Five PG's Stand Out Early in 2014

Now that the dust has settled from a busy AAU and high school summer season CPHR has decided to label the class of '14, for now, as the year of the PG. It certainly appears to be the deepest position in what is shaping up to be a surprisingly good class (particularly at the top). Only time will tell which of these point men will develop into stars, but they certainly all have potential to one day earn D1 college scholarships for their craft. As we constantly re-evaluate it is becoming more and more difficult to determine who ranks where in this class; but for now, these are the five CPHR feels confident will stamp their names on the upcoming high school season....

• Tyonte Robertson- 6'0 Withrow: Truth be told Tyonte did not get off to the start many thought he would in his HS career as he went through a roller coaster season at Aiken. With a fresh start at a new school and the opportunity to play with a close friend, '13 PF Devin Williams, Robertson appeared focused and confident in scrimmages with the 'Row. He is without question the most talented on this list with his tight handle, dynamic arsenal of moves, and ability to play the role of scorer or distributor. A top level competitor who is driven to win and succeed CPHR has watched Tyonte mature on and off the court where he is learning to control his emotions and play on an even keel. What also separates Robertson from the rest is his development physically where he has a strong build and exceptional quickness. We believe that he will step up and be an all league performer in the CMAC this year as he continues to hone his jumpshot and learn to let the plays come to him instead of forcing the issue.
  
  
  

• Antonio Woods- 6'0 Summit: Not many players in Southwest Ohio enjoyed as successful of a freshman campaign as Woods; and he did so without hardly taking a shot. Woods started every game for Summit, leading them to the Regional Finals, and played the role of set up man to perfection. Playing along another elite guard talent in Kevin Johnson ('13) the cards are aligned for Woods to take Summit upstate for the first time ever this season. As pure of a PG as it gets Woods possesses a great handle and prefers simple and effective over the extraordinary when it comes to passing. Rarely do you see a freshman play the entire varsity game and not commit a turnover, but that became common practice for Woods last season. While he gets the label of being a traditional lead guard Woods is also capable of pushing the ball; he might be the fastest player on this list with the ball in his hands. His ability to shoot the ball and to add strength is improving steadily and he should enjoy another solid season at Summit where his name will emerge with Johnson's as an elite talent in the MVC.
  
  
  
  
  
• Aaron Oden- 6'1 Taft: By far the toughest player on this list to project for the upcoming season as AO is entering uncharted waters. After starting every game last season at Hughes, and getting a good number of looks each game, he decided to transfer over to Taft where there is no denying that Orlando Berry Jr has that starting PG spot locked up. During last year's State Championship run Taft did start two PG's with Kadeem Palmer ('11) complimenting Berry. That could work very well again this season as Oden is more of a combo guard that likes to play the point. A talented scorer with range and penetrating ability Aaron just needs to understand how to slow down and pick his spots to become an elite guard in the CMAC. His athleticism sets him apart from those his age, and should help him get on the court at Taft where he can really help them in their full court defense. Whether or not Oden gets a ton of minutes at Taft is pure speculation but either way CPHR expects him to contribute nicely when called upon and make great strides with his game by practicing with Berry and a proven group of winners.
  
  
  
  
  
• Ronnie Rousseau- 5'10 Winton Woods: Sink of swim? Those are Rousseau's only two choices this year as he will come up from the JV level and assume the reigns vacated by national top 50 recruit Semaj Christon ('12 Brewster Academy). Ronnie has all the tools to succeed; deadly speed in the open floor, deep range on his jumpshot, a burning desire to improve, steady handles, and great court vision; but he does have two major question marks in his lack of experience and lack of physicality. CPHR has no doubt that Rousseau is as talented as any player in the FAVC, and will one day be a spectacular player at Winton Woods, the question is can he answer the call and do it from day one? Rousseau held up great in summer league ball, and enjoyed the most successful AAU season of anyone on this list, and while that is totally different from the HS season CPHR believes it is an indicator that he is ready to be the man on varsity. The arrival of '13 PF Trent Donald should lighten the scoring load and with a core of young players Coach Gillespie should be able to find plenty of opportunities to use successes and failures as teaching points early.
  
  
  
  
  
• Tyler Williams- 6'1 Lakota West: Sometimes you have to admit that your wrong; and CPHR is doing that right here, we slept on Tyler Williams late last season when he stepped up and rejuvenated a struggling West team. A big PG with a nicely developing jumpshot and a good understanding of the game Williams was a key component this spring/summer with his Shining Star's AAU team (where he played up two grades at the 17u level). That type of competition has prepared him to take another step forward this season as he will pair with fellow PG Ali Barnes ('13) and star SG Monty Boykins ('13) to try and elevate West to the next level. CPHR is still not 100% sure where he fits on this list and will have a close eye on Williams' development over the early parts of the season.

