Spring AAU Preview:

Cincy Prep Hoops Report is excited to be the exclusive provider of all things AAU related in this city, here is a look at who the top teams in Cincinnati are at the 15u, 16u, and 17u levels. Check back in as early as this weekend for coverage from the first set of tournaments.

17u (Rising Seniors)

Queen City Prophets: Team members include Aiken SG Landen Gaulden, West High SF Keevin Tyus, West High PG Darrell Bullock, Shroder PF Ladell Griffin, Withrow C Rozelle Nix, Withrow SF Erron Nichols, Middletown SG Jaihlen Teague (who will be attending prep school), and Mason SF Alex Woelk.

Cincinnati Knights (Gold): Very talented team led by Winton Woods PG Semaj Christon and Lakota East PG Mike Boyd (both of whom will be going prep). This team features four big men from the Dayton area as well as a seven foot African native. Other players include Moeller SG Ben Galemmo, Clark PF Paul Woodson, and Mason SF Darrin Harris.

Cincinnati Knights (Black): Team members include Shroder PF Randale Griffith, West High PG Bubba Hill, Shroder PG Trey Dees, Winton Woods PF Zach McCorkle, Loveland SG Anthony Lamachia, and Aiken SF Mikey Thompson (’13).

All-Ohio Purple: This team is led by Ohio’s POY in Adolphus Washington of Taft who is joined by Taft teammates Orlando Berry Jr (PG), Jermaine Freeman (SG), Jalean Lowe (SF), and Dwayne Stanford (PF). LaSalle PG Josh Lemons and Summit SG Tommy Kreyenhagen also return to the six-time State Champions (who have also won two National Titles). Since all the Taft players cannot play together again until June expect to see either a very different Purple roster in the spring or not see AOP at all until June.


GameTime Magic: New team that features Princeton's Malcolm Smith (SG) and Tank Young (C) and also has Deontez McGee (Norwood SG), and Louis Walker (North College Hill PG).

A few players will play for Columbus based teams as Willy Moore (Aiken SG) will be playing with the Ohio Hoopstars who also have Jalen Robinson, Ke’Shaun Lewis, Andre Yates and Gary Akbar. Geovonie McKnight (Middletown SG) and Mark Minch (Lakota East SG) will join a loaded All-Ohio Red team featuring stars like Elijah Macon, Kenny Kasminski, Devon Scott, Jordan Potts, Deante Hawkins, and many more.  

16u (Rising Juniors)

Queen City Prophets (Davenport): The entire squad returns from last year’s team, which was very successful. This team is led by Moeller SF Joshua Davenport and includes prospects like Tim Coleman (Withrow PG), Deontae Bolling (St. Xavier PG), Sterling Gilmore (Walnut Hills PG), Ramar Hairston (Northwest SG), Nick Fredrick (PG Covington Catholic), Terry Cook (Hughes SG), Marquez Carpenter (West High PF), and Cortez Adams (West High C) who will be joined by new additions like Joe Cossins (Anderson PF) and Trey Kilgore (St. Xavier SF).

All-Ohio Grey: One of the most talented teams in the state, Grey will feature the core from last year's Team Toledo squad that finished in the top ten at nationals. Grey will start the year with just one Cincinnati player on its roster, Aiken PG Tyonte Robertson (a '14 prospect) will be playing up an age group with All Ohio. This team also features stars like PF Vitto Brown (Bowling Green), PF Jackson Lamb (Bedford, MI), SF Deontae Cole (Toledo Central Catholic), Tony Kynard (Toledo Rogers), Clemmye Owens (Toledo Rogers), Keith Towbridge (Toledo Central Catholic), and Mark Alstork (Thurgood Marshall).

At the 16u level several of Cincinnati’s top players will be playing for out of town teams. Aiken SF Austin Grimes and Lakota West SG Monty Boykins will suit up for an All-Ohio Red team that features superstar big men Marc Loving, Nigel Hayes, and Taco Charlton to go along with guards Charles Tucker and Jarron Simmons. DJ Wingfield will return to lead his team, Martin Wolverines (last year’s Team Jordan), which is based out of Zanesville. Wingfield will be joined by his brother Antonio Woods (Summit PG ’14) who will play up with the Wolverines. Kevin Johnson a PG from Summit will return to his Ohio Basketball Club team that is led by Cleveland stars Tony Farmer, Mark Williams, Damonte Flannigan, and Elijah Brown; Withrow PF Devin Williams and Woodward PF Trent Donald will join OBC.

Last year’s Cincinnati Lakers squad finished Top Ten in the AAU Nationals but took some heavy recruiting losses; this year’s team is led by Dorian Jordan (PG Princeton), Keith Watkins (PG Moeller), Dylan Wedlock (SG Lockland), Isaiah Johnson (C Walnut Hills), and Ricardo Hill (SG Walnut Hills).

15u (Rising Sophomores)

Queen City Prophets: Kevin Daniels (Hughes SG) will lead this team which also features Ronnie Roussaeu (Winton Woods PG), versatile foward Lucas Gould (Indian Hill) and Isaiah Jones (PG rising freshman).

Cincinnati Knights: Athletic SF Treyvon Hudson of Colerain and emerging PF Bruce Williams of Georgetown will lead a team that also has Wyoming PG Ahmad Frost, and Princeton SG Isaiah Revels.

Ohio Tarheels: This squad has two stars in Middletown SF Vince Edwards and St. Xavier SF Roderick Mills who are both 6-6.

Cincinnati Lakers: The defending State Champions lost Tyonte Robertson but still have players like Summit PF Mike Barwick, Winton Woods SF Martin Jones, and Winton Woods PF Daniel Cage to go along with several talented guards.


Ohio Crossover Athletics: Winton Woods' Devon Goodson and Demetrius Seusberry lead this team.

Team Queen City: Aaron Oden (Hughes PG) and Devin Pike (Reading PF) lead this talented team.

Team Pit Bull: This team lost a lot of its firepower but still has Hughes PF David Mitchell.

Moeller PF’s Adam Gigax and Blake Simpson, along with Wilmington SG Zach McCormick, will be playing for Columbus’ All-Ohio Red. 

Several other AAU programs such as Shining Star Sports, run by former UC player Alex Meacham, Club Ohio, The Cincinnati Royals, and more will be playing in and around Cincinnati this spring and CPHR will have full coverage of them as well. 

State Championships Recap

Brandon Neel and Ryan Fleming were
spectacular in LaSalle's two wins in Columbus.

What a memorable weekend in Columbus with moments like:

• Cincinnati teams going 4-0 in the Final Four.
• Matt Woeste's game winning tip in the Semi-Final.
• Taft getting out to a 30 point halftime lead in the Title game.
• Brandon Neel putting on a show, including three big dunks against Northland.

