Ben Geschke (Medina) 6'1 PG

Not many teams had the luxury of having a legit 7-footer in their program for four years, but with that luxury comes the transition after. Medina will be without center and Michigan Wolverinebig-man Jon Teske as they head into this upcoming season, but they won't be missing point-guard Ben Geschke, a shifty guard who uses his tight handle to get where he wants to on the floor. Geschke, alongside fellow senior Luke Schaefer, will see a large increase in his responsibilities this upcoming season. 

Tyler Golphin (Cleveland Central Catholic) 6'1 WG

Coach Jordan Duke and his Cleveland Central Catholic squad will be one of the most  experienced teams in the city. Tyler Golphin will be entering into his second consecutive season under Duke and with the Ironmen after spending some time at Benedictine. Golphin is a lengthy and explosive scoring guard who can go shot for shot with just about anyone in the area. With the addition of Alex Heath, Golphin will be able to play more minutes off the ball and exert more energy on the defensive end of the ball where he can, at times, be just as effective. 

Tyree Harris (Maple Heights) 6'2 WG

One thing that senior Tyree Harris won't be worried about heading into his final high school season will be experience. Harris has been a member of the Maple Heights varsity team since his freshman year. Behind the 6'2 sharpshooter, Maple Height will be one of the area's dark horse teams, no pun intended.

Jaylan Hewitt (Orange) 6'4 WF/PF

With June coming to an end and July staring us in the face, Coach Derrick Zeigler has to be happy with how well his team has played so far this summer. Rising senior Jaylan Hewitt has emerged as one of the top forwards in the area. The 6'4 wing has the ability to score from all three levels on the floor and defend at a high-level against some of Cleveland's best. Head over to Jaylan's profile to check out his highlights from the first two weeks at the Earl Boykins Summer League. 

Logan Newman (St. Thomas Aquinas) 6'2 WG

After winning  a district championship in each of his first three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, Logan Newman will be heading into a new era with the Knights after head coach Matt Hackenberg accepted a position at GlenOak. Newman is one of the area's top shooters and he will be looking to lead a senior-laden group back to the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse for regional tournament play.

Dorian Crutcher (Elyria Catholic) 6'4 WF

For the last two seasons, Dorian Crutcher has been one of Lorain County's best kept secrets. The 6'4 forward is an explosive athlete who has shown that he can shoot the deep ball as well as get to the rack. Crutcher has been the go-to-guy this summer for Elyria Catholic and he has looked pretty comfortable in that role. 

Justin Koepp (Elyria) 6'6 PF 

"Basketball Never Stops." This is something that the Elyria Pioneers have been able to apply to their summer as they have stayed on the road throughout the month of June. When you combine the summer league games and team shootouts, Justin Koepp, a versatile and skilled forward, has had plenty of time to develop and become accustomed to being a starter under head coach Brett Larrick.

Deontae McCollum (Canton McKinley) 5'9 PG

Canton McKinley will be heading into 16-17 without three of their top four scorers from last season. With two of those players exiting being in the Bulldogs backcourt, junior Deontae McCollum has no choice but to produce. After losing what would have been varsity time last season due to the merger of Timken and McKinley, McCollum has looked dependable in the early part of the summer. The 5'9 guard comes from a basketball family and I'm sure that they will make sure that he carries over some of this early momentum into November.

Jaret Palllotta (Jackson) 6'5 WG

SPOILER ALERT: The Polar Bears from Massillon Jackson will be ranked number one in our upcoming preseason rankings.  A large part of this predicted success is depending on the development of Jaret Pallotta. Pallotta, who has grown an inch or so over the last few months, will be inserted into the starting role and will be asked to make plays not only for himself, but for his teammates as well if Jackson has a chance to live up their own expectations.

Justin Smith (Oberlin) 6'2 WG

After seeing their dreams cut short last season in a heartbreaking loss to St. Thomas Aquinas, Oberlin will once again look to make some noise in Division 4. Junior Justin Smith was a key component  to Oberlin's postseason run and he will be counted on by seniors Caleb Hughley and Donald Johnson. Smith is a tough-nosed guard whose motor and defensive capabilities allow him to quickly turn defensive stops into transition buckets.