Farewell

Today, Ohio High School Hoops comes to you with mixed emotions. Judging by the title of the post, most of you can guess what is coming next.

Yes, today will be our final post on Ohio High School Hoops. This will not be clever or eloquent, because I'm not that talented. I will just come straight from the heart.

After 20-plus years of being involved in high school basketball in some capacity, I feel God leading me in another direction. When something is a staple in your life for that long, it's hard to let go as was the case for me. We finally decided to trust God's will in regards to this situation, and with faith follow his lead. I am not certain where this path is going to lead me, but I trust the navigator.

I tried to push his voice aside, but eventually He had to start playing hardball. Basketball started to lose its enjoyment for me and it longer was fun. The daily grind along with my other job just became overwhelming. Basketball is certainly a 24/7/365 sport in 2011.

So, over the last couple weeks, I have been praying about this and really seeking a bold answer from God if this is the right thing to do. We will no doubt miss everyone, but I feel at peace with the decision to leave basketball at this time.

There is no telling what God has in store for me, but I will trust in him and know that His plan for my life is far greater than anything I can control. Will I ever be back involved with basketball, well, only God knows the answer to that.

For now, I'm going to relax a little bit, try some new things, and spend a lot more time with my beautiful wife. Maybe even think about starting a family and bring a few little Stubbs' into the world.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few special people. Obviously, God has given me the strength and a vision to be able to do this over the years and surrounded me with some wonderful people. So, as always, we give thanks to the Lord first and foremost.

My wife Lois has been unbelievable through all the this with all the time spent away from home. She is truly a gift from God and I certainly out punted my coverage with her. I can't even begin to describe how supportive she has been over the years. She is amazing!

My mom, dad, and sister have been great supporters over the years. They always backed me know matter what crazy idea I had. I love you all so much. I could never repay them for all they have done.

John Stovall is another name I would like to mention. He has really showed me the ropes in this business and how to conduct myself. He is always willing to lend a hand or an ear and he certainly never had to. He gave me some great advice not just in terms of the basketball world, but so much more. I greatly appreciate you man!

Other thank yous have to go to Adam Shoulders, Rob Taylor, Ty Kish, Rodger Bohn, Chris Johnson, Chas Wolfe, and Corey Albertson. You guys are amazing in this business!

Thank you to all the players for giving me the privledge to watch you play over the years. You guys are what it's all about. I was just blessed with a computer, you were the ones that make this all happen.

To all the coaches, who have made my job a million times easier, I thank you. I thank for all the returned calls, emails, and information you provided over the years. I know I could be a pain. I have to especially thank Jason Bates, Michael Bates, Mark Mitchell, Rob Stircula, Peter Pullen, Kim Clifford, Anthony Calo, Carl Kremer, Rich Saffield, Michael Jebbia, Michael Fuline, Dave Shutt, and Travis Trice.

Through AAU and other things I have met some great people along with developing some wonderful relationships. Coach Vic, Coac Burke, Jeff Potts, Adam Vincenzo, Brian Bishop, Calvin Thornton, Renny Tyson, Myron Bess, Lucius Jones, Danny Peters, Todd May, Jerry Watson, Mike Duncan, Winston Grays, Larry Rogers, Randy Gardner, Ed Lyshe, Brad Kretzer, Randy Forrest, Quentin Rogers, George Howard, the guys from the WV Wildcats, and many others along with some terrific college coaches.  We may have not always agreed on everything, but I respect you guys.

Thank you to Eric Frantz for giving me a chance at JJHuddle and pretty much always letting me do my thing. You have been unbelievable over the years.

To every person who ever came to this site, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I apologize if I missed anyone at all. We love you all and will certainly miss you all! I leave you with one of my favorite verses:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

-Philippians 1:3-11

Recruiting News: 6/17/2011

Devon Carter (6'2/2012) of Cleveland John Hay told us he received calls from USC, Penn and Kent State.

Mike Mills (6'7/2013) of Canton McKinley told us he received calls from Akron, Bowling Green, Albany, Northern Illionois, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan.

