Surprise Division I and II Teams
Put your preseason picks aside, these seven teams are for real! East Tech, Reynoldsburg, Brunswick, Chaminade Julienne, Lima, Mason, and Wayne are the OHSAA D-I and D-II teams who have exceeded our expectations in a profound way this season. We’re…
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Continue ReadingPut your preseason picks aside, these seven teams are for real! East Tech, Reynoldsburg, Brunswick, Chaminade Julienne, Lima, Mason, and Wayne are the OHSAA D-I and D-II teams who have exceeded our expectations in a profound way this season.
We’re sure we’re missing a couple teams (please let us know who those are in the comments), but we wanted to show the programs and players of these seven some love after one month of play.
East Tech (10-0)
East Tech is 10-0 and there’s not a game on the rest of the schedule you can point to where they will be a clear underdog. That’s insane, right? Playing with five guards most of the time, East Tech defends the rim by taking charges and not letting opponents get in there easily. They’re ability to win the turnover battle will remain crucial.
Senior guard DJ Harrell has been an underrated standout through December. He told Prep Hoops Ohio that Division III programs have recruited him to this point. Harrell would be a steal at that level given his combination of athleticism, feel, and pull-up shooting ability.
Quality wins have come over Warrensville Heights and Berlin Hiland and those contests weren’t particularly close.
Reynoldsburg (6-2)
A win against Brunswick put Reynoldsburg back on track after dropping consecutive games to Pick Central and Princeton.
Senior Ben Fort is the catalyst to their success. We came into the season with questions about his assertiveness, but he has powered them to wins as a scorer and is averaging 15.5 PPG, per 270 Hoops. Others stepping up include Sean Moore, a 6’4” junior wing who is versatile on the defensive end and knows how to score around the basket.
Brunswick (6-1)
Sophomore Tre Massey and senior Kyle Goessler provide a dangerous backcourt duo comfortable handling the ball and shooting off motion. It’s proven to be a problem for teams like Medina, their best win of the season. Reynoldsburg stifled them in a 68-56 game last night, and it’s worth monitoring how Brunswick fares against athletic teams going forward. Entering a tough part of their schedule where five of their next six games are against Thomas Worthington, Mentor, Olmsted Falls, and Solon.
Chaminade Julienne (6-1)
Wins against Alter and Purcell give us more hope than last night’s loss against Bishop Harltey gives us pause. Senior guard Milton Gage has developed into a much better prospect than we ever expected, to be honest. Gage has always been a defensive irritant that stays in front of quick guards with quickness and plays with a toughness. But, he’s now scoring 19.5 points, has added a mid-range jumper, and is dialing back the turnovers considerably.
Lima Senior (8-1)
The newcomers, be it transfers and a freshman point guard, have gotten Lima Senior back to their winning ways. They appear to be Division I Toledo District contenders, arguably favorites, almost halfway through the season. Junior 6’4” wing/forward Jamir Simpson has been a problem all season with his combination of size and scoring ability off the dribble. Circle Jan. 18 at Whitmer as possibly the game of the year in Northwest Ohio.
Mason (7-0)
Mason being 7-0 is a shocker, even if every individual win isn’t too surprising. Beating Sidney by 19 points in a neutral site season opener is pretty spectacular, though — the Jackets are probably the best Division I team in Dayton.
Anyways, Mason is doing it by committee this season and are simply a well-constructed team with depth. Senior point guard Landen Long is their top scorer at 16.6 PPG. He’s unsigned and can shoot the living heck out of the ball — a skill that will translate. They go 6’7” and 6’6” up front with senior Matt Minick and junior Jack Cooper, respectively. Both bigs are just shy of 10 rebounds per game. The Comets have to be considered the second best Division I team in Cincinnati right now.
Wayne (5-3)
Wayne has racked up early season wins against Trotwood, Upper Arlington, and Centerville — not too shabby for a team who is replacing Darius Quisenberry, DeShon Parker, and L’Christian “Blue” Smith.
They go deep into the bench several guards contributing off the pine, but give most of the credit to seniors Rashad McKee and Ronnie Hampton. McKee will play college football, but Hampton is a score-minded combo guard who plays with power around the rim and can handle it. They have another test tonight at Sidney.