This high school basketball season will be incredibly unique, but one thing remains the same, teams are going to be competing for a state championship. In this article I’m going to be looking at what teams are the top contenders for the Division I state championship.
Archbishop Moeller: Moeller has long been waiting for this 2020-21 season, because of their dominant 2021 class. It’s still strong, but losing Will McCracken
WillMcCracken6'4" | SGHilton Head Island | 2021SC to an out of state transfer hurts. Logan Duncomb
LoganDuncomb6'9" | CMoeller | 2021State#74NationOH is a dominant post player and Alex Williams
AlexWilliams6'5" | SFMoeller | 2021StateOH is one of the more productive wings in the state. Throw in high upside wings in Aidan Noyes
AidanNoyes6'6" | SFMoeller | 2021StateOH and Evan Mahaffey
EvanMahaffey6'6" | SFMoeller | 2022StateOH plus seniors Aidan TurnerAidanTurner6'0" | PGMoeller | 2021StateOH and Zachary GeorgeZacharyGeorge6'7" | CMoeller | 2021StateOH and the Crusaders are favorites to win another state title.
Gahanna Lincoln: I expect Gahanna to be the top team in the Columbus area this season. Gahanna was very successful last season but bowed out in the district final to Walnut Ridge. Sean JonesSeanJones6'0" | PGGahanna | 2022State#169NationOH and company are back and ready to go this season. Combine Jones with seniors Jarius Jones
JariusJones6'5" | SFGahanna | 2021StateOH and Maceo WilliamsMaceoWilliams6'6" | CGahanna | 2021StateOH and Gahanna
This high school basketball season will be incredibly unique, but one thing remains the same, teams are going to be competing for a state championship. In this article I’m going to be looking at what teams are the top contenders for the Division I state championship.
Archbishop Moeller: Moeller has long been waiting for this 2020-21 season, because of their dominant 2021 class. It’s still strong, but losing
Will McCracken
WillMcCracken6'4" | SGHilton Head Island | 2021SC to an out of state transfer hurts.
Logan Duncomb
LoganDuncomb6'9" | CMoeller | 2021State#74NationOH is a dominant post player and
Alex Williams
AlexWilliams6'5" | SFMoeller | 2021StateOH is one of the more productive wings in the state. Throw in high upside wings in
Aidan Noyes
AidanNoyes6'6" | SFMoeller | 2021StateOH and
Evan Mahaffey
EvanMahaffey6'6" | SFMoeller | 2022StateOH plus seniors
Aidan TurnerAidanTurner6'0" | PGMoeller | 2021StateOH and
Zachary GeorgeZacharyGeorge6'7" | CMoeller | 2021StateOH and the Crusaders are favorites to win another state title.
Gahanna Lincoln: I expect Gahanna to be the top team in the Columbus area this season. Gahanna was very successful last season but bowed out in the district final to Walnut Ridge.
Sean JonesSeanJones6'0" | PGGahanna | 2022State#169NationOH and company are back and ready to go this season. Combine Jones with seniors
Jarius Jones
JariusJones6'5" | SFGahanna | 2021StateOH and
Maceo WilliamsMaceoWilliams6'6" | CGahanna | 2021StateOH and Gahanna has a trio that’s built to win. It’ll be interesting to see who else steps up at the guard position, and how much of a leap
Javan Simmons
JavanSimmons6'7" | CGahanna | 2022StateOH takes during his Junior season. Despite these questions, I think Gahanna is the team to beat in central Ohio.
Canton McKinley: Northeast Ohio has the next three teams on this list and all of them dove into the transfer market to add depth to already talented rosters. With
Tae PerieTaePerie6'2" | PGCanton McKinley | 2021StateOH and
Vernon SmithVernonSmith6'7" | CCanton McKinley | 2021StateOH joining the Bulldogs, McKinley has the depth to compete with anybody in the state.
Kobe Johnson
KobeJohnson6'4" | SGCanton McKinley | 2021State#233NationOH can carry the Bulldogs himself, but with those transfers plus seniors Brent Walker and James McCollough, I like the Bulldogs chances in the Federal League.
