Tuesday Scores

Mason put constant pressure on LaSalle
senior PG Josh Lemons as the Comets pulled the upset.

In one of the best nights of the season we saw overtime at Princeton and a hungry Mason team send LaSalle to their first loss since last January........ Game Photos 

• Mason 54 LaSalle 47: The Comets opened up the game with a 12-0 run to start the 2nd quarter as they punished LaSalle inside with the strength of senior forwards Darrin Harris and Michael Van Kleunen; who scored 15 and 12 respectively. With LaSalle cutting the lead to two by scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter, in a game the Lancers never led, it was the composure of senior guard JD Sprague (who scored 13 points) that kept the Comets together. Mason battled back and forth in the final quarter until Lancer's senior guard Josh Lemons fouled out on a charge with 2:21 left and his team trailing by three, essentially icing the game for Mason. The Comets played great defense all game, holding the Lancers to just 3/25 three point shooting, and stifling Lemons into tough shots; although Lemons did manage a game high 22 points. Despite the many turnovers Mason had in the second half, that allowed LaSalle to run and thus get back in the game, they were able to handle the ball down the stretch and make their FT's to get the win. LaSalle suffers their first loss of the season, and first since last January, while Mason has made their case for the #1 spot in the rankings with only one loss themselves. 
• Middletown 81 Princeton 78: The 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists of senior guard Geovonie McKnight led the Middies to an overtime road win in what is now a heated GMC rivalry, as Middies coach Josh Andrews made his first return to his old gym. Middletown also got 18 points from senior guard Zach Edwards, while sophomore wing Vincent Edwards went for 16 points and 18 rebounds. Princeton was led by the 20 points and 10 assists of junior PG Dorian Jordan, the 21 points of senior guard Deion Isham, and the 17 points De'arius Young; as the Vikings have lost an unfathomable third straight league game. 
• Chaminade Julienne 45 St. Xavier 37: The Bombers took another tough loss as the 22 points of NKU bound senior forward John Staley were too much for them to handle. 
• Norwood 63 Mt. Healthy 61: The Indians came back from a 7 point fourth quarter deficit to win behind the 20 points of senior guard Deontez McGee. 
• Walnut Hills 58 Wilmington 39: Junior post Isaiah Johnson continued his double-double streak with 19 points and 13 rebounds, along with 7 blocks; while junior guard Sterling Gilmore added 12 points and 5 assists in another Walnut Hills victory. 
• Loveland 38 Milford 37: Anthony Lamachia, a senior guard, scored 16 points off the bench in a big Tigers upset win. 
• Kings 54 Anderson 49: Senior guard Zach Brashear's 17 points led Kings to the victory. 
• Ross 66 Northwest 62: Senior forward Max Mischkulnig's 21 points and 15 rebounds made the difference in the Rams win. Northwest got 16 points from Quez Evans, 15 from Randal Mullins, and 11 from Chazz Gwinn in the loss. 
• Winton Woods 66 Talawanda 51: Junior forward Trent Donald went for 23 points and 14 rebounds as Winton Woods got their groove back from yesterday's loss at Taft. Sophomore guard Ronnie Rousseau and senior post Zach McCorkle both added 11 points for Winton Woods, while junior forward Kwan Cheatham tallied 13. 
• Turpin 56 Little Miami 34: Junior guard Clay Johnson scored 15, and sophomore guard Zach McCormick scored 13 in an easy Spartans win. 

Taft Runs Past Winton Woods

The energy of Taft senior forward
Dwayne Stanford was key in their blowout win

In the only game of Monday night the gym downtown on Ezzard Charles was packed to capacity as fans filled in to watch the top team in CPHR's Division II-IV poll in Taft host Division I ranked team Winton Woods. CPHR was able to make the game and got a better feel for just how good both teams are going to be come playoff time...... Photos

Taft 83 Winton Woods 61: After an up and down first quarter that ended with the game tied at 22 it seemed as if Winton Woods had found an answer for the pressure of the Taft Senators; then the energy of Taft senior forward Dwayne Stanford, playing his first game in Cincinnati this season after being injured, took over the game. Stanford's monster put back dunk, followed shortly by him blocking a dunk attempt from Winton Woods big man Zach McCorkle, ignited a 15-2 Taft run that pushed them to a 41-28 halftime lead. From there Winton Woods was never able to recover as the combination of Orlando Berry and Adolphus Washington scoring at the rim was unstoppable for the Warriors. Berry led all scorers with 23 points as his lightning quick drives to the cup drew foul after foul; while Washington used his superior strength to score 17 points with 14 rebounds. The Senators also got 12 points from Stanford, who along with Washington just returned on Monday morning from playing in the US Army All-American Football Game, while Jalean Lowe added 13, Fred Cannaday 7, and Ra'saan Jackson 9. Winton Woods was led by the 16 points of junior forward Trent Donald, who aggressively attacked the rim with his combination of strength and speed; while sophomore PG Ronnie Rousseau added 15 points, all in the second half. Senior post Zach McCorkle showed nice energy and athleticism while sophomore Martin Jones displayed a nice shooting touch as each player added 10 points in the loss.

