2011 vs 1996 Let the Debate Begin

"I can't think of another class like this in central Ohio history," said John Stovall, a long-time evaluator and fan of high school basketball, co-founder of Prep Spotlight and current writer for ESPN.com. "I have never seen three guards of this caliber [in central Ohio]," said Jerry Watson, founder of the All-Ohio Summer Basketball Program based out of central Ohio. To what are these long-time basketball gurus referring to? Like most central Ohio basketball fans, there has been much talk about the trio of junior point guards who have, so far, led their high school teams to undefeated seasons. Trey Burke (12-0 Northland), Treavon Jackson (16-0 Westerville South) and (15-0) Gahanna Lincoln's Stevie Taylor may be the most talented group of guards in central Ohio basketball history.

Not since Drew Lavender and Chris Quinn has central Ohio enjoyed such highly regarded guards. In fact, according to John Stovall, only the 1996 class of Estabon Weaver, Kenny Gregory and Michael Redd can come close to rivaling the 2011 class of guards. When comparing the two classes Stovall acknowledges the 1996 class was made up of more "wings and scorers who were bigger and longer," compared with the class of 2011 guards who were more "point guardish, creaters, distributes and leaders of their respective teams," said Stovall. To further contrast to the classes, Stovall predicts the current class of guards will have better college careers than the 1996 guards (keeping in mind Weaver did not attend college and Redd left early for the NBA). One of these three guys may have a chance to make it to the NBA," said Jerry Watson. These guys' (Burke, Jackson & Taylor) overall games are better top to bottom and their skill set is a little more advanced (than Weaver, Gregory & Redd)," offered Watson.

Regardless how the 2011 class of guards stack up to their predecessors, one thing is clear; each of the three guards have their respective teams in the hunt for undefeated seasons and deep tournament runs in the high school state tournament. As of now, Northland stands as the # 1 team in the nation, the State of Ohio and central Ohio, while 15-0 Gahanna Lincoln is ranked 4th in the state, second in central, and could clinch the OCC Ohio division championship on Tuesday night with a win over Pickerington North. Westerville South is currently 16-0 and is ranked high in both the AP State Poll and the central Ohio's Coaches Poll. At this point in the season, its hard to argue with the role these three floor generals have played in their team's current success.

Although each of the 2011 guards have their own distinctive styles, Taylor is a quick and speedy guard who excel in transition and easily creates for himself and teammates, while Jackson uses his size and strength to slash to the bucket, and Burke has a combination of both and the ability to shoot from deep and play lock down defense; they are all winners with a long history of leading teams to championships. In addition, there is little doubt that each of these guards will play ball at the next level, as Burke has already committed to Penn State, Jackson has high major offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Arizona State and several MAC schools, while Taylor has multiple offers from several mid-major schools including Providence.

However you cut it, or whichever class you prefer, their can be no question that the class of 2011 is special, and has a chance to go down in central Ohio basketball history as one of the best. Only time will tell how the final chapter of this class will be written, but if you have not had a chance to see these guys play, you might want to get out and check them out. If you don't get a chance to see them this year you have one more chance, as they are only juniors with another full season of high school basketball ahead of them. Oh yea, if you can't catch this trio this high school season, you can catch them this summer, as they make up the back court of the U-17 All-Ohio Red squad which is currently ranked as the #1 U-17 AAU squad in the nation. Last summer, in one event (Nike's Peach Jam), this trio of guards led All-Ohio to the championship game of the prestigious tournament. Their success at the Nike Peach Jam has many people excited about this summer and the level of success this team could achieve. "This trio of guards gives All-Ohio the the best scoring guard tandem we have ever had. We have never had three guards on a team who's high school teams are undefeated," said Watson. "These guys [Burke , Jackson & Taylor] are 1500 point scorers for their high school teams and potential 1000 point scorers in college," predicted Watson. No matter where the trio ends up in college and beyond, the footprint they are likely to leave on central Ohio hoops could be significant, and hotly debated for years to come! -Click on the red highlighted links for footage and stories of the players-Feel free to weigh in on the debate using the comment section below.

