Revised Middle School Team Rankings

Team Lima Remains the #1 Ranked 8th Grade Team in Ohio

Since the initial team rankings were released a little over a week ago, we have seen some movement in each of the three grade divisions. Murphy AC's championship run in the U-13 DI AAU State Qualifier last weekend was unexpected, and has resulted in their rise in the rankings.  Also, in the same division and the same tournament, a couple of Cincinnati-based teams (Royals & Friars) made enough noise to move up in the rankings as well.  In the U-14 division, the Dayton Heat finished second in the All-Ohio Super Showcase and announced to the big boys in the class that they can play ball. Although there was no major movement in the 6th grade division, the Pickerington Wildcats' second place finish in Cincinnati caught some people by surprise. With that said, at the end of the day, each of our #1 ranked teams retained their crowns for the time being. When the 8th graders tee it up at the DI AAU tournament in a couple of weeks there could be a lot of movement.  It should be a dog fight!

To see the revised rankings, go to the link located on the right side of this website (halfway down).  Click on the Team Lima team picture to see the rankings.  From here on out, updates can be found there. While you are on that side of the website, take the opportunity to look at all of the information contained behind the logos. Finally, I'm just about ready to post my list of the top 30 seventh graders and the top 6th graders in the state. the 7th grade list should be released sometimes next week, and the broader 6th grade list should be released within the next 2 weeks.  Right now, I have published a list of about 100 plus 7th graders which can be found on the right hand column of the website.  Please use the comment section below to comment on the team ranking (keep it positive!), and to speculate who will/should be in the 6th and 7th grade rankings. Remember, the rankings are designed to stimulate conversation, create a community forum for debate. No disrespect is intended, and credible information is always welcome.

Ohio Kids Excel at National Camp

Derrick Daniels-6'7 PF/C Dayton

The John Lucas basketball camp has become one of the most elite middle school camps in the country.  In fact, an invitation to the elite camp is a tough ticket to come by, and is reserved for only the most elite players in their respective states. A couple of weeks ago, Ohio had a couple of representatives at the camp who made some noise and represented Ohio very well. Derrick Daniels, a 6'7 PF/C from Dayton, was ranked as the #4 PF in the camp.  In addition, The Hoopscoop's Clark Francis ranked Daniels #23 overall at the camp. Although he is more productive defensively at this point in his development, Daniels is bouncy with loads of athleticism, and is widely considered one of the top 1 or 2 big men in the state in his class. Checkout the Daniels' video.

Rodrick Caldwell-5'9 PG Dayton

Rodrick Caldwell was ranked as the #4 PG by Basketball Spotlight, was mentioned as a player to watch by The Hoopscoop, and is easily one of the top 3 floor generals in the state. Right now, Caldwell's best attribute is his ability to run a team and to get others involved in the game. Both Daniels and Caldwell are well know to Buckeye Prep as each player has excelled at our events. In addition, both players should get ample attention from D-I college coaches. Congratulations to both players for repping the Buckeye State!

Basketball Spotlight Camp Rankings

Xavier Simpson-PG Lima

It should be noted, Lima's Xavier Simpson also attended the Lucas Camp and was ranked 48th overall by The Hoop Scoop. I'm not sure any kid has attended as many Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase as has Simpson, and he has logged in all-star-caliber performance at every event. Each time we have seen him, Simpson has continued to get better. At this point, he is clearly one of the elite PGs in the class, and his leadership on the floor sets him apart from other lead guards in the state.

2016 Buckeyes Represented in National Rankings

A couple of weeks ago I published a list of Ohio 8th graders (and Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase alums) who made Nations Elite Prospects' list of top 8th graders.  Well, according to Sports Press TV's national rankings, Ohio has several 8th graders worthy of a national ranking. Although there are some slight variations in their list versus Nations Elite's, Sports Press has identified the same kids we here at Buckeye Prep have highlighted for the past several years.