Open Gym Highlights 8/20

Highlights from Saturday's open gym action shot by CPHR associate Isaiah Revels of Workout Nation TV, who shot using two cameras! Some of the top plays in these tapes come from Devin Williams, Dorian Jordan, Geovonie McKnight, Rozelle Nix, Paul Woodson, Darrin Harris, Ricardo Hill Jr, Deontae Bolling, Jahilen Teague, Mikey Thompson, Willy Moore, and more........

Monty Boykins- July Highlight Tape

Lakota West '13 SG Monty Boykins had a great July AAU run with his Shining Star Schaeffer team. Here are some highlights produced by the Boykins family. ...

Register today by calling Tim Johnson at 513-652-5227 or visit the Facebook Page

Many of Cincinnati's top players will be working on their game all fall at the QCP Fall League

CPHR will be providing full coverage including photo and video at all HS games

Nick Fredrick- Weekend Open Gym Highlights

Although he might rest his head across the river, one name that Cincinnati hoops fans need to get familiar with is '13 PG/SG Nick Fredrick of Covington Catholic (KY). Over the last year CPHR has watched Fredrick transform from a pure shooter with potential to a confident combo guard capable of making plays all over the floor. After tightening his handle, improving his quickness, and refining his pull up game Nick has seen his results improve in open gyms and workouts late this summer. A hard worker with a high basketball IQ Fredrick overcomes his lack of size with an improving swagger and one elite skill, his range. Look for Fredrick to make moves over at Cov Cath and then in Cincy on the AAU/showcase circuit.

Video produced by Rick Broering of NKY Sports Blog

Rozelle Nix- Weekend Open Gym Highlights

As CPHR has covered at length '12 Withrow C Rozelle Nix is one of Ohio's fastest rising big men prospects. Rozelle's rebounding, shotblocking, and much improved knack for scoring can all be seen in this tape from last weekend's open gym at Cincy State.

Video shot by Rick Broering of NKY Sports Blog

Devin Williams- Weekend Open Gym Highlights

A few clips of plays from Withrow '13 PF/C Devin Williams, playing this past weekend at an open gym at Cincinnati State. CPHR was there to see Williams thrive against some of the top young players in the state from the '12, '13, and '14 classes. More videos from the run to be released soon........

Special thanks to Rick Broering of MusketeerScoop.com and NKYsportsblog.com for capturing and editing down all the footage. Check out NKY Sports Blog over the next week for highlights from three Kentucky prospects who participated.

Josh Davenport- Weekend Open Gym Highlights

A few clips of plays of '13 Moeller wing Joshua Davenport, playing this past weekend at an open gym at Cincinnati State. CPHR watched Davenport make several tough shots against some of the top young players in the state from the '12, '13, and '14 classes. More videos from the run to be released soon........

Special thanks to Rick Broering of MusketeerScoop.com and NKYsportsblog.com for capturing and editing down all the footage. Check out NKY Sports Blog over the next week for highlights from three Kentucky prospects who participated.

Dorian Jordan Steadily Improving

'13 PG Dorian Jordan, a returning starter for the Princeton Vikings, has really seen his stock improve among college coaches thanks to the extra work that he has been putting in the gym. Several low major D1's and even more D2 schools have inquired about Jordan, who only stands about 5'7 but is a pure point guard in every sense. A dynamic ballhandler and passer who uses his lack of size as an advantage, Jordan is capable of penetrating through tight gaps and getting into the teeth of the defense consistently. A more then capable shooter who can pull up off the dribble, and an above average ability to find ways to score over taller defenders in traffic makes him a triple threat. The best asset that Dorian has however is his quickness, which benefits him on both sides of the ball. Not only can he heat up his man and force a turnover but he can take that turnover and transition it downcourt for a layup or a highlight reel assists.

Dorian, along with senior SG Malcolm Smith, will be counted on as the leader of his Vikings squad this upcoming season (where expectations will be as high as always). Here is some video of Jordan shot by Workout Nation TV's Isaiah Revels. Workout Nation TV is one of the top mixtape sights in Cincinnati and young Isaiah has a real talent with ability to make a name for himself in the industry.

Moore Weighing His Options

It was a busy summer for '12 Aiken SG Willy Moore. First, he went down to North Carolina with All-Ohio Purple and played for a team that lost in the finals to Chris Paul's CP3 All-Stars. Next, he rejoined his old squad, the Cincinnati Knights, for trips to West Virginia, St. Louis, and Fort Wayne where he gathered increased attention from college coaches at every stop.

