Countdown to tipoff: The five must-see players in NEO
This is the last weekend until March that you won’t be hearing a basketball bouncing at your local high school gym.
Practice starts on November 3 and that means it won’t be long until the season starts. We’ve put together a list of the five players all high school fans should get out and see at least once this year. All will play Division I and one or more should make it to the NBA, I’m thinking.
Without a doubt try to make it out to see these five players sometime this hoop season.
Alonzo Gaffney (2019), a 6’9” long lean athletic scorer who exploded on the national scene this spring and summer into one of the top players in the state. He’ll be playing for Garfield Heights this winter after leading Villa Angella-St. Joseph to a state title as a sophomore. Every major program is on him this kid. He can shoot it and get to the rack where he can be explosive and he’s just so long.
Dwayne Cohill (2018), a 6’1” guard for Holy Name. who has already signed with Dayton. Great scorer who can get to the rack and finish in spectacular fashion. I saw him put on a shooting exhibition against Elyria Catholic his sophomore year. Great competitor on the floor.
Pete Nance (2018), 6’9” big who has already committed to Northwestern. His brother and dad both play in the NBA and he too is a dunking and shot blocking force.
Christian Guess (2018), Shaker Heights. A 6’5” who plays with intensity d fearlessness. During the summer in an AAU tournament, he tried to dunk on 6’9” Zion Williamson, the country’s No. 1 player, in a game in which his team would win. Can score and defend and along with teammate Dale Bonner Shaker Heights will once again be a force.
Meechie Johnson (2021). I’m hooked. I must see this fab frosh point guard from Garfield (a teammate of Gaffney’s) who has already locked up a handful of Division I college offers. Just this week a picture of him on the sideline at a Michigan State football game arm in arm with coaching legend Tom Izzo surfaced. This kid has a crazy handle and a basketball IQ at near Einstein level.