Tyler White (6'2/2012) of Lima Senior told us he received calls from Akron, UNC-Wilmington, Morehead State, Old Dominion, Kent State, Cleveland State, and Northern Kentucky.

Monty Boykins (6'4/2013) of Lakota West has an offer from Miami (OH) and received calls from Bowling Green, Dayton, Toledo, Ohio, and Providence.

Kevin Johnson (6'2/2013) of Cincinnati Summit CD told us he has offers from Cincinnati, Xavier, Seton Hall, Ohio, Dayton, Toledo, and Wisconsin. He received calls from Cincinnati, Xavier, Seton Hall, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Toledo, Miami (OH), Dayton, and Bowling Green.


Geovonie McKnight (6'4/2012) of Middletown told us he holds offers from Miami (OH), Northern Kentucky, Kent State, and Ohio. He has also heard from Virginia Tech.

Evan Payne (6'1/2012) told us he holds offers from Central Michigan, USC, Texas Christian, Boston College, and Akron.

Mark Williams (6'8/2013) of Cleveland Benedictine told he holds offers from Robert Morris, Northern Illionois, and Dayton. He is getting interest from Wisconsin, Cleveland State, Dayton, Robert Morris, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, Toledo, Akron, West Virginia, Kent State, Cincinnati, and Indiana.

Vitto Brown (6'7/2013) of Bowling Green HS told us he has an offer from Bowling Green. He is getting interest from Akron, Central Michigan, Ohio, Cincinnati, Robert Morris, Xavier, Wichita State, Purdue, Dayton, Bowling Green, and Toledo.

Zach Garber (6'8/2013) of Vanlue told us he holds an offer from James Madison. He is getting interest from Akron, Ohio, Cincinnati, Toledo, Kent State, William & Mary, James Madison, and Northeastern.
 

Evan Bradds (6'6/2013) of Jamestown Greeneview told us James Madison offered him. He received calls from Notre Dame, Boston College, Dayton, Miami (OH), Toledo, Akron, Kent State, St. Francis, William & Mary, Davidson, Northeastern, Colgate, Wright State, and Albany.


CJ Gettys (6'11/2012) of Findlay HS told us Kentucky, Clemson, Bowling Green, Dayton, UNC-Wilmington, and Kent State all recently called.

More to come...

News and Notes: 6/16/2011

We reporter earlier in the week on Twitter that both Elijah Macon (6'9/2012) and Evan Payne (6'1/2012) will be attending Huntington Prep (WV) this fall.

Donnal Goes Big Blue

Mark Donnal (6'9/2013) of Anthony Wayne HS committed to Michigan today.

Northland Big Commits to UC

Devon Scott (6'8/2012) of Columbus Northland has committed to the University of Cincinnati via his Twitter account.

"As of now I am verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati," Scott revealed on his account.

Scott was on a visit to UC today.

The senior-to-be averaged 11.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks a game as a junior helping the Vikings to a (26-2) and state runner-up finish. Scott shot 73 percent from the field in a coming out party of sorts for the high-energy big.

2011 Midwest Shootout: Recap

Reggie McAdams (6'5/2012) of Elida (Photo by OHSH).

Dayton, Ohio -- The 2011 Midwest Shootout was held yesterday in Dayton, Ohio at three different sites around the city. Dayton Dunbar (the host school), Dayton Ponitz, and Dayton Stivers were the sites.

Ohio High School Hoops stopped by Dunbar High School to take in some of the festitivies. To our knowledge, there was no real winner crowned, but rather a round-robin type format. 24 teams, eight at each site, participated in the high-level shootout. Four teams were in each pool played a round-robin followed by a crossover game with a team from another pool at a particular site.

The two pools we were able to watch consisted of Dunbar, Columbus Mifflin, Berlin Hiland, and Kettering Fairmont in one and Thurgood Marshall, Elida, Chillicothe, and Winton Woods in the other.