These memories will stay with fan for years to come. CPHR is so proud to have two State Championship trophies down in our city for the next year. LaSalle overcame so much adversity this year, finally getting over the hump to make the Final Four, and then dealing with Coach Fleming's heart attack. The Lancers are truly an inspiration to all those who love competition, the toughness that they played with in the Northland game is what any coach would want their program to be based on. Taft has had to deal with a ton of hatred as their group of kids came together like family and proved that they are Ohio's top team. 

Taft's Jalean Lowe really caught fire during the postseason. 

Other great moments this season include: 

• Three great matchups between Princeton and Lakota East.
• Middletown upsetting Moeller.
• Winton Woods win in Dayton over Huber Heights Wayne.
• The classic Taft vs Withrow games.
• And many, many more incredible individual performances.........

CPHR is, starting tomorrow, shifting focus over to the AAU circuit where we will be covering all of the top teams and players in the city. Check back in the next couple days for a special announcement regarding AAU coverage on this site. 

LaSalle Lancers- Division I State Champions in Ohio

Cincinnati got its second State Title trophy of the day as LaSalle upset Columbus Northland in a convincing way. CPHR would like to say on behalf of Cincinnati high school basketball fans how proud we all are of LaSalle for overcoming the adversity of Coach Fleming's heart attack and persevering all the way to a State Championship; it was truly an inspired journey. Celebration photos

The Lancer starting five

LaSalle 59 Northland 40: Down 11-4 just a few minutes into the game the LaSalle coaching staff of interim head coach Pat Goedde and head coach Dan Fleming called a timeout to calm their players down. From that point on it was all Lasalle as they out-toughed and out-hustled Northland to every loose ball and rebound. The taller defenders of Northland initially gave the Lancers some trouble but Brandon Neel and Ryan Fleming, each of whom has played truly inspired basketball this postseason, found the remedy to that. Neel scored 22 points and Fleming added 17 as both of them found ways to float the ball over or adjust it around outstretched Viking arms. The supporting trio of Josh Lemons, Matt Woeste, and Trey Casey helped LaSalle execute their game plan of making the Vikings step out and guard them and scoring off of several reversals (usually followed by a backdoor cut). Defensively the Lancers were spectacular by holding Mr. Basketball, senior PG Trey Burke, to just 10 points and taking the ball from big men Devon Scott and Jalen Robinson. The Lancers ability to contest every shot and then limit Northland's offensive rebounding frustrated the Vikings, as they got three fourth quarter technicals to put the game out of reach. Congratulations to LaSalle on their State Title and a 26-2 season.

Taft Senators- Division III State Champions in Ohio

State Champs

Taft 95 Cleveland Central Catholic 52: The Senators did not leave even the slightest doubt as to who Ohio's top D-III team is with a record breaking performance. Taft, who at one time led this game by 51 points, broke the record for most points in a quarter (30 points in the 2nd) and tied the record for largest margin of victory at 43. The Senators pressure was just way too much for CCC as Taft pulled out to a 30 point halftime lead and never looked back in this one. CCC committed 22 turnovers for the game, and other then Cleveland St signee Anton Grady who had 22 points and 14 boards, they didn't look like they belonged on the court with Taft. 11 of the 15 Taft players who played scored in this one (the Senators had 46 bench points) including three double figure performances as Adolphus Washington led the way with 18 (proving he deserved his Ohio POY award), Jalean Lowe scored 15, and Chris Lowe added 12. The Senators just torched the nets in this one by shooting over 55% from the field and from deep. Orlando Berry Jr, Dwayne Stanford, Malcolm Hicks, Jermaine Freeman, Marquez Johnson, and Kadeem Palmer all added at least 7 points for Taft. The Senators finish the season 26-1.  Celebration Photos

Cincy Prep Hoops Report would like to congratulate Taft on their championship season and for the way that they played all year; we also want to send our most sincere thanks to the entire program, particularly Coach Mitch and Coach Brad, for the access that they gave CPHR. 

Division II State Championship Score

Davonte Beard led SVSM to the D-II State Title

Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary's captures its 6th State Title (2nd most all time), and 2nd in the last three years with a win over Dayton's finest.

• St. Vincent-St. Mary's 57 Thurgood Marshall 46: The Irish slowly expanded their lead over the first three quarters and then held on in the fourth for a comfortable win to give them the State Title. For the Irish, All-State senior guard Davonte Beard and junior wing Lorenzo Cugini took care of the offense today. Cugini, an inside-outside forward with a nice stroke, tallied 15 points while Beard scored 13 and dished out 5 assists. Beard is a crafty scoring guard that is great at changing pace and direction in the open floor then adjusting in the air to finish. All-State senior point guard Jordan Watson was the game's high scorer with 16 points for Thurgood in a losing effort. The future is bright for Thurgood as next year they will return three talented double figure scorers. What makes this championship so impressive for SVSM is that they won after their top player, Jakarr Sampson (a St. John's signee), transferred to a prep school for his senior season. 

Stay tuned to CPHR for full coverage of LaSalle's D-I and Taft's D-III Championship games later today. 

State Championship Preview:

The final day of the ’10-’11 HS season is now upon is, with only the State Championship games remaining, we, as Cincinnati fans, should feel proud to still have two teams in the title hunts. Both games should be interesting, LaSalle will be looked at as the underdog against a Northland team that flexed its muscles against Garfield Heights (but also showed some signs of weakness) while Taft will be viewed as the favorite in their game against Cleveland Central Catholic.

Trey Burke is Ohio's Mr. Basketball, but headed to Michigan.

Division I 

• LaSalle vs Columbus Northland- 8:30 PM @ Schottenstein Center:  The Vikings are not short on size, and they sure aren’t short on talent, as they have the most talented starting five in the state of Ohio. Junior 6’8 forwards Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott (both high-major recruits) are long, athletic, and can dominate the game on either end (as well as the glass). Junior guards Ke’Shaun Lewis and Jordan Potts, who are also division one recruits, can shoot the lights out and get hot at any time. Northland also has Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in senior PG Trey Burke (a Michigan signee) who has had a spectacular season with averages of 24 points and 6 assists. With all this being said, Northland is not invincible, especially when Dan Fleming is the coach on the other bench.  LaSalle will need to keep the big men off the glass, not let Trey Burke get loose (easier said then done), and close out on their shooters when on defense. Offensively, expect the Lancers to patiently execute their motion offense if they are unable to beat Northland’s slower players down the floor. If Josh Lemons, Brandon Neel, Trey Casey, Ryan Fleming and the rest of the Lancers are feeling their jump shots then this is anyone’s game.
•  Prediction: Northland is the clear favorite but LaSalle is on quite a run. Look for the Lancers to embrace their underdog status and push the Vikings to the limit (Coach Fleming’s strategizing will be a factor), but for Northland to take the State Title in a close game behind the play of Mr. Basketball- Trey Burke.  

