Friday Night Scores

Summit's Kevin Johnson and Lockland's
Dontonio Wingfield Jr.- Two big time prospects

A lot of good matchups tonight, highlighted by a CMAC thriller between West High and Woodward:

• Summit 58 Lockland 46: Summit seems to finally be finding their rhythm, they took a double digit lead early in this one and never looked back; leading by twenty at one point. Kevin Johnson played a great overall game with 13 points, and he had plenty of rebounds, steals, assists, and was great on the defensive end (holding Dontonio Wingfield Jr. to just 8 points). Tommy Kreyenhagen found his stroke and scored 19 for Summit while Jack Gustofson scored 11. Milt Davis and Antonio Woods did a nice job controlling the pace of the game and handling Lockland's pressure. Mike Barwick and Ryan Glass were tough inside against the bigger and more athletic Lockland front line. Pictures from this game.

• 

  Keevin Tyus is blowing up this season
  over at West High. Two 20 point games already.

  West High 78 Woodward 71: Was able to catch the fourth quarter of this one after driving over from Lockland. Talk about an intense atmosphere. Both teams really got after it; Woodward cruised to a 16 point half time lead but then West High came out with a 29-4 run. The game went back and forth in the last two minutes until Marquez Carpenter launched a deep pass to Keevin Tyus for a game sealing dunk. Tyus finished with 20 points, as did Bubba Hill for West High. Josh Chancellor also gave them 14 big points, and Cortez Adams had 8. For Woodward, senior guard Demetrius Pruitt had a game high 25 points.

• Withrow 67 Shroder 55: Aaron Thomas scored 27 points for Withrow in a typical dominant performance. Carl Porter also came up big for Withrow with 13 points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and his usual high flying dunks. Jalen Billups had 18 points for Shroder and Kairo Cannon contributed 20.

• Taft 88 Hughes 51: Adolphus Washington scored 17 and Kadeem Palmer 14 for Taft. The Lowe brothers each scored 9, Ra'Saan Jackson scored 10, and Dwayne Stanford 8. Freshman Aaron Oden and sophomore Terry Cook each had 15 for Hughes.

• LaSalle 63 Bishop Fenwick 37: The Lancers put up a convincing win at Fenwick. Trey Casey scored 13 and Josh Lemmons and Brandon Neel both put up 15 points for LaSalle.

• Other Scores:
  • Moeller 58 Alter 47: Charlie Byers scored 19 for Moeller, Cody Wacker had 13, Alex Barlow 10, and Joshua Davenport scored 8.
  • Middletown 50 Sycamore 34: Josh Johnson had 13 for The Middies in an emotional game.

  • 

    Tommy Kreyenhagen had 19 tonight for Summit

    Madeira 60 Wyoming 44 
  • Mason 61 Lakota West 41: Phil Cooke scored 18 in a loss. JD Sprague had 17 for Mason.
  • Lakota East 69 Hamilton 39: Corey Wise scored 12 in a loss. Cameron Lee led a balanced East attack with 13.
  • Princeton 77 Oak Hills 41
  • Anderson 62 Wilmington 55
  • St. Xavier 65 Carroll 42
  • Fairfield 42 Colerain 40
  • Badin 67 Northwest 50
  • Norwood 49 Talawanda 38: Deontez McGee scored 17

My Name is.......

Multi-sport Clark star Paul Woodson

Here are two guys, and one team, that have really shown off their skills so far this year. Expect these names to pop up more and more on this blog and in all high school basketball coverage.

• Paul Woodson – Jr PF Clark:As good as Paul has been this year you have to remember that this is his third sport; he is a star dual threat quarterback on the football field and one of the best martial artists in the nation. At 6-6 with great coordination, and athleticism, Woodson is a very versatile player for Clark. So far this year he is averaging a double-double by going for 18 points and 12 rebounds against Madeira, then following that up with 15 points and 13 boards against Lockland. Clark is 2-0 this year and Woodson is a huge part of that. As he continues to improve his offensive skills Paul will become a dominant played thanks to his energy, toughness, and great athleticism for his size.
  
  
• Deontez McGee – Jr SG Norwood:'Tez is one of the most underrated scorers in the entire city. Last year on varsity he averaged 12.5 points per game; and he is picking up this year right where he left off. He went for 21 in the season opener against Taylor, then followed that up with 11 against Reading. Deontez can really shoot the ball from deep off a spot up or off the dribble and has great confidence. On any given night he is capable of 30 or more points.

• West High Underclassmen: This is a much improved team from last year and at 2-1 they have the record to prove it. A lot of that is thanks to a talented group of underclassmen. The Mustangs might have four solid seniors: transfer Josh Chancellor is a shot-blocker down low, Ivan Dunn is a role player, Brandon Smith is a talented forward, and guard JaMarcus Crawford (a ranked '11 player) averaged 13 points a game last year in limited action; but this team relies heavily on the non-seniors.
  • Lionel “Bubba” Hill- Jr PG: Second leading scorer so far this year he went for 15 against Taft and 16 against Mt. Healthy. A returning starter who scored 12 a game last year, Hill is known as a shooter who can also handle the ball and get penetration.
  • Keevin Tyus- Jr PF: A virtual unknown for some reason, Tyus can score the ball as well. He went for 26 against Mt. Healthy and also had 10 against Oak Hills. Last year Keevin averaged 11 points and started most of the games.
  • Darrell Bullock- Jr PG: Another unknown, expect to see bigger things out of Darrell as the season progresses. In some varsity action last year he averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds. This year he has had a double digit scoring game with 14 against Oak Hills, and more are on the way. Bullock can pass, drive, or shoot and really plays with a lot of heart.
  • Marquez Carpenter- So PF: 'Quez has been a consistent scorer at about 6 per game this year and always gives you a ton of rebounds. He is a much improved player this year, after learning from his mistakes on the varsity level last year. Carpenter is a great glue guy and loves to compete. He will have some big games this year as well.
  • The Mustangs are also seeing solid contributions from junior power forward Charles Clarke and sophomore center Cortez Adams.
    