February Madness in Full Swing

I spent most of the day posted up in Dublin checking out the action at the Dublin Invitational Boys Basketball Tournament for 7th graders. Much to my surprise, there were a number of standout team and individual performances. The first game I watched pitted #1 seeded Pickerington Lakeview vs (2-9) Hilliard Memorial. Although Lakeview was the clear favorite with a 10-2 regular season record, the scrappy Jaguars had an upset on their mind. The game was close until the end, but Lakeview eventually claimed a 32-28 victory. In terms of individual performances, no one played better that Frankie Weirich, who bullied his way to the bucket and a game-high 17 points. Weirich put his team on his back and willed his team to the win. Pickerington got contributions from Bryce Montes and point guard Tyler McCafferty. For Memorial, 5'10 center Collin Reef was big in the post and gave sold defense and rebounding in a loosing effort.

Game two at Grizzell Middle School featured the # 7 seeded Hilliard Weaver vs # 10 seeded Grizzell (a home game of sorts). As was the case in the first game, both teams refused to give an inch, as they went into the locker room at the half tied 14-14. In the end, the Wildcats outlasted Dublin to pull out a 33-28 win. In this one, I was most impressed with Michael Simon, a 6'3 center from Hilliard. Although, like most big men his age, he is still a work in progress, I noted the fact that he has good feet, can pass out of the post, and aggressively posts up ball-side. Based on his current size and build, Simon has a great chance of developing into a long-term post prospect. Simon was supported by guards Jay Peterson and Ziyad Rasul.

After the first session at Grizzell Middle School, I ran over to Sells Middle School where I had the chance to checkout 2 more games against 12th seeded Dublin Davis vs 5th seeded Wellington, and (9-2) Dublin Sells vs (6-6) Hilliard Heritage. In the first game, Dublin Davis defeated Wellington 51-32. In game two, Dublin Sells jumped out to an early lead (23-3 at the half) and never looked back. The combination of superior talent and trapping zone defenses was simply too much for the outmatched Panthers. One bright spot for Hilliard was the outstanding play of guard David Dennis, Jr., who was virtually the only weapon his team had. I could not be more impressed with Dennis' game. I know I really like a kid when I keep having to pick up my note pad to write down all the things I like about his game. With Dennis, there are a lot of things to like. What things you ask? How about his advanced handle, a compliment of one-on-one dribble moves (crossover, in and out, etc.), vision and passing skills. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I was also really impressed with Dublin's dynamic guard tandem of Shaun Rankin, and CJ Saunders. Although these guys are small (about 5'1 & 5'2), they can play. Both floor generals are super skilled, can shoot the trey, can find open teammates with the pass, and both guys were really poised for their age. If that wasn't enough, the Shamrocks brought Drew Krueger off the bench for even more solid guard play. I have to mention Gage Hisey. Although not flashy, Hisey can really finish around the cup. No wasted motion, just straight to the basket for 2 points. Continue to follow Buckeye Prep over the next several days as we try and bring you even more middle school tournament coverage.

Central Ohio Middle School Tournaments

Tis the season for middle school post season tournaments. Starting tomorrow, several 7th & 8th grade post season ending tournaments are set to tip off. One of the most competitive 8th grade tournaments in the area can be found in Gahanna, where three local middle schools will host 15 of the top 8th grade teams in central Ohio. As is the case with the high school tournaments, each of the 15 teams entered in the tournament has been seeded based on their regular season records. The following are the 8th grade teams, and their seeding, that will be participating in the Gahanna Lions Invitational Tournament: Pickerington Lakeview (1), Upper Arlington Jones (2), Reynoldsburg (3), Worthington Wolves (4), Olentangy Liberty (5), Gahanna Middle School West (6), Gahanna Middle School South (7), Gahanna Middle School East (8), Westerville Blenden (9), Olentangy Shananhan (10), Watkins (11), Big Walnut (12), Olentangy Hyatts (13), Worthingway (14) and Worthington Kilbourne (15).

