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Midseason Report: Panel Discussion

By T.J. Peatross, 01/12/17, 4:00PM EST

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A handful of teams in the area have played 11 of their scheduled 22 contests, and I am saddened to say that we have reached the unofficial midway point of the high school hoops season. 

In the last seven days, the number one team team in both the NEO Spotlight polls (Jackson) and the cleveland.com Top 25 (St. Edward) took a hit. That has virtually summed up this year's action packed season.

As a way to properly wrap things up, I recruited Matt Goul (cleveland.com), Nate Barnes (The News-Herald), and Josh Weir (The Repository) to answer some tough questions based on what they have been able to see in their respective coverage areas as we present to you the first Annual NEO Midseason Report!


North Canton Hoover students stormed the floor after Tuesday's win against Jackson

Biggest Surprise?

T.J. Peatross, NEO Spotlight: I expected North Canton Hoover to be solid this season and I knew they had a starting five that could compete with anyone, but I was concerned with their lack of depth. Despite not having a key contributor off the bench, the Vikings have three wins over top ten teams, the most of any team in my Top 25,  and have given both Jackson and Lorain their only losses of the season. Nathan Fox and Eli Blackledge have been a consistent presence on the inside but Cam Telesz and Matt Chuffar have made the difference. 

Matt Goul, cleveland.com: Octavius Wilson, Lorain: Entering this season, I questioned one thing about Lorain. Who will complement Naz Bohannon inside? The Titans graduated one of the area¹s most dynamic guards in Da'viere Andrews, but they had the guards and an up-and-coming sophomore in Devon Grant. But who was going to replace Anfernee Smothers, the big man inside? And how? Wilson has provided that boost, which Bohannon had as a sophomore alongside Rashod Berry and last year with Smothers. Wilson does not block shots, but he's proven to be one of the area's most dependable rebounds. He might be THE most dependable rebounder.

Nate Barnes, News-Herald: Among the teams in the News-Herald coverage area, Madison has been the biggest surprise under coach Pat Moran. The Blue Streaks looked like a solid team headed into the year, but the way they've dominated just about everyone they've been so far has been impressive behind the play of seniors Dhel Duncan-Busby, Zach Guyer, Corbin Anthony and Isaiah McClure.

Josh Weir, Repository: McKinley lost almost its entire nucleus from last season’s regional finalist. Yet Darryl Straughter’s consistent scoring, the emergence of Deontae McCollum and a variety of contributions from some unheralded Bulldogs have McKinley looking like a Federal League and district contender again. The Bulldogs are smaller than last year but shoot the ball much better.

Most Improved Team?

Peatross, NEO Spotlight: I could argue Hoover for this, but my decision ultimately came down to Cleveland Heights and Holy Name. Both teams won just seven games in 2015-16 and I edge Cleveland Heights solely on the fact that they lost Malik Smith and Mike Petit from last year’s group while Holy Name retained their starting five and added Malique Burton. Heights’ junior Yahel Hill is arguably the POTY this season and has been scoring the ball at a ridiculous rate. Jaylen Harris’ decision to play basketball again this season has paid dividends for the Tigers as they have seen juniors Grayson Green, Javon Roberts, and Keith Jackson.

Goul, cleveland.com: This could be taken two ways. Improvement based on wins and losses or talent. On talent, Lutheran East easily is the most improved because it added two transfers from Division I schools in Jordan Burge (Shaker Heights) and Maurico Tate (Shaker Heights via Westlake). In terms of wins and losses, I¹m going with Shaw. Coach Harold Rasul¹s Cardinals are only 3-4 at last check, but that is close to equaling last season¹s win total. Playing in the Lake Erie League has much to do with that.

Barnes, News-Herald: Brush appears to be the N-H area's most improved team so far. The Arcs' record was nearly the opposite of what it is right now at 9-2, and their battle with Madison for the WRC league title should provide fantastic basketball. Underclassmen DJ Dial, Andre Harris, Tyler Williams, Deion Burton, John Hugley and more players Chet Mason kept in the district has Brush on the right track.

Weir, Repository: Since the beginning of last season, the Hoover Vikings looked good on paper and showed flashes of what they could be. Finally, the Vikings seem to have truly arrived. Their starting five rivals anyone’s in the region with a mix of size, athleticism and ability. Eli Blackledge, Nathan Fox and Matt Chufar do much of the scoring, but keep an eye on Cam Telesz, a 6-foot-4 senior wing who guards multiple positions on defense and presents a matchup problem for opponents on the other end. Depth is the only major concern with this Hoover team.

Dark Horse Capable of Run?

Peatross, NEO Spotlight: Archbishop Hoban has a chance to win the Copley District and shake things up moving forward. I’m sure Medina, Stow, and Brunswick will disagree and rightfully so, but the backcourt of Garrett Houser and Collen Gurley has been great so far this season.The two juniors complement each other as well as any backcourt in the area. Coach T.K. Grffith has also been fortunate enough to get some solid play out of Cartier Bickley and Brian Cuppett.


