OHSAA Division V Preseason Rankings: 1-5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The OHSAA season is just about a month away and it's time to preview which teams have the best chance of making it to Dayton when the playoffs roll around. Expect to see lots of coverage on these teams throughout the season and in this article we'll take a look at the top five teams in Division V.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Richmond Heights</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Spartans could set an OHSAA record with a fourth straight state title. Their 2025 core of Division I commits [player_tooltip player_id='1432015' first='Dorian' last='Jones'] (Ohio State) DeErick Barber (UTEP) and DeMarris Winters Jr (UTRGV) have never lost a playoff game. Could they make history this spring? They are the favorites on paper to do so.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Harvest Prep</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harvest Prep made it to the Division III state title game last season and return a large percentage of their core. With senior [player_tooltip player_id='1432008' first='Brandon' last='Roddy'] leading the way at point guard alongside returning impact players in 2026 and 2027 with [player_tooltip player_id='2294838' first='Epharim' last='Campbell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2294839' first='Antwon' last='Pollard'], Harvest Prep was looking strong on paper heading into this season. They also added [player_tooltip player_id='1701047' first='Pharez' last='Nicholas'] to the fold as well, making them our number two team in the preseason rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Lutheran East</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have been dominant in the playoffs, making it to the final four every season since 2016. This will be their toughest test to make it out of the region with Richmond Heights waiting in the wings. The Falcons have elite top end talent in [player_tooltip player_id='1705939' first='Tj' last='Crumble'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2461889' first='Dylan' last='Zeigler'], they are one of the youngest teams in the state and will face some growing pains.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Summit Country Day</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southwest Ohio has an opening in Division V for a team to establish themselves as a powerhouse and Summit Country Day might be that team. They have a nice balance with upperclassmen [player_tooltip player_id='1936407' first='Cayleb' last='Walters'], [player_tooltip player_id='2222935' first='Tim' last='Martin'] and Lj Stocks. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2195056' first='Max' last='Jointer'] will add an extra dimension to their team as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Margaretta</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1827697' first='Julian' last='Washington'] is one of the most talented 2026 players in Ohio and he led the Polar Bears to a regional final as just a Sophomore. He's joined by [player_tooltip player_id='1950589' first='Judah' last='Keller'] and a Margaretta squad that is young but experienced at the same time. They'll face a tough schedule that includes a trip to Flyin' To The Hoop that should get them ready for a tough NW regional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->