FTTH Preview Day 2: Dunbar-Simeon highlights sched
By Kurt Stubbs (ohiohshoops.com and JJHuddle.com)
Let the good times roll.
The 2011 Good Samaritan Hospital Flyin’ to the Hoop extravaganza will get underway this Saturday at Kettering Fairmont’s Trent Arena. The 9th Annual hoops smorgasbord will take place this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday featuring 34 high caliber teams in what should be 19 terrific encounters.
If you plan on attending or are thinking about attending we will get you set for the best three days of the high school basketball regular season. If you have never attended and love hoops or even like round ball, this is a must see.
We would be hard-pressed to find a place where you can see 19 of the best games in high school basketball for just 36 dollars. If you only choose one day, how can you beat 12 dollars especially on Saturday when you get to witness seven contests?
Eleven teams ranked in Ohio High School Hoops’ Top 10 will be taking center court along with eleven of the top national teams around the country.
Without further ado, here is a look at the line up and the match ups.
Day 2 of the Flyin’ to the Hoop:
11:30 a.m.- Dublin Coffman, OH (7-0) vs. Our Savior New American (NY)
In the opening game, on Sunday morning, Dublin Coffman, who is ranked No. 18 by Ohio High School Hoops, will meet Our Savior New American of New York.
Coffman may or may not be unbeaten coming into this contest as they will meet unbeaten Upper Arlington two days prior to this game in a battle of two rivals.
The Shamrocks bring in one of the top guards in Central Ohio in senior Zach Riddle (6’1). The Bishop Watterson transfer has really flourished in the absence of Purdue verbal, Kyle Molock (6’1/Jr.) who is out with a torn ACL. Riddle is averaging 17.7 points and 4.6 assists per game.
The rest of the Coffman regulars are all capable of being the lead guy on any given night. 6-foot-1 senior Christian Heine, 6-foot senior Matt DiThomas, and 6-foot-6 senior Adam Hall are all capable of being legitimate threats.
Also, keep an eye on 6-foot-10 junior Eric Weisenbach. The junior has worked extremely hard to improve and has done just that.
6-foot-2 sophomore Jason Hall and 5-foot-9 junior Brad Schulze are also viable options.
Our Savior will be playing its second game in as many days. The New York-based squad will play Kettering Alter on Saturday before meeting the currently unbeaten Shamrocks.
St. John’s verbal Jevon Thomas (5’11/Jr.) leads the way for the Pioneers. Also, keep an eye on 6-foot-10 senior Daouda Soumaoro who is drawing low to mid-major looks and 6-foot-9 junior Christopher Obekpa.
Our Savior has plenty other talented kids including Nick Lewis (6’1/Jr.), Felix Balamou (6’2/Jr.), LeBrent Walker (6’2/Jr.), Will Martinez (6’2/Sr.), Eyimofe Edukugho (6’6/Sr.), Jonathan Slexader (6’5/Jr.), and Shakeel Simmons (6’3/Sr.).
1:15 p.m.- Cleveland Heights, OH (10-2) vs. Kettering Fairmont, OH (2-8)
Cleveland Heights will meet the host school, Kettering Fairmont, in an all Ohio battle. The Tigers are off to a (10-2) start, while Fairmont is just (2-8). Though, the Firebirds won’t roll over on the home floor.
Cleveland Heights, who is ranked No. 20 by OHSH, is led by junior point Tyree Gaiter (5’7), and seniors Cody Martin (6’6), Aaron Ashley (6’5), and Sam Collins (6’5). Those four along with talented sophomore Maurice Ofield (6’4) all have taken turns leading the team in scoring.
6-foot-7 junior Kevin Clark and 6-foot junior Najeeb Johnson provide depth for the talented Tigers.
Fairmont is led by 6-foot-7 senior Adam Westbeld and his 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. 6-foot-2 junior Jacob Roalef adds 12.6 points and 5.8 boards.
5-foot-7 junior Jordan Glazer is getting 7.1 points and senior Aaron Valerio (5’11) adds 6.7 markers.
Sophomore Aaron Abbott (5’10) is a kid to keep an eye on.