2011-2013 Division Breakdown

The OHSAA released its divisional breakdowns for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 winter seasons. Here is a low at the new numbers and enrollment figures.

http://www.ohsaa.org/members/sptdivis11.htm

Division Breakdowns:

Division 1- 369-Up
Division 2- 215-368
Division 3- 123-214
Division 4- 122-Down

News and Notes: 6/8/2011

**According to a source, Semaj Christon (6'3/2011) of Cincinnati Winton Woods will likely be playing at St. Thomas More Prep in Oakdale, Connecticut this coming season. Christon was the breakout player of the year in Ohio this past season.

"He wants to come here by all indications," said St. Thomas More head coach Jere Quinn. "We would love to have him and know he is a very talented kid. He hasn't been up here yet to visit, but he is coming very soon. We know he will love it."

News and Notes: 6/7/2011

**Congratulations to All-Ohio Red (17U), All-Ohio Red (16U), and the Cincinnati Lakers (15U) for capturing this year's Ohio AAU State Championships.

For more in-depth coverage visit http://www.cincyprephoopsreport.blogspot.com/

**Markus Crider (6'5/2011) of Huber Heights Wayne will go the prep school route, but hasn't made any decisions yet according to his high school coach, Travis Trice Sr.

Neel Close to Official

Brandon Neel (6'4/2011) of Cincinnati La Salle told us he picked a prep school school to attend, and will find out this week if he is accepted. We will keep you posted on Neel's situation in the coming days.

2011 Ohio AAU Basketball Championships: Preview

Some major players in this weekend's tourney. (Photo by OHSH)

The 2011 Ohio AAU Basketball Championships will take place this weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio. The annual championships will involve three different age groups including 15, 16, and 17-and-under. A champion will be crowned on Sunday in each division.

Midwest Future Stars Showdown and Shootout: Recap

King James 15U Champions (Photo by OHSH).

Columbus – The Midwest Future Stars Showdown and Shootout had a healthy dose of Ohio teams mixed with some out-of-state foes this past weekend in Central Ohio.

All-Ohio controlled the older divisions, while the King James Shooting Stars handled two of the younger age groups. All-Ohio Purple won its third tournament of the spring in the U-17 division, while All-Ohio Red captured its third straight Gold in the U-16 ranks. King James brought home both the U-14/15 championships in a great showing.

Luke Kennard: Cincinnati Knights

Here are some recaps/highlight videos of Luke Kennard (6'3/2015) of Franklin/Cincinnati Knights. Kennard received rave reviews by many top scouts for his play at the prestigious John Lucas Camp a few weeks ago.

Recaps of John Lucas Camp:
http://www.bballspotlight.com/2011/05/john-lucas-international-combine-report_20.html

http://www.ihigh.com/allmetrosports/article_67298.html

Highlight Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouSlPxzsPUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c61IQhI8NPg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMp0lLawv8A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE9ZhOT0w7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maiOeLrYRJk

Hello, My Name Is...

Ohio High School Hoops stopped over at Columbus Africentric High School this evening to watch All-Ohio Red's U-14 team partake in a two-hour practice session. In doing so, we were introduced to one of the best young talents in the country.

It only took 15 to 20 seconds to recognize who he was upon entering the gym. Tonight, Ohio welcomed Vincent "VJ" King to the Buckeye State. The 6-5 seventh grader oozes with long-term potential, but he is very good right now.

His father, Vincent, told his son "be good now, but great later."

If you could create a young prospect on a video game, Vincent's frame and length would be the ideal start. The kid's IQ for the game is far beyond his years. He is highly skilled and understands how to play especially against older competition. There were several things we saw him do this evening that crafty guys do in the over-30 league and he was doing it against guys who will be playing in college next year.

"VJ's game isn't going to wow you, but he just gets it done," explained his father. "We always talk about making the simple play, and that is usually what he does. Just keep it simple."

We certainly don't want to put pressure on this kid, but the talent is undeniable and big time colleges are already very familiar with his name. If they aren't, they soon will be. He still looks very young in terms of his facial and body features, so more growth is likely to be coming.  His athleticism is really starting to surface, which will be scary when he adds that to his skill, IQ, and shooting ability.