    

    Bubba Hill, Darrell Bullock, Marquez Carpenter

    
    

Wednesday Night Scores

Only one game in Cincy tonight and as always CPHR has the story and photos:

Bryan Porter scored 16 for Colerain against Ryle

KY Ryle 65 Colerain 48: Ryle took a 12 point lead in the first quarter, and never looked back as they cruised to a 17 point victory. Colerain went on a few runs but never could get within single digits in the last three quarters. Kentucky really got the best of Ohio in this one as Ryle came out motivated and capitalized on every early mistake by Colerain. Junior big man Bobby Stuaffer played a great game scoring 21 points with a variety of finesse moves and power finishes for Ryle; and junior combo guard Zach Perkins added 18 for The Raiders. Ryle got excellent perimeter shooting from several of its players all night, it seemed like whenever Colerain helped on to Perkins or Stauffer someone was there to bang in a trey. Colerain struggled offensively mainly due to Eli'sha Campbell's foul troube, Eli'sha was held without a field goal, and their inability to solve Ryle's 2-3 zone (all though they did rotate the ball around nicely). The Cards got 16 points from sophomore guard Bryan Porter off of a couple nice takes to the rim, although he couldn't find his jump shot. Senior wing Khari Pleasant contributed 15 points for Colerain.

Ryle will play Oak Hills on Sunday at 1:00 at NKU as part of the Bluegrass/Buckeye Challenge. Colerain also plays in the event, they take on Dixie Heights at 5:30 Saturday night at NKU. 

Usually a good scorer, Eli'sha Campbell, didn't have his
best game tonight for The Cardinals.

More pics from Ryle @ Colerain

Friday's Big Games

Woodward's Trent Donald

Games this Friday are headlined by three CMAC clashes as well as a potential upset in the GCL. Scroll to the bottom because this whole slate of games is loaded with great matchups:

• Withrow @ Shroder: Shroder can't afford to go 0-2 in the CMAC, but there aren't many tougher opponents then Withrow. Should be a war inside between Devin Williams of Withrow and Jalen Billups of Shroder. At the point spot expect Trey Dees to rebound from a below average performance against Aiken and really step up. If Kairo Cannon, Ahmir Cummings, and the rest of Shroder's perimeter players can hit shots (and they can somehow find a way to contain Aaron Thomas) Shroder has a chance. The man to watch for Withrow will be power forward Carl Porter who is a tough matchup for Shroder.

  • 

    Withrow's Devin Williams needs
    to bring his best against Jalen
    Billups and Shroder.

    Prediction: Shroder competes for a half but Withrow pulls away. Too much Thomas spells trouble for Shroder.

• West High @ Woodward: The toughest Friday night contest to call. Should be a packed gym over at Woodward and that might make the difference. We will see a balanced West High squad against a Woodward team led by Trent Donald and supported by the improving Zecheriah Mustafa. This game could go either way and is critical to both teams as they try to avoid two early league losses.

  • 

    West High led by Lionel Hill (far right) will be ready
    for battle at Woodward on Friday night.

    Prediction: Woodward wins a close one at home.

• Hughes @ Taft: Hughes came out and really battled against Woodward, leaving the league coaches to think that they can hang with the talented teams. Taft has to get ready for a major test on Saturday against Louisville Male, so an upset is possible. On the other hand, Taft has much more talent and experience, they also have several mismatches inside and out.
  • Prediction: Taft wins big.

• LaSalle @ Bishop Fenwick: Potential trap game for the Lancers. Coaches are saying that this is Fenwick's year and that is a tough environment to play in. Fenwick is led by senior guard Brent Langhorne who helped lead them to a 16-5 record last year. LaSalle will need their A game on Friday.
  • Prediction: LaSalle seems like a team that will rise to challenges all year. LaSalle by ten.

• Other Big Games Friday:
  • Summit @ Lockland: Matchup between top 5 2013 prospects Kevin Johnson and Dontonio Wingifield Jr; Lockland cannot afford to start the season 0-3.
  • Middletown @ Sycamore: Middletown tries to stay undefeated against the Ave's.
  • Kettering Alter @ Moeller: Dayton's best '13 player, PG Jarron Simmons, comes to town.
  • Wyoming @ Madeira: League game that could have CHL title implications down the road.
  • Mason @ Lakota West: Two evenly matched GMC teams trying to move up the ladder.
  • Hamilton @ Lakota East: East has to avoid a let down after a big win on Tuesday.
  • Princeton @ Oak Hills: Princeton can't afford to lose two league games in one week.
  • Anderson @ Wilmington: Tough venue for the season opener for Anderson.
    
    
    Check back in tomorrow for a preview of Saturday's biggest games.

Scores From Around the City:

East's RJ Leppert plays harder then anyone
and helps lead a very good Thunderhawk team.

