With boys’ basketball coming up in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, here are some of the best players to see on the All-Enquirer basketball team ahead of the season.
Players were selected based on past stats, team status, recruitment rankings and engagements. As in every season, you don’t start there, you end there. Northern Kentucky is approaching its season, which begins January 4th.
More:Ohio Winter High School Sports: It’s Not Postponed; What COVID-19 restrictions can I expect?
More:KHSAA is delaying the start of the basketball season to January 4th
First League
Forward Alex Williams, Moeller Senior
The 6-foot-4 junior can literally play any position on the floor and was the first team in the Greater Catholic League-South last season for the 26-1 Moeller Crusaders, who ran for a third straight championship in the Ohio Coronavirus Division I derailed March pandemic. It was also honored with an All-State mention. Williams averaged 13.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals for a team with three double-digit goalscorers. He’s been at Moeller’s University since his second season. Williams will play for Furman next season.
Forward / middle Logan Duncomb, Moeller Sr.
Like Williams, the 6-foot, 9,240-pound Duncomb has been a steadfast college since his sophomore year. Duncomb led the team with 14.2 points per game and bounced back with 8.4 points per competition. He led the entire GCL-Süd on the rebound and shot over 68% off the field. Duncomb signed in Indiana in early November after signing in the spring. Duncomb was GCL-South First Team and Third Team All-State.
Center Sage Tolentino, Hamilton Jr.
Little is known in high school circles, but Tolentino is a 7-footer who will play for Trainer Kevin Higgins in Hamilton this season. Born in the Philippines, he last played in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Maryknoll High School, where they won a state championship. Tolentino averaged 13.5 points per game and 8.3 rebounds. He came to Ohio as part of the Griffin Elite AAU program. Tolentino has pledged to play with the SEC in Auburn.
Guard Nate Johnson, a senior from Lakota East
The 6-foot-3 Johnson was named Greater Miami Conference Player of the Year for GMC Coach of the Year Clint Adkins in Lakota East. He was also named the second-team all-state team. Johnson averaged 16 points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals for the Thunderhawks, which ended 25-2 when their regional final with Moeller was canceled due to the pandemic. Johnson recently signed up to play for Akron.
Guard Bowen Hardman, Princeton Junior
The 6-foot-5 junior was sophomore second-team GMC, but Division I schools were quick to spot his shot when Hardman signed up for the state of Ohio last season. He averaged 11.8 points per game, hitting nearly 40% of his three-point points and 92% of his free throws. Hardman is now being coached by Bryan Wyant, who came from Hughes after winning the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference “Coach of the Year” with the Big Red.
Department II
Striker / Guardian Isaiah Walker, Wyoming Senior
Walker at 6-foot-5 was the Cincinnati Hills League Player of the Year Junior for CHL Coach of the Year Matt Rooks. He led the league with 25.6 points per game and added 8.4 rebounds. He was also Division II third-team all-state for the 24-1 Cowboys. Walker recently signed up to play college at Belmont.
Guard / Striker Brayden Sipple, Blanchester Senior
The 6-foot-5 shooter led the Southern Buckeye Conference with 33.3 points per game as a junior, pulled 9.6 rebounds and led the league with 3.2 assists per game. He was SBAAC National Co-Player of the Year with Skyler Schmidt of Clermont Northeastern. Schmidt has since moved to Covington Catholic. Sipple was Division II Second Team All-State. Sipple remains non-binding and also meets with football interest as a quarterback.
Center AJ Braun, Fenwick Senior
As a junior, the 6-foot-9 brown was second in the GCL Coed classification with 18.2 points per game, led the league with 11 points per competition and also led in blocks with 2.9 points per game. He was GCL coed of the first team and all-state of the second team of Division II.
Guard Paul McMillan IV, Woodward Jr.
McMillan, who is now 6-foot-2, set the CMAC and all other opponents on fire averaging 31.3 points per game. He averaged 5.1 assists, shooting 43.4% from outside the arch and 80.6% from the line. McMillan was the first-team CMAC and all-state first-team division II. He has numerous offers but remains non-binding.
Guard Jakada Stone, Aiken Sr.
At 6-foot-1, Stone averaged 22.7 points per game for the Falcons and was the first-team CMAC. He added 5.1 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals.
Departments III-IV
Forward Rayvon Griffith, Taft sophomore
A freshman at 6-foot-5 and presumably still growing, Griffith has been on the big college charts since playing an AAU ball with LeBron James’ son in junior high. In his first university season at Taft, he averaged 16.6 points per game and 7.7 rebounds with 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Griffith was CMAC’s First-Team and Division III Honorable Mention All-State. He has an abundance of offers from Department I.
Guard RT Adkins, Cincinnati Country Day Senior
Adkins played as a 6-foot-3 guard and made the Miami Valley Conference first-team and All-District 16 as a junior, averaging 13 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and 2 steals. He posted career highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds last year. He is interested in around 20 colleges from a few small Department I schools, some DII, some NAIA, and many DIII schools.
Striker Mason Mack, senior on Cincinnati Country Day
The 6-foot-6 Mack averaged 12 points per game and topped the MVC with 9.1 points per game, which helped CCD to 19-4 last year. He also led the league in field target percentage with nearly 59%. He was MVC-Gray’s second team division and had nine doubles doubles last year.
Guard Deanza Duncan, Senior, New Miami
Duncan was the MVC’s third leading scorer with 21.6 points per game. As a 5-foot-8 junior, he was elected to the MVC-Gray Division of the first team and the All-State Division IV of the third team
Guard Zyon Scott, Reading Senior
The 6-foot guard was one of the top runners in the CHL with 14.5 points per game, surpassing the Blue Devils. Scott was the second team at CHL.
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