3:00 p.m.- Cincinnati Aiken, OH (5-4) vs. Vandalia-Butler, OH (8-2)
Cincinnati Aiken will lock horns with Vandalia-Butler in a match up of the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference versus the Greater Western Ohio Conference.
Three of Aiken’s four losses are to unbeaten Taft, once-beaten Withrow, and Laurel (IN).
6-foot-4 sophomore Austin Grimes has been a monster for the Falcons since transferring over from Cincinnati Woodward this past summer. Grimes is averaging 16.2 points and 15 rebounds a night with season-highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds. 6-foot-3 sophomore Willie Moore, who oozes with potential, has been good for 15.2 points, 9.9 boards, and 3.4 assists.
Both Grimes and Moore are drawing Division 1 interest.
Olifemi Thompson (6’4/Sr.) and Gene Primus (6’0/Sr.) are the glue for the Falcons. Thompson averages 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds and Primus is getting 7.2 tallies.
Juniors Landon Gauldon (5’10) and Stevon Nelms (5’10), senior Keron Hicks (6’0), sophomore Michael Thompson (6’4), and freshman Tyonte Robertson (6’0) will all impact the game in one way or another.
Robertson is considered the top 2014 guard in Ohio by Prep Spotlight’s John Stovall.
Butler is off to a good start with its only losses coming to Fairborn and Troy.
The junior-laden Aviators are led by 6-foot-9 junior Taylor Decker and his 16.7 points and 7.7 boards per contest. Junior Jake Greer (6’3) does a little bit of everything (10.3 ppg; 4.3 apg; and 4.2 rpg.).
Juniors Dylan Cloud (6’0) and Ryne Pugh (6’1) have also been solid. Cloud averages 6.7 points and Pugh notches 6.5 points and 3.5 assists.
Butler’s depth comes from seniors Jeff Frank (6’3), Chris Mayhill (6’2), and Brian Long (6’8) along with juniors Mark Tindall (5’9), Sam Hershberger (5’11), and Taylore Cherry (6’9).
4:45 p.m.- Christian Faith Center Academy (NC) vs. Centerville, OH (5-5)
Christian Faith Center Academy and Centerville are scheduled to tip just before evening. CFCA is under .500, but brings in plenty of talent while Centerville is still a mystery and trying to find its identity at this point.
For CFCA, freshman Xavier Rathan-Mayes (6’3), who is ranked No. 71 by ESPNU, will be one to watch. Rathan-Mayes is averaging 16.8 points per game for the (7-11) North Carolina-based outfit.
Seniors Kevin Thomas and Rashid Williams are also noteworthy.
The 6-foot-7 Thomas, who has offers from Arkansas, Texas, Marquette, and Wake Forest, averages 11.8 points and 9.8 rebounds, while Williams has been good for 7.5 points a night.
6-foot-1 sophomore Kaza Kajami-kean is averaging 11.8 tallies, 4.4 assists, and 3.4 boards and 6-foot-6 classmate Mikyle McIntosh is notching 8.6 points and 4.1 caroms
Seniors Rainier Croft (6’5) and Ben Davis (6’5) are averaging 7.5 and 6.0 points per encounter respectively.
Centerville is in the midst of a very strange season thus far. The Elks lost their first two games followed by five-straight victories. However, Centerville has now suffered three consecutive defeats. One key thing to note is Centerville’s five setbacks have come to teams with a combine record of (34-10).
The Elks suffered a defeat before the season even started when last year’s leading scorer, Matt Sullivan, decided not to play.
Centerville has nary a kid averaging double figures, but six kids are getting between 6.1 and 9.9 points a night.
6-foot-3 junior Will Hobby leads the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game and 6.8 rebounds.
6-foot senior Jim Staley adds 8.1 points, junior Brett Kubaszewski (6’1) chips in with 7.9 lightings, junior Mike Replogle (6’3) with 7.1 markers, junior Conner Lash (6’0) netting 6.9 points, and 6-foot senior Mike Clark accounting for 6.1 points.
In addition, 6-foot-11 junior Jake Campbell is a kid to keep an eye on.
