Northeast Ohio juniors poised for big seasons

<p>With the basketball season vastly approaching, it’s time to get familiar with a handful of upcoming juniors set to take on greater roles within their respected offenses. Here are a few players in Northeast Ohio who enter the upcoming basketball season in a prime spot for a breakout year. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="616809" first="Sonny" last="Johnson Jr."], Garfield</strong></p> <p>The Penn State commit heads into his junior season recovering from a season-ending injury that kept him out most of his sophomore year. He’s a quick guard who’s got great court vision at a young age. His handles make him very explosive going to the basket and is a blur in the open court. He’ll look to be the face of Garfield, taking on a pivotal role with [player_tooltip player_id="1041406" first="Meechie" last="Johnson"] forgoing his senior season to attend Ohio State University this winter. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809624" first="Elmore" last="James"], Brush</strong></p> <p>The first words that come to mind when evaluating [player_tooltip player_id="809624" first="Elmore" last="James"] are tough and relentless. He comes into his junior season as one of the toughest on-ball defenders in the area. After averaging 17.4 points per game last year, he’s poised for a major scoring uptick with the departure of John Hugley. He’s looked to put on some size in the offseason as well. His shooting ability will be put to the test this season as he’s set to be the leader on both sides of the ball. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809614" first="Sam" last="Marbury"], Solon</strong></p> <p>A bright spot for Solon one year ago, Marbury enters his junior season with the Comets expected to take control of the offense along with senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="805195" first="Marcus" last="Steele"]. Marbury shined bright last year with his ability to catch and shoot from behind the arc. His length is effective when driving to the rim, as he can finish through contact well. After averaging just over 10 points per game as a sophomore, Marbury looks poised for another year of helping lead Solon on the offensive side of the ball. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921749" first="Michael" last="Bova"], St. Edwards</strong></p> <p>A player who constantly providing a spark off the bench a year ago for the Eagles, Bova had an impressive summer, looking more comfortable creating his own shot. He’s expected to enjoy a big boost in the St. Eds offense with a myriad of seniors graduating from a year ago. A high IQ player, Bova is poised for a breakout season. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921758" first="Danny" last="Young Jr."], Shaker</strong></p> <p>I saw improvements from the swift guard all throughout his sophomore year, sharing a backcourt with [player_tooltip player_id="711987" first="Shammah" last="Scott"]. This year will be different, as Scott is off at ISA, which means [player_tooltip player_id="921758" first="Danny" last="Young Jr."] will look to take full command of the offense after a deep playoff run got cut short. He’s gotten the attention of a handful of Division I teams. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809619" first="Antwone" last="Woolfork"], Brush</strong></p> <p>Another player set to make a major splash on the Arcs is the 6-foot-7 center taking over after John Hugley. He’s a solid rim protector for his size and moves well inside the paint. He’s going to be relied upon heavily, especially near the rim for a young Brush team that lacks senior-laden experience like previous years. </p>