OHSAA Division I Preseason Rankings: Watchlist Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The OHSAA basketball season is a little over a month away and it's time to release some preseason rankings for each Division. In this article we'll break down the teams that just missed our top 10 in Division I from northeast and southwest Ohio. We already did an article on central Ohio teams that we're keeping close tabs on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Centerville</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Elks have become one of Ohio's powerhouse programs the past five years but find themselves in new territory this season with a newer roster. They do bring back Eli and [player_tooltip player_id='1432031' first='Ethan' last='Greenberg'] who are both Division I commits and will be the stars of the show. They'll be surrounded with inexperienced players who will be looking to make a name for themselves this season. If Centerville gets a couple players to breakout this winter, they'll find themselves in our top 10 and competing for another final four appearance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oak Hills</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An incredibly well coached program under Cincinnati legend Mike Price, Oak Hills finally has the talent to get back to the top of the GMC. With seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2054732' first='Nathaniel' last='Riep'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2296994' first='Henry' last='Maginn'], I'm high on their ability to take over a couple games late and carry their team to victory. With a strong system and disciplined play, Oak Hills won't beat themselves very often. A team to watch in SW Ohio.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cincinnati Elder</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You don't have to go far to get from Oak Hills to Elder and these two teams should bring a lot of attention to the west side of Cincinnati this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='1462535' first='Cam' last='Williams'] is the guy who makes the Panthers go but they always have a couple tough high school players and multi-sport athletes who flat out compete at both ends. Elder is also extremely comfortable winning 40-38, which is a unique skillset for lots of teams that want to play a faster pace of play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brunswick</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blue Devils, along with Centerville, were the hardest cuts from the top 10. After graduating seniors Quinn Barnett and Tommy Morgan, I couldn't quite fit them into my top 10 for Division I. That's not to take anything away from [player_tooltip player_id='1708688' first='Trey' last='Drexler'] and company, who can light up the scoreboard and are coming off a regional final run where they fell just short against eventual state champion Saint Ignatius. You won't find many teams that make more 3-pointers than Brunswick will this season, elite shooters all across their roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saint Edward</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most successful programs in Ohio this century, Saint Edward has been a powerhouse for the entirety of Eric Flannery's tenure in Lakewood. What I love about their program is every year I find at least 2 and sometimes more seniors who are small college contributors who don't break out until their senior season. It shows the depth of talent their program has and the culture they've built where players are accepting of waiting their turn instead of leaving to play earlier. While [player_tooltip player_id='2317204' first='Bryan' last='Vlosich'] has already become a household name in northeast Ohio, fans will be learning a few more Eagles this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Elyria</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The favorite in the SWC, Elyria has one of their most talented teams in recent memory. With [player_tooltip player_id='1491457' first='Jayden' last='Crutcher'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2304811' first='Taylor' last='Blanton'] returning, Elyria has senior scoring talent that can take over games. [player_tooltip player_id='2204949' first='Kendyll' last='Compton'] also makes the transfer from Lutheran West and he'll provide more size, length and shooting ability. This team could be one of the best in northeast Ohio if all the pieces fit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->