Anton Grady

Division III

• Taft vs Cleveland Central Catholic- 4:30 PM @ Schottenstein Center: CCC goes as their superstar Anton Grady goes. Grady, a 6-8 senior PF (and Cleveland State signee), shared the D-III State Player of the Year award with Taft’s Adolphus Washington; setting up a great matchup down low. Grady, however, is an inside-outside player who can score from anywhere inside twenty feet; for the season he has posted averages of 22 points and 15 rebounds.  Taft might put the more athletic Dwayne Stanford on Grady to try and contain his dribble or use the physicality of Washington on him. Taft will also look to speed the pace of this game up and force CCC into turnovers (while trying to not have the same turnover problems of their own that they had in the semi-finals). Expect Taft to face a zone defense where they will need to be patient and get the ball inside to open up cuts, spot up jumpers for the Lowe’s, and gaps for the other guards to penetrate on the kick out.
• Prediction: The Senators have been the title favorites all year and that’s not going to change before tip-off. If they contain Grady then they should go home with the hardware. CPHR feels that they will finish the game as Ohio’s D-III champions.

CPHR will also try and make it over to the morning Division II Championship between Dayton’s Thurgood Marshall and Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (lots of talent will be on the floor in this one). Check in with our Facebook page for score updates and more, all day long. 

LaSalle moves on to the D-I State Championship Game

In the postgame interview LaSalle interim head coach Pat Goedde and head coach Dan Fleming talked with reporters about the motto of Lasalle being to "play until the final buzzer, no matter what" and how the Lancer's "pride themsevles on toughness and their ability to fight through adversity"; that's exactly what it took for them to get the win in their State Semi-Final Game.

LaSalle 48 Toledo Central Catholic 46: An unlikely hero emerged in this one; Brandon Neel's driving shot came off the backboard and senior wing Matt Woeste (who's hustle CPHR has commended all year) was there to tip it in as time expired to give LaSalle a two point win and prevent  a second half collapse. After TCC started the game with a 90 second possession followed by an uncontested layup the Lancer coaches figured out a way to speed the Irish up and take control of the game. LaSalle raced out to a 22-12 halftime lead behind their great press and 16 points off of turnovers. Ryan Fleming, who finished with 11 points, was able to connect on two big three balls during the run. In the second half TCC, who is also extremely well coached, slowly came back by giving LaSalle trouble with some pressure of their own and having some shots from sophomore guard Cliff Bussey and sophomore wing Deonta Cole fall through. The lead was traded back and forth in the final quarter as Brandon Neel refused to allow LaSalle to go down. Neel was relentless in attacking the rim, as he has been all tourney, and scored on a variety of moves near the rim. For the game Brandon scored 23 points, a game high. Ryan Fleming gave CPHR some of his thoughts after the game:

The Lancer's advance to play the winner of tonight's matchup between Garfield Heights and Columbus Northland in the State Championship game. Check back into CPHR tonight for a preview of the DI and DIII title games, let's hope our hometown boys can take care of business tomorrow!

Taft advances to D-III State Championship

Adolphus Washington put Taft on his back in the 2nd half.

The Senators are now one win away from accomplishing their goal of a State Title. Up and down play this morning from Taft but the key to the tourney is to survive and advance. Pictures

Taft 63 Columbus Africentric 50: After a terrible third quarter in which they let their 12 point halftime lead get cut to 4 the Senators dug deep in the fourth and only allowed the Africentric Nubians to score one basket in the quarter. Taft raced out early to a 21-6 lead but it slowly shrunk as the Senators could not find a way to hold on the ball, they committed 21 turnovers for the game. Fortunately for Taft they dominated two stat areas: points off turnovers Taft won 26-10 (Africentric had 23 turnovers of their own) and bench points were 28-6. Taft's big spark off the bench was junior wing Jalean Lowe who scored 16 points including three long balls. Lowe's early energy, along with the ball pressure of Kadeem Palmer, was what had Taft rolling early. Adolphus Washington was the point leader today as he scored 22 points on 7-8 FG's. When they had to have buckets the Senators were able to find Washington and he delivered in a big way using his major strength advantage to impose his will. Senior wing Marquez Johnson chipped in 8 points for Taft for the game. The Nubians were led by All-District senior point guard Maurquice Taylor who scored 21 in the loss.  

The Senators will play in the State Championship game tomorrow at 4:30 against the winner of this afternoon's matchup between Cleveland Central Catholic and Portsmouth.

Behind the Scenes with the Taft Senators (Part II)

Yesterday CPHR sat down with Taft's all-league trio of Adolphus Washington, Orlando Berry Jr, and Dwayne Stanford; today, another conversation took place. The rest of the Senator's talented and deep rotation took time to discuss the team, their season so far, and their goals for this weekend's Final Four games.

The Senator's just got in from dinner and are off to a quick film session before getting some rest. Tomorrow is a long day with the goal of reaching the State Title game in sight. Check back with CPHR early afternoon for a full recap of the Columbus Afrocentric game. 

Behind the Scenes with the Taft Senators

Cincy Prep Hoops Report will be blogging live all weekend with the Taft Senators as they try and bring home the Ohio State Championship in Division III. To start off our behind the scenes coverage CPHR sat down with junior stars Orlando Berry Jr, Adolphus Washington, and Dwayne Stanford. Check out our discussion on the way that the Senators handle the high expectations on them, the sense of family, their team swagger, and more....

Tomorrow CPHR will have another set of interviews with some of Taft's other players. Keep checking in as this site will be your home for all things Senators from this week's preparation all the way to what hopefully will be a championship run. Thanks to Jay at Courts 4 Sports in Mason for allowing us to conduct our first interview. If you've never been it's a great gym for tournaments, clinics, leagues, and more.

The Top 50 Spring Showcase has been moved from April 2-3 to April 30th and May 1st. The event is being postponed to accommodate more college coaches. If you had previously reserved a spot then we still have you signed up, if you haven't signed up yet then email:
Corey Albertson- cincyprephoopsreport@gmail.com    or 
Tim Johnson- tdarnellj@hotmail.com
Spots are still available for all age groups but they are going quickly. More and more college coaches are signing up each day as well, don't miss out on this opportunity. For more information on the Top 50 Spring Showcase visit the tab at the top of the page. 

Exclusive Interview: LaSalle Stars Talk Final Four

The LaSalle Lancers are headed to the Division I Final Four this weekend in Columbus, where they will face Toledo Central Catholic on Friday night in the State Semi-Final. Two of their top players, senior wing Brandon Neel and junior point guard Josh Lemons, were kind enough to take time out of one of the busiest weeks of their young lives to talk with CPHR about the season so far, what they expect this weekend, overcoming the odds after Coach Fleming's heart attack and more....

