Cincinnati News and Notes
Players getting offers left and right, coaching greats coming back to the city, lots and lots going on in the Queen City. So just in case you haven’t been keeping up with the latest news, here is something to help keep you in the loop. Here is some of what is going on in the Cincinnati area.
Coach Mitchell Coming Home
Coach Mark Mitchell is coming back to Cincinnati after accepting the head coaching position at Western Hills. Coach Mitchell, father of WNBA rookie Kelsey Mitchell, spent the last four years as an assistant for the Ohio State women’s program. His last stop in Cincinnati was at Taft where he held the head position for 11 seasons, which included him winning the D-III state title in 2011. The Mustangs have not had a winning season since 2013 but expect that to change very soon with Coach Mitchell at the helm. The year before his 1st season at Taft in the early 2000’s the program won 4 games, a year later they were a 20-plus win team.
Santiago Playing on the National Stage
Hughes STEM point man Giovanni Santiago continues to rack up the accomplishments. After two stellar seasons for the Big Red, Santiago (PHO #49) suited up for Puerto Rico 18U team against Panama Sunday night in FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Canada. Coming off the bench, Gio finished the game with 8 points and 4 assists in 19 minutes as P.R. won convincingly 84-51. Currently undecided, Santiago has several offers at the D-II level including Urbana and Saint Leo. You can see Santiago in action today as Puerto Rico takes on Dominican Republic today at 2:15EST.
All’s Quiet on the Transfer Front
Well it seems that OHSAA got exactly what they wanted. Back in mid-May, May 16th to be exact, OHSAA member schools voted to change the transfer rules and landscape of prep basketball in Ohio. Transfers who are not eligible immediately no longer half to sit the first half of the season, as the new rule states they must sit out the 2nd half of the season along with the playoffs. At this time last year and in years past the transfer news has been hot and heavy, but this year its about as quiet as a church mouse. Well played OHSAA, well played.
Walnut Produces Another D-I Guard/Wing
Walnut head coach Ricardo Hill has seen two of his former guard/wings commit D-I over the past couple month or so. First was the commitment of 2018 graduate Kameron Gibson (PHO #29) to Western Carolina the end of April. And on June 4th former Eagle guard/wing Jordan Henderson committed to Canisius. Henderson, class of 2017, spent the past season playing at Indiana Elite Preparatory Academy and will add athleticism, size and shot-making ability from the perimeter for 1st year head coach Reggie Witherspoon. And let us not forget that MaCio Teague, former UNC-Asheville guard who transferred to Baylor during the spring, is also a Walnut graduate.