Jr All-American Camp Open Run Returns to Cleveland

For a chance at one last run before the upcoming school season, you might want to make your way to Clay Dade’s Open Run event scheduled for this Saturday in Cleveland. By most accounts, last year Dade’s Open Run attracted a boatload of young talent. At the conclusion of the event, you can expect that a post-event report will be posted on the Jr. All-American Camp website highlighting the top players. The top players at this event will be invited the the jr. All-american camp next summer. To register for the event, visit the the Jr. All-American Camp website  Below is more specific information about the event.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Boys 5th-8th Grades 9am-2pm

Girls 6th-8th Grades 2pm-6pm

Jr All-American Camp Open Run

Garfield Heights High School

4900 Turney Road

Garfield Heights, OH 44125

Walkup registration day of the event is subject to availability. Credit cards will be accepted day of the event @ Garfield Hgts. Also, last year, the Cleveland Open Rub SOLD OUT! Register early. Do Not Mail registration. Fax completed registration form to 301-576-5402.

What About Academics?

I was talking to a friend the other day about academics and how so many of our young people tend to concentrate more on athletics than they do their grades, and how websites like the Buckeye Prep Report and many others tend to concentrate more on basketball than they do getting the word out about the importance of school. To this end, and as somewhat of a public service announcement, we at Buckeye Prep want to say to all of our readers, including kids, parents and coaches alike; ACADEMICS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN BASKETBALL!

As many of us know, each year there are thousands of kids who are talented enough to play college basketball at some level, but because they neglected their academics, they are unable to qualify for a division I, II, or III program. Let’s be clear, although there are a number of programs that will accept players who meet the minimum standards set by the NCAA, there are many schools that have their own academic standards which are much higher. Consequently, there are a number of schools that will look past a player because of grades, thus reducing the pool of opportunities for your child/player. Far too often college coaches shy away from more talented kids with sub-standard grades and eventually sign less talented student-athletes who were wise enough to take care of business in the class room.

What Does the NCAA Require?

The minimum NCAA requirements to play D-I college basketball require something like a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) and an ACT score of about 17. The actual numbers work on a sliding scale, where the higher the ACT/SAT score, the lower the GPA can be, and vice versa (i.e., 2.3/18 , 2.2/19, 2.1/20, 2.0/21). There are a number of factors that go into the equation, so I suggest that parents meet with their child’s guidance counselor for more specific information. Also, it is important to note that the GPA requirement is for “core” courses only (i.e., math, Chemistry, science, English, history, foreign language, government, etc), as opposed to electives (i.e., physical education, home economics, choir). According to NCAA statistics, more student-athletes fail to qualify to participate in NCAA sports because of a lack of appropriate course work than for lower scores. Your child could have a 3.0 overall GPA, but a core GPA of 1.9 and be in serious trouble! Also, for Division II program, there is no sliding scale; the minimum core GPA is a 2.0 and the minimum SAT is 820 and the minimum ACT is a 17 (see article).

Can a Student-Athlete Recover?

From my experience, much of the academic damage is done during a student’s freshman year in high school when the transition from middle school to high school is most difficult. At this stage, kids and parents often fail to pay attention to course work requirements and grades, while being lulled into a false since of security because their child is able to maintain eligibility to play school ball. What’s important to know, it’s very hard to raise a GPA significantly after only a couple of years of neglect.

Making it even more difficult for student-athletes to recover from a low GPA is the fact that traditionally, the NCAA has allowed students to take correspondence and on-line type courses to help a student catch up and raise his or her GPA; however, because of wide spread fraud and abuse and so called “diploma mills,” over the past several years, the NCAA has greatly reduced the number of programs they allow. If you have a child in this kind of situation right now, the Keystone School is one of the few remaining programs the NCAA still recognizes. Your child/player may be able obtain core credits though this program that will count towards the minimum requirements.

Also, one of the strategies employed by guidance counselors to repair damaged GPAs is to have the student to re-take core courses where he or she received C, D, and Fs, and replace them with the higher grade. In addition, most often, rather than coast out of their last year of high school, students who enter their senior year without qualifying scores must scramble and load their schedules with core courses in an effort to raise GPAs. Finally, there are a number of ACT/SAT prep programs available to help students increase their scores. Although many of these programs are a bit pricey, lower cost programs can be found with a little work. Look in local newspapers and go on-line to find affordable programs in your area.

What Else Should You Do?

