, and what I have heard from others since then, the kid has a great attitude and his understanding of the game is beyond his years. I love to see a kid who loves the game so much that he/she can barley keep from smiling on the court. In an age where so many kids want to be "hard," and appear angry at the world when they play, Caldwell appears to be having fun on the court as he goes about destroying his opponents. Let me be clear, Caldwell will try and dominate you on the court to get his team the win, but he has a healthy attitude about it and he appears to enjoy himself while doing so.

Along with his healthy attitude (his nickname is "smiley"), Caldwell's poise and basketball IQ are a few of his major strengths. He just seems to understand the game, and he seems to make the right play at the right time. Unlike most point guards his age, he understands when to pass, shoot and drive to the cup. Despite his obvious talent, he appears to have his ego in check, as he encourages and motivates his teammates to compete. It's also clear that Caldwell is a bright kid (he made the Honor Roll the last grading period) who understands what it will take to play division I college basketball. Caldwell is already making plans for high school (he wants to attend Stivers HS) and beyond. According to his father Rob, Rodrick is a die hard Ohio State basketball fan who as already researched the dorm room and admissions policies at Ohio State as he prepares himself to suit up for the Buckeyes in a few years. Let me say this, although I'm not ready to crown him the top 6th grade in Ohio, its far too early for that, if there is a better point guard in the state, I want to see him. From what little I have seen and heard, if Caldwell can continue to work hard to develop his game, remain humble, and avoid the many traps and pitfalls that tend to trip up so many of our young people these days, he has a legitimate chance of playing ball at a high level. Like most kids his age, Rodrick dreams of playing in the NBA one day, but if that does not happen, he aspires to be an engineer and/or a basketball commentator after his college career is finished. You read it hear first people, I really think this kid is spacial! If you want to see if the hype is justified, or you want your shot at competing against Rodrick, he and many other of the state's top players will be attending the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase here in Columbus on March 6th.

Airmen Claim 6th Grade Title

The final day of the annual Dayton Airmen Tournament was chuck full of exciting team play and standout individual performances. For the record, the Dayton Airmen 6th grade squad defeated the New Birth Warriors (52-32) in the championship game to claim the title. What was most impressive about championship Monday were the semi-final match-ups (New Birth vs Team Dayton & the Dayton Airmen vs the Beavercreek Stars Red). Again, for the record, New Birth defeated Team Dayton (47-44) and the Dayton Airmen defeated Beavercreek Stars Red 49-38) to reach the championship game.

I have to mention the semi-final grudge match between the New Birth Warriors and Team Dayton (10-1). Despite Team Dayton's overwhelming size advantage in the post (6'0 & 5'8 vs 5'6 & 5'5), and a 35-25 point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Warriors refused to loose and stormed back to advance to the championship game. In that game, DJ Tyree led the Warriors with a game-high 17 points, while Jelani Rogers dropped 16 points of his own. Team Dayton was led by Derek Daniels, a 6'0 center, who finished with a team-high 15 points, Lamar Florence, a 5'8 PF, with 10 points and Devon Baker (5th grader), a 5'2 PG with 10 points. Bottom line, it was a great semi-final game that could have very easily been a championship game.

The second semi-final game between the Dayton Airmen and the Beavercreek Stars Red was not as contested, as the Airmen jumped to an early lead which they never relinquished. Although Beavercreek demonstrated great team basketball and the ability to hit the trey, a standout performance by Roderick Caldwell (25 points) was the difference. The Stars were led in scoring by Jackson Tedder, a three point marksman who finished with 16 points and James Prater, a headsy floor general. The championship game was a fitting ending to the tournament, as it matched arguably the top 2 teams in the tournament (Team Dayton might take issue with that). The Airmen rode the outstanding play of point guard Roderick Caldwell all the way to the title. The Airmen never trailed in the contest and eventually pulled away from the Warriors to the claim the 55-31 victory. Although supported by Courtney Byrd, a 5'6 PF from Dayton, Roderick Caldwell was the driving force in the win. Caldwell led all scorers with 24 points while Byrd contributed 12 points. For the Warriors, DJ Tyree scored a team-high 14 points, Jalen Tate went for 11 points and Jelani Rogers, who was face-guarded for most of the game, contributed 7 points. Below is Buckeye Prep's All-Tournament Team: Roderick Caldwell (Airmen)-MVP, Courtney Byrd (Airmen),Demond Parker, (Airmen), Jelani Rogers (New Birth), DJ Tyree (New Birth), Jalen Tate (New Birth), Derek Daniels (Team Dayton), Devon Baker (Team Dayton), Lamar Florence (Team Dayton), Jackson Tedder (Beavercreek Stars), James Prater (Beavercreek Stars).