Another night of exciting action with some close games and some unexpected results. In what appears to be the best game of this early season Lakota East defeated Princeton thanks to a furious fourth quarter comeback to win their opener. East's seniors are going to make this a great year for their team, even more so as Allante Foster comes along and Mark Minch gets healthy. The other big game tonight, Winton Woods at Roger Bacon, went to Winton Woods who won by a shocking 25 points thanks to Semaj Christon and Dennis Thomas.


Middletown 77 Walnut Hills 49 - Jaihlen Teague and Geovonie McKnight both scored in double digits. As did sophomore guard Kyree Burton for Walnut.

Winton Woods 78 Roger Bacon 53 - Can't believe this score or the margin but it's true. Dennis Thomas hit 7 three's and finished with a unbelievable 33 points for the Warriors. Semaj Christon had 16 for Winton Woods, and Paul Byrd had another big night with 18 for Bacon. Senior big Jared Bryant only saw limited action for Bacon due to a knee injury.

Lakota East 54 Princeton 48: East went on a 12-0 fourth quarter run, behind the play of Mike Boyd and RJ Leppert, to win the game. Jalen Goodwin also had double digits for East. Ulysses Thomas led Princeton with 15 points.

Lakota East's 6 man senior class is off to a great start with
a win over Princeton. They are led by Mike Boyd (#23)

Northwest 62 Finneytown 58: Ramar Hairston sunk two FT's to cement the game for NW.

West High 50 Mt. Healthy 44: Kevin Tyus had 26 and Lionel Hill 16 for The Mustangs

Clark 72 Lockland 60: Paul Woodson led Clark with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Wing Alphonso Upshaw had 27 for Clark, sophomore guard DJ Wingfield had another 13 for Lockland.

Summit 54 Seven Hills 47: Ryan Glass scored 20 for Summit, Kevin Johnson had 16, Jack Gustofson 10, and Milt Davis and Antonio Woods helped handle the ball down the stretch to get Summit their first win.

Coming Attractions...........

Tonight we're going to take a look at a few guys who didn't put up big numbers this first weekend, but are guys that CPHR is expecting big things from. This is a small list of guys who are capable of breakout performances in the next couple of weeks.

Jailhlen Teague

Jaihlen Teague- Sr SG Middletown

This Princeton transfer decided to change schools for his last season. That decision looks like a good one with Middletown appearing to be the favorites in the GMC. Teague really had a good fall in the all star competitions and is known as someone who can score in bunches from anywhere on the floor. Even with the Middies having so many scorers Teague is expected to start putting up major scoring numbers very soon.

Randale Griffith- Jr PF Shroder

Another transfer, this one from VLT Academy, who has a lot of scoring talent. Randale showed flashes of this in limited minutes against Aiken and should steadily improve as the season continues. Griffith is known all throughout the city as an elite talent due to his combination of strength, surprising quickness, and his vast skill set. When he has it going he can score with anyone in the city. Check the box scores often because Griffith is a name that you will see big numbers next to. 

Randale Griffith

Rozelle Nix- Jr C Withrow

Big Ro' is a giant prospect that has improved steadily over his Tiger career. At 6'10 and with an enormous frame Rozelle has potential to be a great rebounder and defender, as well as someone that can finish around the rim. Nix is getting more agile everyday and this improved agility will make him more effective in the fast paced city league. As the season progresses expect Nix to get more in more run on an already well-sized Withrow squad. 

Mikey Thompson- So SF Aiken

Yet another transfer, Mikey came to Aiken from Woodward where he played JV last year as a freshman. Mikey has unique talent as a left handed slasher, a shooter, and a strong and agile athlete who can rebound and defend. The key to Thompson getting more time at Aiken will be getting work done on the boards as that is an area that the under-sized Falcons need some help. With his body and raw ability Mikey is one to watch over the next couple season. 

Ra'Saan Jackson- Jr SG Taft

A product of the Senator system, Jackson is a big time competitor that brings great energy off the bench at Taft. After two years of pouring in buckets on the lower levels he has really embraced his role as a defender and an open shot maker on a loaded Taft team. While Jackson might not be able to see consistent minutes all season expect him to make the most of his opportunities and contribute at every chance. 

Ryan Greene- Sr SF Hughes

Greene missed the majority of last season with an injury but he is back this year and is the leader for The Big Red. Ryan has a nice shooting stroke, combined with solid athleticism. He could finish the year as one of the top scorers in the league.

Demetrius  Pruitt- Sr SG Woodward

He might have bounced around between a couple of schools over his career but Pruitt still has a chance to experience some success. He's one of the few guys that can win a dunk contest and a three point shootout. Add in that he has big time confidence in his scoring abilities and you get a dangerous player in the CMAC.

Rozelle Nix

Mikey Thompson

Mid-Week Game Previews

Lakota East PG Mike Boyd

Top games this Tuesday and Wednesday:

• Princeton @ Lakota East:
  • This is the game that everyone up north has been talking about. An early season showdown between two top ten teams in the city. Princeton has had the luxury of playing in one game already, but Lakota East has had all pre-season to focus on this game. Mike Boyd make his anticipated return for East and we will also see the debut of transfer Allante Foster (who came from Princeton). For Princeton, it will be interesting to see if senior leaders Ulysses Thomas and Jay McCants can get the offense flowing a little more smoothly.
  • Prediction: This is Lakota East's year. Princeton gives them a game but East wins.

