Northeast Ohio candidates for Mr. Basketball
John Hugley IV, Brush Averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists per game, John Hugley has led the Brush Arcs to 17-5 record and another conference championship. He’s an ESPN Top 100 player in the country and has taken…
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Continue ReadingJohn Hugley IV, Brush
Averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists per game, John Hugley has led the Brush Arcs to 17-5 record and another conference championship. He’s an ESPN Top 100 player in the country and has taken another step forward his senior year. Standing at 6-feet-9, Hugley is a difference-maker inside the paint and can impact a game in a variety of ways. He has developed his outside shot throughout the season and has been more active on the defensive side of the ball as well. He protects the rim as good as anybody in the area and has developed into one of the best and most dominant players in the state his senior season.
Grant Huffman, St. Edward
Not only a difference maker scoring the ball, Grant Huffman has done all the little things to lead St. Edward to one of the best records in Division I this season behind a loaded schedule featuring teams like Hilliard Bradley, International Sports Academy, St. Vincent-St. Mary and Huntington Prep. The Davidson commit has improved his outside shooting while looking more comfortable taking over a game when his number is called. He’s got the ability to take any defender one-on-one to the hole and is a very selfless player. He’s improved on his court vision and is not afraid to make the extra play to get others involved late in the game. He’s got a quick first step and can finish in a variety of ways when challenged at the rim.
Zach Rasile, Mcdonald
One of the best scorers in state history, senior guard Zach Rasile has enjoyed one of the best individual seasons from a player in recent memory, leading his team to a 19-3 regular season record. In fact, he’s fourth all-time in points scored in the state of Ohio and scored 40 or more points 12 times throughout the regular season. Rasile is committed to West Liberty University and has proven to develop a consistent jump shot from well beyond the 3-point mark for McDonald this season. For the second consecutive season, he’s averaged more than 35 points per game and will look to continue to build off of the team’s recent success in the playoffs.
Josh Irwin, West Geauga
One of the most consistent players in Northeast Ohio, West Geauga’s Josh Irwin has had a stellar junior season. He’s averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game, both rank near the top of all players in Northeast Ohio. The 6-foot-6 forward eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark back on Jan. 17 and continues to develop into a top-level college prospect. Irwin moves exceptionally well without the ball and has developed his outside shot more and can impact the game in many ways off the ball. The Wolverines’ budding junior is nearly a walking double-double every night and is a player to keep an eye on heading into the tournament.
Luka Eller, Lake Catholic
The Miami (Ohio) commit is enjoying arguably the best season of his career for Lake Catholic. He’s currently averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Cougars, as him and Luke Frazier are leading the team on a high note heading into March. He’s more aggressive this year and has worked on finishing better around the rim as well. Eller is the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer after averaging north of 24 points per game and 10 rebounds per game as a junior. He knows how to use his size to his advantage when given the chance near the rim.
Nehemiah Benson, Lutheran East
Progression has been the story of the season for Lutheran East forward Nehemiah Benson. He’s averaging more than 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, including setting a school record for most points in a game back on Feb. 14. Benson scored 60 points on 26-of-34 shooting in just 23 minutes of action against John Hay. The 6-foot-7 big man is committed to Rider University and has done a great job of using his athleticism and explosiveness inside the paint this year to make his presence known. He’s gotten a lot better at finishing through contact and he’s become a more complete player after developing his outside jump shot more throughout the year.