To you parents, I would suggest that you pay close attention to your child’s course work and grades from day one, and don’t be satisfied with a 2.0 GPA. One bad semester and your child can quickly slip below that mark. A common misperception is that a C average is ok; don’t believe it; your child should at least shoot for at least a B in core courses. As a suggestion, routinely take a look at your son/daughter’s most recent interim and/or final grade cards, and if he or she is under a 2.0 GPA, you need to be very concerned! Also, make sure your child’s curriculum has a sufficient number core courses (the NCAA requires 16). Contact your school’s guidance counselors and ask questions. Ask the guidance counselor to calculate the “core GPA,” it may be much lower than you realize. Get the phone numbers for your child’s teachers and talk to them on a regular basis in order to get updates of his or her performance. I know for a fact that teachers love it when parents are involved in their child’s education and are very receptive to calls and notes. Additionally, many schools now allow parents to check their child’s grades on-line and get up to the minute progress.

In addition, have your child begin taking the ACT or SAT as soon and as often as possible, so you have a gauge of where they need to be. Your child can take the test as often as he or she likes and the NCAA will use the highest composite score from those tests. Also, don’t fall into the trap of thinking because your child has a learning disability and/or is participating in Individual Education Programs (IEP), that the minimum standards will be lowered. In fact, other than some allowances for additional time and oral presentation of test material, the same standards apply to all student athletes.

Of course I know many of the kids playing basketball are not fortunate enough to have a parent(s) who will read this piece and who will be willing take affirmative action; therefore, coaches, mentors and other caring adults need to stand up and help. To you coaches who pick kids up from school on Fridays to travel out of town for tournaments; next spring take a few minutes to go inside the school first to talk to the player’s guidance counselor( with parental permission of course), ask questions and then convey that information to the kid’s parent(s) or guardians. We all know “It Takes a Village” to raise our young people. We also know that a very small percentage of players will go on to have careers and make money in this game. Only a quality education and a college degree/occupation will ensure financial security for your child and their future families.

In closing, I don’t mean to preach, but sometimes things need to be said. Moreover, I understand players, parents, coaches and fans log onto to this website to read event reports, search for rankings, and to view the pictures, but as a parent, coach and fan myself, I thought it was important that I send a different message this time around in hopes that at least one person will take heed before it is too late, and take action before a kid misses out on an opportunity of a lifetime! Below are lists of links to some very important information:

Resources (click on hyper-link)
ACT Test Registration
NCAA Eligibility Information
NCAA Clearing House Information
Questions and Answers

All-Ohio Nike City Series Recap




Nate Anderson, Brian Sullivan, Stevie Taylor, Trey Burke & Treavon Jackson (D-I comits)

  As promised, the opening weekend of the All-Ohio Nike City Series was star studded and competitive, as many of central Ohio’s top high school basketball players were represented at the 2-day event. Over the course of the weekend, each player competed in four games, and the top 20 kids in each of the four divisions were selected to participate in all-star games. As is the case in these types of events, there were guys who held serve; guys who saw their basketball stock rise; kids who took advantage of the big stage, and of course there were players who did not quite live up to the hype. Not only were the roughly 110 kids in attendance playing for local bragging rights, but the big prize is a spot in next weekend’s statewide event to be held here in Columbus. Although the format is still taking shape, we do know the top players from central Ohio will match up against the best talent from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland and Akron.

In terms of this weekend’s action,of course guys like Michigan-bound Trey Burke, Wisconsin commit Treavon Jackson and Ohio University verbal Stevie Taylor all handled their business; but guys like Westerville South’s Isiah Rogers, Bloom Carroll’s Steve Bridgeman and Freshmen Dymier Finch saw their stock rise. Watch out for Bloom-Carroll this coming high school season, as they are simply loaded with talent. I don’t think anybody made more of their shot on the big stage than Bloom Carroll’s Isacc McGlone. This kid knocked down shots the entire weekend; not just spot up shots, but shots off the bounce as well. Mansfield Senior’s Keon Johnson, a 5’6 freshman, had a big weekend as he relentlessly attacked the cup, and Gahanna Lincoln’s Aaron Jackson and Manuel Powell continue a solid fall campaign. Jackson made a case as the top sophomore at the event in this evaluator’s opinion. Pickerington Central’s Jea’Sean Tate was beasty around to rim, and Marion Franklin’s Marquise Lawrence has loads of potential. Below are my lists of the top players I saw this weekend in each of the two divisions. To see the pictures I took at the event, visit the Buckeye Prep Facebook Fan Page.