• Winton Woods @ Roger Bacon:
  • Another great mid-week matchup. There will be a lot of talent on display in this game. Seniors Jared Bryant, Jabriel Coaston, and Paul Byrd of Roger Bacon will try and protect their home court against Semaj Christon's Warrior team. Expect Bacon to really focus in on shutting down Semaj, then on the other end look for them to put Coaston in the post and try and play through him and Bryant.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon is too good at home. Semaj can't get it done by himself, Coaston has another big game, and Roger Bacon wins by 10.

• 

  Keep an eye on '13 wing Bryan Porter 

  Other Big Games:
  • Northwest @ Finneytown
  • Walnut Hills @ Middletown
  • West High @ Mt. Healthy
  • Seven Hills @ Summit
  • Lockland @ Clark

• Wednesday's game: Ryle @ Colerain
  • In a rare Wednesday game the Cards try and defend their home court against Ryle. Eli'sha Campbell and Bryan Porter are two exciting prospects to watch for Colerain.    

Weekend Top Performances

In an exciting opening weekend we saw several great performances from some known talents, and some new names. Let's take a look at who shined the first weekend: 

• 

  Austin Grimes- Player of the Week

  Week 1 MVP: Austin Grimes- Sophomore SF from Aiken
  • Austin was dominant in his Aiken debut this weekend. Friday, in a loss to Taft he scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Saturday, in a win against Shroder he looked even more comfortable out there and recorded 19 points to go with 13 rebounds. When Austin is aggressive he is nearly unstoppable; he is simply too strong, too athletic, and too skilled to be guarded. If he can continue to make an impact on the glass then Aiken should have a good year. Expect Grimes to keep putting up scoring numbers as he becomes more comfortable playing with his new teammates.
    
    
• The Sophomore Class: This is class is just so talented and deep. Here are the top performers, besides player of the week Austin Grimes. These guys are just getting started.
  • Woodward's Trent Donald, a PF, scored 23 against Withrow then followed that up with a solid performance in a win over Hughes.
  • Devin Williams a PF from Withrow went for 18 and 12 against Woodward.
  • Kevin Johnson a PG from Summit scored 24 against Reading.
  • Josh Davenport was effective in his Moeller varsity debut with 6 points and 10 boards.
  • DJ Wingfield scored 13 in his Lockland debut.
  • Monty Boykins of Lakota West scored 16, Corey Wise of Hamilton scored a dozen, Ramar Hariston of Northwest scored 17, Sterling Gilmore of Walnut Hills had 12, Princeton's Dorian Jordan scored 12, Bryan Porter of Colerain had 10, and Middletown's Jalin Marshall had 10.

    

    Orlando Berry Jr.

    
    
    
    
• Orlando Berry Jr: Much like Kemba Walker of Connecticut, Orlando is known as a traditional pass first point guard; but this season it's time for both of them to put points up. Berry scored 15 in a win against Aiken and followed that up with 18 against West High; leading this loaded Taft team in scoring is very impressive. Taft was the most dominant team of the weekend with two blow out wins against solid CMAC competition.

• 

  Tyonte Robertson

  Tyonte Robertson: The freshman got off to a pretty good start, scoring 8 on Friday and then 12 on Saturday. Considering the two opponents that is very impressive. Tyonte really hit his stride against Shroder and dominated the point guard matchup. Give him a few more games to adjust to the varsity style and then watch out!

• Jalen Billups: The only player for Shroder that was effective against Aiken. Jalen scored 19 points and was active on the glass, he probably had double digit rebounds. Jalen is really skilled on the block with his foot work, particularly his double pivot move to get by shotblockers.

• GCL Veterans: None of these performances are too surprising because they come from guys that are used to filling up the stat sheet. First for LaSalle, junior PG Josh Lemmons scored 18 points while Brandon Neel scored his usual 21. For Moeller senior Alex Barlow poured in 21 points, Barlow was more of a glue guy last year but it looks like he has the green light as a senior. Roger Bacon got a pair of great outings as Jabriel Coaston went for 20 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Byrd scored a career high 27.

  

  Brandon Neel

  
  

• Under the Radar Juniors: Three guys from lesser known hoops programs put up big numbers this weekend. Paul Woodson of Clark went for 18 points and 12 rebounds, Paul is a terrific athlete and plays with a great motor. Deontez McGee of Norwood had 21 points; 'Tez is a great shooter that can fill it up when he gets going. Darrin Harris of Mason scored 20 points for The Comets in their first game; Harris is a versatile PF that can step out and shoot or post up.

• Sycamore: After suffering through a long season the Aves got off on the right foot this year with a convincing 11 point win over traditional powerhouse Indian Hill. Add in that Coach Moss of Sycamore spent several years at the Braves head coach and the win should feel even sweeter.

Saturday's Results

Austin Grimes- Back to back great nights

A night of lopsided scored in the big games. Here's the run down of what happened: Pictures

• Aiken 67 Shroder 47: Aiken was coasting with a ten point lead through the first three quarters, thanks to sophomore Austin Grimes 19 points (and at least 10 rebounds), then Willy Moore started hitting shots. Willy scored 11 of his 16 in the 4^th and showed the talent that should be on display throughout the year and busting this game wide open. Tyonte Robertson looked much better on both ends in his second game, he really cut down on the TO's, and finished with a solid 12 points. Femi Thompson also chipped in 13 for Aiken. The only productive played for Shroder was Jalen Billups who had 10 big points inside and was very active on the glass on both ends. It was nice to see Billups play with that kind of effort, if keeps it up expect Shroder to stay relevant and for Billups to end up playing D1 ball next year. Shroder also got 9 points from Trey Dees, but Dees was largely infective due to too many turnovers. This was a big win for Aiken, they proved that last night was not a real assessment of where they are at. If Aiken can match tonight's performance on a consistent basis they will be a team to watch. 

