Week Eight Previews and Predictions

<p>Can you believe that we are two-thirds of the way with the regular schedule? But fortunate for us Week 8 looks to be the best week of basketball of the season in the Cincinnati area, from a scheduling stand point. We have a multitude of absolutely outstanding in and out of conference matchups throughout the week. And not to mention big events like the MLK Classic in Middletown (more on that in the coming days) along with the Flying to the Hoop over the weekend, Southwest Ohio will be a hotbed for prep basketball this weekend. Here our Previews and Predictions for week eight.</p> <p><strong># Based on Prep Hoops Ohio State Rankings</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Oak Hills (9-2, 6-1) vs. Lakota East (8-3, 6-1) Tuesday 7:30pm- </strong>The Greater Miami Conference looks to be the most competitive conference race in Cincy, with six teams within two games of the top spot. And right here we have a matchup with two of those six teams, with East having won the 1^st matchup 42-41 back on December 21. Since that loss the Highlanders have 5 of there last 6 including victories over Mason and Princeton during that stretch with only one team scoring over 50 points during that time. Bellarmine commit <strong>Bash Wieland (2019 PHO #39) </strong>is 2^nd in the conference in scoring at over 19ppg for the Thunderhawks.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Oak Hills</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong> #3 Purcell Marian (9-2, 5-1) vs. #4 Wyoming (9-0, 6-0) Tuesday 7:30pm- </strong>It’s not often that you get two of the top teams in their respective divisions, in the same city, matching up in the regular season. Not because of an event or anything, just good scheduling. The 3^rd ranked D-III team in Ohio against the 4^th best D-II team in Ohio, it does not get much better than this. The amount of talent in both starting lineups in ridiculous, which means the team that gets the most from its bench will walk away with the W.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Purcell Marian</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Seven Hills (6-5, 5-2) vs. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (8-1, 6-1) Tuesday 7:30pm- </strong>Two of the better teams in the Miami Valley Conference face off in what should be a very entertaining game. The Stingers had lost 4 of their previous 5 games before there victory over Summit Country Day on January 11^th 47-45. That game also marked the return of <strong>2020 PHO Top 30 forward Curtis Harrison, </strong>who finished with 16 points and 4 rebounds in his first game action of the season. But CHCA has a stud junior of its own in <strong>G Cole Fisher, </strong>who is averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds per game with a shooting split of 54/45/72 so far this season.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: CHCA</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>#2 Taft (10-0, 5-0) vs. #10 Hughes (8-3, 5-1) Friday 7:30pm- </strong>A rivalry cannot be considered such unless both teams are good and the games mean something. And with both of these programs among the best in D-II in Ohio, this is definitely a rivalry. If the young pups of Big Red have hopes of hanging another conference title banner in Krueck Gym, they have to avenge there 60-52 loss to the Senators on December 11^th. A win by Taft would almost assure them of back to back conference titles, unless they have a late season collapse.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Taft</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Lakota East (8-3, 6-1) vs. Mason (10-1, 6-1) Friday 7:30pm- </strong>We previewed East matchup with Oak Hills earlier, now comes time to preview there 2 of 3 games in 6 days as these two teams face off for the first time this season. A loss Tuesday night to the Highlanders could make this a must win for the Thunderhawks, who must turn around and face #1 Moeller on Sunday at the MLK Classic. What a schedule.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Mason</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>West Clermont (9-3, 5-2) vs. Walnut Hills (9-4, 5-2) Friday 7:30pm-</strong> A mega-important game in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with both programs sitting at 5-2 in the conference, one game out of 1^st place. The Eagles have been as hot as any team in Cincinnati over the past month, winning 6 of their last 7 games after a 2-3 start. Walnut senior guard <strong>Greg Phelia</strong> has shifted it into another gear during this period averaging over 17ppg according to the conference website. West Clermont C <strong>Jackson Ames (2020 PHO #28) </strong>is coming off the best performance of his prep career with a 28 point, 9 rebound output in the Wolves victory over Loveland on January 11^th.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Walnut Hills</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Aiken (10-3, 3-2) vs. McNicholas (7-4, 3-2) Saturday 7:00pm- </strong>This is a rematch of last season’s playoff matchup in which the Falcons pulled off the upset over the Rockets. Aiken has one of the best backcourt duos in Cincinnati in <strong>2019 G D’Arris Dean (PHO #187) and 2021 G Jakada Stone (PHO #30)</strong> who combine to average 37 points and over 7 assist per game. If the McNick cannot control these two it will be a very long evening.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: Aiken</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>** Stats courtesy of the Miami Valley Conference, Greater Miami Conference and the Greater Catholic League Co-Ed websites</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p>