Best Available 2019 Centers
November 14, November 21, and November 29. Three important dates to stay cognizant of if you’re a senior basketball prospect. The first two represent the beginning and the end of the Early Signing Period for Division I basketball commits. In Ohio, we’re on-track to have up to 17 seniors sign during that span. Then, November 29: the official start of the high school basketball season.
The imminence of those dates got us thinking that it would be timely to look at the top players who are uncommitted at this time. Although many of the 41 prospects in our weeklong series won’t sign to a D-I program early or late, all of them should play college basketball next season.
Abba Lawal, 6’11”, Withrow
Lawal is the only unsigned center who comes into the season with preexisting Division I offers: Miami (OH), Cleveland State, Stony Brook, Akron, and Toledo. The RedHawks offered most recently, in March of this year. Otherwise, those came in the June of 2017. Staying on the floor consistently and playing with effort at all times is crucial for Lawal. When he’s out there playing hard, his size is a dominating factor around the rim on both ends of the floor.
Kevin Davet, 6’9”, St. Ignatius
Now the second highest-ranked prospect in this list, Davet was below just about everyone here not too long ago. In the grassroots season, and especially in July, Davet became the star of the show for All Ohio Black.
His assertiveness was facilitated by more fluidity and bounce, which allowed him to big-body opponents. We expect him to translate those improvements into a dominate winter with Iggy. If he does so, the 4.23 GPA/1470 SAT student-athlete should receive an offer later in the year — maybe from the Ivy League, Patriot League, or high-academic D-II programs.
Noah Pack, 6’8”, Georgetown
Of the players listed here, Pack has the most well-rounded and skilled offensive package. His ability to spread the floor as a shooter, facilitator, and occasional pump-fake-and-go driver is his strength. His passing is worth emphasizing also — he finds cutters and changes pace with his ability to deliver long outlets off the rebound. Pack will likely have to defend the five, where he could make matchups uncomfortable on the perimeter.
Pack has offers from Malone and Concord, while also considering Thomas More, Mount Vernon Nazarene and Pikeville at this stage in the process.
LaTrace Jackson, 6’7”, VASJ
No offers quite yet for Jackson. But he’s one of the most athletically impressive players who remains unsigned in Ohio. He’s a pogo stick near the rim and is very aggressive in his pursuit of rejections and rebounds. Jackson’s emphatic help-side shot-blocking ability will translate. But it’s about becoming a better one-on-one post defender and an overall smarter team defender.
Jarod Schulze, 6’9”, Minster
From the looks of it, Schulze is still deciding between St. Francis (IN) and UNOH. The 6’9”, 240-pound low-post center will study agriculture and/or business in college so he can take-over his large family-owned farm after his playing days are over.
Before all of that, Schulze’s Minster team should push for a Division IV postseason run this season. In terms of the potential of developing more recruitment this season, we feel pretty strong that it’ll be either St. Francis or UNOH, despite strong interest from Findlay and Urbana at one point.
Damion Williams, 6’7”, Willoughby South
Williams caught everyone’s attention in July. Turns out it’s hard to ignore a bouncy, fearless, mobile 6’7” kid that blocks shots and dunks on people. Even his mid-range jumper is pretty good. But it will likely be the JUCO route for Williams after his senior year, unless he turns the corner on his ACT score. Nonetheless, Mount Union has stayed close to him.
Justin Stephens, 6’6”, Trotwood
Stephens, although a key piece for Trotwood’s postseason hopes this season, should go play college football. The 6’6”, 235-pound tight end has offers from Michigan State, LSU, Akron, Ball State, Boston College, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Duke, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Youngstown State … It’s a wrap!