2016 Buckeyes Represented in National Rankings

A couple of weeks ago I published a list of Ohio 8th graders (and Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase alums) who made Nations Elite Prospects' list of top 8th graders.  Well, according to Sports Press TV's national rankings, Ohio has several 8th graders worthy of a national ranking. Although there are some slight variations in their list versus Nations Elite's, Sports Press has identified the same kids we here at Buckeye Prep have highlighted for the past several years.

Through our coverage of middle school basketball, as well as our tournaments and elite showcases, it's easy for national scouts and college coaches to find the top young up and coming talent here in Ohio. Buckeye Prep provides exposure opportunities where kids can make a name for themselves. What most people don't know, we routinely send out scouting reports and press releases to coaches and scouting services that people never see published, so that Ohio kids can get quality looks from around the nation. Don't believe the critics, people are watching and making note of the abundance of talent we have here in the Buckeye State!!With that said, we also offer exposure and a platform for any player, from any state, who we see and evaluate at our events and on the tournament trail. As always, we will make sure the folks at Sports Press TV get the final results of our September elite showcase. Below, check out their list of Ohio's best.

Sports Press TV National Rankings

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Alums

Buckeye Prep's Top 30

All-Ohio Purple Claims Title

All-Ohio Purple-6th Grade AAU DI State Champs

In the 6^th grade division, All-Ohio Purple (AOP), Ohio’s #1 ranked team, solidified their place as the big dog in the state with a 45-42 win over the Pickerington Wildcats. By most accounts, AOP was the heavy favorite this weekend, but the fact that the Wildcats finished second, and took AOP to the wire, suggests that Picktown needs to move up in our rankings.  The championship game represented a rematch of sorts, in that AOP defeated Pickerington earlier in the year rather soundly. But on Sunday, the game was much closer. The Wildcats used an 8-0 run late to cut the AOP lead to just 1 point, and had a chance to tie the game with a shot at the buzzer  but could not convert.

In the semi-final game, Pickerington defeated a beefed up Dayton Metro team by about 9 points. I say “beefed up,” because Metro has added Dayton area’s Antwon Johnson, one of the top bigs in the state. The standout performers for the Wildcats included: Isaiah Steelman (6’1 C Hilliard), Seth Goodson (5’5 SG Gahanna), Xavier Henderson (5’5 PG Pickerington) and Garret Tipton (5’10 PF Orient).

Although the championship game was a close one, AOP’s semi-final game against the Cincinnati Lakers was deemed “the toughest of the tournament,” by the AOP coaching staff. In fact, the game was characterized as a “slugfest,” by the AOP coaching staff, that got a little chippy by the end of the game. The most outstanding players for AOP were Terry Durham (5’0 Combo guard), Demontez “Kane” Cooper (4’8 PG) and Jordan Coovert (6’0 PF). For the Lakers, the most outstanding players for the tournament were Cory Davis (6’0 WF Hamilton), Jack Crvaack (6’2 C Cincinnati), Ryan Hill (5’0 PG Cincinnati) and Johnny Miller (5’2 SG Cincinnati).

As a side note, and as expected, the 6^th grade Ohio Hoopsters took home the gold medal at the DII AAU State Tournament in Columbus. On another note, I have to give some props to Coach Parker and Dayton Nets/Buckeye Prep, as they parlayed a good weekend of basketball to a second place finish. From what I hear, the Nets were as close 2-3 points late in the fourth quarter, but could not get over the hump against the Hoopsters. The Hoopster’s Juan Elmore, David Madison and David Fitzgerald were all standouts over the weekend. Also, the Nets’ Darius Quisneberry got great reviews for his performance as as did Deshan Parker. I have seen both of these guards on multiple occasions and they are ferocious competitions. The other teams receiving bids were Buckeye Prep who finished 3^rd and TUFU finished in fourth place. 


Congratulations to Coach Jerry Francis and his 5^th grade All-Ohio Red (AOR) for winning their 4^th consecutive state championship this past weekend with their 6-point win over a very talented All-Ohio Purple (AOP) squad. The state of Ohio has had some classic rivalries over the years, but the AOR v AOP rivalry ranks right up there with the best.  Both teams have a legitimate chance to not only medal at the AAU Nationals this year, but either team can win it all.

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase (spring) 6/7th Grade Highlight Video

To see the recently released highlight video which was shot at the spring session of the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, click on the link below. Big props to Darnell for hooking up the sweet video!! Enjoy.

Highlight Video

Murphy AC Knights Capture AAU State Crown

Murphy AC Knight-7th Grade Ohio AAU DI Champs

Rarely do we see northern Ohio area teams traveling south to participate in the Ohio AAU DI State qualifier; it’s even rarer for those teams to actually play well enough to capture the gold medal. Well, that’s exactly what happened this past weekend when the Murphy AC Knights finished 5-1 on their way to winning the state qualifier. On the strength of strong guard play from Tommy Schmock, and the interior dominance of Jaylen Harris, the Knights made a statement this weekend with their win, and have now joined the argument about who should rein as the top 7th grade team in the state.