Flyin to the Hoop Day One

I had the opportunity to poke my head into some of the day-one action at the Flying to the Hoop Tournament in Kettering. By the time I got there, Columbus' Marion-Franklin had already notched a 83-75 victory over Georgia's Centennial. In that game, Dejuan McGaughy's 22 points was the difference in the game. Elijah Macon had a big game with a double double of 15 points and 12 rebounds. Centennial's Devonte White dropped a game-high 28 points to pace the Knights. Game two of the day featured a great match-up between Garfield Heights and Cincinnati Winton Woods. Despite leading for much of the game, late game turnovers by Garfield Heights resulted in overtime (65-65). Auburn-bound Allen Payne was forced to the bench with foul trouble, but re-entered the game in enough time to hit a couple of key shots and to finish with 18 points. Dominique Brown was the man for the Warriors as he dropped a team-high 23 points and led his team to a 72-70 win. Trey Lewis was responsible for a game-high 25 points. I plan to spend all day at the tournament on Monday so come back for my take on the action.

Dayton Airman Tournament Alive and Well

For 13 years, Al Powell (Pictured), a fixture in Dayton-area basketball and the founder of the Dayton Airman Basketball Program, has held his annual Dayton Airman Tournament during the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend. Powell's motivation for holding the tournament is two fold. First, Powell wants to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King by holding the tournament on his birthday, he also hopes the tournament "bridges the gap between the local basketball community and leagues. The Dayton basketball community is so divided," Powell said. This sentiment was echoed by Mark Landers, a long-time coach in the storied program. With the tournament, "kids from different parts of the Miami Valley get the opportunity to compete against each other," Landers said.

On Saturday I had the chance to take in some of the tournament action in the 6th grade division. This year, eighteen 4th, 5th and 6th grade teams participated in the 3-day tournament. Some of the programs participating in the event included: the Dayton Airmen, Beavercreek Stars, Centerville Hustle, Trotwood, New Birth Warriors, and the Dakota Swish. At the end of day-two, three teams stood at 2-0. The New Birth Warriors defeated the Beavercreek Stars White (33-17) and the Centerville Hustle (36-28) heading into bracket play. Beavercreek Stars Red defeated Game Faith (35-21) and Mad River to remain undefeated. Dayton White defeated the Dayton Airmen and the Beavercreek Stars White heading into Monday.

I also had the chance to check out a few of the state's top 6th graders. Let me start with Rodrick Caldwell, a 5'1 PG from Dayton (Westwood MS). This kid can play! Caldwell is a consummate floor general, as he has great vision and the ability and willingness to pass the ball to open teammates. Caldwell was unselfish, poised and played the game with great instincts. I thought Caldwell had an advanced skill set, including a tight handle, great one-on-one moves which he used to penetrate. Once he gets into the lane, often with a hesitation dribble, crossover or an in-and-out dribble, Caldwell has a nice looking floater. Other top players included Jelani Rogers, a 4'8 PG from Westerville (Blendon MS) and DJ Tyree, a 5'2 PG from Columbus (Galloway Ridge Elm), both of whom had standout performances. I did not get a chance to see Dayton White, the 3rd undefeated team, but I hope to get back down to the tournament on Monday to catch the championship game.