Other local middle school tournaments include the 2010 Martin Memorial Basketball Tournament in Hilliard with the following 16 teams: Dublin Davis (1), Hilliard Weaver (2), Walnut Springs (3), Groveport (4), Westerville Heritage (5), Dublin Grizzell (6), Westerville Genoa (7), Worthington Christian (8), Hilliard Heritage (9), Upper Arlington Hastings (10), Hilliard Memorial (11), Delaware Dempsey (12), Mt. Vernon (13), Marysville Blue (14), Dublin Sells (15) and Dublin Karrer (16).

The community of Dublin hosts some of the top 7th grade teams in the area including: Upper Arlington Hastings (1), Pickerington Lakeview (2), Upper Arlington Jones (3), Dublin Sells (4), Wellington (5), Dublin Karrer (6), Hilliard Weaver (7), Marysville Blue (8), Olentangy Shanahan (9), Dublin Grizzell (10), Olentangy Ornage (11), Dublin Davis (12), Hilliard Heritage (13), Marysville Red (14), Hilliard Memorial (15) and Big Walnut (16). Worthington Kilbourne will also be hosting a 7th grade tournament. Stay tuned to Buckeye Prep over the next couple of weeks as we do our best to cover the post season.

2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Moves to ODU

Thanks to Coach Artie Taylor and his staff, the 2010 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase has upgraded it's facilities, and will now be held at Alumni Hall (Pictured) on the campus of Ohio Dominican University in Columbus. The Division II facility has recently undergone major renovations, and now offers 3 beautiful regulation size courts under one roof. Showcase fans will be able to watch games on all 3 courts at one time in a professional and confortable environment. We are excited about hosting this event on a college campus and at such a nice venue. ODU is located about 2 miles from the USA Sports Academy at 1216 Sunbury Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219.

Also, the response to the showcase has been tremendous, as over 135 players have already signed up for the event. Between the competition and facilities, this could be one of the best events we have held in the last couple of years. The deadline for entry fees is February 6th, and spots are filling up quickly. If you or someone you know is interested and talented enough to attend this event, email me at Taylorobe@aol.com for an invitation. You really don't want to miss this event!!

Cleveland Benedictine Wins Play-By-Play Nightcap

"Last but certainly not least," best describes game# 7 of the Ohio Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic in Columbus, as a Cameron Wright-led Bengals faced off against a Jordan Sibert-led Vikings. This game was highly contested into the 4th quarter and had at least 1 other compelling storyline. Sitting court side, you could feel, see and at times hear, the individual competition between Ohio State-bound Jordan Sibert and Pitt commit Cameron Wright (Pictured). Those two were really going out each. As most people have heard by now, it has been long rumored that Sibert over took Wright for a scholarship at Ohio State. Although that has never really been acknowledged, I got the sense that Wright believed the story, and in his mind, had a point to prove. What ever his motivation, Wright's game-high 19 points was the difference in the 55-48 win. Wright's partner in crime on the night was Central Michigan signee Derek Jackson, who played well and the point and contributed 14 points. Jordan Sibert was the man for Princeton, as he dropped a team-high 14 points. Wright and Sibert took home MVP bragging rights.

Northland Dominates Bishop Luers

A couple of things were evident after the Northland vs Bishop Luers game; 1) the Bishop Luers' coaching staff must not have watch film of the Oak Hill Academy game (Jared Sullinger had a blistering 1st quarter start); 2) Northland can shoot the ball, (the team shot over 66 % from the field); 3) Bishop Luers is really just a one-man show (Deshaun Thomas scored 36 points, more the half of his team's 67 points. In front of a crowd estimated at 5000 plus, the Vikings jumped out to an early lead that was never in jeopardy "All-Everything" Jared Sullinger appeared to channel the scoring frustration he experienced against Oak Hill last week, against the Knights, as he scored early and finished the game with a team-high 24 points. Unlike Thomas' team, Northland benefited from multiple scorers in junior guard Trey Burke who dropped an impressive 23 points and 7 assists and J.D. Weatherspoon contributed his customary high flying antics with several highlight reel dunks and 8 points. Sullinger and Thomas (Pictured) were the two MVPS in the contest. One more thing is Cristal clear, the Buckeyes should be a very good team this time next year, as the members of the much heralded 2010 recruiting class start playing with and not against each other!