Meechie Johnson, Seth Wilson, top two players in Ohio’s Class of 2021 to meet in three day NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic
Three of the best young backcourt prospects in the state of Ohio, if not in the nation, will meet on Friday as Garfield Heights takes on Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Boys NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic. The match-up…
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Continue ReadingThree of the best young backcourt prospects in the state of Ohio, if not in the nation, will meet on Friday as Garfield Heights takes on Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Boys NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic.
The match-up between Garfield and St. V tips off at 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 28 and highlight the second night of the three-day tourney, which runs from Dec. 27 through Dec. 29. The final day of the tournament features all girls’ games.
Tickets for the tournament are selling for $15 for each session and will only be on sale at the gate at Garfield Heights High School 4900 Turney Rd.
Meechie Johnson, the No. 1-ranked player in the state in the class (2021), according to prephoopsohio.com and his cousin Sonny Johnson Jr. (2022) will lead Garfield as it takes on the Irish, which features Seth Wilson, the No. 2-rated player in the state in the class of (2021).
Meechie, the nephew of Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson, can score the ball in a variety of ways and run a team. Less than thirty games into his prep career he’s the 6-foot Johnson has already posted games of 50 and 40 points. He is being recruited by the likes of Ohio State and Louisville and a slew of mid-major schools. He went toe-to-toe with Wilson last year at the same tournament Garfield won the game but Wilson outscored Johnson 24-12.
Wilson, a 6-3 combo guard, is averaging 17 points, 5.4 assists and 5 rebounds a game for the Irish, who are 4-2 on the years. The Irish have lost to coming to LaMelo Ball and Spire Academy and defending Ohio Division I champ Moeller. Wilson recently posted a career-high 31-point game in a win over Cleveland Central Catholic. According to sources close to Wilson, he’s been offered by OU, Akron, Kent and is also receiving interest from Ohio State and Michigan.
Sonny Johnson Jr., only a freshman, and the son of coach Sonny Johnson (It’s a family affair at Garfield) has been impressive in the early going. Undersized at 5-10 and playing against more physically mature, bigger and stronger players he’s been able to slither his way to open shots, mostly off the dribble, and score the basketball and set up others for shots. He’s already received offers from Cleveland State and Youngstown State and scored 21 points and dished out seven assists in his high school debut vs. Spire.
The Bulldogs also have another college prospect in 6-9 Brison Waller (2019) who has the ability to a big-time shot blocking and rebounding dynamo and has landed on the radar of several Division I college programs.
St. V is far from a one-man squad. Lunden McDay, a 6-3 senior, is headed to Ohio U and can really shoot it and is also athletic. The Irish, who are defending Ohio Division II state champions, feature another outstanding sophomore in 6-4 Malaki Branham, ranked No. 6 in the state in the class of 2021, a nice big man prospect who can score, defend, rebound, put the ball on the floor.
The three days of boys games feature a slew of intriguing matchups and tips of Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. when Cornerstone takes on Maple Heights.
There are games throughout each day and each session ends with a scheduled 7:45 p.m. nightcap.
Here’s a link to all the games. The Shaker Heights vs. Lutheran East at 7:45 p.m. on Friday should be a good one, too. EJ Farmer (2021), a 6-4 shooting guards, is ranked as the No. 8 sophomore in the state by prephoopohio.com. Freshman Danny Young Jr., the coach of Shaker boys basketball coach, Danny Young, generated some early-season buzz when he lit up Garfield Heights for 31 points in Shaker’s demolition of the Bulldogs.
Cleveland Heights, which features 6-9 Jaelyn Withers, the state’s No.1-rated player in the Ohio class of 2019 according to prephoops.com, will take on Cleveland Central Catholic at 4:15 p.m., on Dec. 27. The Tigers also feature senior Nigel Hill (2019), who is a threat any night to put up double-figure totals in both points and rebounds.
This link will take you to a schedule of all the games.
COLLEGE COACHES from Michigan St ,Ohio St, Kent St, Akron,Buffalo, Louisville,Cleveland st Georgetown,Missouri,Dayton, Michigan,Florida St,Miami Ohio, Bowling Green,Notre Dame, Youngstown St,&many more will be at Next week Neo Youth Elite CHRISTMAS CLASSIC. @NEO_Spotlight pic.twitter.com/Ts4EATxQyV
— Sonny Johnson (@sonnyjohnson32) December 21, 2018