After suffering four losses out of town Taft reaffirmed any doubt that they are the top team in the Cincinnati area in Division II-IV. Despite the loss Winton Woods remains one of Cincinnati's top Division I teams and this young group will only get better and better as they gel and gain more experience.

Mid-Week Preview

CPHR is calling these next two days “statement days” as all the games that we are previewing will have significant pull on not just team rankings in the poll but the outcome of league championships……

Monday

·         Winton Woods @ Taft: The young Warriors squad has a chance to turn some heads against a Taft team that has not played a game since they’re Christmas break trips that saw them lose four games in five days. Winton Woods has size down low that no team can match; but does their compilation of size give them a chance to shut down Adolphus Washington? CPHR has never seen anyone do it yet so we’re saying no. In Dwayne Stanford’s first game at Taft this year his athleticism could be a key as the Warrior’s big men are more bulky then mobile. The most interesting matchup will be talented sophomore PG Ronnie Rousseau of Winton Woods as he takes on veteran Taft PG Orlando Berry Jr; Ronnie will have to be at his best and most poised for the Warriors to have a chance.

o   Prediction: Taft

Tuesday

·         LaSalle @ Mason: The undefeated Lancers must travel far from home to face a one loss Comets team that plays the exact opposite style. Tempo will more then likely decide the outcome of this game. Mason doesn’t have great team speed and might struggle to guard LaSalle’s uptempo attack. While both teams are excellent half court defensive teams the size of Mason could really bother LaSalle down low. How effective Mason guards Tim Reale and JD Sprague are at breaking down the Lancer press could easily decide this one.

o   Prediction: Game comes down to the last two minutes where LaSalle finds a way to win.

·         Middletown @ Princeton: An emotional night for Coach Josh Andrews of Middletown, who at the end of last season resigned from Princeton to take the helm for the Middies. There is little doubt that Viking fans, and players, will have a little extra motivation in this one; a matchup between two very talented teams. Princeton has the size and depth to contain Vincent Edwards so the matchup that CPHR is most interested in is senior PG’s Geovonie McKnight of Middletown and Princeton’s Deion Isham, who is playing great basketball. If Isham can keep up with McKnight’s scoring then Princeton has a chance.

o   Prediction: It’s tough to think that a team with Princeton’s talent could be facing three league losses in a row; but that’s what CPHR thinks will go down as the Middies win a close game for Coach Andrews.

·         Ross @ Northwest

·         Walnut Hills @ Wilmington

·         Turpin @ Little Miami

·         Chaminade Julienne @ St. Xavier

·         Talawanda @ Winton Woods

Wednesday

·         Shroder @ West High

·         Woodward @ Withrow

Mid-Season All-City Team/New Power Rankings

With mid-January approaching it is time to update our power rankings and announce the much anticipated CPHR Mid-Season All-City Team…….

Mid-Season All-City Team

Adolphus Washington

First Team 

·         Josh Lemons- ’12 PG LaSalle

·         Geovonie McKnight- ’12 PG/SG Middletown

·         Josh Davenport- ’13 SG/SF Moeller

·         Devin Williams- ’13 PF Withrow

·         Adolphus Washington- ’12 C Taft

Second Team

·         Kevin Johnson- ’13 PG Summit

·         Willie Moore- ’12 SG Aiken

·         Darrin Harris- ’12 SF Mason

·         Jacob Rossi- ’12 SF/PF Franklin

·         Isaiah Johnson- ’13 C Walnut Hills

Third Team

·         Deion Isham- ’12 PG Princeton

·         Orlando Berry- ’12 PG Taft

·         Zach McCormick- ’14 PG/SG Turpin

·         Monty Boyins- ’13 SG Lakota West

·         Vincent Edwards- ’14 SF Middletown

Geovonie McKnight

Honorable Mention: Angel Rivera (’14 PG Hughes), Antonio Woods (’14 PG Summit), Ben Galemmo (’12 SG Moeller), Kwan Cheatham (’13 SF/PF Winton Woods), Trent Donald (’13 SF/PF Winton Woods), Kevin Daniels (’14 SG Hughes), Paul Woodson (’12 PF Aiken), Corey Wise (’13 SG Withrow), Tim Coleman (’13 PG/SG Withrow), Jeff Woods (’12 SF Fairfield), Sterling Gilmore (’13 PG Walnut Hills), Max Hassell (’12 PG Clark), Brandon Murphy (’12 C Fairfield), Luke Kennard (’15 SG Franklin), Justin Rossi (’12 PF Frankli), Andrew Benentendi (’13 SG Madeira), Drew Hall (’12 SF McNicholas), Deontez McGee (‘12 SG Norwood) , Jamal Ivery (’12 SG North College Hill), DJ Wingfield (’13 SG Lockland), Dorian Jordan (’13 PG Princeton), Jeff Larkin (’14 PG/SG LaSalle), Mike Van Kleunen (’12 PF Mason), Ali Barnes (’13 PG Lakota West), Tyler Williams (’14 PG Lakota West), Max Mischkulnig (’12 PF Ross), Zach McCorkle ('12 PF/C Winton Woods), Jalean Lowe ('12 SG/SF Taft), Stedman Lowry ( '13 SG Lakota East), Milt Davis ('13 SG Colerain), Connor Speed ('13 SG LaSalle)