6:30 p.m.- Huntington Prep (WV) vs. Akron St. Vincent- St. Mary’s, OH (5-5)
Huntington Prep will play its second game in as many days when it faces nationally-known Akron St. Vincent- St. Mary’s. The Irish have won four Ohio state championships in the past 11 years and is the alma mater of LeBron James.
The Irish are certainly no stranger to playing national powerhouses as they have already hooked up with DeMatha out of Maryland earlier this season.
SVSM is currently ranked 5th in D2 by OHSH despite its (5-5) mark. The Irish have lost to Ohio D1s Garfield Heights, Warren Harding, and Lakewood St. Edward along with Pennsylvania power Gateway and the aforementioned DeMatha.
The Akron-based school defeated Shaker Heights and Mentor this past week, which should be a big boost coming into a big weekend for the Irish. SVSM will play unbeaten St. Paris Graham on Saturday followed by this game and then a match up with Harvest Prep on Monday.
The Irish are led by senior guards Davonte’ Beard (6’2) and Ricky Johnson Jr. (5’9) along with 6-foot-7 junior Lorenzo Cugini. Beard is having a breakout year and leading the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game, while Johnson (13.5 ppg.) and Cugini (14.6 ppg.) can both score the basketball.
Senior guards Khristian Taylor (6’2) and Aaron Carey (6’1) along with juniors DJ Blanks (6’1) and Treyvon Crater (6’3) are also solid for the Green and Yellow.
Forwards Nick Wells (6’5/So.) and Victor Dorsey (6’7/Fr.) will be counted on to battle with Prep’s superior size.
Prep is a team stockpiled with Division 1 talent and commits. Seniors Charles Lee (5’9) and Jeremiah Davis (6’3) have already committed, while junior Negus Webster-Chan has done so as well. Lee is on his way to Cleveland State, Davis to Cincinnati, and Webster-Chan will be headed to Louisville in two years.
Other top talent for the Express includes Jaylen Beckham (6’1/Jr.), Stefan Jankovic (6’10/Jr.), Maurice Aniefok (6’5/Sr.), Sim Bhullar (7’4/Jr.), and Ibrahima Djimde (6’9/Sr.). All of the players listed are getting high-major interest.
8:15 p.m.- Simeon (IL) vs. Dayton Dunbar (9-1)
Dayton Dunbar, who is ranked No. 1 in D2 by OHSH, will meet nationally-ranked Simeon in the headline game on Sunday night. The Dunbar Wolverines played nationally-ranked Whitney Young in this game a year ago and left no doubt as to which team was superior on that particular night. Dunbar rolled the Chicago-based school 98-76 in what was one of the finest performances in recent memory.
This year, it’s Simeon out of Illinois who will try its hand against Dunbar. Make no mistake; Simeon is good, real good.
The Dunbar Wolverines are led by 6-foot-4 senior guard Keontae Brown. The first-year and talented guard is averaging 14.8 points per game. Deontae “Teddy” Hawkins, a 6-foot-7 junior, leads Dunbar in scoring at 16.1 points a game.
6-foot-5 junior Gary Akbar has been good for 10.5 tallies. Sophomore Damarion Gerter (6’5) nets 7.6 points and senior guard Roger Williamson (6’1) is getting 7.3 markers a contest. Williamson is committed to play football at Michigan State.
6-foot-2 senior Shawn Fleming follows at 6.6 points an outing and guard Javon Rice (5’9/Sr.) has been solid with 5.7 a game.
Dunbar’s lone setback of the year came to Huron (MI), 59-58.
The Simeon Wolverines, who have won 19-straight dating back to last year, bring in a spotless (12-0) record into this showdown.
The headline player for Simeon is 6-foot-6 sophomore Jabari Parker, who is ranked 6th overall by ESPNU. Parker is terrific, but is by no means the only primetime player for Simeon.
The list of talent includes Steve Taylor (6’7/Sr.), Darien Walker (6’3/Sr.), Kendrick Dunn (6’2/So.), Jelani Neely (5’10/Jr.), Terrell Green (6’2/Sr.), Ahman Fells (6’6/Sr.), Tywon Pickney (5’10/Sr.), and Kendall Pollard (6’4/So.).
Simeon finished (34-2) a year ago, and will be by far the best team Dunbar has played this season.
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