  

  Jalen Billups 19 weren't enough to keep
  Shroder in the game tonight against Aiken

  
  

• Taft 90 West High 58: Taft used their balanced scoring attack to destroy The Mustangs. Taft showed just how dominant they will be when their big men are able to stay out of foul trouble. From all accounts the second half became a dunk fest for The Senators. Dwayne Stanford scored 19 and Orlando Berry Jr had 18. 

• North College Hill 72 Lockland 64: Dontonio Wingfield Jr. scored 13 in his Lockland debut but it wasn't enough as NCH got the victory on their home floor.

• Woodward 64 Hughes 54: Mark Durrgan had a big night shooting the basketball for Woodward and Trent Donald followed up last night's performance with another solid outing. Donald is really becoming a force on offense, something he showed glimpses of last year. He looks to be a guy that will be productive all season long.
  
  
  Check back in tomorrow for a look at the top performers from this weekend!

Saturday in the CMAC Preview

Saturday should be even more exciting then Friday in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference. We have a chance to see 3 league match-ups. Including four teams that played last night. Taft and West High riding high off of wins last night will meet to see who can remain undefeated; while Aiken and Woodward try to rebound from tough losses and avoid going 0-2 against teams that were off last night. Withrow does not play Saturday.

Let's look at the games:

• Shroder @ Aiken: Aiken cannot be happy with the way things turned out against Taft and they will be out to prove that they are still a very good team, Shroder on the other hand wants to get started on the right foot and prove that they are in the title discussion in the CMAC. Aiken freshman PG Tyonte Robertson gets another tough test in his young career as he will be doing battle with veteran Shroder PG Trey Dees. Expect that to be an exciting matchup as Robertson bounces back from last night and Dees brings his best to counter. The rest of the game will be dictated similarly to the Taft game: Aiken wants to get up and down and let their talented wings attack (hopefully without turning the ball over as much), Shroder wants to pound it inside to Jalen Billups, Ladell Griffin, and Randale Griffith. Whoever controls the pace should win this game.
  • Prediction:  Expect a close game the whole way. Shroder really gives Aiken a run but Aiken pulls away late and wins by a few points. Willy Moore will not have two bad nights in a row from the field, expect a big scoring night from him.
    
    
• Woodward @ Hughes: Does Hughes have a way to stop Trent Donald as they play their first home game in the newly renovated gym? Trent went for 19 against Withrow, but does he have enough gas in the tank to produce back to back nights? This will be one of the determining factors as Woodward faces a motivated Big Red team. PG play is a question area for both teams as freshman Aaron Oden makes his debut for Hughes while Woodward is still trying to find the answer in that department. 

  • 

    Woodward's Trent Donald got his season started
    off the right way last night. Now can he lead
    his team to a win in the new Hughes gym?

    Prediction: It took a lot of energy for Woodward to stay with Withrow till the final shot last night. Expect Hughes to get off to a hot start and capitalize on fresher legs. If they can slow down Donald the game will come down to the wire. Woodward's pressure should be too much and The Bulldogs will come back for a close win.
    
    
• Taft @ West High: Taft didn't play up to their potential last night against a top ten team in Aiken, and they still won by 24. Meaning that Taft is really good. West High got started in a positive way with a road win against a decent Oak Hills team, and now they get to play at home where they are always tough. This game has the makings of an intense and physical showdown. West High has the bodies inside to bang with Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford; who will both be motivated after sub-par opening performances. Can West High's guards handle Taft's pressure defense? That's going to be a tall order for a group known more for shooting then ballhandling.
  • Prediction: Taft will really look to play at a fast pace, which should be too much for West High to handle. Washington and Stanford both turn in nice performances. West High is much improved but they're just not quite ready to match up with conference favorites like Taft. Taft by about 15 on the road.
    
    

Friday Night Results

Taft's Orlando Berry and Aiken's Gene Primus.
Both of these guys have to prepare their teams
for another battle tomorrow night.

Great first night of basketball led by a thriller between Withrow and Woodward. The Taft and Aiken game was more then sloppy then the fans would have liked to see but there was some great team basketball on display in the second half by Taft.: Pictures from Aiken vs Taft

• Taft 77 Aiken 53: Predicted result, unexpected margin. Without much production out of star big men Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford (due to foul trouble from both), Taft was still able to dominate the second half and bust the game wide open late in the third. The point guard combination of Kadeem Palmer and Orlando Berry Jr. was way too much to handle for Aiken. Orlando finished with 15 big points for The Senators while Kadeem had 9. In the anticipated debut of the Lowe brothers Chris had only 4 points but really did a good job on the glass and Jelean got going late and scored 10 points. Jermaine Freeman should get a lot of credit for holding Aiken star Willy Moore to just 2 points. For Aiken, sophomore transfer Austin Grimes led the way in his debut with 15 points. Tyonte Robertson, Landen Gaulden, and Gene Primus all saw a few shots go in but everyone on Aiken struggled with turnover problems causing their offense to be very stagnant.

  

  Kadeem Palmer, Adolphus Washington, and Dwayne Stanford

  
  

• Withrow 63 Woodward 62: Much closer then anticipated thanks to the play of Woodward sophomore big Trent Donald who scored 19 points for The Bulldogs. Aaron Thomas did not have the greatest overall game in his Withrow debut but did finish with a game high 22 for The Tigers while sophomore post Devin Williams added 18.