9th/10th Grade Division

Jaylen Benton-6’2 Soph Northland
John Drapper-5’10 Soph Eastmoor Academy
Dymier Finch-6’1 Fresh Walnut Ridge
Jack Gibbs-5’10 Soph Westerville North
Aaron Jackson-6’4 Soph Gahanna Lincoln
Keon Johnson-5’6 Soph Mansfield Senior
Marquise Lawrence-6’5 Soph Marion Franklin
Kevin Marsh-6’4 Soph Dublin Coffman
Isaac McGlone-6’1 Soph Bloom-Carroll
Manuel Powell -5’8 Fresh Gahanna Lincoln
Jae’Sean Tate-6’3 Fresh Pickerington Central
Ronnie Williams-6’2 Fresh Brookhaven

11/12th Grade Division

Nate Anderson-6’9 Sr Teays Valley
Nick Archer-6’7 Jr Olentangy Liberty
Dwayne Bazemore-6’9 Sr Walnut Ridge
Steve Bridgeman-6’5 Sr Bloom-Carroll
Trey Burke-6’2 Sr Northland
Grant Harris-6’1 Jr Harvest Prep
Treavon Jackson-6’3 Sr Westerville South
Clinton James-6’2 Sr DeSales
Tyler Kelly-6’2 Sr Pickerington North
Elijah Macon-6’7 Jr Marion Franklin
Zach Riddle-6’1 Sr Dublin Coffman
Jalen Robinson-6’8 Jr Northland
Isaiah Rogers-5’8 Jr Westerville South
Devin Scott-6’8 Jr Northland
Brian Sullivan-6’0 Sr Upper Arlington
Stevie Taylor-5’10 Sr Gahanna Lincoln

Other Players to Watch

Tony Anderson II-6’5 8th Afrocentric
Brandon Bapst-6’4 Soph Grove City
Rian Burrell 6’3 Sr Zanesville **
Mario Davis-5’10 Fresh Mansfield
Adam Hall-6’6 Sr Dublin Coffman
Kam Harris-5’11 Sr Westerville Central
William Hill-Jr.-5’8 Thomas Worthington
AJ Ireland-6'3 Jr Bloom-Caroll
Khlid King-6’1 Jr Brookhaven
Ke’Chain Lewis-6’4 Jr Northland
DeMarkio Lysh-5’10 Sr Westerville South
Adam McCall Jr. 5’10 Jr Harvest Prep
Chris Moxley-5’10 Fresh Bishop Hartley
Nicke Neale-6'4 Jr Dublin Jerome
DeVon Price-5'11 Sophmore Pickerton North
Jordan Potts-6'0 Jr Northland *
Kyle Schrimal-6’3 Sr Canal Winchester
Carter Smith-5'11 Jr Upper Arlington
Rico Spears-6’3 Sr Walnut Ridge *

*Played well but only played one day
 ** Injured late

All-Ohio Nike City Series Returns Bigger and Better

2009 Group Picture

For the second year, Jerry Watson’s City Series returns to central Ohio. The 2-day event kicks off this weekend, and unlike last year, the event has been expanded to include events and teams from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Akron and Cleveland. The central Ohio event tips off at Whitehall Yearling High School Saturday afternoon and will conclude with all-star games on Sunday. Although the first round of games don’t tip off until 5:00, players and coaches are asked to arrive at the facility at 2:45 (freshmen and sophomores) or 3:45 (juniors and seniors). The event will also feature a freshman and sophomore division and is expected to attract most of the top young talent in the area.

The 120 juniors and seniors slated for the event will be divided among 12 teams, and each team will play a total of four, 48 minute games (2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday). At the conclusion of the event the top 40 players will be selected to participate in all-star games, and ultimately, the top 10 kids in each class will be selected to compete against all-star teams from other cities the following weekend. Some of the top players expected to participate in the central Ohio event include: Trey Burke, Stevie Taylor, Treavon Jackson, Brain Sullivan, Nate Anderson, Jaylen Ragland, Dwayne Baismore, Tyler Kelly, Nick Archer, Elijah Macon, Jalen Robinson, Devon Scott, Isiah Rogers, Malik London, Matt Rhodes, KeChaun Lewis, Adam Westbelt and Jordan Potts. Some of the top players from the other cities include: Travis Trice, Marcus Crider, Aaron Thomas, Jared Bryant, Deonte Hawkins, Jaaron Simmons, Marc Loving, Tyler Herron, Tony Farmer, Maurice Ofield, Demonte Flanningan, Mark Williams, Terry Moorer, Tysean Powell, Vinay Reddy, Charlie Byers, Dwayne Stanford, Delvin Williams, Adam Gigax, Macio Teague, Gene Primus, Josh Lemons, Orlando Barry, Jabril Coaston, Zack McCormick, Mark Minch, Dontonio Wingfield and Austin Grimes. If you have some time, you might want to stop by Whitehall Yearling HS the next couple of weekends if you want to see some of the top players in the Buckeye state.

