By Dean Eversole
MaxPreps.com
(This is the first of two previews for the 2006-07 boys basketball season. It covers Division I and II.)
Ohio basketball has been overshadowed by two things - football and Indiana. There is no doubt that Ohio is one of the nation's top football states and with a neighbor like Indiana, basketball in the Buckeye State is often overlooked.
A closer inspection shows that Ohio has produced its share of both quality teams and individuals with the likes of Ron Harper, Jimmy Jackson, and of course, LeBron James. In 2006-2007 Ohio will look to build on its' hardcourt tradition.
On the individual side of things O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker are gone, but there is still plenty of talent roaming the courts, and most of it is eventually going to Ohio State.
Kosta Kofus, a 7-0 center heads up the class. The Canton Glen Oak senior has already signed a letter of intent and plans to head to Columbus to play for Thad Matta's group. As a junior Kofus dropped in 24 points a game and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Joining the parade of recruits heading to Columbus is Jon Diebler (Upper Sandusky) and Dallas Lauderdale (Solon). Diebler is a scoring machine and in a game last season dropped in 70 points. Lauderdale gives Matta three of the top five players in Ohio. As a junior he averaged 20 points a game for Solon High School.
As for the team aspect, predicting a favorite in basketball is always a dangerous game.
In Division I there are the usual suspects led by Canton McKinley. The Bulldogs might be best known for football, but the hoops version of the Dogs has done pretty well for itself.
Last season McKinley won their second-consecutive title over Trotwood Madison. In total the Bulldogs have won three state titles and have eight runner-up finishes in 23 final four appearances. Making it a third-straight title will not be an easy task as graduation hit the Dogs pretty harshly.
One of the teams looking to take away the trophy is Trotwood Madison. The Rams, who lost to Canton in the championship game, return one of the state's premier players in Chris Wright. The senior forward is an athletic player who attacks the basket. Joining Wright and making Madison one of the favorites are guards Dwayne Sims and Duane Morgan.
Other teams looking to make a statement will be Solon led by Lauderdale. Toledo St. Johns, which has become a perennial state power the last few seasons and from the Cincinnati area Elder, St. Xavier and Lakota West have traditionally been in the mix.
Overall, with McKinley coming back to the pack, Division I looks to be wide open this season.
Division II is loaded with talented individuals and teams. Perhaps the best of the best remains Dayton Dunbar. Last season the Wolverines took their first state title in basketball and even though they must replace DeQuan Cook, there is still plenty of talent in place for another run.
Led by 6-8 Aaron Pogue, Dunbar is already off and running, spending this past weekend in Indianapolis competing in the Circle City Classic. They lost in the championship game to Indianapolis North Central 70-65, but the message was sent loud and clear; Dunbar hasn't gone anywhere.
Looking unseat Dunbar is Zanesville, who made a pretty loud statement of their own by downing Canton McKinley. It was a big win that has put Zanesville clearly on the radar, despite it being early in the season.
Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary was made famous by LeBron James, but it has been a basketball powerhouse for a long time in Ohio. That won't change in 2006-2007 as the Irish will be once again be a force in D-II.