Best of luck to LaSalle as they try and bring the State Championship trophy back with them to Cincinnati. Keep checking in with CPHR all week as we will continue to take you behind the scenes, next we will talk with some of the Taft Senators as they prepare for their State Semi-Final game as well.

State Semi-Final Preview:

Two local teams remain in the hunt for a Ohio State Championship. The LaSalle Lancers have been playing with the extra weight on their shoulders of not having Coach Fleming on the sideline and have turned in two great performances. Taft has gone through a dominant tournament run up until the Regional Final where they had to dig deep, but were able to get the win. Now, both teams are just two wins away from cutting down the nets and bringing home the trophy. Check back into CPHR throughout the week as we bring you exclusive coverage from both teams including a behind the scenes look at Taft as they prepare for Columbus. 

Division I

• LaSalle vs Toledo Central Catholic: Friday 5:15- The Fighting Irish of TCC have pulled off a Cinderella run to reach the Final Four, somehow sidestepping Toledo St. Johns, Toledo Whitmer, defeating Findlay, and then in their first Regional Final since 1968 put together a great performance resulting in a 28 point win. To say that Central Catholic is feeling it right now would be an understatement. Fortunately for the Lancers, the Irish play a very familiar style of ball- Moeller's. The keys to winning this game for LaSalle will be the same as they were against Moeller- speed up the tempo, apply defensive pressure to not allow Central Catholic to execute, and to constantly attack the rim against slower defenders. LaSalle will be the favorites in this game, and if they play as well as they did in both Regional games they should advance to the title game.
  • Prediction: LaSalle wins a close, and low scoring, game to advance to Saturday night's State Final against the winner of Garfield Heights and Columbus Northland.

Division III

• Taft vs Columbus Africentric: Friday 10:45- The Nubians are the fastest growing program in Columbus and have built up quite the stable of talent. They are led by 1^st team All-District PG Maurice Taylor, Kalomo Figueroa-Jackson a big time shooter, and their strong yet quick wing Fuquan Tucker. These three help Africentric play the up and down style of ball that they love, which is very similar to Taft's. What they don't have however, is a player to stop Adolphus Washington down low or the depth to match up and run with Taft for a full 32 minutes. The Senators should be considered favorites in this one. Taft has several players who have been a part of championship teams (whether in football or on the AAU circuit), and they understand what it takes to closeout championship runs; CPHR thinks that the Senators will come out focused and take care of business in both weekend games.
  • Prediction: Now that the prize is within reach Taft will come out clicking on all cylinders and run by Africentric. If they do then Taft will play on Saturday afternoon in the State Championship game against the winner of Cleveland Central Catholic and Portsmouth.

All State Semi-Final and State Championship games will be played at The Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University.  

Saturday Regional Final Results:

Taft is the DIII SW Regional Champions

Taft will be the other team to represent Cincinnati, along with LaSalle, in the State Championships next weekend in Columbus as they narrowly defeated upset-minded Summit at Kettering Fairmont tonight. Roger Bacon, who had another great season, went down to Thurgood Marshall in the Division II Regional Title game.
Taft celebration photos

• Taft 49 Summit 45: In a game that most people thought would be a blowout the Silver Knights took Taft to the final horn before succumbing to the Senators. The lead went back and forth in the final two minutes until Dwayne Stanford scored with 29 seconds to give Taft a 2 point lead. Summit advanced the ball and coming out of a timeout Kevin Johnson was stripped with under 5 seconds left in the game, the ball landed in Dwayne Stanford's hands and his two FT's put the game out of reach with 1 second remaining. The game was played at Summit's pace as their patience on offense (after solving the Taft press which gave them fits in the first quarter) frustrated Taft as did Summit's zone defense which held Taft well below its scoring average. Summit also did a good job on the boards but Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford were able to get some key offensive rebounds in the fourth. The energy of Stanford was key for Taft in this one as was the long range shooting threat of Jalean Lowe, even though he was cold for the game Summit had to be aware of where Lowe was on the court. For the game Washington led the Senators with 15 points, Stanford scored 13, Orlando Berry and Lowe each added 8 in the win. Summit was led by Kevin Johnson's 10 points, Tommy Kreyenhagen's 9, Ryan Glass' 9, while Jack Gustafson and Antonio Woods each had 7. Antonio Woods did a great job of handling the pressure, and picking up his aggressiveness on the offensive end when Johnson was in foul trouble. Taft, who has been #1 in Ohio almost all season in DIII now advances to Columbus for next weekend's final four. 

• Thurgood Marshall 74 Roger Bacon 59:  Jordan Watson's huge second half, he finished with a game high 32 points, propelled Thurgood past Roger Bacon and on to the final four. In the loss Gavin Schumann scored 19 points, Jared Bryant 13, Paul Byrd 13, and JaBriel Coaston 11. The overall depth of Thurgood was just too much for Bacon to handle in this one. 

Friday's Division I Regional Final Recap:

The Lancers are the SW Regional Champs

LaSalle becomes Cincinnati's first team to punch a ticket to next week's State Championships in Columbus with a win over GCL rival Moeller. Check back into Cincy Prep Hoops Report tomorrow to see what teams will represent Southwest Ohio in the Final Four from Divions II and III.

LaSalle 46 Moeller 35: It's the Lancers turn to represent the GCL in the Final Four as they won the tie-breaking game between the rivals at the Cintas center. LaSalle raced out to a 13 point halftime lead (mainly by forcing Moeller into 11 first half turnovers, and shooting twice as many FT's) and held on by their fingernails despite Moeller's best effort. Moeller started to get into their offensive flow late in the third behind the penetration of Charlie Byers but never could get any closer then 3. The difference in this game was the attacking defensive presence of LaSalle's starting group who made it impossible for Moeller to get their rhythm in the first half. On the offensive end the Lancers got great production from Brandon Neel, who only scored 7 points but was able to throw Moeller off kilter with his constant attempts to penetrate. LaSalle got 10 points from Trey Casey, 9 from Josh Lemons, 8 from Ryan Fleming, and 6 from Matt Woeste. Moeller was led by Charlie Byer's 10 points in his final game with the Crusaders. LaSalle's next game will be the State Semi-Final on Friday afternoon against the winner of the Toledo region.

Regional Final Previews:

Three more exciting games in SW Ohio this weekend before the tournament heads up to Columbus for good. Expect the tension to be high in the gyms as a birth in the State Championships is on the line. Cincinnati is guaranteed a spot in the D-I and D-III Semi-Finals but has to earn a spot in Division II with Roger Bacon taking on Dayton's biggest powerhouse. Check back into CPHR both Friday and Saturday night for full coverage of these games.