• Other Scores from Tonight:
  • West High 52 Oak Hills 46: Sophomore PF Marquez Mathis scored 18 for The Mustangs who also got contributions from Josh Chancellor, Bubba Hill, and Darell Bullock.
  • Walnut Hills 63 Purcell Marian 52: Sophomore guard Sterling Gilmore scored 10.
  • Reading 47 Summit 46: Kevin Johnson led Summit with 24 in a loss.
  • Middletown 65 Beavercreek 43
  • Moeller 58 Northmont 41
  • LaSalle 57 Fairfield 32
  • Colerain 54 Harrison 27
    
    
    Updated Scores: Lakota West 55 Wilmington 40, Princeton 50 Centerville 40, Sycamore 63 Indian Hill 54, Roger Bacon 74 Finneytown 42
    
    
    Now that the results are in for the four CMAC teams that have to play back to back games this weekend it's time to look at a preview for their Saturday games. Check back in early tomorrow for a previews of:
    
    
    West High @ Taft
    Shroder @ Aiken
    Woodward @ Hughes

Game Day is Here

Carl Porter kicks off his senior year
tonight for Withrow. Look out
for big things out of this D1 propsect.

Finally, the season has started. Heading out now to go over to Withrow to watch the JV and Varsity games between Aiken and the host Taft. Should be a great game!

Good luck to everyone playing tonight.

Check in later tonight for a recap of Aiken and Taft as well as some scores and stats from several of the other big games being played tonight.

Also, look out for predictions for Saturday's CMAC matchups.

Games to Watch This Weekend

What will Landen Gaulden
do in his return at Aiken?

Friday, December 3^rd, 2010:

• Aiken @ Taft (game will be played at Withrow):
  • Expect this to as exciting as last year's opening contest. Aiken is out to prove that they can still win without Aaron Thomas, while Taft wants to show that they haven't lost a step from last year's really successful team. One of the questions is how well will freshman PG Tyonte Robertson for Aiken handles the defensive pressure of Taft (particularly Orlando Berry Jr)? Expect Tyonte to settle in and do just fine but it will be interesting early. This game will probably come down to offensive tempo; is Taft's interior based offense led by Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford able to dominate or will it be Aiken's up and down game led by Gene Primus, Willy Moore, Landen Gaulden, and Austin Grimes?

  • 

    Adolphus Washington will be a tough
    matchup down low against Aiken

    Prediction: Will be a great game, expect lots of runs. Taft finds a way to pull it out late.

• Withrow @ Woodward:
  • This game is extremely intriguing for two reason: First, the Withrow Tiger debut of top 50 player Aaron Thomas; and second, the matchup down low of star sophomores (and AAU teammates) Devin Williams of Withrow and Trent Donald of Woodward. Thomas should be able to have his way with The Bulldogs. As for the big men, both will probably be able to score on the each other about equally. A storyline to follow is how well Withrow can work in it's main role players such as Carl Porter, Kevin Jones, and Rozelle Nix to go with Thomas and Williams. For Woodward it should be nice to see Demetrius Pruitt back in the CMAC and it will be interesting to watch PG Mark Durrgan play against his former school.
  • Prediction: Withrow has too much talent for Woodward to handle. Withrow wins big.

• Other big games:
  • Dayton Northmont @ Moeller 
  • West High @ Oak Hills
  • Summit @ Reading
  • Finneytown @ Roger Bacon
    
    

Saturday, December 4^th, 2010:

• Shroder @ Aiken:
  • A more in depth preview of this game will go up following a look at Aiken on Friday night but this should be another good game, and another tough test on a brutal schedule for Aiken. Shroder has a chance to be very good and they will be out for blood against The Swoop. Check back in Saturday morning for the scoop on what to expect........

• Lockland @ North College Hill:
  • A big time battle for early season MVC bragging rights. Everyone is eager to see the Lockland debut of DJ Wingfield.
  • Prediction: Wingfield has his way but NCH pulls out the win in a close game.

• Other big games: More info on both these games after seeing Friday's results.
  • Woodward @ Hughes (first game in the new Hughes gym)
  • Taft @ West High    

Conference Previews: MVC, FAVC, CHL

The last of our conference previews takes a look at three other leagues that have some serious talent in it. All three of these leagues have talents that can take down D1 teams on any given night.

Miami Valley Conference

Summit's Milt Davis

While the top of this league might not be as deep as other leagues, the MVC does have some good ballplayers in it. Super sophomores Kevin Johnson of Summit and Dontonio Wingfield Jr. of Lockland lead a talented group of young players this year.

1. Summit Country Day: Coach Bradley has a lot of talent to work with in his first year. It starts with Kevin Johnson (3^rd in our '13 rankings) who has lots of potential as a scoring guard with great athleticism. Summit is a very young team with sophomore guard Milton Davis, freshman guard Antonio Woods, and freshman forward Mike Barwick all looking to see significant time. Junior wing Tommy Kreyenhagen returns for his third year as a starter and yet again brings his deep shooting range to a Silver Knights team that should be able to find him spotting up. Inside Summit has senior power forwards Ryan Glass, a versatile player known for defense, and Jack Gustafson who is more of a scorer. Look for juniors Matt Fry and Holdy Hertzel to see time down low as more traditional big men.