King, who is a straight-A student and oh so humble, played jayvee basketball and dressed varsity as a seventh grader for nationally-ranked United Faith Christian (NC) this past year. He has been playing AAU for the Charlotte Royals U-16 squad.

King will be with All-Ohio Red's U-14 team for the rest of the summer, while residing in the Cleveland-area for the next three months. King's father is a graduate of Beachwood High School and played his college ball at Indiana University Pennsylvania before playing 10 years overseas. He, his wife, daughter, and VJ reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.

All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase: 14U Recap

Columbus – This past weekend at the All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase we spent a great deal of time looking at some new blood. It’s always fun to get a long look at the next group of incoming freshmen and on Saturday and some of Sunday that is just what we did by checking out the Class of 2015.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen some of these kids, but it’s really our initial look at them at any length. Ohio High School Hoops certainly likes how this class is shaping up considering the best U-14 team wasn’t even at the event, referring to the highly touted and defending national runners-up Cincinnati Knights.

News and Notes: 5/25/2011

Transfers:

Eric "Trent" Donald has transferred from Cincinnati Woodward to Cincinnati Winton Woods, per Cincy Prep Hoops Report.

Milt Davis has transferred from Cincinnati Summit CD to Cincinnati Colerain, per Cincy Prep Hoops Report.

Kane Thompson has transferred from Cincinnati Aikent to Cincinnati Colerain, per Cincy Prep Hoops Report.

Andre Yates has transferred from Trotwood-Madison to Dayton Dunbar, per OHSH.

Other News:

With Ed DeChellis leaving Penn State for Navy it leaves Garfield Heights' Trey Lewis and former Dayton Flyer Juwan Staten in limbo.

According to our sources, Staten is really looking into a certain Big 12 school. Our sources believe something could happen within the next couple days.

Lewis is drawing interest from the ACC, A10, and Big East, but will likely stay at Penn State if he likes the coaching choice. This also according to a source.

With Mike Brown taking the Los Angeles Lakers position, it's almost certain his son Elijah (6'2/2013) of Lakewood St. Edward will be leaving the Buckeye State. Stay tuned.

Louisville Magic Roll to Kentucky 15U Title

Henry Clay's Trey Grundy. (Photo by OHSH)

Here is Jody Demling's story from the Kentucky AAU State Tournament. D'Angelo Russell, Trey Grundy, Jordan Green, and Christian Cunningham, all kids who have played for an Ohio AAU team, joined up with some other top KY talent to storm through the competition.

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/jodydemling/2011/05/23/louisville-magic-dominates-15s-at-state-aau/

Devin Williams: Interview

Here is Ohio High School Hoops interview this past Sunday with Cincinnati Withrow's Devin Williams (6'8/2013).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Eebd_-iOc

All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase

Ohio Varsity 15U Champions. (Photo by OHSH)

Columbus – This past weekend Ohio High School Hoops was in the house at the All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase held at multiple sites around Central Ohio. The event was top shelf as always with most of Ohio’s top teams partaking in the annual smorgasbord of hoop talent.

The two-day event started on Saturday with pool play and concluded Sunday evening with the championship games in each group at Ohio Dominican University. OHSH spent most of its Saturday watching the Class of 2015, which will be the incoming freshmen crew. We were also able to catch a little variety later in the night. Sunday afternoon we set up shop at Ohio Dominican and watched Gold Bracket action in all four age groups (14-17U).

The following is a recap of each age division.

News and Notes: 5/22/2011

**Tomorrow we will have a full recap of this weekend's All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase.

**We will release our Spring AAU rankings following the AAU State Tournament in two weeks.

**New videos being released this week including Theo Pinson, Mark Williams, and Devin Williams.

**A couple new feature stories as well.

17U AAU Rankings: Spring Version

Here is a look at John Stovall of Prep Spotlight's 17U Spring AAU Rankings.
**These rankings have "nothing" to do with Ohio High School Hoops.

