State title contenders in Division II

<p>The high school basketball season starts this week and it’s time to start thinking about which teams will be competing for state titles come playoff time.</p> <p>STVM: The defending state champions will once again be one of the best teams in the state and are clear favorites in Division II. [player_tooltip player_id="787627" first="Sencire" last="Harris"] and [player_tooltip player_id="809600" first="Ramar" last="Pryor"] have the senior experience and they have Juniors ready to fill in for those that graduated. The Irish can be taken down, but it’ll take a complete team effort to knock them off the top.</p> <p>Toledo Central Catholic: Potentially the top team in the Toledo area, TCC has a lot of talent to work with this season. [player_tooltip player_id="867942" first="Chico" last="Johnson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="867935" first="Michael" last="Greenlee"] is a great guard duo and they have a lot of size to pair with them.<br /> <br /> Archbishop Alter: Alter returns a nice core 5 starters that all shoot the ball well from the outside and are centered around [player_tooltip player_id="809602" first="Jacob" last="Conner"]. With their shooting ability, they’ll have a chance to make a deep playoff run.</p> <p>Heath: It’s all come down to this season for the Bulldogs. With [player_tooltip player_id="921747" first="Brandon" last="McLaughlin"], [player_tooltip player_id="1138763" first="Reece" last="Huber"] and [player_tooltip player_id="967170" first="Keylan" last="Williams"], Heath has three seniors with size that are all quality college prospects. They went unbeaten in 2019-20 when these three were Sophomores and are now ready to take that next step into state title contention.</p> <p>Chaminade Juliene: The surprise team in the final four last season, Chaminade Juliene is more equipped to make a run this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1222348" first="Jonathan" last="Powell"] is a sophomore and they still have a lot of size and speed. The Cinderella story from 2021 deserves a seat at the dance again in 2022.</p> <p>Trotwood-Madison: The Rams were one of the most inexperienced teams in the state last season but all their 2024 talent is maturing. I think this team will continue to grow and will be a totally different team in February and March than it is in December.</p> <p>Cincinnati Woodward: This all hinges on if [player_tooltip player_id="616817" first="Paul" last="McMillan IV"] is eligible for the entire season, but if he is, Woodward is a legit state title threat in Division II. They were one of the most impressive teams I saw all summer and their defensive pressure gives teams fits.</p> <p>Buchtel: Despite losing Chris Livingston to transfer to Oak Hill, Buchtel still has the talent to compete for a regional title. [player_tooltip player_id="1163453" first="MJ" last="Boyce"] returns with transfers like [player_tooltip player_id="867954" first="Khoi" last="Thurmon"], [player_tooltip player_id="867950" first="Amire" last="Robinson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1203906" first="Christian" last="Harmon"].</p> <p>Beechcroft: [player_tooltip player_id="967166" first="Amani" last="Lyles"] and company have so much senior leadership and they didn’t really get a full season to mesh due to the pandemic. With a full season together, this team could be a very tough out in the playoffs.</p> <p>Dayton Dunbar: Dunbar was another team I thought was very impressive when I saw them this summer. The Allen brothers are both very productive and they have one of the better freshman guards as well.</p> <p>Waverly: The best team in southeast Ohio, the Tigers are led by star PG [player_tooltip player_id="967167" first="Trey" last="Robertson"]. Robertson is paired with a bunch of football talent that brings strength and toughness to this squad. Don’t be surprised if Waverly ends up winning 20+ games this season.</p> <p>Other teams to watch: CVCA, Tiffin Columbian, Bishop Watterson, Columbus DeSales, Gilmour, Padua, Lima Shawnee, Shelby</p>