Since he was a freshman basketball minds in Ohio have known about Willy. A chiseled 6'3 combo guard with a slick handle, deep range, hops, and an uncanny level of court vision there are few in the country with Moore's talent level. This past high school season that potential turned into production as Willy was named to the CMAC All-Conference 1^st Team and averaged just under 18 PPG for his Aiken Falcons. Now that it's getting near time to make a college decision and Moore is just taking in the process and letting it unfold.

“Wichita State just called and offered me today. Cleveland State offered, Ohio University, Akron, Kent State, Tulane, Miami (OH), James Madison, Iona all offered, and a couple others,” Moore claims. Added to that list is Dayton, Cincinnati, Xavier, Wisconsin, Eastern Kentucky, and Louisville who have all shown some interest but have not yet offered.

“Wichita State, Kent State, and definitely Dayton would be my leaders right now. I know I'm going to take a visit to Wichita State this fall,” Moore told CPHR. “My mom would like to see me stay close to home so she could go see me play, that's what I like about the MAC schools, but I want to go out and see Wichita State for sure.”

No decision date has been set, and no decision is likely to be made until closer to the school season but Moore says that, “I'm just looking for a place to come in and play my game, hopefully get in as a freshman and show what I can do. Most schools are recruiting me because they like the way I score but a lot of them said that once the point guard gets tired then they'll probably slide me over and let me play the point because of my passing ability.”

Like any player going through the recruiting process it's a lot to take in but fortunately for Moore he has a lot of support in his circle, “Coach Tre (Cincinnati Knights), Coach Leon (Aiken), my mom, all my other AAU coaches, we're starting to talk about our options now so that I'll be able to find the best fit where I can go in and prove what I'm capable of. The more schools that are interested the better.”  

Don't Believe Everything You Hear............

After rumors spread all over the city for the last month the verdict is out............

'13 PG Kevin Johnson, ranked #3 in the city by CPHR, will remain at Summit for his final two years of eligibility.

After being tied to a story, and even having it announced via Twitter by his AAU coaches, that he was leaving to enroll at LaSalle no change will be made for Johnson. Kevin and his family cited the phenomenal educational opportunities as well as the tight sense of community at Summit as reasons to stay.

This comes as great news to Summit as they will now gear up for one of the most hyped seasons in school history. Johnson, a 6'2 athletic scoring point man who can play off the ball, will rejoin teammates Antonio Woods and Tommy Kreyenhagen, who were both standout performers last year. Factor in the arrival of CPHR's #2 freshman- SG Macio Teague and the Silver Knights will be one of the premiere DIII teams in the state of Ohio next season.

Johnson just finished a very successful AAU session in July where he has now accumulated over 15 NCAA Division I scholarship offers with a lot more interest on its way.

Zach McCormick- Change of Plans

'14 SG Zach McCormick, who spent his freshman season as the leading scorer (16.7 PPG) at Wilmington HS, had originally planned to move to Northern Kentucky and transfer to Dixie Heights HS for his last three season. Today he announced that instead he will be staying in Ohio by enrolling at Turpin. CPHR has confirmed with Turpin head coach Brad Cupito that McCormick is enrolled and will be eligible to play this upcoming season.

Since the news in mid-May of his susposed transfer to Dixie Heights rumors have spread all through the city of other possible destinations for McCormick if the Dixie Heights situation did not end up playing out. After evaluating their options the family is very happy with the educational and athletic opportunities in Turpin Hills.

McCormick will anchor a team with a lot of talent and experience in what CPHR considers to be an emerging program. Seniors Adam Boyer and Mitch Stevens, along with juniors Connor Grotton (a blooming talent) and Clay Johnson all return to give the Spartans a chance at a special season.

Note: McCormick will re-enter the '14 rankings on the next update. Before he announced that he was moving to Kentucky he was ranked #2 in CPHR's rankings for his class.

Woodson Officially an Aiken Falcon

After two months of anticipation former Clark standout Paul Woodson has enrolled at Aiken HS for his senior year. At the end of his junior year Woodson decided not to return to Clark for personal reasons, and looked into several options before settling on the Falcons as his home.

Coming off a junior season in which he was named 1st Team All Conference in the MVC, and led the team to a Regional Semifinal appearance, Woodson is just starting to reach his full potential on the basketball floor due to his increasingly polished skillset. A 6'7 PF with elite level athleticism and a nonstop motor Paul impacts the game on both ends of the floor with his hustle and toughness. The past two springs playing AAU with the Cincinnati Knights he has seen a huge improvement in all of his ballskills; most notably his handling where he is now able to push the break himself after securing a defensive rebound.