Cleveland Heights:
EJ FarmerEJFarmer6'5" | SGCleveland Heights | 2021StateOH was returning with Davon Smith-Johnson but the Tigers were originally going to be relying on some fresh faces in 2020-21. After the uncertainty behind the Cleveland Senate league having a season,
Jamal SumlinJamalSumlin6'2" | PGCleveland Heights | 2022StateOH,
Keyshawn HallKeyshawnHall6'6" | PFCleveland Heights | 2021StateOH and Byron Ottrix all opted to rock the Yellow and Black this season. With these three pieces, I’m not sure there’s a team with more isolation talent in the state. The question on Cleveland Heights is how quickly they’ll be able to find on-court chemistry with so many new pieces on the roster.
Mentor: The Cardinals were one game away from the final 4 last season, but after graduating a strong senior class it appeared like the Cardinals wouldn’t be at this level again. Then
Jonah Waag
JonahWaag6'2" | SGMentor | 2021StateOH and
Steven KeyStevenKey5'11" | PGMentor | 2021StateOH both transferred in this off-season. Both play AAU basketball with
Luke Chicone
LukeChicone5'9" | PGMentor | 2021StateOH, so their chemistry should be found rather quickly. Throw in returning pieces like
Kyle CullerKyleCuller6'1" | SGMentor | 2021StateOH and some more unknown names like Sean Collins looking to play bigger roles this season.
Thomas Worthington: Worthington has a nice duo committed to division I schools in
Jalen Sullinger
JalenSullinger5'11" | PGThomas Worthington | 2021StateOH and
Tyrese Hughey
TyreseHughey6'7" | PFThomas Worthington | 2021StateOH. Alongside that duo they have seniors
Isaac Settles
IsaacSettles6'5" | SGThomas Worthington | 2021StateOH,
Maurice Collins
MauriceCollins6'6" | PFThomas Worthington | 2021StateOH and
Omari Effiong
OmariEffiong6'2" | SGThomas Worthington | 2021StateOH. With those five seniors expecting heavy minutes, Thomas Worthington is very experienced heading into this season. Sophomores
Joey Zalewski
JoeyZalewski6'1" | SGThomas Worthington | 2023StateOH and Caleb Miller will bring some young spark to the Cardinals this season.
Lakota East: The Thunderhawks were still alive when last season ended, and say goodbye to two of their top players.
Nate Johnson
NateJohnson6'4" | PGLakota East | 2021StateOH is back and he’s going to be riding with
Kobe PeckKobePeck5'11" | PGLakota East | 2022StateOH and
Jadon Coles
JadonColes6'3" | SFLakota East | 2022StateOH in the back-court. Add in a Sophomore transfer from Saint Xavier in Jack Kronauge and Lakota East has a lot of guard depth. The question for Lakota East is who will step up in the paint and eventually guard
Logan Duncomb
LoganDuncomb6'9" | CMoeller | 2021State#74NationOH, because nobody is getting to the final 4 out of the SW Ohio region without going through Moeller.
Huber Heights Wayne: Wayne is projected as the top team in the GWOC, neck and neck with Centerville.
Lawrent Rice
LawrentRice6'3" | PGWayne | 2023State#61NationOH is a Sophomore stud, and he’ll be complimented by a talented senior class next to him. Guys like
Malcolm Curry
MalcolmCurry6'1" | SGWayne | 2021StateOH and
Cam FancherCamFancher6'2" | SGWayne | 2021StateOH will be his running-mates in the back-court. In the front-court, Wayne returns
Ben PalmaBenPalma6'7" | PFWayne | 2021StateOH and
Elijah Brown
ElijahBrown6'6" | PFWayne | 2022StateOH, they also add
Prophet Johnson
ProphetJohnson6'3" | SFHuber Heights Wayne | 2021StateOH from Thurgood-Marshall. Like I said, it will be close between Wayne and Centerville for top team in the GWOC this season.
Other teams to watch by region
Northeast: Medina, Shaker Heights, Lorain, Saint Ignatius, Saint Edward, Solon
Northwest: Findlay, St Francis De Sales, Lima Sr
Central: Hilliard Bradley, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Olentangy Liberty
Southwest: Princeton, Centerville, Saint Xavier, La Salle