Southern Buckeye Athletic/Academic Conference Preview

<p>The SBAAC is one of the less known conferences in Southwest Ohio. Many of these teams are on the far East side of Cincinnati and are more rural. Even with the location being more secluded, most of the conference is in Division I or II when it comes to March. Looking into the crystal ball for this season, it appears there are two teams poised for division titles while the rest of the conference bunches up and challenges one another. Take a look below as I preview the SBAAC and discuss those teams in detail.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Contenders</strong></span></p> <p><em>Batavia</em>- The Bulldogs had such a special season last year finishing with an impressive 18-3 record and easily won the American division. With 3 of their top 5 back, there’s a good chance Batavia can again win the division title. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1184650" first="Mason" last="Weisbrodt"]</strong> (Sr) is a monster in the paint and at 6-foot-9 brings size not typically seen in the SBAAC. Fellow seniors <strong>Max Applegate </strong>and <strong>Kellan Epps</strong> also return from the successful group a year ago. While winning in the SBAAC shouldn’t be a problem, Batavia will need to be sure they can bring their success into the District tournament when they meet up with different teams from across Cincinnati.</p> <p><em>Bethel-Tate</em>- The Tigers return a solid group from a 10-8 team last year. This group had multiple one possession game losses a year ago and must try and rebound from this with the group they have back. Senior <strong>Kyle Smith</strong> returns along with junior <strong>Austin Brookenthal</strong> from that group. The Tigers have some length and should be able to matchup well with their size. The National division looks to be led by Georgetown this year. Can the Tigers change the predictions and ultimately challenge for a title?</p> <p><em>Georgetown</em>- The G-Men were co-champions in the National Division with Blanchester last season. With Blanchester losing much of their talent, the door is open for Georgetown to take an outright title this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1285258" first="Carson" last="Miles"]</strong> (Jr) played incredibly well in the backcourt last season and established himself as one of the better guards in the conference. He’s got two really good seniors back too in <strong>Nate Kratzer</strong> and <strong>Blaise Burrows </strong>that bring some length to the table. The G-Men play in Division III meaning they could compete with some of the household names in the Sectional tournament once March comes around.</p> <p><em>Western Brown</em>- The Broncos will be starting the season a little late as their football team is still competing in the football postseason. Once at full strength, this group likely will be near the top of the conference with Batavia. 3 of the top 4 are back from last season. <strong>Dylan Novak</strong> (Sr) brings the leadership needed, <strong>Dylan Novak</strong> (Jr) brings the athleticism, and <strong>Jackson Miller</strong> (Sr) the skill in the backcourt. Western Brown unfortunately plays in Division I meaning they face some of Southwest Ohio’s best teams in the Sectional tournament. The main push for this group will be to challenge Batavia as much as possible at the top of the American division.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rest of the Conference</strong></span></p> <p><em>Blanchester- </em>Tied for a National division title, but struggled throughout the season especially outside conference play. Lose 4 of 5 from that team and return <strong>Bryce Sipple</strong> (So).</p> <p><em>Clermont Northeastern</em>- Jets have a promising player back in <strong>Bryce Reese</strong> (Sr), but can they find better success in the SBAAC? </p> <p><em>Clinton-Massie-</em> Falcons will try to forget 1 win season a year ago. <strong>Blake Ireland</strong> and <strong>Kody Zantene</strong> will be key players.</p> <p><em>East Clinton</em>- Astros could sneak up on some teams in the conference this year. Even with losing Branson Smith from a year ago. Junior <strong>Dakota Collom</strong> is a promising prospect.</p> <p><em>Felicity-Franklin- </em>The Cardinals return one of the best scorers in the conference in <strong>Carson Crozier</strong> (Sr), but need more depth to move up within the standings.</p> <p><em>Goshen- </em>Lose their top 3 from last season team that finished 4-10. Expect this year to be a learning year.</p> <p><em>New Richmond- </em>Lions didn’t have a bad season by any means, but now must move on after losing top guard Shep Lansaw. <strong>Justin Ackerman</strong> (Sr) will be leaned on heavily and be involved on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><em>Williamsburg-</em> Return 2 of their top 3, but struggled mightily in the National division. </p> <p><em>Wilmington</em>- The Hurricane bring in a new coach this season that will have the task of replacing 2 of the top 3 from last season. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>