Division I

• Moeller vs LaSalle: Friday 7:30 @ Cintas- Round three of the GCL South rivalry, is there anything else to say about this one? That's right, the winner goes on to the Division I State Championships next week in Columbus! One thing is for certain, neither team will need to make up a scouting report because it is safe to assume these teams know each other pretty well. We know that Moeller is great at taking teams out of what they do best, and then playing their style offensively. We know that LaSalle has proven that they can push the tempo on both ends against anyone at anytime, and when they're shooting the ball well they're lethal. We just don't know which team will have that extra “it” factor. Moeller had it at home in the first game as they physically manhandled the Lancers, in the second game LaSalle intimidated Moeller with their fierce pressure. Both teams are playing great right now, so something has to give. For the fans, this game is one last chance to see Brandon Neel go at Alex Barlow, Charlie Byers against Josh Lemons, and both supporting casts duke it out with that great GCL intensity and passion. It's safe to say that this will be a fairly low scoring affair with the team that makes the clutch plays (both teams have had some FT problems) the likely winner.
  • Prediction: Expect a game much like last years regional final, hard fought the whole way with both teams trading blows. Whoever can keep their exposure late with the stakes so high will win, CPHR is going to take Moeller but it really is 50-50.

Division II

• Roger Bacon vs Thurgood Marshall: Saturday 3:00 @ Kettering Fairmont- Coach Neal has done a great job in taking the Spartans this far and now only they just have to get by Thurgood Marshall to reach the Final Four. The scouting report on Thurgood is an easy one- they're deep, talented, have some size, and are extremely athletic. To beat them Bacon will have to take care of the ball and patiently wait for good shots, getting the ball inside to Jared Bryant (or by JaBriel Coaston attacking the rim) would be a good game-plan. Defensively the key will be on the glass where the Wolverines thrive, Bacon needs to hold them to one shot per possession, and then slowing them down in transition (expect Bacon to send both their guards back on every Spartan shot). Thurgood, since they knocked off the defending DII Champs in Dayton Dunbar, are the slight favorites in this one but Roger Bacon is more then capable of an upset, particularly if Gavin Schumann and Paul Byrd are hitting their jumpers. Athletic teams like North College Hill and Winton Woods have given Roger Bacon trouble this year so they will have to be at their best on Saturday.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon advances yet again. 

Division III

• Summit vs Taft: Saturday 7:30 @ Kettering Fairmont- The Senators have had their eye on one prize the entire season, the State Championships next weekend in Columbus, now that prize is only 32 minutes of basketball away. Their final opponent standing in the way, the Summit Silver Knights; who have only lost 3 times all year and are playing great team basketball at the perfect time. Summit ,who has posted wins over athletic teams such as Shroder, North College Hill, Clark, and Lockland (2x) has seen their share of pressure (and even applied some of their own); but they've never seen anything like what Taft is capable of when they're on. The Senators did look a little sluggish in their regional semi-final game on Wednesday, don't expect Coach Mitchell to let them come out flat two times in a row, especially with so much on the line. If Summit can contend with Taft's pressure then the next step will be trying to slow down, and compete on the boards with, Taft big men Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford. It will take a great performance in both those areas, and a nice shooting night, but Summit does have the talent and poise to give Taft a game.
  • Prediction: What a great season for Coach Bradley (21-3 so far) in his first year at the helm for Summit. Unfortunately he's running into one of the best DIII teams to come through SW Ohio in a long time. Taft will wear Summit down like they have everyone else and get a comfortable win to take them to the final four.

Thursday's Regional Semi-Final Results:

The Lakota East Thunderhawks have had a season full of great memories, unfortunately their last memory will not be a good one as they were knocked off tonight by one of Ohio's finest. In Division II Cincinnati's last team kept their season in tact with a comeback win. Our city is still alive in the Division I, II, and III playoffs, with Final Four spots guaranteed in D-I and D-III. Here is a closer look at tonight's results:

• Roger Bacon 65 Columbus Mifflin 55: The Spartans trailed upset minded Mifflin (who has been the state's biggest tourney surprise) by 13 after the first and by 7 at the break, but made the necessary adjustments to advance to the Regional Final on Saturday. Bacon got point production from it's usual four senior scorers in this one as Jared Bryant led the way with 16, Gavin Schumann had 15, JaBriel Coaston 12, and Paul Byrd 12 in the win.

• Westerville South 64 Lakota East 58: A back and forth game ended badly for East as they lost their offensive touch in the fourth quarter. The lead belonged to East at the half, and the game was tied after the third, but Westerville South's Traevon Jackson took over in the fourth quarter to advance his squad to the Regional Final against Columbus Northland on Saturday night. For the night Jackson, a 6-6 senior wing that is headed to Wisconsin next year, scored 24 points. East got scoring from RJ Leppert (15 points), Jalen Goodwin (12 points), Mark Minch (11 points), and Mike Boyd (9 points).

Wednesday Regional Semi-Final Scores:

Charlie Byers competitiveness helped Moeller advance.

Great night for basketball if you a GCL fan, if not you might want to skip this article! Both Moeller and LaSalle flexed their muscles against the competition and moved on to advance to the regional final, which (for the second year in a row) will be a rubber match between the rivals. For those who were in attendance at the games at Cintas the stars did not disappoint tonight as we saw several memorable performances. In DIII the favored teams, Summit and Taft, took care of business as they now prepare to meet in the regional final.
 Photos from the Division 1 games 

• 

  Josh Davenport is starting to look
  like a superstar in the making at Moeller.

  Moeller 67 Withrow 58: The Crusaders used the same old formula that they always do to win this one- defend, rebound, defend, rebound, defend, and don't turn the ball over. Moeller worked the ball around to perfection all night long, eventually finding Josh Davenport and Charlie Byers to go ahead and put it in the bucket. Davenport, a sophomore wing, is truly blossoming at Moeller right now as he had another great night with 18 points (7-11 shooting) and 11 rebounds. Davenport also had a big time dunk over the top of an out-stretched Devin Williams off a second quarter in-bounds play. Byers scored 18 as well, dished out 4 assists, and recorded 6 steals. Moeller got its usual defensive boost from Alex Barlow (who scored 9 points) while Ben Galemmo added 8 points for the Crusaders and senior Hayden Frey scored 5 off the bench including a dunk to “close the door” on Withrow's season with under a minute to play. Aaron Thomas made his last Withrow game one for fans to remember as he poured in 19 points and relentlessly attacked offensively, while doing a pretty good job of slowing down Byers. Tim Coleman and Carl Porter each added 12 points for Withrow while Devin Williams chipped in 8 with 11 boards. The key to the game was Moeller matching Withrow on the glass, where the count was tied at 26; while controlling the tempo as well. Coach Kramer's decision to go zone in the second half really confused the Withrow players who resorted to launching tough jumpers. The Crusaders will hope that their defense holds up on Friday in the regional final against LaSalle. 
  