Week 7 Power Rankings (01/08/2012)

Division I

1.       Moeller: Crusaders reclaim Cincy’s top spot after a rivalry win over St. Xavier on Friday.

2.       Withrow: Took an unnecessary loss in Columbus but are focused on MLK day vs Taft.

3.       LaSalle: Undefeated Lancers have  a huge meeting at Mason on Tuesday night.

4.       Middletown: Coach Andrew’s returns to Princeton on Tuesday. Can Middies handle emotion?

5.       Mason: Everyone will be watching Tuesday as the Comets take on LaSalle in GMC vs GCL game.

6.       Winton Woods: Big matchup with Taft on Monday downtown will show Warrior’s toughness.

7.       Walnut Hills: Coach Moman has this squad rolling after some early season lumps.

8.       Fairfield: What a win at Princeton, Indians are for real in the GMC title chase.

9.       Princeton: Two losses and the broken leg of Malcolm Smith really drop the Vikings this week.

10.   Turpin: FAVC East squad is 7-1 and gelling more each passing week.

Josh Lemons

Just Missed: Lakota West, West High, Lakota East, St. Xavier

Division II-IV

1.       Taft: Next three are crucial- Winton Woods, Akron St. Vincent St. Mary’s, and Withrow.

2.       Franklin: Dismantled a good Springboro team, still undefeated and looking unstoppable.

3.       Summit: Still undefeated as tilt with NCH is starting to build more and more hype.

4.       Aiken: Some big tests are coming up from GCL opponents, Falcons will be tourney tested.

5.       North College Hill: Protected their home floor with impressive win over Lockland.

6.       Norwood: Under the radar title contenders in the FAVC West division led by Deontez McGee.

7.       Madeira: Now big favorites in CHL after blowing out Finneytown.

8.       Lockland: Lost to NCH but kept it very close on the road, still 3^rd best team in the MVC.

9.       Finneytown: CHL’s 2^nd best team right now, behind Madeira, keeps improving.

10.   Indian Hill: With only 1 conference loss the Braves are right in the thick of the CHL.

Just Missed: Mariemont, Hughes, Clark, Badin, Roger Bacon, McNicholas

Saturday Scores from Around the City

CPHR's #1 Ranked Division I team takes it first loss, and a knocked up Lakota East team gets their 2nd win in two days, in a Saturday marked by quality over quantity.....

• Moeller 65 Hughes 49: The Crusaders used their size and experience to out-rebound and defend against a a feisty Hughes team that refused to go away. Moeller was led in scoring, again, by junior wing Josh Davenport. Junior wing Terry Cook led Hughes with 17 points in the loss while sophomore guards Angel Rivera and Kevin Daniels each added 12 points. 
• Lakota East 65 Woodward 51: Junior guard Robbie Harpring scored a career high 21 points, while junior post Zach Panzeca added 17 points and 8 rebounds, as East won their 2nd game of the weekend. 
• Westerville North 62 Withrow 55: Trailing at the half and missing their top player, in injured junior PG Jack Gibbs, Westerville North dug deep and knocked off undefeated Withrow in Columbus behind the hot shooting of junior combo guard Jaylen Benton. Withrow was led the by the 24 points and 10 rebounds of junior forward Devin Williams and the 15 points of junior guard Corey Wise in the Tiger's first loss. 
• Sycamore 62 Loveland 46: 18 points off the bench from sophomore guard  Zach Farquhar led the Aves to the win. 
• Lakota West 62 Elder 52: The Firebirds bounced back with a win behind the 19 points of junior guard Monty Boykins, the 17 points of sophomore guard Tyler Williams, and the 12 points of junior guard Ali Barnes. 

Friday Scores

A full night of GMC, two close call upset alert GCL games, and more highlighted tonight's action....... Photos 

