Grassroots Team Spotlight: Rebels 15u
“Everyone knows, when you see us, it’s going to be a rough day for you. You may win, you may beat us by a point or two. But it’s going to be a dog-fight. It’s going to be a rumble,” said Justin Ferguson, the Head Coach of the Rebels 15u team.
Just this past weekend at the All Ohio Nike Cup, the Rebels perpetuated their identity by pushing teams, like All Ohio Red, to their limit. Although the Rebels were eliminated in overtime of the Gold semifinals, the Rebels made a lasting impression on every team they shared the court with.
But this team is more than intangibles. The Rebels are a talented team, consisting of various players who will emerge into college prospects. Even though the Rebels aren’t a shoe sponsored organization, they still have the personnel to compete with anyone.
We talked with Coach Ferguson about why this group of freshmen decided to play for the Rebels.
“They wanted to create a team. And they wanted to go out and compete against teams that were said to be ‘better’ than them,” Ferguson said.
These kids are rebels, indeed.
Last season, their inaugural year, they won a ton of local tournaments while competing until the end on Sunday in national tournaments. However, according to Coach Ferguson, the success of their program isn’t based on winning during weekends in the summer months.
“Our success is built on growth, individual development, development as the team, and preparation for the guys that play high school. My success last year wasn’t winning. My success last year actually came from having six guys that played varsity last year,” Ferguson said.
With that being said, let’s jump into the roster.
Coach: Justin Ferguson
Roster: #0 Nick Ferguson, 6’4” F, Shaker Heights
#1 Garvin Clarke, 6’ PG, Euclid
#3 Dakota Cochran, 6’2” G, Shaker Heights
#7 Tahj Staveskie, 5’6” PG, Sandusky
#8 Corey Floyd, 6’3” F, Cleveland Brush
#10 Sean Johnson, 5’9” G, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph
#14 Timothy “TJ” Blevins, 5’10” G, Lutheran East
#18 Devin Hightower, 5’11” G, Lakewood St. Edward
#23 Gbolahan Adio, 6’1” G, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph
#30 O’mahn Dobbins, 5’8” G, University School
#32 Connor Boclear, 6’2” G, Lawrence Academy
#34 Anthony Maxie, 6’4” F, Cleveland Benedictine
Notes: Something that Coach Ferguson raved about is the IQ of his players, especially a few point guards.
“O’mahn [Dobbins] probably has the highest IQ of anyone on our team, outside of Devin. He may have a higher IQ than Devin. He’s a smaller guard, very good shooter. He handles the ball well.”
“[Devin Hightower] is a great leader. He has great experience and he’s been there, to where he never cracks under pressure. Very easy to coach. He can come into the huddle and tell me exactly what’s going on on the floor.”
Another nice ball-handler for the Rebels is Tahj Staveskie. While Staveskie is definitely lacking size at the moment, all signs are pointing towards him having a growth spurt in the future.
“He wears like a size 13 shoe. He has a brother that’s 6’3”-6’4”. He’s going to hit a growth spurt at some point in time. And once that happens, he’s going to be very hard to deal with.”
Speaking of point guards with high IQs, Garvin Clarke is the team’s most recognizable player. He made a name for himself with Euclid last season, especially on huge scoring nights against Lakewood St. Edward and Garfield Heights.
“Garvin [Clarke] is the best player in the state of Ohio, in the class of 2020 … He’s working out every day. His talent is still raw. Athletically, nobody can stay in front of him.”
Clarke may truly be the #1 prospect in 2020. He went off against All Ohio Red, routinely separating himself from opposing point guards who are considered to be Division I prospects. He is equally effective on either side of the court. Clarke does most of his scoring around the basket, where he’s seemingly ambidextrous.
Nick Ferguson, the coach’s son, has football interest from Northwestern and Cincinnati. He’s a big guy that helps them inside, but can also stretch out to the perimeter. Ferguson’s skillset is complimented by Anthony Maxie and Corey Floyd in the post.
On the wing, Boclear is an athletic freak who runs the floor. He’s had an interesting basketball journey, playing a ton of different positions. But, Boclear has found himself as a guard recently.
“Connor [Boclear] usually dunks on guys in transition … He’s a guy where I’m trying to find a way to fit him in because we have so much talent. Boclear would be a starter on any team.”
Besides the guys we’ve touched on, the others are in a situation where they’ll continue to develop. Basically, the Rebels are loaded.
If you find yourself at a tournament that they’re in, including in Virginia in a couple weekend for the Boo Williams Memorial Day Spring Classic, be sure to check them out. They will compete in 16 total tournaments this year.