1. All-Ohio Red
2. Ohio Basketball Club
3. King James Shooting Stars
4. All-Ohio Purple
5. Ohio Hoopsters
6. Cincinnati Knights
7. Ohio Shooting Stars
8. All-Ohio Gold
9. Dayton Metro- Felder
10. Team CBIZ
11. NW Ohio Basketball Club
12. All-Ohio Black
13. Hidden Gems
14. Gametime Magic
15. Mustang Ballers
16. Queen City Prophets
17. Friends 4 Life
18. TNBA
19. Millenium Fire
20. Dayton Seahawks

2011 Commitment List

Division 1:
Trey Burke (Michigan)
Aaron Thomas (Florida State)
Shonn Miller (Cornell)
Anton Grady (Cleveland State)
Tre’ Brown (Cleveland State)
Brian Sullivan (Miami OH)
Stevie Taylor (Ohio)
Trey Lewis (Penn State)
Travis Trice Jr. (Michigan State)
Traevon Jackson (Wisconsin)
Blake Justice (Akron)
Jalen Ragland (UTEP)
Jehvon Clarke (Bowling Green)
Aaron White (Iowa)
Desmond Rorie (Bowling Green)
Nate Anderson (UNC-Wilmington)
Alex Lalonde (Air Force Prep)
Pat Forsythe (West Virginia)
Davonte' Beard (Siena)
Tanner Gibson (Albany)
Conner Litt (Air Force Prep)
Ricky Johnson Jr. (Bethune-Cookman)
Jared Bryant (UT-Chattanooga)
Ned Tomic (Cornell)
Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming)
Khristian Taylor (Tennessee-Martin)
Delbert Love (Kennesaw State)

D2, D3, and NAIA:
Jake Heagen (Findlay)- John Glenn
Paul Honigford (Ashland)- Sugarcreek Garaway
Cole Krizancic (Ashland)- Mentor
Steve Bridgeman (Ohio Dominican)- Bloom-Carroll
Colin Barth (Wheeling Jesuit) - Mentor
Brock Ammons (Ohio Dominican)- Findlay
Zach Wasson (Malone)- Orrville
Ryan Fleming (Northern Kentucky)- Cincinnati La Salle
Michael Shull (Malone)- Massillon Jackson
Evan Legg (Rio Grande)- Piketon
Jeff Copeland (Walsh)- Toledo St. John's
Jalen Billups (Northern Kentucky)- Cin. Shroder
Austin Parker (Ohio Valley)- Worthington Kilbourne
Tyler Kelly (Florida Southern)- Pickerington North
Cameron Vines (Flordia Southern)- Col. Whetstone
Anthony Monaco (Northern Kentucky)- Dover
Trey Howard (Lake Erie)- Lima Shawnee
Marcus Reineke (Cedarville)- New Knoxville
Nathan Copley (Capital)- Chesapeake
Colin Kennedy (Shawnee State)- Chesapeake
DJ Bettinger (Indiana Wesleyan)- Richfield Revere
Kendal Sherrod (Wooster)- Bishop Hartley
Garrett Stephenson (Davenport)- Milton-Union
Christian Heine (Mercyhurst)- Dublin Coffman
Andrew Countryman (Mount St. Joseph's)- Peebles
Noah Guthrie (Lourdes College)- Glouster Trimble
Mason Roth (Defiance)- McComb
Javon Rice (Urbana)- Dayton Dunbar
Jamel Morris (Glenville State)- Gahanna Lincoln
Keenan Brush (Rio Grande)- Piketon
Michael Bouley (Tiffin)- Glen Este
Andrew Bendolph (Tiffin)- Portsmouth
Drew Lehman (Ferris State)- Toledo CC
Allen Derosa (Wittenberg)- St. Clairsville

JUCO:
Nyles Evans (Brevard CC- FL)- North Canton Hoover
Jazel Garrett (Cincinnati St.)- Akron Buchtel
Robert Davis (Columbus St.)- Toledo Bowhser
Dareon Jones (Northern Oklahoma)- Toledo CC
Darius Carter (Vincennes JC)- Akron Firestone
Dwayne Bazemore (Cincinnati St.)- Walnut Ridge
Eric Beckstest (Edison)- Covington
Kirby Wright (Kankakee)- Middletown
Nick Robertson (Cincinnati St.)- Nordonia
Allen Thompson (Ancilla CC- IN)- Cincinnati NW
Cameron Lee (Sinclair CC)- Lakota East

All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase: Preview

The 2011 All-Ohio Nike Super 16 Showcase will take place this Saturday and Sunday in several Central Ohio locations including Ohio Dominican University, Pickerington Central High School, Whitehall-Yearling High School, J Ashburn Youth Center, and the New Covenant Believers Church (Focus Center).

