Notable upcoming juniors to watch for in central Ohio

<p>There’s plenty of proven talent returning throughout central Ohio for another season of high school basketball. Here are some of the top upcoming juniors to keep an eye out for heading into the 2020-21 season. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="616810" first="Sean" last="Jones"], Gahanna Lincoln</strong></p> <p>One of the best players in his class, [player_tooltip player_id="616810" first="Sean" last="Jones"] enjoyed a breakout sophomore season at Gahanna Lincoln. He averaged 19 points per game as a sophomore and has developed into an uber-talented guard that can get to the rim quite often due to his athleticism and game-changing quickness. The 5-foot-11-guard has offers from Cleveland State, Kent State, Duquesne, VCU and Xavier. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921747" first="Brandon" last="McLaughlin"], Heath</strong></p> <p>The Licking County League co-Player of the Year, [player_tooltip player_id="921747" first="Brandon" last="McLaughlin"] caught the attention of many after a sophomore season averaging 13 points per game for Heath. The 6-foot-8 forward moves well without the ball in his hands and displayed an impressive jump shot throughout the course of the season. Expect a junior season where college coaches really start to notice McLaughlin’s ability on the court. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809594" first="DJ" last="Moore"], Worthington Christian</strong></p> <p>A Division III first-team all-state selection, [player_tooltip player_id="809594" first="DJ" last="Moore"] turned into one of the state’s best upcoming juniors, as he brings maturity and toughness to the court. Moore went on to average 15.3 points per game his sophomore season and you can tell his confidence level is at an all-time high heading into his junior year. He’s got offers from <span class="school">Miami (OH) and </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Ohio University with a couple of visits to Ohio State earlier in the year. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"], Beechcroft</strong></p> <p>A player known to defend any position on the court at any given time, [player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"] is a very athletic player for his size. Lyles is 6-foot-6 and has developed a nice package of moves near the rim that lead him to average 17 points per game this past season. He’s very shifty in the open court and finishes well for a player still developing into a physical player. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921776" first="JJ" last="Simmons"], Beechcroft</strong></p> <p>Like his teammate [player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"], rising junior [player_tooltip player_id="921776" first="JJ" last="Simmons"] rose to the occasion for Beechcroft this past season. Simmons averaged 18 points per game and as the floor general, he was able to create separation from his opponent due to his elite ball-handling skills and his quickness. The 5-foot-10 point guard is crafty and makes big-time plays in key moments and knows how to handle pressure well at a young age. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="967170" first="Keylan" last="Williams"], Heath</strong></p> <p>A very active defender, [player_tooltip player_id="967170" first="Keylan" last="Williams"] was able to take another step forward in his development playing for Heath. The 6-foot-5 guard has a high motor and finishes well at the rim, embracing the contact. He’s not afraid to test his outside jump shot when left open as well. He averaged 13 points per game last season and if he can tune up the jump shot and knock down his outside shots at a more consistent rate, he’s surely set to breakout in the state of Ohio.  </p> <p><strong>Cole Canter, Newark Catholic</strong></p> <p>One player who quickly made a splash his sophomore season was Newark Catholic’s Cole Canter. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 13.3 points per game and even knocked down a game-winning 3-pointer earlier in the year against Crooksville. He’s developed a nice outside jump shot and remains one of the top shooters in his class. </p>