Hidden Gems Showcase Report

Stevie Taylor-Showcase MVP

Long known as one of the best resources for local division II and III talent, Lucious Jones’ Hidden Gems basketball organization has a history of connecting local talent with small college programs. On Sunday, approximately 85 players spent the afternoon at New Covenant Church on the east side of Columbus, Ohio competing for scholarships in front of about 28 D-II and D-III college coaches. As is the case with all Hidden Gem events, there was ample talent on hand. Some of the colleges I saw in the gym included: Ohio Dominican University, Ashland, Norte Dame College, Wittenberg, Ohio Valley, and Capital University. As evidence of the value of this event, 7 players in attendance received D-II offers before they left the gym! Also in the house was Ty Kish, so expect a few hot mix tape videos in the next couple of days.

Making his comeback after 2 months of recovery from a stress fracture in his right fibula, Gahanna Lincoln’s Stevie Taylor (Video),  logged in an impressive performance on his way to MVP honors. It was hard to tell that Taylor had been on a basketball sabbatical, as his usual speed and quickness were on full display, as was his ability to separate from his defender, score the ball and find open teammates. Taylor,  an Ohio University commit, was not the only player to grab some attention, as Westerville Central’s Kam Harris was straight balling. Harris is a strong physical guard who uses his size and strength to bully his way to the cup. He is not just big, he has a nice looking shot and is very active both offensively and defensively. In addition to Taylor, Gahanna Lincoln had several other representatives putting in work including Trey Warr, who made a number of very athletic plays and put up big numbers throughout the day. Jamal Morris, a 6’2 WG, played on a loaded team but managed to standout, as he continued to shoot the ball very well. For their solid performance, both Warr and Morris picked up offers from D-II Ohio Valley, and Warr received an offer from Glenville State University. While we are still talking about Gahanna, freshman guard Manuel Powell continued his solid play, while handling his business against the older guys and building his case as one of the top freshmen in the city.

Although a majority of the players at the event hailed from central Ohio, Cincinnati Hughes’ Ryan Green had a big day, as did his teammate Elijah Walker. Green is athletic, has good size for a guard, has a very active motor and is a nice looking prospect. A few of the guards I thought played well included Walnut Ridge’s Isaiah Brooks, Pickerington North’s Tyler Kelly (received an offer from D-II Ohio Valley)and Westerville South’s DeMarkio Lyshe. Northland’s Devon Scott had a good day and his extra work in the weight room continues to pay dividends. Although he did not put up gaudy numbers, Scott’s defense around the basket made it awfully difficult for his opponents to score. What I like most about Scott is his willingness to stay in the paint where his talent is most obvious. In addition, when he played in the paint (on a rare occasion today), Northland’s Jalen Robinson did a few nice things and showed flashes of his potential.

I also liked Whetstone senior Cameron Vines and Canal Winchester’s Kyle Schriml. By most accounts, Schriml was a human highlight reel and was clearly the most explosive player in the gym. I know for a fact, the coaching staff at ODU would love to see Schriml in the black and gold. Keep an eye out for Gahanna’s Aaron Jackson who had a few highlights of his own, as did senior Steve Bridgeman. Both Trey Burke and Rico Spears arrived at the event late but were both still able to make a little noise. The official Hidden Gems All-Tournament Team included: Kam Harris, Tyler Kelly, DJ Lightfoot, DeMarkeo Lyshe, Jamel Morris, Jordan Potts, Manuel Powell, Devon Price, Jalen Robinson, Devin Scott, Marcquice Taylor and Stevie Taylor (MVP). Too see the pictures I took at the event visit the Buckeye Prep facebook Fan Page. Check out the event mix tape.

Tyler Herron Shows Promise at Elite Camp

Before I finish up my coverage of the John Lucas Camp, I have to give one last shoutout to Tyler Herron, a 6'8 C from Cleveland, Ohio. Already possessing good size and a solid frame for a freshman, Herron has a chance to be the best long term prospect in the Buckeye State. Although he showed more promise than production last weekend, Herron's upside is unmistakable. Once he adds some strength, refines his collection of post moves and develops more of a mean streak, the sky is the limit. Look for Herron to make an impact this high school season.