Updated: Northeast Ohio’s Mr. Basketball candidates
There’s a little more than a month left in the regular season, which means that the favorites for the top player in Northeast Ohio are getting clearer by the day. Here are the most likely Mr. Basketball candidates to come…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThere’s a little more than a month left in the regular season, which means that the favorites for the top player in Northeast Ohio are getting clearer by the day. Here are the most likely Mr. Basketball candidates to come from the Cleveland/Akron area.
5. Henry Baddley, St. Vincent-St. Mary: The Butler commit has been the unquestioned leader for the Irish this season. He’s a near lock for 20 points on a nightly basis and poured in 30 points against Cleveland Heights earlier this month. A few more games like that and his candidacy will be looking even brighter.
4. A.J. Garret, Ellet: Few players are more improved this season than Gareri, who is averaging 25.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He’ll have a chance to get people’s attention across the state when he faces Derek Culver and Warren G. Harding later this month. A big game there might get him to notoriety he needs to have a real chance at the award.
3. Tervell Beck, Cleveland Central Catholic: The best season you don’t know about is from Beck. He’s averaging 27.6 ppg and has yet to score below 20 points in a game this season. The senior forward has a real shot at this thing and as an unsigned player, he’s improving his stock in the process.
2. Willie Jackson, Garfield Heights: For now, Jackson holds steady at No. 2, but he’s knocking on the door of Johnson. Against elite competition, he’s averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds per game. Not to mention, he’s also one of the top defenders in the state. You couldn’t name five players in Ohio playing better than him this season.
1. Markell Johnson, East Tech: Johnson is still a threat to get 50 points on any given night, but his scoring has been at more humanlike levels since the calendar turned to 2016. That’s intentional, as East Tech has big goals for March and is looking to keep Johnson fresh and build his teammates’ confidence while there’s still time.