Dayton Early Top 4 D4
Photo Credit: Dale Barger
Back in March, I did a way too early Top 10 ranking. With the summer leagues and team camps ending, it’s time to show the updated rankings. These rankings take into account several factors. These factors include: Any coaching changes, divisional changes, transfers, summer league results, and individual player improvement.
- Fort Loramie- The Redskins were my top team back in March, and they stay there here in July. The biggest question mark moving forward for them is how Evan Berning (2018) will play coming off shoulder surgery. He’s been working hard and recovering well, and with several other starters returning, it’s very difficult to see another team jumping them.
- Franklin-Monroe– If there is one team that has a real shot at dethroning Fort Loramie, it’s Franklin-Monroe. The Jets were my #3 team in D3 rankings in March but a move down to D4 is now in their favor. Ethan Conley (2019) is one of the best players I’ve seen up in the Northern Miami Valley in a long time. He is such a difficult player to defend and will definitely be one of the top players is D4 this season. With him, the Jets will be a tough team to defend.
- Tri-County North- Back in March, I would not have guessed Tri-County North would even be a top 5 team, but after a dominate performance at the Kingdom Sports Summer league, the Panthers make an appearance at #3 in the D4 rankings. One of the biggest reasons for their success is the transfer of Dillon McCullough (2018) who has been nothing short of amazing this summer. With Dillon as well as Gabe Brinson (2018) showing signs of being a great duo, the Panthers may be a dark horse to watch in Dayton.
- Springfield Catholic Central– The Irish were the #3 team back in March, but with the dominance from TCN and Franklin-Monroe’s upgrade, Catholic Central takes one step back. This team is still going to be a strong contender. With the backcourt of Trey Dunn (2019) and Sabien Doolittle (2019) leading the charge, this Irish team can compete with some of Dayton’s best small schools. The biggest question mark for them is who else will provide scoring help with Doolittle and Dunn. If they can get a third consistent scorer, SCC will be another dark horse to watch.