The Knights opened pool play with 2 convincing wins over the Cincinnati Lakers B team (40 +) and Columbus’ Mustang Ballers (30+), before stumbling against a well-coached Cincinnati Royals squad in overtime (52-48). The Knights would get back on track with a 10 point win over the Cincinnati Lakes in the first round of bracket play, followed by a double digit win over the Cincinnati Friars in a semi-final match-up.

The championship game featured a match-up between Murphy AC and the Ohio Hoopsters; the #2 and #3 ranked teams in the state. Although the Hoopster raced out to an 11-2 lead to start the game, the Knights would mount a 19-0 run of their own late in the contest, and eventually go on to claim the title. Despite the fact that he fouled out in the fourth quarter, Tommy Schmock lead all scorers with a game-high 18 points. The other top performers for the Knights were Jaylen Harris and Matt Davet. For the Hoopsters, Tyrell Ajian and Trey Pugh were lauded by Jim Schmock, the Knight’s head coach.

Tommy Schmock-Unofficial MVP

In terms of subplots, although the Hoopsters were playing without Garcia Dixon, a starter who did not make the trip to Cincinnati, they did pick up Ronnie Raymorn, a 6’4 C from North Union, who added depth in the post. Murphy AC did not have their full complement of players either; and was forced to compete with only 8 players. According to some of the coaches I talked to, some of the top performers over the weekend included: Tommy Schmock, Jaylen Harris, Ethan Bradds and Tyler Knetch. From what I heard about the play of Tommy Schmock, the kid continues to log in standout performances. Antwon Smith Sr., the acting coach for the Hoopsters, was really impressed with Schmock’s game. “He is the engine for that team (Knights). He penetrates well and can get anywhere on the floor he wants to,” stated Smith. Smith also liked Jaylen Harris, stating, “He has a lot of skill, and you can tell he plays with a lot of confidence. Smith was also complimentary of Ethan Bradds, a 6’3 PF from Jamestown.

In terms of the rankings, there will be some movement when I update the rankings later today. I heard a lot of positive things about the Cincinnati Royals, including the fact that they beat the tournament champs in pool play. However, it should also be noted that the Hoopsters defeated the Royals in the other semi-final game by about 20 points. Although Next Level, the #1 ranked team in the state, did not compete in the state tournament this weekend, I understand that they lost a close one to the Indy Hoosiers in the championship game in Indianapolis. Based on that performance, they may retain their number one ranking for now.


Congratulations to Coach Anthony Parker and his 7th grade Dayton Pilots squad for taking the championship of the DII AAU State Qualifier. The Pilots defeated the Capital City Cardinals B team 61-35 to claim the championship. The top players for the Pilots were Shamari Jamison (5'11 SF), Christian Montaque (5'9 G) and Demarco Long (6'2 C). In addition, I would like to give a shout out to the Northern Cincinnati Tar Heels for their 3^rd place finish in the 7^th grade division of the DII AAU State Tournament. Nicholas Bryant (6’0) and Evan Kuhlman led the charge as the Tar Heels defeated All-Ohio Purple to place. Although the Tar Heels have not yet secured a championship this season, they have placed 2^nd or 3^rd in a number of tournaments.  Keep up the good work.

U-10 Toledo Flash-AAU State Champs

Finally, I have to show a little love Coach Eddie Norrills and his U10 Toledo Flash for getting it done in the AAU state qualifier. The Flash easily defeated (+20 points) the Dayton Pilots to grab the gold. That teams has a pair of nice guards (Ketaan Wyatt & Zeb Jackson) that will making some noise in a few years, as well as some quality bigs. Congrats guys!

DII Ohio AAU State Championship-Day One Report

Case Rankin-6th Grade PG Gahanna

This weekend is big for basketball in the state, as 3 major events tipped off on Friday.  In addition to the DI Ohio AAU State Championship in Cincinnati, the DII state qualifier is being held in Columbus, and Jerry Watson’s All-Ohio Super Showcase jumps off on Saturday. I had a chance to catch some of the AAU DII action last night in Columbus, where a slate of games was being held at the USA Sports Academy.

In one of the opening games, Ed Lyshe’s 6^th grade Buckeye Prep squad faced off against Columbus-based OIC Dynasty.  By the time I got to the gym, Buckeye Prep had already raced out to a 10-0 lead. Dynasty finally got on the board with 42 seconds left in the first quarter (10-2). Dynasty would only score once in the second period, and Buckeye Prep would enter the half up 17-4. In the second half, Prep would maintain a comfortable lead, and go on to get the 38-21 victory. I’m not sure who the leading scorers where (no individual scores were kept), but Gahanna’s Chase Rankin logged in an impressive performance running the point. In fact, a fan sitting next to me was shocked to hear the Rankin was only a sixth grader, as his skill set and poise were that of an older player.