In all, 88 teams in age groups 14-17U will take part in Ohio's best AAU event in the month of May.

16U AAU Rankings: Spring Version

Here is a look at John Stovall of Prep Spotlight's 15U Spring AAU Rankings.
**These rankings have "nothing" to do with Ohio High School Hoops.

1.All-Ohio Red
2.All-Ohio Varsity
3.Ohio Basketball Club
4.Martin's Wolverines
5.Team CBIZ
6.TNBA East
7.King James Shooting Stars
8.All-Ohio Toledo (Grey)
9.Shining Star Sports- Schaefer
10.Cincinnati Lakers
11.Midwest Athletic Celtics
12.Ohio Aces
13.Club Ohio
14.Ohio Playmakerz
T15.Nova Village
T15.Queen City Prophets

Ohio Hoopsters Mania

Tyler White of Lima Senior (Photo by OHSH).

Perhaps you haven't heard of the Ohio Hoopsters, but don't worry, there is no need to apologize. The program is not even two months old in terms of performing, but is already starting to collect a groupie-like following.

How can a travel team which has only played 27 games in its history draw so much attention? The Hoopsters are a mid-majors, more specifically Mid-American Conference, dream. However, this isn't the reason it has drawn so many onlookers in most of its games. The team is a mixture of castoffs, blue collar-type players, and shooters combined with some colorful personalities on its bench.

15U AAU Rankings: Spring Version

Here is a look at John Stovall of Prep Spotlight's 15U Spring AAU Rankings.
**These rankings have "nothing" to do with Ohio High School Hoops.

1.King James Shooting Stars
2.All-Ohio Red
3.King of the Court
4.Team CBIZ
5.Ohio Tar Heels
6.Team Lima
7.All-Ohio White/Ohio Varsity
8.Ohio Basketball Club
9.Millenium Fire
10.Cincinnati Lakers

News and Notes: 5/17/11

**Mike Davis (6'2/2012) of Garfield Heights committed to Northern Illinois today, per source.

**Zach McCormick (6'1/2014) has decided to transfer to Dixie HS in Kentucky. McCormick averaged 16.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for Wilmington HS this past winter.

Adidas May Classic: Recap

Here are some reviews regarding the Adidas May Classic in Bloomington, Indiana from this past weekend.

John Stovall (Prep Spotlight Scouting) mentions a few Ohio guys in his story on www.espn.com including Mark Donnal, Andre Yates, and Maverick Morgan.

Mark Donnal (Whitehouse, Ohio/Anthony Wayne)
2013, PF/C, 6-8, 225 pounds | Team: Indiana Elite South
College: Undecided

He has really come on in the last year, improving by leaps and bounds as a player and a prospect. Donnal is a solid athlete who can play above the rim and has developed a solid face-up jump shot with range to 17 feet. He can also score on the low block, but prefers to face the basket and is a good rebounder who uses his big body well inside.

Andre Yates (Madison, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison)
2012, PG, 5-11, 185 pounds | Team: Ohio Hoopsters
College: Undecided

The lefty scoring point guard is an effective, but streaky shooter with range to 22 feet. Yates loves to take a few rhythm dribbles to set up his smooth jump shots, is a good competitor and takes pride in his defense. He is a solid passer who can create fairly well for his teammates and helped lead his team to the U-17 championship.

The U-17 division was won by Wisconsin Playground Warriors, which defeated the Ohio Hoopsters, 70-46. Tokoto lead the Warriors with 17 and Yates lead the Hoopsters with 13.

2013 center prospect Maverick Morgan (Springboro, Ohio/ Springboro) is a very intriguing player. He has a big body, very long arms and is a solid rebounder who is an improving scorer inside. He is going to become a Midwest priority as he continues to improve.

