Ohio's Top Six Games at Flyin' to the Hoop

Tomorrow at 6:30PM the action kicks off at Flyin’ to the Hoop. Weather, much like last year, will be dicey once again with snow and rain in the forecast. First full slate of games comes on Saturday. Lamelo Ball will be there. Huntington Prep versus IMG Academy, too. Lot of hype. But, Prep Hoops Ohio is worried about our own more than anything. There are ten games featuring exclusively OHSAA teams, and we’ve selected the top six to spotlight!   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Olentangy Liberty (10-2) vs. Centerville (6-5), Jan. 19 at 3PM</h3> The theme here is unsigned seniors. Centerville junior 6’9” center <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/mo-njie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mo Njie</a> and Liberty’s sophomore point guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/henry-hinkle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Hinkle</a> do fall outside of that narrative, though. Anyways, Liberty’s <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/ben-roderick/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Roderick</a> is the top unsigned senior in Ohio without question. The 6’6” wing is leading the entire Columbus area at 30.2 points per game, per the Dispatch. After battling back from an ACL tear that occurred midseason last year, Roderick is likely back on mid-major/high-major recruiting boards after this type of recovery. Talented scorer with collegiate size and athleticism. Also for Liberty, 6’3” senior wing <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/nick-nakasian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Nakasian</a> should be a draw for NAIA and D-III programs. On the other end, 5’10” sharp-shooter Matt Peace headlines a class of 2019 guards for the Elks. Other undecided seniors include Jason Sneed, a 6’3” wing guard with length, outside shooting ability, and a high IQ. Kaleb Mitchell, 6’3”, is a combo guard who is capable of having a big night. Mitchell is an explosive athlete who likes to get to the basket. Although the record differential is significant, the talent and coaching gap isn’t. Centerville will be prepared and is capable of pulling an upset because of Njie’s shot-blocking ability and the guard play. Liberty, however, has quietly established themselves as a Regional Championship contender in an otherwise unhealthy Central Ohio. Other prospects: <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/mitchell-kershner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Kershner</a> (OLHS), Kal Jayaraman (OLHS), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/ryan-marchal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Marchal</a> (CV), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/rich-rolf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rich Rolf</a> (CV) Our pick: Liberty   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Taft (10-0) vs. Stivers (11-1), Jan. 20 at 11:30AM</h3> This is an opportunity for Stivers, a team who is floating around the top ten in Division III this season, to make a statement against one of Ohio’s top 2018-19 teams. And, actually, I don’t think they have to defeat Taft to do it. Just make it a ball game and we’d all be impressed. If you’re not hip, the Taft Senators are a buzz saw. They play an effective fullcourt defense and have a nice mix of top-end talent in <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/demarco-bradley-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Demarco Bradley Jr.</a> at point guard, Chris’Seon Stringer as a malleable wing, and <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/nekhi-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekhi Smith</a> at forward. Cleveland Farmer and Muhammed Metz, meanwhile, provide complimentary scoring. Come out on Sunday and see it for yourself — Taft is good. We don’t expect Stivers to win, because of Taft’s excellence. But, <a href="https://prephoops.com/2019/01/whos-about-to-blow-up-at-flyin-to-the-hoop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as we detailed in yesterday’s preview</a>, their guards provide a fighter’s chance. Measuring stick game for Stivers. Other prospects: <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/trevon-ellis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevon Ellis</a> (Stivers), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/dajuan-allen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Da’juan Allen</a> (Stivers), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/allen-lattimore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Allen Lattimore</a> (Stivers) Our pick: Taft   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Convoy Crestview (10-1) vs. Minster (8-4), Jan. 20 at 3PM</h3> A chance for either team to add their best win of the season thus far. Minster hasn’t been quite as dominant as we expected, going 2-4 against comparable competition. Crestview, on the other hand, has a hold of our no. 1 spot in Division IV. A win over Delphos St. John’s is their most impressive data point at the moment. Anyways, these two could see each other in the Regional Tournament in Division IV. The size matchup is interesting. On one sideline, Minster has a pair of dominate rebounders in 6’9” <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/jarod-schulze/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarod Schulze</a> and 6’7” <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/cody-frericks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cody Frericks</a>. Their strength could be a factor against Crestview’s pair of Division I brothers <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/javin-etzler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javin</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/kalen-etzler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kalen