Needless to say, I was surprised to see the Ohio Hopsters, the second ranked 6^th grade team in the state, competing in the DII state qualifier. As you would expect, the Hoopsters crushed their opening round opponent (TUFO) 54-24.  In fact, the Hoopsters started their reserves, who build a  17-6 lead by the end of the opening period.  When the starters were inserted, the lead ballooned to 33-8 by the end of the first half. TUFO was simply over matched by a much bigger and more talented Ohio Hoopsters.  There is really little doubt the Hoopsters will claim the gold medal by the time the horn sounds on Sunday.  I spoke with Lamont Tillman at the conclusion of the game and he mentioned the fact that his team will probably be competing in the DII AAU Nationals later in the summer.

I finally got a chance to check out Hill Sports, an 8^th grade team based out of Columbus, as they matched up with .Dayton Metro. By half time, Metro was up by 15 points (34-20), and although Hill Sports cut into the lead in the second half, Metro was still able to hold on to claim a 62-53 win. The leading scorer for Metro was Danny Narlor, a 6’4 C from Xenia, who scored a game-high 22 points. I’m not sure what he scored, but I liked Hill Sport’s Tarik Wright, a 6’3 WF from Johnson Park MS in Columbus. 

In other 8^th grade action, Dayton Nets/Buckeye Prep, cruised to an easy 50-24 win over the COBBA Knights. The funny thing about this game, I had recently heard some good things about Malik Quisenberry, a 5’11 combo guard from New Carlisle, and he just happened to be running with the Nets. Although I only caught glimpses of his game, it was clear that what I had heard about his game earlier in the week was on the mark. I plan to keep an eye on Quisenberry, as he has a chance to be pretty good.

I don’t really pay a lot of attention to 5^th graders, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed watching Dayton’s Salvation Army battle against Columbus’ Bulldogs. Though the Bulldogs led for most of the game, Salvation Army would fight their way back and eventually notch a 36-29 win. Both teams were well coached and blessed with great guard play. For Salvation Army, Jaren Smith handles the PG responsibilities, and the kid handles his business.  The floor general for the Bulldogs is Antonio Green, who flashed advance ball skills.  The big dog for Army was Kendall Mathis, a 5’7 PF from Dayton.  The physically imposing lefty attacked the cup with a vengeance. In fact, whenever he received a feed from one of the guards, this kid wasted no time getting to the rim where he finished at a high rate. A couple of other players I plan to keep an eye on are Columbus’ Dorian Holloway and Benjamin Fort, both of whom are among the leaders on a talented Bulldogs squad.  If possible, I plan to make the trek to Cincinnati on Sunday to catch some of the DI championship games.

U-13 Murphy AC Knights-Team Profile

Murphy AC Knights-7th Grade

For our next team profile we will take a look at one of the top 7^th grade teams in northeast Ohio. Coach Jim Schomick’s 7^th grade Murphy AC Knights has gotten off to a fast start to the spring AAU season.  In fact, the Knights have already compiled an impressive 32-3 overall record, and boasts of a solid resume of quality wins. So far this spring, Murphy AC Knights have three tournament championships to their credit, including titles from the Tournament of Champions, Solon Cage Classic and the Strongsville Cage Classic (8^th grade division).  In addition, the Knights made it all the way to the elite eight of the prestigious King James Shooting Stars Classic 2 weeks ago, before getting downed by AI9 (57-50), the eventual Gold bracket champions.  Most teams are judged by the number of quality wins they have notched on their belts. The Knights have taken down the likes of the Pontiac Cobras, Team Lima Kings (#7 ranked), Cincinnati Elite (#4 ranked), db Hoops-Jackson (#8 ranked) and New York Elite.

Jaylen Harris-6'3 PF Garfield Heights

The main man for Murphy AC Knights is Jaylen Harris, a 6’3 PF from Garfield Heights, who is arguably the top player in his class in Ohio.  We have profiled Harris on a number of occasions based on his dominate performances at our Buckeye Prep Elite Showcases. Harris has good size, is athletic and is a rebounding machine. With that said, he is more than a rebounder and defense force, as Harris can score the ball at a high level. Every elite team must have solid guard play, and the Knights are no exception. Tommy Schmock, a 5’9 PG from Middleburg Heights, is the floor general for this team. Although Schmock is not blessed with lighting speed nor can he jump out of the gym; the kid has serious PG skills. Using his high basketball IQ, Schmock gets the ball to his scorers, he can handle pressure, and he is not easily rattled. From what little I have already seen of the kid, he has to part of any conversation that centers around the top point guards in the state.

Tommy Schmock-5'9 PG-Middleburg

The rest of the Murphy AC Knights’ roster includes: Matt Davet (6’3 PF), Nick Koller (6’0 WF), Sean Coyne (5’8 SG), Conner Adams (5’9 WF), Nick Coberly (5’11 WF), Jeff Petkac (6’2 C), Noah Trizzino (5’5 SG), Spence McClure (5’3 PG) and AJ Robinson (5’8 WF).  Coach Schmock intends to compete in the AAU state qualifier with plans to attend the AAU Nationals in July. Good luck to the Knights' players, coaches and fans the rest of the way.