  

• 

  Brandon Neel put on a show at Cintas tonight.

  LaSalle 64 Winton Woods 58: The Lancers raced out to a 20 point halftime lead, and although they tried their hardest, the Warriors could never come back within reach as this game wasn't as close as the score would lead you to believe. Brandon Neel had his best game in a LaSalle uniform as he out-dueled Semaj Christon en route to 34 points. Neel came out aggressive from the start and once he found his jumper there was no way for Winton Woods to slow him down. The entire game was fast paced, as both teams love to run (and start 5 guards). Semaj was not to be outdone as he poured in 32 points of his own, as he finished everything near the basket in transition. When the Warriors came out of the locker room for the second half Semaj put them on his back and slowly chipped away at the lead, but Winton Woods ran out of time. Frustration set in late as a brief skirmish between the two teams spilled over to a dispute between Warrior teammates. The other key player for LaSalle was Matt Woeste, who just seemed to be everywhere tonight. Woeste scored 4 points with 6 rebounds and his energy powered LaSalle through that huge first half run. Josh Lemons scored 9 for LaSalle and Ryan Fleming added 10 to compliment Neel. If LaSalle's offense continues to come this easy they should be able to provide some quality entertainment against Moeller on Friday.
  
  
• Taft 90 Clark 72: Adolphus led Taft with 27 points and 21 rebounds as they wore down Clark in the second half. Taft struggled early with foul trouble and sluggishness but caught fire in the third to take control.  Jalean Lowe continued his nice shooting streak by scoring 23 points on the night and Marquez Johnson added 14 for the Senators. Taft will meet Summit in the regional final on Saturday.
  
  
• Summit 67 Heath 51: Freshman PG Antonio Woods scored a career high 20 points as Summit refused to allow Heath to come back in the second half. The Silver Knights will meet Taft in the regional final on Saturday.

Regional Semi-Final Previews:

Aaron Thomas will lead Withrow against Moeller

It's an all Cincinnati SW Division I Regional as our teams went 4-0 on Saturday against Dayton's finest. On Wednesday night fans will be treated to two semi-final games that are very tough to call. Withrow vs Moeller will be a contrast in styles in which both teams have already proven in the playoffs that they can defeat (Withrow beat Mason, Moeller beat Trotwood) a solid team that plays a contrasting style; something will have to give here. The second game, Winton Woods vs LaSalle, is a rematch from the early season thriller in Forest Park that came down to clutch Lancer play in the fourth quarter. No team has improved more then Winton Woods, have they surpassed the Lancers? Any of the possible regional final matchups would be extremely appealing and CPHR can't wait to see how it all unfolds in D-I. In DII Roger Bacon is the last team standing and needs a win to advance to the final to face the winner of Dunbar and Thurgood Marshall. Cincinnati is also represented by three of the four squads that remain in the DIII regionals, Summit will square off with one of Columbus' up and coming programs, while Clark and Taft will go at it in what should be a very fast paced contest. Here are all the matchups: 
Sweet 16 Brackets

Charlie Byers is trying to get Moeller back to the Final Four

Division I 

• Withrow vs Moeller: Wednesday @ Cintas 6:15- The Tigers, making their first regional appearance since the Yancy Gates days, will battle the Crusaders of Moeller, who advanced out of this region last year before falling in the state final. Withrow has looked very good over the course of the tourney in wins over Mason and Troy. While everyone has been talking about how vulnerable Moeller is, they continue to get win after win. The intriguing matchup in this game will be the defense of Charlie Byers on his AAU teammate Aaron Thomas of Withrow. Byers knows Thomas' game like the back of his hand, but that rarely makes difference when Aaron is on, who will win this matchup? Defensively both teams might have to make adjustments as Withrow hasn't faced a ton of teams that play with as deliberate of a style as Moeller, and have as many shooters; while Moeller hasn't faced a team with the size and athleticism (and plethora of D1 prospects) as Withrow. Withrow's raw talent will help them as will Moeller's system of intelligent basketball but this game might be decided by simply who makes the most clutch shots. Carl Porter, Devin Williams, Alex Barlow, and Ben Galemmo have been great all year for their teams but with the stakes so high CPHR can't wait to see the ball in the hands of Aaron Thomas and Charlie Byers.

  • 

    Semaj Christon leads Winton Woods in the LaSalle rematch

    Prediction: Withrow is playing better right now but Moeller has the experience and the knack for winning these types of games. This one easily could go either way but since Moeller found a way to slow down Thomas last year (when he was at Aiken), CPHR is going with the Crusaders to win a close game. 
    
    
• Winton Woods vs LaSalle: Wednesday @ Cintas 8:00- Great matchup between two teams who have showed tremendous resolve over the last week. Winton Woods just simply refused to lose, despite Wayne's best efforts, in the district final. While LaSalle has had to deal with some tough off court adversity, as their Coach, Dan Fleming, continues to recover from a heart attack. The first game between these teams highlighted LaSalle's on court resolve as they overcame the phenomenal play of Semaj Christon, and a raucous Warrior crowd, to get a road win. That loss did prove one thing to Winton Woods, they are capable of playing with anyone. These are two teams that are playing with a real swagger right now. The exciting thing about this game will be that both teams start five perimeter players and push the tempo to the absolute limit. Look for this to be a game of runs and the winner might just be whoever has the ball last.

  • 

    Brandon Neel wants LaSalle to be 2-0 against Winton Woods

    Prediction: Very close call as both teams are playing great, CPHR is going to go with LaSalle to gut this one out and advance to another regional final. 
    
    
• Lakota East vs Westerville South: Thursday @ Columbus Fairgrounds 7:30- No regional game would ever be considered easy, but this is a very tough matchup for East. Westerville South is 23-1 and has hovered around the top 5 in the state AP poll all season (although East has been in the top ten for months). Westerville South is led by senior wing Traevon Jackson, the son of the great Jim Jackson, who is committed to Wisconsin. Jackson is a pure scorer with size that East will have to find a way to slow down. Junior PG Isaiah Rogers is also a capable game-changer for Westerville South. Taking into factor that this game will be played in Columbus, Lakota East does appear to be the underdog in this one. However, East has thrived on the underdog (even though they've only lost once as well) attitude all season. Wins at Wayne, three times over Princeton, Middletown, and Mason prove that they can defeat any of the state's most talented squads. This game should be closer then many Columbus fans think.

  • 

    Mike Boyd will lead East into hostile territory in Columbus

    Prediction: Lakota East's great run of close wins comes to an end in Columbus as they fall to Westerville South in a tightly contested game. 

Division II

• Roger Bacon vs Mifflin: Thursday @ Kettering Fairmont 5:30- The last remaining DII team in Cincinnati will have their work cut out for them against a Mifflin team that is on a dream like run (Mifflin was sub .500 entering the playoffs) but Bacon will have a real talent advantage.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon is on a roll, they will advance to the regional final.

