Cleveland-area regional semifinal: top non-seniors to watch

<p>We’re down to 16 teams remaining and things kick off in the Cleveland region Wednesday afternoon with Shaker Heights vs Canton McKinley and then, for a third time this season, Mentor faces off against Medina. Here are some of the top non-seniors to watch out for during the regional semifinal games this week at the Wolstein Center.  </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="726589" first="Kobe" last="Johnson"], Canton McKinley</p> <p>With a 55-50 sectional final win over Massillon earlier this month, [player_tooltip player_id="726589" first="Kobe" last="Johnson"] surpassed 1,000 career points. He paced the offense with a game-high 33 points to keep the team's season alive. The upcoming junior has enjoyed a breakout season this year for Canton McKinley. Few players in the area have raised their stock as much as Johnson, as he just recently picked up an offer from Miami (OH) back on Feb. 22. He’s an elite scorer that can get to the rim in a very few dribbles. </p> <p>Brent Walker, Canton McKinley</p> <p>Brent Walker adds size and speed to a very potent core for the Bulldogs. The junior forward adds a nice one-two punch with Johnson as the main scorers near the basket. Walker has stepped up big throughout various points of the season for Canton McKinley and he can certainly be a difference-maker near the rim when they take on Shaker Heights for a shot to go to the regional final Saturday afternoon. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="921758" first="Danny" last="Young"] Jr., Shaker Heights</p> <p>An All-Northeast Lakes District honorable mention this year, [player_tooltip player_id="921758" first="Danny" last="Young"] is a rising sophomore who’s helped play a pivotal part in the team reaching the regional semifinal. He led the team with 16 points in the district final against Solon and he’s improved his ability to finish at the rim throughout the season. Just a sophomore, he’s already one of the top underclassmen in the area and with the way he’s progressed this season, expect the Division I offers to start adding up as time goes by. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"], Mentor</p> <p>Already committed to Youngstown State University, [player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"] is tough to contain for the majority of a game. In the district final game against Brush, he scored just three points in the first half, then helped lead a fourth-quarter comeback to knock off Brush for the second consecutive year. He poured in 19 second-half points while sinking 11-of-12 free throws to lead the Cardinal offense. The quicksilver point guard uses his body well to draw fouls and has next-level quickness that makes him one of the hardest guards in the area to contain on any given night. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918962" first="Corey" last="Tripp"], Medina</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918962" first="Corey" last="Tripp"] is a true playmaker for Medina and in the two previous meetings against Mentor, he finished with 16 points and five assists in game one and 13 points in game two. Tripp runs the Bee offense and does a good job getting his teammates involved throughout the game. Guards [player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"] and Luke Floriea will have to defend him well as he is good at creating separation, making him a strong go-to scorer at times. </p>