Here is a piece from Mike Pegram's (www.peegs.com) in regards to Mark Donnal.

The best 16 & under pool game of the weekend may have been a great back and forth tussle between the Spiece Indy Heat squad with IU commits Trey Lyles and James Blackmon and the Indiana Elite South squad led by Big Ten target Mark Donnal. Park Tudor's Trevon Bluiett was the leading scorer in this one, scoring 28 points but his drive as time was expiring was blocked by Donnal to preserve a 78-77 win for Indiana Elite South. Donnal finished with 23 points for the winners while Blackmon had 25 and Lyles finished with six.

Adidas May Classic Winners:
17U: Wisconsin Playground
16U Eric Gordon All-Stars
15U: Meanstreets

New Prep Spotlight: Now Available

The latest Prep Spotlight is now available featuring in depth coverage of Ohio and Michigan along with national rankings for the classes of 2011-2014. Stovall hands out his Ohio Top Player Awards, Players of the Year, All-State Teams, and Dream Team. Also included are his Ohio player rankings for the classes of 2011-2014 and a little taste of next year's high school season with his Crystal Ball section. This and much more is included in the latest magazine.

If you would like a copy of the latest Prep Spotlight please make checks ($7) payable to:
Prep Spotlight

Send to:
John Stovall
10154 Berkshire St
Pickerington, OH 43147

Potts Stock is Rising

Columbus Northland has produced some quality basketball players over the past five years with the likes of Devon Moore, Jared Sullinger, JD Weatherspoon, and most recently Trey Burke.

Obviously those players were terrific, but never has Northland been in position to put a class of four kids into Division 1 programs like the 2012 group. The members include 6-8 bigs Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott, 6-4 wing Ke'Chaun Lewis, and 5-11 guard Jordan Potts.

For the majority of the past three years, Trey Burke (Michigan) has been the mainstay at point guard for the Vikings and rightfully so. However, in the meantime, Potts has been patiently waiting his turn to take over the point guard spot while playing alongside the reigning Ohio Mr. Basketball.

During his springs and summers, Potts has been a regular for All-Ohio Red the past three seasons helping his squad to a national runner-up finish a year ago.  The Northland junior has been very good thus far on the AAU circuit, but once again he has been forced to a different role.

All-Ohio Red added electric combo guard Terry Rozier (Shaker Heights) to its squad in the off season forcing Potts to come off the bench, but as usual he is finding a way to thrive. Potts brings energy, toughness, defense, and a willingness to push the basketball when his number is called.

Red was most effective when Rozier and Potts were on the floor at the same time this past weekend, but head coach Quentin Rogers prefers to have Potts come off the bench. "Big game Potts" leads a bench unit which features Jalen Robinson, Deontae Hawkins, and Leroy Alexander.

This is par for the course when talking about Potts' career as he always finds a way to rise to the top despite the circumstance. This is a kid who could average 20-plus points per game, but has always done what is best for the team which is rare in today's society.

Potts is a bulldog and excellent in big games throughout his career. He has the ability to lead a team and is vocal enough to get on any of his teammates if he feels they are dogging it. Some may disagree, but we really feel he is a natural point. He does a great job of pushing the basketball when the situation calls for it and has a good feel as to when he needs to back it out and run offense.

Potts can knock down shots off the pull up and catch-and-shoot situations. He may be the best in the state at stopping on a dime in transition and knocking down a pull up. Potts tends to seperate himself on the defensive end where he is just plain relentless.

Potts currently holds offers from James Madison and Bethune-Cookman with strong interest from Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, and Indiana State. His father, Jeff Potts, told us Iowa, South Florida, and the College of Charleston are also showing interest.

"We are definitely open at this point," said Jeff Potts. "We are dating all the schools at this point and not looking to get married until September or October. It would be nice if we can get things done before his senior season, but we will have to wait and see how it plays out."

Potts averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 assists per game for Northland (26-2) as a junior. The Vikings finished the year as Division 1 state runner-up.