Mike Van Kleunen

• Mason 70 Lakota West 60: The Firebirds played a brilliant first 14 minutes before the last two minutes of the first half went to Mason and from there the floodgates opened. A huge third quarter saw Mason outscore West 20-8 as senior forward Mike Van Kleunen knocked down shot after shot en route to 26 points on 12/15 shooting. Senior wing Darrin Harris also had a big night for Mason by scoring 22 points. West was led by the three pronged attack of sophomore PG Tyler Williams (19 points), junior guard Monty Boykins (14 points), and junior guard Ali Barnes (10 points) in their first conference loss of the season. 
• Fairfield 48 Colerain 40: Senior post Brandon Murphy scored 17 points and senior wing Jeff Woods scored 15 points in the win. Colerain was led by the 14 points of junior wing Bryan Porter. 
• Middletown 66 Sycamore 45: Geovonie McKnight scored 21 points, Vince Edwards scored 16, and Zach Edwards 13 in a dominating Middies win. 
• Oak Hills 60 Princeton 55: Junior guard Jake Richmond dropped 18 points, one of three double figure Highlanders scorers, in a major upset win. Juniors Dorian Jordan, 16 points, and Eric Tivis, 11 points, led Princeton in their second straight loss.
• Moeller 46 St. Xavier 38: After trailing by 1 after the third quarter Moeller pulled off a huge fourth quarter to grab the rivalry win behind the 13 points of junior wing Josh Davenport and 11 points of senior forward Alex Voss.  
• Northwest 74 Harrison 60: Junior guard Ramar Hairston scored 19 points off the bench, while freshman PG Isaiah Jones added 12 in the win. 
• Talawanda 70 Norwood 64: Indians senior guard Deontez McGee scored 25 in the loss. 
• Turpin 71 Glen Este 63: Despite the 31 points of senior guard Alex Fultz his Glen Este team was not able to win the game. Turpin sophomore guard Zach McCormick scored 19 points, junior Connor Grotton scored 18, junior Clay Johnson scored 12, and senior Alex Boyer added 10 in the win. 
• Summit 47 CHCA 23: Junior guard Kevin Johnson led Summit with 16 points in the win. 
• Aiken 60 Woodward 48: The 23 points and 10 rebounds of junior wing Austin Grimes, combined with the 17 points and 7 assists of senior guard Willie Moore led Aiken to a comfortable team win. 
• Hughes 50 Shroder 42: Sophomore PG Angel Rivera's 17 points led Hughes to their first conference win since the '09-'10 season. Sophomore wing Kevin Daniels had another big scoring night for Hughes by tallying 19 points in the win. Vernon Montgomery, a senior wing, led Shroder with 11 points. 
• Lakota East 33 Hamilton 32: East pulled off a fourth quarter comeback in a game that neither team had a player score in double figures. 
• Milford 55 Anderson 41: Junior post Garrett Mayleben scored 19 points, without missing a shot, in the Eagles big win over the Redskins. 
• McNicholas 36 Badin 33: Senior wing Drew Hall led all scorers with 19 in the loss. 
• North College Hill 57 Lockland 53: Senior wing Jamal Ivery led NCH with 22 points in a huge conference win. Junior wing DJ Wingfield led the Panther with 16 points in the loss, a rivalry game between two of the MVC's most talented teams. 
• Walnut Hills 45 Kings 29: The 16 points and 13 rebounds of Isaiah Johnson, a junior post, paced Walnut Hills in the blowout win. 
• LaSalle 43 Elder 38: In a game that was much closer then expected the 18 points of senior guard Josh Lemons, and 15 points of junior guard Connor Speed, were just enough to lift the Lancers over the Panthers; keeping LaSalle's perfect season alive. 
• Roger Bacon 51 Purcell Marian 45: Sophomore wing Carlas Jackson scored 16 points and junior wing Eric Edwards added 15 points as the Spartans got a key division win. 
• Winton Woods 64 Mt. Healthy 40

NEW PLAYER RANKINGS

LaSalle '14 PG/SG Jeff Larkin
is one of the quicket risers in our rankings.

CPHR, through out statewide site Triple Double Prospects, is ready to release our updated mid-season prospect rankings. While the '12 and '13 rankings saw only minor changes the '14 rankings took on a complete overhaul, especially at the guard positions where this class continues to add more and more quality depth. Remember that our rankings are based on what we view as the best prospect, not the best current statistical player necessarily, and are the opinion solely of this website. Here are the updates.....

2012 Player Rankings  
2013 Player Rankings
2014 Player Rankings
2015 Player Rankings


Question, comment, critique? Email us at cincyprephoopsreport@gmail.com

Weekend Preview

Friday

·         North College Hill @ Lockland: In a battle for MVC bragging rights two of the top teams from CPHR’s DII-IV poll will battle it out. Does NCH have a defender who can physically matchup with the challenge that Lockland junior wing DJ Wingfield presents?

o   Prediction: NCH by just a couple.

·         Mason @ Lakota West: The Firebirds currently sit atop the GMC standings, with Middletown, as the only undefeated teams left in the league. Mason’s only league loss thus far has been to Middletown. On paper this looks like a guards vs posts game as West features mainly perimeter players, while Mason’s top two players are interior scorers. Whoever controls the pace of this game should win it; West cannot let Mason slow the game down and turn it into a low possession game.

o   Prediction: Mason wins a close game on the road.

·         St. Xavier @ Moeller: There’s always a circle on the calendar when these two teams meet. Unfortunately for St. X the Crusaders are ranked #2 in the CPHR poll and they themselves have fallen off the map. This represents a chance to get back on the right track; but it’s tough to envision beating Moeller on the road.

o   Prediction: Moeller big!