Paul should fit perfectly into Aiken's run-n-gun offensive system and pressuring defensive style where he might be the missing piece to make them one of Soutwest Ohio's top DII teams (along with Taft, Dayton Dunbar, and Thurgood Marshall). Coaches at Aiken are confident that he he'll quickly gel with AAU teammates, and starting backcourt, Willy Moore and Landen Gaulden (also seniors); as well as star junior wing Austin Grimes. With Woodson's ability to be a low post threat, while getting up and down the court so quickly, the Falcons will look to have a special season.

All-Ohio Red 17u wins the AAU National Championship

Elijah Macon led AOR from start to finish

A perfect ending to a memorable season for All-Ohio Red's 17 team happened today as they knocked off the favored Memphis YOMCA squad by a score of 60-48 to claim another AAU National Championship for what is undoubtedly Ohio's top AAU organization.

After winning the Ohio AAU State Championship in June there was chatter that Red might have enough firepower to take the crown at Nationals and they delivered under the utmost pressure. Just to reach the championship game Red had to get by Houston Hoops, the Florida Rams, the Georgia Stars, and Alabama Challenge (all of whom are among the nation's elite teams). AOR used their combination of depth, size, and experience together to wear down tired teams and prevailed in the last three rounds thanks to some lights out shooting from the whole team.

The team MVP for the tourney would have to be Top 50 national recruit Elijah Macon who used his chiseled and hyper-athletic 6'8 body to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor. Every single player contributed heavily in Orlando for All-Ohio Red, the rest of the National Championship roster includes:

• Elijah Macon- 6'8 PF Huntington Prep (WV) recently transfered from Columbus Marion-Franklin
• Jalen Robinson- 6'8 PF/C Columbus Northland is committed to Dayton
• Devon Scott- 6'9 C Columbus Northland is committed to Cincinnati
• Kenny Kaminski- 6'8 PF Medina is committed to Michigan State
• Teddy Hawkins- 6'7 SF/PF Dayton Dunbar
• Myles Hamilton- 6'2 SG Lakewood St. Ed
• Jordan Potts- 6'0 PG Columbus Northland 
• Jake Kretzer- 6'4 SF Waverly is committed to Akron
• Leroy Alexander- 6'2 SG Springfield 
• Terry Rozier- 6'1 PG Shaker Heights missed the trip but excelled all year long with AOR

Note: CPHR would also like to congratulate the Martin Wolverines 16u team for winning Adidas end of summer event in Los Angeles this past weekend. The Wolverines completed another terrific AAU season led by local players SG Dontonio Wingfield Jr (Lockland), PG Antonio Woods (Summit), C Maverick Morgan (Springboro), and SG Stedman Lowry (Lakota East)

Finally, CPHR would like to congratulate the 17u Shining Stars (Walthar) team on placing 12th at Nationals.

Ohio University picks up a Commitment in '13

Although it sits just 65 miles NE from Cincinnati, right on the way to Columbus, not everyone is aware of the small community of Jamestown. However, one basketball player is starting to bring some attention to his hometown Jamestown Greenview HS. 6'7 Evan Bradds, who can play either the small or power forward positions, made national recruiting news yesterday by verbally committing to play basketball at Ohio University as part of their 2013 recruiting class. With so much heat coming at Bradds from colleges coaches all over the midwest it was a little surprising that he chose to end his recruitment so abruptly. But the decision to him was a no-brainer, "They have been on me longest, since day 1 of my freshman year really" Bradds told CPHR, "The comfort level with the school, the players, and most of all the coaches made it an easy decision for me". 

An athletic wing who can play inside or step out and shoot and handle the basketball Bradds blossomed into a highly coveted prospect this spring and summer playing AAU ball with his Team CBIZ 16u squad. Coaches and scouts love the energy and passion that he plays with, combined with a high basketball IQ and an obvious focus on being a great teammate. The ability to transition to being a SF, something that Ohio U coaches told Evan they intend on making him, should turn him into one of the MAC's most versatile and difficult matchups. 

Bradds has high hopes for his upcoming junior high school season on a team that he told CPHR will focus around 11 seniors and himself. He believes that this is the season in which they can make it past all the obstacles and advance to the State Final Four. Coaches from Ohio University will certainly be making the 90 minute drive to Jamestown Greenview to watch his progress with all smiles. 

Toledo, Akron, Miami (OH), and Albany were the other schools that Bradds closely considered.