Division III

• Summit vs Heath: Wednesday @ Kettering Fairmont 5:30- The Silver Knights have found a groove defensively, to match their talented arsenal of scorers, making them a tough opponent for any remaining team. Heath, who has made it to at least the district final the last two seasons, has had a successful season due to their defensive abilities as well. Look for this one to be a low scoring, grind it out, type of game. CPHR thinks Summit has the advantage because the best scorer on the court, sophomore PG Kevin Johnson, will be wearing a Summit jersey.
  • Prediction: Summit finds a way to get another hard fought win.

• Taft vs Clark: Wednesday @ Kettering Fairmont 8:00- The Cougars, playing in the regional for the first time, are having a dream like run this month. But Taft has looked unstoppable, like a team on a mission, during the playoffs (including an 108 point performance in the district final). Clark's momentum might keep them close early but the prolonged pressure of Taft should wear them down eventually.
  • Prediction: Taft takes control again and gets the win.

Regional Semi-Final winners will all play again over the weekend (D1 on Friday, D2 and D3 on Saturday) to earn their respective Regional Championships, and a spot in next weekend's State Championships. Check back into CPHR each day for results and on Friday morning for a full preview of the Regional Finals.

Saturday Division I District Title Results:

Withrow Tigers

Another great day for the city of Cincinnati as our teams swept Dayton, 4-0, in some intense district final action. The final game of the day pitted two Cincy teams against each other for the right to advance to the Columbus regional. Who were the five teams that cut the nets down tonight? 
Pictures from all 5 games.

• Withrow 80 Troy 70: The Tigers got things going offensively from the opening tip as Kevin Jones came out knocking down jumpers, Aaron Thomas was getting whatever he wanted, and Devin Williams was abusing his man down low. Withrow led by seven points at the end of the third quarter and seemed to be in control, until Troy senior wing Lance Carter (who scored a game high 27 points) got hot and kept Troy in the game. Withrow just simply had too much firepower for the Trojans to keep up with however. Withrow is playing extremely well right now and if Devin Williams continues to knock down mid-range jumpers they will be very tough to beat. For the game Thomas finished with 25 points, Williams 23, Jones 15, and Carl Porter added 7 points and 10 rebounds. CPHR was also impressed with the clutch play of junior guard Kendall Beamon, who hit two big jumpers, and the activity of junior forward Tyler Jordan; both of these players helped the Tigers advance to Wednesday's regional semi-final at Cintas. 

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  Moeller Crusaders

  Moeller 60 Trotwood-Madison 52: As CPHR predicted, this game was very physical and emotional from the tip until the clock read all zero's. Moeller raced out to an 11 point half time lead mainly behind the play of sophomore wing Josh Davenport, who had 15 points at the half. Trotwood stayed close in the second half as junior forward Bam Bradley was a force down low; Bradley finished with 16 points and 11 boards for the Rams. Trotwood got as close as 4, with the ball, with just 70 seconds remaining (after 6 consecutive missed Moeller FT's), but then Moeller got Charlie Byers the ball. Chuck went 6/6 from the line over the final :30 seconds to keep Moeller ahead by a semi-comfortable margin. For the game Byers led the Crusaders with 18 points while Davenport added on 17 and 10 rebounds. Alex Barlow scored 9 points for Moeller and made several key hustle plays down the stretch, Ben Galemmo scored 8 (including two huge second half three balls), and Cody Wacker chipped in 7 to aid Moeller. The Crusaders advance to the regional semi's to face Withrow on Wednesday night at Cintas. 

• 

  Winton Woods Warriors

  Winton Woods 80 Huber Heights Wayne 76 (2OT): This game had a lot of hype swirling around it and it did not disappoint for a single second. Another physical game that was nip and tuck from wire to wire. At the end of the third quarter, with Semaj Christon having missed almost the entire game with foul trouble, Winton Woods was clinging to a narrow five point lead and then things got really interesting. Both teams traded blows, and made free throws, until a layup by Travis Trice with 6 seconds remaining sent the game into its first overtime. In the ovetime Trice and Winton Wood's Dennis Thomas traded multiple baskets until a Thomas free throw with 8 seconds left forced double overtime. Winton Woods was able to pull a head for good when Trice was called for charging, with his team already trailing, with just 22 seconds left. Winton Woods went on to make enough free throws to earn the district title in an instant classic that fans will be talking about for years and years. Trice was absolutely outstanding in this game, CPHR can't wait to see what he will be able to do next year in a Michigan State uniform. Trice his shot after shot from everywhere on the court and finished with a game high 38 points in his last Wayne game. Winton Woods was led by the 25 points of Dennis Thomas, the 23 points of Dion Dearmond (who carried them while Semaj was in foul trouble), and the 13 points (in limited minutes) of Semaj Christon. CPHR would also like to recognize the defensive play of Mark Ellison and Thomas Owens who both showed tremendous poise down the stretch. Winton Woods advances to play in the second of the Cintas Center's regional semi-finals on Wednesday.

• 

  LaSalle Lancers

  LaSalle 60 Meadowdale 41: Talk about an emotional game! With the Lancers playing without their beloved coach, who is recovering from a heart attack, no one knew what type of performance to expect. But, the Lancers were able to dig deep and pull off a gutsy performance in the face of adversity. LaSalle raced out to a double digit lead after the first and never looked back, as Meadowdale never got closer then 12 in the fourth quarter. Brandon Neel really brought a lot of energy to the floor tonight and was effective attacking the rim as he led LaSalle with 18 points. Josh Lemons scored 13 points, with 8 rebounds, in the win and Trey Casey hit some key shots and finished with 12 points. Forwards Matt Woeste (7 points) and Ryan Fleming (6 points) also played a key role in the LaSalle win. CPHR would like to recognize the courageousness of Ryan Fleming, who was hit the hardest by the absence of the coach, as it is his father, and still turned in a great effort for the night. The LaSalle student section and members of the community were in tears as the Lancers cut the nets down for their second straight, and definitely most meaningful, district title. LaSalle will play again on Wednesday night against Winton Woods at Cintas in the regional semi-final.
  

  

  Lakota East Thunderhawks

• Lakota East 48 Princeton 36: The unfortunate thing about the fifth, and final, game on Saturday at Dayton was that a Cincinnati team had to lose. The really unfortunate thing for Princeton fans is that it was them, it seems like this year East really has their number (this was the Vikings third close loss to East this season). In a game in which the two teams knew each other so well that both teams got off to slow starts offensively until the mid second when guards from each side started to heat up. The score was 30-29 in favor of East heading into the fourth, and then Princeton just lost control of their offensive flow. RJ Leppert (15 points), Jalen Goodwin (12 points), and Mike Boyd (6 points and 4 dimes) all made several key plays down the stretch to seal the deal for the Thunderhawks. The other bright spot for East was the interior play of undersized senior forward Brian Evans, who manhandled Viking players inside, and seemed to grab every big rebound. Princeton, who had won three consecutive district titles before tonight, was led by the 10 points of Malcolm Smith and the strong play of sophomore point guard Dorian Jordan. Lakota East advances to play Westerville South at the Columbus Fairgrounds in the Columbus regional semi-final on Thursday night. 

