Ohio Mr Basketball Candidates Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the awards everybody likes to debate every season is Mr Basketball. Ohio has a rich history of top players winning the award and having incredible college and pro careers after receiving this award. In this article we'll break down the top candidates for the award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1705948"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6732502f48c31"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It's rare a Junior could be considered the favorite for the award but [player_tooltip player_id='1705948' first='Marcus' last='Johnson'] is no ordinary Junior. He was named first team all state as a freshman in Division I. After leading his team to the regional final last season in Division I, Garfield Heights is one of the favorites in Division III this season. Being committed to Ohio State also doesn't hurt, 16 times a future Buckeye has won the award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432018"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6732502f48c92"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Our highest ranked senior, West Jr is a high major commit playing for one of the top teams in the state. That's a great recipe to keep yourself in the mix for the award all season. A team that will rely on their strong guard play, the Panthers are coming off a trip to Dayton last season and are looking to make it back. While Colin White won the award from NW Ohio last season, Marc Loving in 2013 is the last Toledo area player to win the award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432034"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6732502f48cd3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The defending state champions have another loaded roster and Friery is their top prospect. We'll feature one of his teammates in a later article on this topic but the Wildcats have become a dominant force in Ohio basketball and nobody would bat an eye if they ran it back to Dayton this season. Dayton fittingly is where Friery is committed to play his college basketball at. No Dayton Flyer has ever won the award, could Friery be the first?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432005"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6732502f48d11"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the most athletic players in the state, Lawson is a blur on the court. With his ability to force turnovers and get easy buckets, Lawson should put up monster stats facing a tough schedule this season. If Pickerington North establishes themselves as a top team in Columbus with Lawson leading the way, I could see him making a case for the award. The city of Pickerington just won the award in 2023 when Pickerington Central star Devin Royal won the award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1432015"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6732502f48d4d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A school winning four straight state championships has never happened in Ohio, the Richmond Heights Spartans are looking to change that this season. Their 2025 trio of Jones, DeErick Barber and DeMarris Winters Jr haven't lost a playoff game and move to Division V this season. Another state championship plus a big statistical could push Jones to the award, we mentioned earlier how being committed to the Buckeyes has a strong correlation with who wins the award. If I had to pick a top 3 candidates today, Johnson, Jones and West Jr would be my picks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->