OHSAA Division II Preseason 6-10

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The OHSAA basketball season is just a couple weeks away and Prep Hoops Ohio is previewing the top teams in each Division to give our subscribers an idea of which teams we think have the best chance to compete for a state title in the spring. In this article we'll break down teams 6-10 in our preseason Division II rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Westerville North</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending state champions, Westerville North graduates a senior class who went out on top of the state in dominant fashion. [player_tooltip player_id='2140886' first='Tyson' last='Perkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2194389' first='Tony' last='Cornett III'] are back at the guard position and I think [player_tooltip player_id='2702463' first='Elijah' last='McCree'] could be a breakout candidate this winter for the Warriors. With that state championship experience from last season, I think Westerville North will be a tough out in the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. North Canton Hoover</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of my favorite teams to watch in the state, North Canton Hoover runs a complex offense that can slice and dice you with cutting and passing. [player_tooltip player_id='2371442' first='Hunter' last='Hershberger'] is the driving force behind this offense and he's a lead guard who gives them the ability to create shots for himself or teammate off the dribble in isolation or pick and roll situations when their pass and cut offense is stalling. That extra dynamic is something North Canton Hoover hasn't really had since Sencire Harris was a freshman. I expect North Canton Hoover to contend for the Federal League title this winter with a talented core of upperclassmen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Big Walnut</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This has been a program on the rise for the past few seasons and after an up and down regular season, Big Walnut hit their stride in the playoffs before running into the freight train that was Westerville North at the fairgrounds in the regional final. [player_tooltip player_id='2476447' first='Carson' last='Scholl'] appears to have taken that next step and senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1729404' first='Brody' last='Hatfield'] had another fantastic fall on the gridiron. Look for those two names to be key pieces if Big Walnut is going to contend for conference and regional titles this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Euclid</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new kids on the block, Euclid sees Quentin Rogers come in and completely change the trajectory of their program in one off-season. With numerous new names, I want to highlight [player_tooltip player_id='2891919' first='Kye' last='Owens'] who stayed in the Panther program from last season. A talented forward starting to blossom on both ends of the floor, Owens could be the key on a team that's athletic and talented defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Licking Heights</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not many teams have a big duo as talented as Khaz Simon and [player_tooltip player_id='1985935' first='Nate' last='Lovinsky'] in the state. These two can protect the rim, clean the glass and score in the paint. If Licking Heights can get quality guard play, this team can contend with the best of the best teams from Division II in the central district.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->