Collen Gurley scored a career-high 33 points against Gilmour on 1/11

Goul, cleveland.com: Shaw could be that team in the Division II Ashtabula Lakeside District. I¹ll be interested to see how coaches vote them over there because the Lake Erie League isn¹t a fair comparison to other D-II teams. My pick for this category, however, is Gilmour. All it takes is one game - something Division III Garfield Heights District favorite VASJ knows well from last year. I like Gilmour¹s guards with senior Jackson Clark and sophomore C.J. Charleston. They have plenty of other talented pieces that not only can make them a district player but a solid regional matchup.

Barnes, News-Herald: Benedictine is a dark horse. The Bengals still have a lot of talent, led by Chris Jefferson and Marlon Moore, and seem to have sort of flown under the radar so far which probably has more to with the high level of competition in their lead than anything else. Benedictine keep getting better as younger players continue to gain legitimate playing experience as member of the rotation, and will make the Bengals a threat in the postseason.

Weir, Repository: No coach in Stark County gets more out of what he has to work with than Alliance’s Larry Kukura on a year-to-year basis.  The Aviators consistently win, yet they haven’t won a district title since 1982. Some very good Alliance teams in recent years have suffered the misfortune of being in the same district as St. Vincent-St. Mary. One of these seasons, Alliance is going to break through. With another solid team, it could be this year for the Aviators.

Team Most Likely to See Columbus?

Peatross, NEO Spotlight: I have to go with Villa Angela-St. Joseph. No Division 3 team in the state has went through the gauntlet that the Vikings have. Coming off a game with the number one team in the country, VASJ heads to PA this weekend to play in four-team tournament with Paul VI (VA), Cathedral Prep (PA), and last year’s state champion in Division 1, Westerville South. St. Thomas Aquinas took a hit from a year ago and Oberlin hasn’t quite found their groove after going last season’s tournament run, so it’s difficult to imagine that Babe Kwasniak and company don’t make the trip to Columbus come March.

Goul, cleveland.com: Villa Angela-St. Joseph. This is why I¹m selecting Gilmour as a dark horse. VASJ is the heavy D-III favorite at Garfield Heights and to make a fifth straight state final four trip. I will guarantee Cornerstone Christian or Lutheran East wins the state title in Division IV, but only one of them can make it to Columbus.

Barnes, News-HeraldFrom the teams in the N-H coverage area, it's difficult to pick between VASJ and Cornerstone Christian as the team with a better chance to make it to Columbus. VASJ has been in four straight championship games and has a strong core of Jerry Higgins, Alonzo Gaffney, Danny McGarry and Will Butler. Likewise, Cornerstone is the defending D-IV champ with Ohio's reigning D-IV player of the year in Michael Bothwell, who's flanked by Brandon McQueen. At this point in the season, each team looks like a state contender.

Weir, Repository: They tripped up in North Canton on Tuesday, the first blemish to a dominant start to the season. But no one around the Jackson Polar Bears should be panicking. The Polar Bears are big, talented, experienced and deep. It feels like they’re due to break through and get back to Columbus after having multiple teams in recent years seem capable of a run. Their guard play on both ends of the court likely will determine if they do it.

Player of the Year?

Peatross, NEO Spotlight: There are a number of guys you include in this debate such as Kyle Young, Naz Bohanon, Yahel Hill, Jayvon Graves, and Dwayne Cohill, but In terms of what he has to bring to the floor every night, I don’t think there is a player more valuable than Marreon Jackson. He has increased his production across the board and quite frankly, that’s what he had to do in order for Garfield to compete as one of the area’s elites. At only 6’0, Jackson is averaging nearly eight rebounds a night while facilitating the offense and handling a large part of the scoring load. Garfield has a shot to win any game this season as long as Jackson and Shawn Christian are on the floor.

Goul, cleveland.com: Marreon Jackson, Garfield Heights. I¹ve never seen a high school player in any sport (maybe softball, but certainly not basketball or football) commit to a college and improve this much. The 6-foot point guard from Garfield Heights scored a career-high 42 points against state champ Westerville South. He¹s had a triple-double or two, depending on who is tracking the rebounds (insert laugh). I thought a month ago this team had no chance of replicating its previous runs to Columbus. Not with shooting guard Shawn Christian recovering from a knee injury. I¹m not so quick to write off the Bulldogs, and Jackson is the reason for that.

Barnes, News-Herald: The best player among teams in the area features Bothwell and Higgins in the debate, but right now Mentor's Jack Korsok may be on top. He leads the Cardinals in almost every major category, has scored nearly 25 pointers per game so far and done just everything for Bob Krizancic's team so far. Mentor is off to a strong start and has solid pieces around Korsok, but his presence so far has made the team go.

Weir, Repository: Jackson’s Kyle Young is the modern big man — a 6-foot-7 athlete who can play above the rim or strafe from 20 feet. He’s also an underrated ball handler and passer. The Butler recruit stays within himself and allows his teammates to work. But as the season wears on and the games get bigger, here’s guessing Young takes his aggressiveness to another level — like when he put 32 points on McKinley in Memorial Field House a few weeks ago.

Contact:

T.J. Peatross, NEO Spotlight - tjpeatross@neohiospotlight.com

Matt Goul, cleveland.com - mgoul@cleveland.com

Nate Barnes, News-Herald - nbarnes@news-herald.com

Josh Weir, Repository - josh.weir@cantonrep.com

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