Notable upcoming seniors to watch for in Northeast Ohio

There’s plenty of proven talent returning throughout Northeast Ohio for one last go-around next season. Here are some of the top upcoming seniors to keep an eye out for heading into their final season of high school hoops. [player_tooltip player_id="918962" first="Corey" last="Tripp"], Medina One of the most improved juniors in the area this past season, Tripp played a pivotal part in Medina’s regional semifinal run. He averaged just under 13 points per game and knows how to use his body well to gain an advantage near the rim. He enters his senior season with a notable offer from Bowling Green State University. [player_tooltip player_id="919004" first="Tre" last="Massey"], Brunswick A confident sharp-shooter, [player_tooltip player_id="919004" first="Tre" last="Massey"] broke out last season for the Blue Devils, averaging 21.2 points per game being the focal point of the offense. He finished his junior year with a school-record 100 made 3-pointers and enters his final season of high school basketball as one of the best shooters in the entire state. Erik Stern, Walsh Jesuit On a team graduating six seniors, Erik Stern will be a name to watch for Walsh Jesuit the upcoming season. In his junior year, he averaged 14 points per game and is relentless on the glass. In fact, the 6-foot-8 forward finished a game back on Feb. 11 with 22 points and 18 rebounds during a win against Rhodes. [player_tooltip player_id="918958" first="Josh" last="Irwin"], West Geauga What turned out to be a historic junior year for one of the area’s most impressive post players, [player_tooltip player_id="918958" first="Josh" last="Irwin"] garnered the attention of many. He’s a true force in the paint who’s developed a nice jump shot that propelled him to average 22 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Wolverines his junior year. [player_tooltip player_id="919045" first="Daryl" last="Houston"], Beachwood A 6-foot-1 guard, [player_tooltip player_id="919045" first="Daryl" last="Houston"] enjoyed a junior year where he settled in well with the Beachwood Bison. He went on to average 23 points per game this past season, one of the area’s best while playing both sides of the ball exceptionally well. Houston does a good job creating space on the offensive side of the ball and attacks the basket with a purpose. [player_tooltip player_id="552857" first="Jalin" last="Billingsley"], Lutheran East The 6-foot-8 forward has the ability to make plays on the ball to prevent scoring plays for opposing teams often when contesting shots near the rim. Billingsley averaged 17.4 points this season for Lutheran East and will be one of the premier forwards in the area his senior season. He holds notable offers from schools like Akron, Dayton and Penn State. Tommy Reynolds, Norton Earning Portage Trail Conference Player of the Year, Tommy Reynolds broke out for Norton, averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game his junior season. The 5-foot-10 guard is a leader on the court and can take over a game in the blink of an eye. He’ll be a name to look out for near the Akron area his senior season. [player_tooltip player_id="918982" first="Ramelle" last="Arnold"], Warrensville Heights Of all players I’ve watched this past season, no player impressed me more taking over a game in the second half the way Arnold did for Warrensville Heights. He went on to average 21 points per game for the Tigers and was named Lake Erie League co-player of the year his junior season. The quicksilver guard is hard to stop when he attacks the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"], Mentor Heart over height truly describes [player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"]’s playing style for the Mentor Cardinals. The 5-foot-10 guard has one of the best handles in the area and can get to the rim at will due to his game-changing quickness as well. A Youngstown State commit, expect Chicone to garner some Mr. Basketball attention his senior year as he was breaking out at the right time for the Cardinals his junior season. [player_tooltip player_id="918971" first="Tyler" last="Jackson"], Garfield Heights One of the top rising juniors in the area, [player_tooltip player_id="918971" first="Tyler" last="Jackson"] averaged 14.4 points per game for the Bulldogs this past season. He’s a true playmaker and does a little bit of everything for head coach Sonny Johnson. He can pass, create separation, rebound and has developed a more consistent jump shot as well. Isaiah Young, Hoban One word that can describe Isaiah Young’s play on the court is clutch. He improved on his 3-point shot late down the stretch for the Knights and proved to knock down free throws at the right time for his team as well. He’s got a nice skill set to his game and will look to take on a larger role within the offense his senior season. [player_tooltip player_id="593905" first="Malaki" last="Branham"], SVSM The top-ranked player in his class in the state of Ohio, [player_tooltip player_id="593905" first="Malaki" last="Branham"] doesn’t have many weaknesses on the court. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 21 points per game his junior season and became a real scoring threat for the Fighting Irish. In fact, he dropped a season-high 42 points back in January playing in the Flyin’ To The Hoop Classic. He holds offers from Ohio State, Florida, Alabama and Cincinnati. [player_tooltip player_id="919003" first="Omar" last="Abuhamdeh"], North Royalton A compact guard, [player_tooltip player_id="919003" first="Omar" last="Abuhamdeh"] does a nice job getting his teammates involved and has a quick first step that allows him to beat guys off the dribble. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 13 points for North Royalton this past season and expect his number to be called often in closing situations his senior season.