OHSAA Division II Preseason Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The OHSAA Basketball season tips off soon and Prep Hoops Ohio will be updating rankings for all four Divisions throughout the season. In this article we'll break down the top 10 Division II teams in our preseason rankings. You can let your voice be heard on our forum page about this <a href="https://forums.prephoops.com/t/ohsaa-division-ii-preseason-rankings/3043" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">topic</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>1. Chaminade Julienne</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CJ lost star [player_tooltip player_id='1222348' first='Jonathan' last='Powell'] but reloaded with [player_tooltip player_id='1043600' first='George' last='Washington III'], [player_tooltip player_id='1346654' first='Jackson' last='Washington'] and return guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1443913' first='Evan' last='Dickey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1467912' first='Devin' last='Rakestraw']. I expect this team to compete for a GCL and state championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>2. Akron Buchtel</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buchtel has lost a couple key pieces from their team last season as [player_tooltip player_id='1359618' first='Braylin' last='Wells'] is back at Pickerington Central and [player_tooltip player_id='996178' first='Zevin' last='Gadson'] is in Arizona, but the return of [player_tooltip player_id='867954' first='Khoi' last='Thurmon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='867950' first='Amire' last='Robinson'] has them near the top. [player_tooltip player_id='1163453' first='MJ' last='Boyce'] is a solid role piece who has plenty of experience and Buchtel has some younger pieces ready to take the next step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>3. Gilmour Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state runner ups last season, Gilmour returns [player_tooltip player_id='1163470' first='Desh' last='Molton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1163471' first='Brandon' last='Rose'] from that squad. The Lancers also have a great head coach and a history of competing in Division II, I expect them to be competitive once again in 2022-23.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>4. Dayton Dunbar</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Allen brothers return and star guard [player_tooltip player_id='1432007' first='Bj' last='Hatcher'] is ready to take the next step. I love the athleticism and competitiveness this team plays with and expect them to be a tough out come playoff time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>5. CVCA</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1432004' first='Darryn' last='Peterson'] is a one man wrecking crew and after striking out on some big transfers, CVCA will be relying on internal development to help Peterson compete for a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>6. St Marys Memorial</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1052783' first='Austin' last='Parks'] is the biggest force in this division as the future Ohio State Buckeye will be a terror defensively. The Roughriders also have some other size that will be a match-up problem for teams that lack size and shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>7. Kettering Alter</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most skilled teams in this division, Alter has a lot of guards with talent including [player_tooltip player_id='1201839' first='Anthony' last='Ruffolo'], [player_tooltip player_id='1052785' first='Gavin' last='Geisel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1219837' first='Aj' last='Leen']. The question will be can the Knights defend well enough with the loss of Jacob Conner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>8. Cincinnati Taft</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state champs in Division III make the jump up without Rayvon Griffith but [player_tooltip player_id='1088811' first='Eian' last='Elmer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1432054' first='Kieran' last='Granville-Britten'] gives Taft the star power to compete in a higher division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>9. Bishop Ready</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another squad making the jump from Division III, Ready has a lot of scoring talent returning like [player_tooltip player_id='922603' first='Kaleb' last='Schaffer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1201835' first='Luke' last='Ruth']. This team has a lot of chemistry and can score the ball efficiently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>10. Youngstown Ursuline</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='976076' first='Terrance' last='Pankey Jr'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1395690' first='Jaden' last='Payne'] is a great pick and roll duo and this team is ready to compete on a statewide level after being one of the best teams in the Youngstown area for a few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Honorable Mention (Alphabetical)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop Hartley, Bishop Watterson, Cincinnati Woodward, Dayton Oakwood, Lutheran West, New Philadelphia, Rossford, Sandusky, Shelby, Toledo Central Catholic, Youngstown Chaney</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->