·         Fairfield @ Colerain

·         Hamilton @ Lakota East

·         Middletown @ Sycamore

·         Princeton @ Oak Hills

·         Anderson @ Milford

·         Aiken @ Woodward

·         Shroder @ Hughes

·         McNicholas @ Badin

·         LaSalle @ Elder

·         Roger Bacon @ Purcell Marian

·         St. Bernard @ Clark

·         CHCA @ Summit

·         Northwest @ Harrison

·         Kings @ Walnut Hills

·         Glen Este @ Turpin

·         Winton Woods @ Mt. Healthy

Saturday

·         Woodward @ Lakota East

·         Moeller @ Hughes

·         Withrow @ Columbus Westerville North

·         Lakota West @ Elder

Tuesday Results

The GMC remains wide open after the Fairfield Indians pulled off a dominant road upset in front of a packed house. A full night of GMC action, along with several FAVC, GCL, CHL, and MVC games all resulted in some expected and surprising results from tonight...... Game Photos

Jeff Woods of Fairfield

• Fairfield 66 Princeton 57: The Vikings never got closer then within four points after a intense first quarter and a half saw Fairfield take a 24-10 lead. Princeton made runs from time to time but could never gain back control due to the timely shotmaking of all six of the Indian senior role players. With Princeton back within four points with just 90 seconds to play a Jeff Woods three pointer put the dagger in the heart of the Vikings as the celebration began for Fairfield fans. On the night Woods was the most impressive Indians player by finishing with 16 points despite constant pressure from the Princeton defense. Statistically the top performance went to Fairfield senior post Brandon Murphy, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the win. The Indians also got an efficient 8 points and 8 assists from sophomore guard Tim Fleming, 11 points from senior forward Keon Benjamin, and 6 huge points from senior guard Devon Barlow. Princeton was led by the inspired play of senior guard Deion Isham who scored 21 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and recorded 5 assists in the loss. The Vikings were able to score in the halfcourt but 20 turnovers kept them from making the comeback. 
• Middletown 65 Colerain 53: Sophomore forward Vincent Edwards' 11 points and 16 rebounds, along with the 15 points of junior wing Jalin Marshall and 14 points of senior guard Geovonie McKnight, propelled the Middies to another league win. In their fourth straight league loss the Cardinals got 15 points from senior wing Elisha Campbell, 11 from junior guard Milt Davis, and 10 from junior guard Bryan Porter.  
• Lakota West 60 Hamilton 46: Junior guards Monty Boykins and Ali Barnes each scored 15 points to give the Firebirds another league win. 
• Lakota East 35 Sycamore 33: Junior guard Robbie Harpring led East with 8 points and 7 boards. 
• Mason 62 Oak Hills 49: Senior point man JD Sprague led Mason with 19 points and 6 assists, while senior wing Darrin Harris went for 12 points and 8 rebounds, in the Comets win. 
• Franklin 69 Springboro 47: In a battle of previously undefeated's the Wildcats came out on top behind a dominating first half. Franklin held Springboro star junior center Maverick Morgan to 14 points while Franklin freshman sensation Luke Kennard, a versatile wing, scored 22 points. 
• LaSalle 71 Shroder 48: Another defensive clinic led the Lancers to another win, keeping them undefeated on the season. Senior guard Josh Lemons led LaSalle with 29 points. 
• Roger Bacon 55 Elder 43: Sophomore wing Austin Frentsos led four double figure Spartan scorers with 14 points in the win. 
• Summit 68 CCPA 24: Three Knights players each scored 10 points, and every player scored in the blowout win. 
• Walnut Hills 60 Loveland 44: Junior post Isaiah Johnson scored 16 points with 14 rebounds, while junior forward Kodey Jackson added 16 points and 9 rebounds, in the comfortable Eagles win. 
• Turpin 78 Kings 62: Sophomore guard Zach McCormick scored a career high 33 points as the Spartans rallied from a poor first half to blow out Kings. Senior guard Mitch Stevens added 15 in the Turpin win; while Kings was led by the 27 points of Tommy Schnee. 
• Glen Este 49 Milford 46: Eagles senior center Rob Overbeck went for 22 and 16 in the loss. 
• Norwood 57 Bethel Tate 39: Indians senior guard Deontez McGee led the way with 19 points in the win. 
• Reading 44 Ross 37
• Indian Hill 71 Anderson 51
• Wyoming 43 Purcell Marian 40
• Badin 57 CHCA 33
• McNicholas 65 Seven Hills 50

Mid-Week Preview

A full crop of GMC games, with all ten teams playing league games, highlights the Tuesday schedule; although teams from the FAVC and GCL will also be playing league games….

Tuesday

·         Colerain @ Middletown: The Cardinals are desperate for a league win as they are sitting at 0-3, after starting the season with a lot of hype. As CPHR has repeatedly said, the Cardinals have the talent to win big league games; but its yet to come together fully for that to happen. Middletown is trying to get right as well, as they have now lost two of their last three games. The Middies are still undefeated in the league, and plan on keeping it that way on Tuesday. Colerain has the depth at guard to constantly hound Middies senior guard Geovonie McKnight (although McKnight had a great game against Colerain in their meeting last year); but does Colerain have a way to stop sophomore wing Vincent Edwards? A big game from Edwards will probably put this out of reach for Colerain, who will have to get balanced scoring from their plethora of guards to have a chance.

o   Prediction: The Cards can’t get it right in the league. Middletown wins this one at home by a comfortable margin.