Through our coverage of middle school basketball, as well as our tournaments and elite showcases, it's easy for national scouts and college coaches to find the top young up and coming talent here in Ohio. Buckeye Prep provides exposure opportunities where kids can make a name for themselves. What most people don't know, we routinely send out scouting reports and press releases to coaches and scouting services that people never see published, so that Ohio kids can get quality looks from around the nation. Don't believe the critics, people are watching and making note of the abundance of talent we have here in the Buckeye State!!With that said, we also offer exposure and a platform for any player, from any state, who we see and evaluate at our events and on the tournament trail. As always, we will make sure the folks at Sports Press TV get the final results of our September elite showcase. Below, check out their list of Ohio's best.

Sports Press TV National Rankings

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Alums

Buckeye Prep's Top 30

All-Ohio Purple Claims Title

All-Ohio Purple-6th Grade AAU DI State Champs

In the 6^th grade division, All-Ohio Purple (AOP), Ohio’s #1 ranked team, solidified their place as the big dog in the state with a 45-42 win over the Pickerington Wildcats. By most accounts, AOP was the heavy favorite this weekend, but the fact that the Wildcats finished second, and took AOP to the wire, suggests that Picktown needs to move up in our rankings.  The championship game represented a rematch of sorts, in that AOP defeated Pickerington earlier in the year rather soundly. But on Sunday, the game was much closer. The Wildcats used an 8-0 run late to cut the AOP lead to just 1 point, and had a chance to tie the game with a shot at the buzzer  but could not convert.

In the semi-final game, Pickerington defeated a beefed up Dayton Metro team by about 9 points. I say “beefed up,” because Metro has added Dayton area’s Antwon Johnson, one of the top bigs in the state. The standout performers for the Wildcats included: Isaiah Steelman (6’1 C Hilliard), Seth Goodson (5’5 SG Gahanna), Xavier Henderson (5’5 PG Pickerington) and Garret Tipton (5’10 PF Orient).

Although the championship game was a close one, AOP’s semi-final game against the Cincinnati Lakers was deemed “the toughest of the tournament,” by the AOP coaching staff. In fact, the game was characterized as a “slugfest,” by the AOP coaching staff, that got a little chippy by the end of the game. The most outstanding players for AOP were Terry Durham (5’0 Combo guard), Demontez “Kane” Cooper (4’8 PG) and Jordan Coovert (6’0 PF). For the Lakers, the most outstanding players for the tournament were Cory Davis (6’0 WF Hamilton), Jack Crvaack (6’2 C Cincinnati), Ryan Hill (5’0 PG Cincinnati) and Johnny Miller (5’2 SG Cincinnati).

As a side note, and as expected, the 6^th grade Ohio Hoopsters took home the gold medal at the DII AAU State Tournament in Columbus. On another note, I have to give some props to Coach Parker and Dayton Nets/Buckeye Prep, as they parlayed a good weekend of basketball to a second place finish. From what I hear, the Nets were as close 2-3 points late in the fourth quarter, but could not get over the hump against the Hoopsters. The Hoopster’s Juan Elmore, David Madison and David Fitzgerald were all standouts over the weekend. Also, the Nets’ Darius Quisneberry got great reviews for his performance as as did Deshan Parker. I have seen both of these guards on multiple occasions and they are ferocious competitions. The other teams receiving bids were Buckeye Prep who finished 3^rd and TUFU finished in fourth place. 


Congratulations to Coach Jerry Francis and his 5^th grade All-Ohio Red (AOR) for winning their 4^th consecutive state championship this past weekend with their 6-point win over a very talented All-Ohio Purple (AOP) squad. The state of Ohio has had some classic rivalries over the years, but the AOR v AOP rivalry ranks right up there with the best.  Both teams have a legitimate chance to not only medal at the AAU Nationals this year, but either team can win it all.

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase (spring) 6/7th Grade Highlight Video

To see the recently released highlight video which was shot at the spring session of the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, click on the link below. Big props to Darnell for hooking up the sweet video!! Enjoy.