Friday Division IV District Final Results:

Cincinnati, for the first time in seven years, is officially eliminated from the D-IV playoffs before the start of regional play. Both Lockland and Seven Hills fell tonight to very good teams, here's a look at how it all went down......

• Houston 62 Lockland 56: After getting off to a slow start, the Panthers trailed 15-1, Lockland came back to take the lead mid-way through the third quarter but couldn't make enough plays in the fourth quarter to win. Sophomore guards DJ Wingfield and Dylan Wedlock were the most consistent offense for the Panthers, both were able to slash effectively and score in the paint. Wedlock scored 18 points and Wingfield added on 13 in the loss. This was the first time in the last 7 years that Lockland did not capture the division IV district title in Dayton. 

• Dayton Jefferson 55 Seven Hills 30: Senior forward Miles Hill led the Stingers with 11 points. Jefferson has long been considered the favorite to come out the Kettering region and make the final four, they showed why they are getting so much hype tonight with a dominating performance. 

Thursday DIII District Final Scores:

Great night for Cincinnati basketball as our teams went 3-0, cutting down the nets in all three district final games at UD Arena. All three of these teams will be back in action Wednesday night in the regionals. 

• Summit 54 Jamestown Greenview 36: The Silver Knights wore down the bigger, but slower, Greenview team in the second half, propelling them to a blowout victory.. Kevin Johnson led Summit with 17 points, freshman PG Antonio Woods scored 11, and senior forward Ryan Glass added 14 points. Summit advances to play in their second regional semi-final in three years, which will be played Wednesday night at Kettering Fairmont. 

• Taft 108 Waynesville 75: Jalean Lowe caught fire for Taft going 5-6 from three on route to 19 points to lead the Senators as they torched the nets all game long. Dwayne Stanford scored 18 points, Adolphus Washington scored 17 points with 11 rebounds, Marquez Johnson scored 16 points, and Orlando Berry Jr added 11 points in the win. Taft advances to play Clark in the regional semi-final on Wednesday at Kettering Fairmont. 

• Clark 78 Versailles 68: Max Hasell's three pointer at the buzzer capped the Cougar comeback and forced overtime. In overtime it was all Clark as they kept the momentum and broke the game open. Al Upshaw led Clark with 22 points while Hasell added 16 (including 5 three pointers). Paul Woodson led the Cougars on the glass with 10 boards. Clark will play Taft in the regional semi-final on Wednesday night at Kettering Fairmont. 

Wednesday's DII District Final Scores:

Only one Cincinnati team remains in the tournament as North College Hill falls to Thurgood Marshall and Roger Bacon blows out St. Paris Graham Local. It's on to the regionals for Bacon as they are now two wins away from representing Cincy at the state final four........

• Thurgood Marshall 50 North College Hill 42: After trailing by as many 15 in the third quarter the Trojans mounted a comeback and got within two points midway through the fourth, but they couldn't get over the hump and get the win. Senior forward Vincent Edwards posted 17 points and 19 rebounds in the loss for NCH. Thurgood was led by Jordan Watson's 17 points, they will meet Dayton Dunbar on Thursday at Kettering Fairmount in the regional semi-final. 

• Roger Bacon 59 St. Paris Graham Local 29: A dominating win by the Spartans to give them the district title. The Spartans used their athleticism advantage and pressure defense to smother their opponents. Paul Byrd, a senior PG, led the way with 13 points while senior SF JaBriel Coaston and senior SG Gavin Schumann each had 10 in the win. Roger Bacon advances to play in the regional semi-final on Thursday at Kettering Fairmount. 

All-City Team

Here's a look at who was the best of the best in Cincinnati high school ball this season. CPHR looked at stats, importance to their team, team success, and the ability to put up unforgettable performances when putting this list together. The '10-'11 season has been a memorable one, here is a take at the All-City squad.

CPHR's 2010-2011 All-City Team:

First Team

• Semaj Christon- Senior PG Winton Woods 

  

  Semaj Christon, of Winton Woods, our "Player of the Year".

  *** Player of the Year ***

• Aaron Thomas- Senior SG Withrow
• Josh Lemons- Junior PG LaSalle
• Adolphus Washington- Junior PF Taft
• Geovonie McKnight- Junior SG Middletown

Second Team

• Mike Boyd- Senior PG Lakota East
• Orlando Berry Jr.- Junior PG Taft
• Charlie Byers- Senior PG Moeller
• Carl Porter- Senior SF Withrow

• 

  Aaron Thomas, of Withrow, had another terrific season.

  Jared Bryant- Senior PF Roger Bacon

Third Team 

• Keevin Tyus- Junior SF West High 
• Kevin Johnson- Sophomore PG Summit
• Jalen Billups- Senior PF Shroder
• Brandon Neel- Senior SG LaSalle
• Trent Donald- Sophomore PF Woodward

LaSalle junior PG Josh Lemons

Honorable Mention: Zach McCormick- Freshman SG Wilmington, Ulysses Thomas- Senior SG Princeton, JaBriel Coaston- Senior SF Roger Bacon, Paul Byrd- Senior PG Roger Bacon, Alex Barlow- Senior PG Moeller, Ben Galemmo- Junior SG Moeller, Ryan Fleming- Senior SF LaSalle, Cameron Lee- Senior SF Lakota East, Kirby Wright- Senior PF Middletown, Monty Boykins- Sophomore SG Lakota West, Willy Moore- Junior SG Aiken, Austin Grimes- Sophomore SF Aiken, Lionel “Bubba” Hill- Junior PG West High, Dwayne Stanford- Junior PF Taft, Kadeem Palmer- Junior PG Taft, Devin Williams- Sophomore PF Withrow, Miles Hill- Senior SF Seven Hills, Brian Carden- Senior SF Mason, Greg Sevilla- Senior SF North College Hill, Melvin Hunter- Senior SG Northwest, Isiah Johnson- Sophomore C Walnut Hills, Dennis Thomas- Senior SG Winton Woods, Sean Duggan- Senior SF St. Xavier, Drew Hall- Junior SG McNicholas, JD Sprague- Junior PG Mason, Paul Woodson- Junior PF Clark, Deontez McGee- Junior SG Norwood, Terry Cook- Sophomore SG Hughes, Bryan Porter- Sophomore SG Colerain, Malcom Smith- Junior SG Princeton