·         Fairfield @ Princeton: The undefeated Vikings return to their home court after an impressive stint in Florida where they will take on an Indians team that is trying to avoid a second league loss. Expect a lot of defensive pressure and fast paced offense in this one. The Indians are capable of getting hot from deep and will have to do that to win as they do not have the scoring depth inside to stop Princeton (especially in senior wing Malcolm Smith’s first game back from injury). One important matchup to watch in this one will be interior play of senior centers De’arius Young of Princeton and Fairfield’s Brandon Murphy; if Murphy can find a way to dominate this matchup then Fairfield will have a much better chance at this one.

o   Prediction: The Indians are really good, but not good enough to win at Princeton in Malcolm Smith’s return. Princeton wins this one by about ten with a strong second half.

·         Lakota West @ Hamilton

·         Lakota East @ Sycamore

·         Oak Hills @ Mason

·         Indian Hill @ Anderson

·         Shroder @ LaSalle

·         Turpin @ Kings

·         Summit @ CCPA

·         Walnut Hills @ Loveland

·         Milford @ Glen Este

·         Elder @ Roger Bacon

Wednesday

·         Shroder @ Madeira

·         Lockland @ SCPA

Week 5 Recap/New Power Rankings

Clark Cougars- Hughes Holiday Tournament Champions

Two junior prospects proved to be worthy of the hype as they turned in monster performances out of town while some great local action, led by the Turpin @ Walnut Hills thriller, also highlight the week that was….

Week Five Top Performers

·         Devin Williams- ’13 Withrow PF: Williams went to Michigan and turned in two MVP performances, and the game winning basket in third game, as Withrow went 3-0. For the tourney Williams averaged 25.0 points while shooting over 65% from the field and grabbing 12.3 rebounds a game. 

·         Joshua Davenport- ’13 Moeller SF: Davenport had scoring games of 20, 21, and 30 in three games in Florida, two of them ending in Moeller wins. Josh also shot over 60% from the field.

Withrow PF Devin Williams

·         Max Hassell- ’12 Clark PG: The emerging prospect led his team to two wins, and the championship, at the Hughes Holiday tournament by averaging 24.0 points per game. 

·         Angel Rivera- ’14 Hughes PG: The undersized guard is making a splash on the scene by proving that he is one of the elite passers in Ohio, which he displayed for the entirety of his team’s two games at the Hughes Holiday Classic, where they finished 2^nd.

·         Ali Barnes- ’13 Lakota West PG: An All-Tournament Team performer in Lexington, Barnes averaged over 15 points as West finished 2-2, with both losses coming to Top 5 ranked teams from Kentucky.

·         Isaiah Johnson- ’13 Walnut Hills C: “Big Dog” dominated with 22 and 16 against Elder and followed it up by being a presence with 13 and 13 in the buzzer beater home win over Turpin.

·         JD Sprague- ’12 Mason PG: Sprague was the catalyst as the Comets dominated Loveland and Milford. Sprague displayed both scoring and passing abilities for an underrated Mason team.

Week 6 Power Rankings 01/01/12

Division I

1.       Withrow: The Tigers regain the top spot in the rankings after a 3-0 run in Detroit, including a win over defending state champions Kalamazoo Central.

2.       Moeller: The Crusaders made it to the finals in Florida before taking their first loss.

3.       Princeton: The Vikings were off this week.

4.       LaSalle: Lancers fan were happy with the Oak Hills rivalry win this week in their only game.

5.       Winton Woods: The Warriors are still on the rise, but only played once this week (blowout win).

6.       Middletown: A disappointing loss for the Middies to Springboro drops them down one spot.

7.       Mason: Comets are clicking on all cylinders after dominating two FAVC teams.

8.       Walnut Hills: Buzzer beater win over Turpin has the Eagles feeling the momentum.

9.       Turpin: The confident Spartans are getting better. A buzzer beater loss at Walnut doesn’t drop them far.

Turpin SG Zach McCormick drives the lane
in their thrilling buzzer beater loss at Walnut Hills

10.   Fairfield: The Indians were off this week. 

Just Missed: Lakota West, West High, Ross

Division II-IV

1.       Taft: The Senators were off this week.

2.       Summit: The Silver Knights were off this week.

3.       Aiken: The Falcons were off this week.

4.       Franklin: Matchup this week with Springboro is building hype quickly.

5.       North College Hill: Blowout loss to Dayton Thurgood Marshall doesn’t drop them far.

6.       Lockland: Panthers had the week off.

7.       Norwood: Indians were off this week.

8.       Badin: GCL-Central favorites for now with Roger Bacon struggling.

9.       Madeira: CHL favorites for now still.

10.   Indian Hill: The Braves had the week off.

Just Missed: Finneytown, Roger Bacon, Clark, Hughes

Friday Scores

Kodey Jackson was the hero tonight
for Walnut Hills as he scored with just :01 left to win it.