• 

  Kevin Johnson the top '13 PG

  Key Players: This is one of the most talented teams Summit has ever had.
  • Kevin Johnson- Sophomore PG
  • Antonio Woods- Freshman PG
  • Milton Davis- Sophomore SG
  • Tommy Kreyenhagen – Junior SG
• Bottom Line: Summit has a great combination of size, athleticism, depth, talent, and experience. This team has a chance to be special. Johnson is an emerging prospect to keep a very close eye on and Kreyenhagen is a proven star in the MVC.

2. Lockland: In what has become an annual tradition at Lockland, they brought in a major transfer when Dontonio Wingfield Jr. (ranked in the top 5 of the '13 rankings) came over from CCD. Wingfield is one of the most skilled players in the state with his smooth slashing game. He averaged almost 20 ppg last year and don't expect anything different this season. Lockland also has another talented sophomore in Dylan Wedlock, a wing with varsity experience. Big man Avery Barnes returns for his junior year and should bring defense and rebounding to the post. Barnes had a nice year last year and is one to watch this season. At the point Mike Beasley takes over and is said to have nice quickness in the full court.

• 

  DJ Wingfield should lead the MVC in scoring

  Key Players: Wingfield will keep them near the top of the standings 
  • Dontonio Wingfield Jr. - Sophomore SG
  • Dylan Wedlock – Sophomore SF
• Bottom Line: Lockland might not have as much talent as in year's past but under Coach Andrews they have always been successful. Don't expect much to change with Wingfield attacking the basket.

3. Clark Montessori: Senior scoring wing Alphonso Upshaw will yet again lead a Clark team that is better then most fans realize. Upshaw has been putting points up for years, that won't change this year. Big men Paul Woodson and CJ Briggerman return and both of these players have some athleticism on the inside. Woodson is a very intriguing prospect who has the ability to play the wing. Junior Max Hassel is a shifty guard that can score and pass for The Cougars.

4. North College Hill: The Trojans are feeling the blow of losing the talented Lowe brothers to Taft. They do return a trio of seniors with talent and experience. Donald Bush is a tough and quick point guard that can make plays, Vince Edwards and Greg Sevilla are forwards with enough versatility to create mismatches.

Fort Ancient Valley Conference

Semaj is a stud at
Winton Woods

Not a league that is necessarily known for producing elite players (expect for Winton Woods), the FAVC always seems to have a few studs. One prospect to keep an eye is Anderson sophomore power forward Joe Cossins who is skilled and still growing at 6'8. This league is really wide open this year; lets take a look at who the three top teams might be: 

1. Winton Woods: No team in the city lost more talent to graduation then Winton Woods who lost Allen Payne (Auburn), Dominique Brown (Louisville football), and Nate Mason. They still have at least one stud in senior point guard Semaj Christon; Semaj is a major scoring talent that is as good as any guard in the city. Expect big things from him and senior guard Dennis Thomas who returns from a solid junior campaign. A guy to keep an eye on at WW is junior post Zach McKorkle who has the athleticism and skill to be a special player this year.
   
   
2. Northwest: Not traditionally known as a powerhouse, that could start to change this year at NW. Senior SG Melvin Hunter can score with anyone out there and will lead the team again this year as they try to take the league title. Expect big things out of versatile sophomore guard Ramar Hairston who can score and is a great defender. Juniors Quez Evans and Chaz Gwinn as well as sophomore post Kevin Worsham are players to keep an eye on up at NW.

   

   Walnut Hill's Sterling Gilmore

   

   Ramar Hairston of NW
   

   
   
3. 

   Alex McGlothin- Hopefully
   can make it back this year

   Walnut Hills: The Eagles have one of the best players in the city in senior wing Alex McGlothin; unfortunately, he is out for possibly the season with an injury. Without McGlothin, Coach Moman will have to rely on two young guards with serious game; these guards are undersized but quick Kyree Burton who is a great passer, and Sterling Gilmore a scorer who can set up teammates and really competes. Big man Benson Browne returns inside and is complimented nicely by sophomore Isiah Johnson. The Eagles are always near the top of the standings and if McGlothin can find a way on the court they will be favorites to take the league title. 

Cincinnati Hills League:

No one wants to agree on who the pre-season favorite is this year. There might not be any elite teams but several teams are capable of playing with the city's top teams.

1. Madeira: Lot of young talent, solid program that doesn't get enough credit.

2. Wyoming: As usual has the most talent in the league.

3. Mariemont: Emerging program that could have a breakout year.

4. Indian Hill: Great program, lost a lot, but could finish at the top without surprising anyone.

5. Reading: Team that is poised to have a breakout year.

6. Finneytown: Lot of returning talent this year, coach's new system might determine record.

Conference Preview: Greater Miami Conference

The GMC is much more then a football conference! Just like last year this league is full of talented players, many of whom appear on the player ranking posts of CPHR. This will be another league to watch closely because it could be a wide open one. Expect Middletown to be champions but, plenty of other teams could make surprise runs. A league with Geonvonie McKnight, Kirby Wright, Jaihlen Teague, Mike Boyd, Mark Minch, Eli'sha Campbell, Ulysses Thomas, Jay McCants, Monty Boykins, Corey Wise, and more in it should be entertaining to say the least. Here is a look at what can be expected out of the teams: 

G. McKnight one of the top
junior guards in Ohio.

1. Middletown: The Middie's have a talented team filled with experience this season. They are led by seniors Kirby Wright, Josh Johnson, Jaihlen Teague (who transferred from Princeton), and junior Geovonie McKnight. McKnight is one the favorites to win the league player of the year award and is one of the hottest names on the recruiting circuit right now. Known as a scoring guard McKnight is ready to take it to a new level this year. Wright, a consensus D1 recruit, returns with all of his talents at the power forward spot to give Middletown extra scoring and lots of athleticism. Teague is a great shooter and all around scorer that plays with a great swagger. Expect big things out of him. Johnson is an athletic do it all type of role player. The sleeper for this team is sophomore Jalin Marshall, a highly touted quarterback recruit, who has the potential to be a good basketball player as well.