Etzler</a>, both 6’7”. Other prospects: <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/drew-kline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Kline</a> (CV), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/mike-ketner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Ketner</a> (Minster) Our pick: Crestview   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Cardinal Stritch (10-2) vs. Marion Local (5-4), Jan. 21 at 3PM</h3> Stritch enters as a clear favorite but Marion Local’s big game experience cannot be taken lightly. Spectators may be surprised by the depth of talent and balanced attack that Stritch brings to the table. Seniors <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/jordan-burton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jordan Burton</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/little-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Little Anderson</a> aren’t asked to defer to junior <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/joey-holifield/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joey Holifield</a>, a D-I guard, on every possession. Those guys are threats to score off the dribble. Forwards <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/ashton-caryer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashton Caryer</a> and Nolan Finch, too, are important considerations on the scouting report. They matchup pretty well with the size of Marion Local, and we’re mainly referring to 6’7” wing <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/nathan-bruns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nathan Bruns</a>. If they can limit the versatile Findlay commit, Stritch should be in good shape, but that’s not an easy task. Our pick: Stritch   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Cleveland Heights (7-4) vs. Hughes (8-2), Jan. 21 at 4:45PM</h3> Despite having the no. 1 senior recruit in Ohio, <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/jaelyn-withers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaelyn Withers</a>, and a rising senior wing in <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/nigel-martin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigel Martin</a>, Heights is vastly underrated in Northeast Ohio. I don’t think they’ve reached their ceiling and that Withers is capable of elevating his game in a way he hasn’t done on a nightly basis so far. By that, I mean if he became a bit more aggressive as a shot-creator in a given game, he’d be unstoppable in the paint. They’ve lost four games — Lorain, Clev. Central Catholic, St. Ignatius, VASJ — by a total of 11 points this season. Hughes strength is, in contrast, their backcourt of underclassmen. Freshman <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/paul-mcmillian-iv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul McMillan IV</a> and sophomore Cameron McKenzie are both talented scorers around the basket. The challenge for them will be dealing with the shot-blocking of the 6’9” Withers. Other prospects: Greg Pitts (Heights), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/kenny-jackson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kenny Jackson</a> (Hughes) Our pick: Cleveland Heights   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Pickerington Central (12-0) vs. Trotwood (9-1), Jan. 21 at 8:15PM</h3> Pickerington Central is currently the no. 2 team in our Division I Power Rankings; Trotwood, no. 1 in Division II. Both have lead guards ranked in the top ten of our 2019 Prospect Rankings. Even so, this game is about something else — Pickerington Central’s adjustment of playing without three guys who were starters a week ago. Transfers <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/sam-towns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Towns</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/jajuan-jay-rodgers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JaJuan “Jay” Rodgers</a> are ineligible because of OHSAA regulations. <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/coleton-landis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coleton Landis</a>, a recent Rio Grande commit, suffered an injury and could be out. Therefore, there will be much more on <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/javohn-garcia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javohn Garcia’s</a> plate, who averages 18.9 points, per the Dispatch. Guards <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/tahleik-walker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tahleik Walker</a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/conner-maciag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conner Maciag</a>, and <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/jaidon-lipscomb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaidon Lipscomb</a> will also need to protect the ball against Trotwood’s patented pressure defense. You can’t count them out, regardless of the losses though. The Tigers have one of the deepest programs in Ohio, so their replacements aren’t slouches. Other prospects: <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/amari-davis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amari Davis</a> (TW), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/carl-blanton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carl Blanton</a> (TW), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/sammy-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sammy Anderson</a> (TW), Malachi Matthews (TW), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/garner-wallace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Garner Wallace</a> (PC), <a href="https://prephoops.com/ohio-player/elhadji-thiam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elhadji Thiam</a> (PC), Jalen Crowell (PC) Our pick: Trotwood