What a night in the FAVC East as a buzzer beating put-back bucket by junior forward Kodey Jackson gave Walnut Hills the home win over Turpin in a packed “Nut House."
Walnut-Turpin Photos

• Walnut Hills 48 Turpin 47: In a defensive game, where both teams were extremely well prepared, the scoring picked up late as Turpin took their first lead of the game with just :42 remaining. After Walnut junior PG Sterling Gilmore, who scored 9 points in the win, drove for a layup to tie with :25 left Turpin again took the lead as senior guard Mitch Stevens’ free throw put the Spartans up 1 with :13 remaining. Sterling Gilmore again drove the lane and this time kicked out to junior guard Ricardo Hill for the three that missed but junior forward Kodey Jackson was able to get the rebound and score with less then one second left to give the Eagles the one point win, and the conference lead. Jackson finished with 11 points for Walnut while junior center Isaiah Johnson was a load in the paint as he tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds. Turpin got 12 points, most coming late off of drives, from sophomore combo guard Zach McCormick; while junior forward Connor Grotton led all scorers as he scored 19 points for Turpin (including four three point baskets). In the type of game where a neutral fan hates to see either team lose it was the Eagles who made more clutch plays down the stretch, including a pair of huge three’s from senior guard Andrew Mitchell, to get the rivalry win.

• Springboro 49 Middletown 47: The host school pulled the upset, remained undefeated, and took home the trophy in the championship game of the Domino’s Holiday Classic. Junior center Maverick Morgan, a high major recruit, led all scorers with 24 points in the win as the Middies could not match his 6’10 265 lbs body down low. Middletown’s only double figure scorer was senior guard Geovonie McKnight with 14 points.

• Hialeah Gardens (FL) 65 Moeller 59: The championship game of the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Miami didn't go Moeller's way as they fell behind in the second quarter by double figures and never got closer then six the rest of the way. A very talented Hialeah team playing only three miles from their campus dealt the Crusaders their first loss of the season, as Moeller falls to 8-1.

• Louisville Ballard 62 Lakota East 49: The still undermanned Thunderhawks lost again as the overall talent of Ballard, and University of Louisville commitment ’14 SG Quinton Snider who scored a game high 18 points, was just too much for them. East was led by a pair of juniors as post Zach Panzeca scored 11 points and guard Robbie Harpring scored 13.

• Louisville Moore 52 Lakota West 39: The Firebirds finished in 6th place at the Republic Bank Holiday Classic in Lexington as they fell to another elite Kentucky squad. West was again led by the scoring of junior guard Ali Barnes who made the All-Tournament Team and finished with 11 points; junior SG Monty Boykins was West's high scorer with 14 points in the loss.

• Dayton Meadowdale 51 St. Xavier 46: The Bombers finished in 4th place at the Domino’s Holiday Tournament in Springboro as they fell to one of Dayton’s finest.

• West High 57 Elder 54: After losing to Elder every single year since 2002 the Mustangs finally got the win as a late defensive stop held off a Panther comeback.

Late Score:

• Winton Woods 73 Huber Heights Wayne 66: All five Warrior starters scored in double figures as sophomore PG Ronnie Rousseau had a career high 19 points, junior forward Trent Donald went for 16, junior forward Kwan Cheatham scored 13, senior post Zach McCorkle had 11, and sophomore SG Demetrius Suesberry also tallied 11. 

Scores from Thursday

Clark PG Max Hassell was the
Hughes Holiday Tourney MVP

While CPHR spent another day at the Hughes Holiday Classic, more top teams from the area played in and out of the city. '12 Clark PG Max Hassell vs '14 Hughes PG Angel Rivera became quite the matchup; in the end both proved one thing- they need more attention from recruiters! Photos