• Key Players: The big four shown below has as much talent as any group in the league

  • 

    Kirby Wright

    Kirby Wright- Senior PF
  • Geovonie McKnight- Junior SG
  • Jaihlen Teague- Senior SG
  • Josh Johnson – Senior SF
• Bottom Line: Middletown should be really good again this year. If Wright plays up to his potential they will most likely be league champions. Expect big things out of McKnight all season long. This team should be a really interesting one to follow.

Mike Boyd- ready to
make a statement 

2. Lakota East: The Thunderhawks are another team that is deep, experienced, athletic, and very talented. All league point guard Mike Boyd returns for his senior season after being hurt last year. Boyd is a difference maker for this team that will give them ballhandling, playmaking, and some scoring. Coach Vickers has three other returning senior contributors in shooter Jalen Goodwin, slasher Cameron Lee, and the versatile and highly competitive RJ Leppert. East's most talented player is probably junior swingman Mark Minch. Minch is extremely skilled and very strong for a perimeter player. Another junior that could be very effective this season is Princeton transfer Allante Foster who can play on the wing or down low. Allante will be one of the best athletes in the GMC this year.

• 

  Mark Minch is a talented wing

  Key Players: East is probably the deepest team in the league this season.
  • Mike Boyd – Senior PG
  • Jalen Goodwin – Senior SG
  • RJ Leppert – Senior SF
  • Cammeron Lee – Senior SF
  • Mark Minch – Junior SG
• Bottom Line: You know that Lakota East is always going to defend with toughness. This team might have enough offensive punch to put them on top of the standings. This is a very deep group, something that really helps with their tenacious style of play. Look for The Thunderhawks to really make noise this year in the GMC.

3. Colerain: The Cardinals are in unfamiliar territory near the top of the pre-season standings. Last year they shocked everyone and won 19 games. Equaling that will be tough but even with the departures they still have the talent to make that happen. Colerain has two really talented wings in athletic junior Eli'sha Campbell and sophomore Bryan Porter. Campbell is trying to add a level of consistency to his game this year and should really take off as one of the league's premiere scorers; Porter will be playing his first season on varsity and should be a big contributor. Inside Colerain plays football superstar Jared Grace; Grade is a very good role player who works his tail off on the block. Sophomore point guard Deante Walters should get the majority of the ballhandling duties and freshman Trey Hudson will also be counted on to add depth to the wing spot.

• 

  Eli Campbell has major bounce
  for the Colerain Cards

  Key Players: Colerain has enough young talent, depth inside is maybe a concern.
  • Eli'sha Campbell – Junior SG
  • Bryan Porter – Sophomore SF
  • Jared Grace – Senior PF
• Bottom Line: The main question is can their offense keep up with their physical (football style) defense? Other then Campbell there are not many known scorers on the team. If they find ways to put points up they will be very, very good again this year.

4. Princeton: It seems like every year The Vikings are in rebuilding mode and then all of the sudden some new names emerge on the scoreline. This year could be no different as many have Princeton ranked in the top five in the city. However, the talent is not quite as deep as last year. Senior wing Ulysses Thomas, a great shooter and athlete, get his chance to be the man this season and he will be complemented nicely by athletic power forward Jay McCants, also a senior. Princeton also brings back another talented wing in senior Lionel Hill, who knows how to put points up. Look for sophomore Dorian Jordan to get the ballhandling duties while giant junior Tank Young tries to earn minutes in the post.

• 

  Uylsses has waited his turn
  now Princeton is his team

  Key Players: These three seniors will do most of the scoring in Viking land.
  • Ulysses Thomas- Senior SF
  • Jay McCants – Senior PF
  • Lionel Hill – Senior SF
• Bottom Line: This team will not be as good as last year's but still expect to see them near the top of the conference standings. Thomas is a very good player that will surprise some people and McCants (an Indiana football signee) also is all league material.

5. Oak Hills: Point guard Corey Burgin and post man Thomas Schneider lead a solid group of seniors. The Highlanders, always well coached, can get it done on both ends of the floor.

6. Lakota West: After sustaining heavy losses the pressure falls on senior forward Phil Cooke (a big time athlete), post man Chris Connell, and sweet shooting sophomore Monty Boykins to produce for The Firebirds. They are another team that can really guard however, so you never know what they're capable of.

7. Mason: The junior trio of Darrin Harris, JD Sprague, and Alex Woelk will be relied on to bring The Comets back to relevance in the GMC.

8. Fairfield: Jordan Ammon and Jeff Woods lead Fairfield as they try and earn more respect.

9. Hamilton: Sophomore Corey Wise is a rare scoring talent on the wing, he will have to put up big numbers this year for the Big Blue to be successful.

Hamilton sophomore stud
Corey Wise shoots the jumper

10. Sycamore: Junior big man AJ Williams leads an Aviator team that should improve significantly in year two under Coach Moss.

Monty Boykins of Lakota West is a
promising prospect that can
really shoot the ball from deep