Highlight Video

Murphy AC Knights Capture AAU State Crown

Murphy AC Knight-7th Grade Ohio AAU DI Champs

Rarely do we see northern Ohio area teams traveling south to participate in the Ohio AAU DI State qualifier; it’s even rarer for those teams to actually play well enough to capture the gold medal. Well, that’s exactly what happened this past weekend when the Murphy AC Knights finished 5-1 on their way to winning the state qualifier. On the strength of strong guard play from Tommy Schmock, and the interior dominance of Jaylen Harris, the Knights made a statement this weekend with their win, and have now joined the argument about who should rein as the top 7th grade team in the state.

The Knights opened pool play with 2 convincing wins over the Cincinnati Lakers B team (40 +) and Columbus’ Mustang Ballers (30+), before stumbling against a well-coached Cincinnati Royals squad in overtime (52-48). The Knights would get back on track with a 10 point win over the Cincinnati Lakes in the first round of bracket play, followed by a double digit win over the Cincinnati Friars in a semi-final match-up.

The championship game featured a match-up between Murphy AC and the Ohio Hoopsters; the #2 and #3 ranked teams in the state. Although the Hoopster raced out to an 11-2 lead to start the game, the Knights would mount a 19-0 run of their own late in the contest, and eventually go on to claim the title. Despite the fact that he fouled out in the fourth quarter, Tommy Schmock lead all scorers with a game-high 18 points. The other top performers for the Knights were Jaylen Harris and Matt Davet. For the Hoopsters, Tyrell Ajian and Trey Pugh were lauded by Jim Schmock, the Knight’s head coach.

Tommy Schmock-Unofficial MVP

In terms of subplots, although the Hoopsters were playing without Garcia Dixon, a starter who did not make the trip to Cincinnati, they did pick up Ronnie Raymorn, a 6’4 C from North Union, who added depth in the post. Murphy AC did not have their full complement of players either; and was forced to compete with only 8 players. According to some of the coaches I talked to, some of the top performers over the weekend included: Tommy Schmock, Jaylen Harris, Ethan Bradds and Tyler Knetch. From what I heard about the play of Tommy Schmock, the kid continues to log in standout performances. Antwon Smith Sr., the acting coach for the Hoopsters, was really impressed with Schmock’s game. “He is the engine for that team (Knights). He penetrates well and can get anywhere on the floor he wants to,” stated Smith. Smith also liked Jaylen Harris, stating, “He has a lot of skill, and you can tell he plays with a lot of confidence. Smith was also complimentary of Ethan Bradds, a 6’3 PF from Jamestown.

In terms of the rankings, there will be some movement when I update the rankings later today. I heard a lot of positive things about the Cincinnati Royals, including the fact that they beat the tournament champs in pool play. However, it should also be noted that the Hoopsters defeated the Royals in the other semi-final game by about 20 points. Although Next Level, the #1 ranked team in the state, did not compete in the state tournament this weekend, I understand that they lost a close one to the Indy Hoosiers in the championship game in Indianapolis. Based on that performance, they may retain their number one ranking for now.


Congratulations to Coach Anthony Parker and his 7th grade Dayton Pilots squad for taking the championship of the DII AAU State Qualifier. The Pilots defeated the Capital City Cardinals B team 61-35 to claim the championship. The top players for the Pilots were Shamari Jamison (5'11 SF), Christian Montaque (5'9 G) and Demarco Long (6'2 C). In addition, I would like to give a shout out to the Northern Cincinnati Tar Heels for their 3^rd place finish in the 7^th grade division of the DII AAU State Tournament. Nicholas Bryant (6’0) and Evan Kuhlman led the charge as the Tar Heels defeated All-Ohio Purple to place. Although the Tar Heels have not yet secured a championship this season, they have placed 2^nd or 3^rd in a number of tournaments.  Keep up the good work.

U-10 Toledo Flash-AAU State Champs

Finally, I have to show a little love Coach Eddie Norrills and his U10 Toledo Flash for getting it done in the AAU state qualifier. The Flash easily defeated (+20 points) the Dayton Pilots to grab the gold. That teams has a pair of nice guards (Ketaan Wyatt & Zeb Jackson) that will making some noise in a few years, as well as some quality bigs. Congrats guys!