• Clark 65 Hughes 41: The Cougars won the title at the Hughes Holiday Classic by defeating the hosts with their overwhelming defensive pressure and transition offense. Senior guard Max Hassell continues to be the most improved guard in the city as he scored 21 points and won the MVP in the win. Sophomore guard Malik Rhodes is another improved player for Clark as he attacked the rim well with 8 points and 4 assists; Michael Gaines scored 10 points and David Burt 12 for the Cougars. Hughes was led by the 12 points of junior wing Terry Cook and the 10 points of sophomore PG Angel Rivera in the loss. Rivera was spectacular handling the ball against the Clark pressure but his teammates couldn't finish enough opportunities to get Hughes in the game past the second quarter. CPHR was also impressed with the energy and defense of Hughes sophomore forward Dwight Nared who tallied just 6 points but rebounded well and threw down a monster and-one two handed dunk in traffic. 
• Withrow 75 Detroit Cass Tech 56: Junior forward Devin Williams got his 2nd MVP trophy in three days as Withrow finished 3-0 at the Motorcity Roundball Classic. Williams was the only double figure scorer in a balanced Withrow effort as he went for 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win. 
• Lakota West 79 Puliski County (KY) 70: Sophomore guard Tyler Williams' 14 points and 6 assists helped West pull out an overtime win in Lexington. Junior guard Ali Barnes added 23 points and junior swingman Monty Boykins tallied 15 in the win.
• Moeller 67 Sagemont (FL) 54: The Crusaders advanced in the Junior Orange Bowl Classic as they remain undefeated. Senior guard Ben Galemmo led Moeller with a hot shooting night leading to 22 points; while junior wing Josh Davenport had another big night with 20 points of his own.  
• LaSalle 70 Oak Hills 41: A big third quarter opened the floodgates as the Lancers remain undefeated. LaSalle was led by Josh Lemons with 14 points, junior guard Connor Speed added on 12 points while sophomore guard Jeff Larkin scored 10 points. 
• Middletown 68 St. Xavier 53: Sophomore wing Vincent Edwards scored 21 points with 11 rebounds, while senior guard Geovonie McKnight added 19, as the Middies rebounded from their loss to Moeller. Sophomore forward Roderick Mills led the Bombers with 14 points off the bench. 
• Colerain 64 Northwest 57: Junior guard Deiontay Waiters led four double figure Cardinal scorers with 16 points as Colerain held off a Northwest comeback attempt. Junior guards Milt Davis and Kane Davis, along with senior wing Eli'sha Campbell were the other Colerain double digit scorers. Northwest was led in scoring by the 16 points of senior guard Quez Evans while junior wing Ramar Hairston added 13 and senior wing Chazz Gwinn scored 12. 
• Mason 54 Milford 32: Senior guard JD Sprague led all scorers with 22 points while senior forward Mike Van Kleuen added 18 as the Comets cruised.
• Bishop Gorman (NV) 76 Lakota East 38: At the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina the undermanned Thunderhawks, playing without their top two players in injured wings Mark Minch and Stedman Lowry, were no match for the consensus #1 player in the country in 6'7 SF Shabazz Muhammad. East was led in scoring by junior post Zack Panzeca with 10 points while Muhammad led all scorers with 22. 

Be on the look out for the announcement of updated Triple Double Prospects

 player rankings, coming mid next week!

Wednesday Local Scores

Angel Rivera

While CPHR spent the evening at the Hughes Holiday tourney, many of the top teams in the area were in action again today both in and out of Cincinnati.....
Hughes Tourney Photos

• Hughes 80 Riverview East Academy 15: In a game of two teams that were totally mismatched the Big Red jumped out to a 52-9 halftime lead and kept their foot on the pedal in defeating the small charter school from the East End in the semi-finals of the Hughes Holiday Tournament. Sophomore post Dwight Nared had a career night for Hughes tallying 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win for the double-double as The Big Red won their second game of the year, surpassing last year's win total. Sophomore guard Angel Rivera showed a great overall floor game with 10 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals in limited action due to the overwhelming margin. Hughes also got 12 points from junior wing Terry Cook, on 4/5 three point shooting, and 8 points from star sophomore wing Kevin Daniels. Hughes will play Clark tomorrow night in the championship game of the Hughes Holiday Tournament. 
• Clark 72 Dayton Ponitz 48: The Cougars defensive pressure was too much for Ponitz to handle as Clark built a big lead and kept running in fresh bodies as they blew out their opponent. Senior guard Max Hassell had another huge night as he scored 28 points, including three consecutive three point baskets midway through the third quarter to swell the lead past twenty points. Clark also got 13 points from athletic wing David Burt in the win. Clark will face Hughes tomorrow night in the championship of the Hughes Holiday Tournament. 
• Withrow 76 Kalamazoo Central (MI) 75: A schedule change pitted Withrow against Michigan's two time defending Division I State Champions, and the Tigers were up for the challenge. After a Devin Williams bucket with less then ten seconds gave Withrow the final lead game MVP Tim Coleman, a junior guard, stole the ball to seal the deal and put the Tigers at 2-0 at the Motorcity Roundball Classic in Detroit. Williams, a junior forward, led the scoring with 15 of his team high 17 points coming after half time (as foul trouble hampered him in the first). Junior wing Corey Wise scored 16 for Withrow, while sophomore guard Tyonte Robertson and Coleman each added 11 points.
• Walnut Hills 77 Elder 49: Junior post Isaiah Johnson scored 22 points with 16 rebounds while junior guard Sterling Gilmore added on 15 points in the Eagles convincing win over another GCL-South opponent. 
• Louisville Trinity 60 Lakota West 47: The Firebirds fell in the quarterfinals of the Republic Bank Holiday Classic in Lexington to the most talented team in Kentucky. Early shooting woes doomed West as they were unable to get closer then within five in the second half. Junior guards Monty Boykins and Ali Barnes led the scoring with 13 and 10 points respectively. 
• Moeller 63 Coral Reef (FL) 58: The Crusaders won their opening game at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Florida. Junior wing Josh Davenport continued his great season with a career high 30 points, and 10 rebounds to go along with it, as Moeller moved to 6-0.
• Dayton Thurgood 69 Marshall North College Hill 45: The Trojans fell behind early to the defending Division II State Runners-Up and never recovered as junior wing Mark Alstork led Thurgood to victory with 18 points. NCH was led by the 17 points of senior wing Jamal Ivery. 
• Roger Bacon 64 Gainesville (KY) 62: The Spartans rebounded from yesterday's loss to pick up a win in the Kentucky Gaslight Classic. 
• Lakota East received a bye until tomorrow as they made the winner's bracket at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina.