Brecksville-Broadview Heights has been one of the surprise stories in northeast Ohio this season, currently sitting at 13-0. Mehendale is a force on the interior for the Bees as he’s switchable defensively, an impressive shot blocker and a high riser as a roller to the basket. Mehendale actually leads all of northeast Ohio in blocks per game according to Cleveland.com. The Bees went down to their yearly holiday tournament and defeated fellow Ohio squad Lakota East in the title, allowing Ben and two of his teammates to be named to the all-tournament team. Expect to hear about Brecksville-Broadview Heights in the playoffs as they project to be one of the top seeds in Division II from northeast Ohio with their pick of path.

TNBA usually has some productive bigs that small college programs are interested with and Mehendale is next in line. An impressive vertical athlete, Mehendale can play above the rim and can swat shots at the rim. Denison and Allegheny have already offered Mehendale and I expect more schools to enter the mix for the 6’8 forward.

Mehendale impressed with his versatility on both ends of the floor. He is a magnet for rebounds on the defensive end with great timing on when to shag them. He does a good job running the floor. He scored around the bucket and shows flashes as a floor spacer. Mehendale is an elite shot blocker who uses his long talons to alter shots with ease. He continues to get better with time and look forward to watching the progress.

Mehendale is a late blooming forward who is starting to peak at the right time. He uses his length to alter shots and has great timing. He does a good job running the floor. He has good timing when going up to alter a shot. Mehendale also can be a threat as a floor spacer. He is effective from the dunker spots. He needs to be committed to walling up every time he is protecting the rim and not bring his limbs down to commit bailout fouls. Looking forward to seeing how he improves over the coming months.

Brecksville lost their first game of the season last week to Solon but Mehendale has had a fast start for the Bees this winter. A tough player who has won four straight ‘champion of the game’ awards from Brecksville, Mehendale is blocking shots, rebounding and taking charges at a high level. I saw flashes from Mehendale as an offensive player this summer but am encouraged with this consistency in doing the dirty work in the paint. A name that should keep rising in northeast Ohio’s 2026 class, Mehendale will be a name to watch at the 17 U grassroots level this spring and summer.