OHSAA boys basketball state tournament: schedule, brackets, top players and state poll performance

Ohio Buzzer-Beating Game-Winner
Hiland's Kennedy Schlabach hits a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the Division IV state semifinals against Ottoville. Video courtesy of Brandon Yoder/OhioSportsTicket.com.

The 95th annual Ohio High School Athletic Association boys basketball state tournament tips off this week at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University. State semifinals will be held Thursday and Friday, while the state title games (all four) are Saturday.

Here is a look at the schedule, brackets, top players and how Ohio’s two state polls performed head-to-head heading into the weekend.

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Schedule, Brackets, Polls

*MP JJH State Poll: Rankings are Big School, which includes Division I/II schools

DIVISION I
State Semi: *MP JJH No. 2/AP No. 2 Pickerington Central (26-2) vs. *MP JJH No. 1/AP No. 1 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (27-0), Friday at 5:15 p.m.
State Semi: *MP JJH No. 10/AP NR St. Edward (Lakewood) (23-5) vs. *MP JJH No. 4/AP No. 4 Jackson (Massillon) (26-2), Friday at 8:30 p.m.
State Final: Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Division I Brackets: Print, Download, Display, Share

DIVISION II
State Semi: AP No. 8 Wauseon (26-1) vs. Eastmoor Academy (Columbus) (22-6), Thursday at 10:45 a.m.
State Semi: *MP JJH No. 17/AP No. 11 St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron) (23-5) vs. *MP JJH No. 6/AP No. 2 Trotwood-Madison (26-2), Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
State Final: Saturday at 10:45 a.m.

Division II Brackets: Print, Download, Display, Share

**MP JJH State Poll: Rankings are Small School, which includes Division III/IV schools

DIVISION III
State Semi: **MP JJH No. 6/AP No. 8 Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland) (21-6) vs. **MP JJH No. 3/AP No. 4 Fairland (Proctorville) (25-1), Friday at 10:45 a.m.
State Semi: **MP JJH No. 2/AP No. 10 Roger Bacon (Cincinnati) (24-4) vs. **MP JJH No. 9/AP NR Archbold (22-5), Friday at 2:00 p.m.
State Final: Saturday at 5:15 p.m.

Division III Brackets: Print, Download, Display, Share

DIVISION IV
State Semi: St. John's (Delphos) (21-4) vs. **MP JJH No. 7/AP NR Lutheran East (Cleveland Heights) (18-9), Thursday at 5:15 p.m.
State Semi: Wellington School (Columbus) (21-7) vs. Perry (Lima) (24-3), Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
State Final: Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Division IV Brackets: Print, Download, Display, Share

State Tournament Players to Watch

Kyle Young & Logan Hill, Massillon Jackson
Senior tandem Has signed with NCAA D-I schools. Young (Butler) averages 18 points and 6.4 rebounds, while Hill (Toledo) averages 12 and 5.5, respectively. Also on the team are senior guards Kyle Nicolas and Dillon Dingler, who are headed to Ball State and Ohio State on baseball rides.

Tommy Schmock, St. Edward
Point guard averages 12.6 points, 7.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

Jeremiah Francis & Sterling Manley, Pickerington Central
Duo dominated rival Pickerington North during a 75-58 D-I regional final win. Francis, a sophomore, had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Manley, a senior and North Carolina recruit, had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Francis, the son of former Ohio State star Jerry Francis, was recently named OCC Ohio Player of the Year and averages 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He holds offers from Ohio State, Purdue, West Virginia, TCU, Virginia Tech, Nebraska and Ohio. Manley averages 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Keegan Mcdowell, Moeller
Senior and Liberty recruit is a two-time All-Greater Catholic League South selection. Averages team-high 13.3 points per game.

STATEWIDE Ohio Boys Basketball Statistics

Jayvon Graves, St. Vincent-St. Mary
Named the D-II Ohio co-player of the year, Buffalo recruit coming off dominant performance in the regional where he had 40 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists in wins over Lake Catholic and Cleveland Central Catholic.

Austin Rotroff, Wauseon
Big junior (6-foot-9) has been dominant during tourney run. In addition to scoring 25 points in a 54-45 regional final win over Elida, had 25 points and 14 rebounds in a 59-57 double-OT D-II district semifinal win over Napoleon. Added 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks in a 57-45 district final win over Woodward. Holds several offers from MAC schools. Recently named second team All-Ohio.

Taevion Kinsey, Columbus Eastmoor Academy
Junior was recently named first team All-Ohio. Averages 15.4 points per game.

Torrey Patton, Trotwood-Madison
Senior was named D-II Ohio co-player of the year. Averages 20.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 4.1 steals per game. Had 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 83-54 D-II regional final win over Dunbar. Had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 61-56 regional semi win over Taft. Rams are far from a one-man show, though. Also unleash Myles Belyeu (18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds), Amari Davis (16.1 points and 4.5 rebounds) and Amir Foster (12.7 points).

Jerry “Gene” Higgins & Alonzo Gaffney, Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Higgins, a junior point guard, was named the Northeast Lakes District player of the year and first team All-Ohio. Averages 16.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Gaffney, a second team All-Ohio sophomore, had 24 points in a 70-51 D-III regional final win over West Salem Northwestern. Had 17 points and seven boards in an 87-47 regional semi win over Garfield. Averages 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. The third musketeer is senior William Butler (11.8 points and 8.8 rebounds).

Isaiah Howell, Fairland
First team All-Ohio junior is the Southeast District player of the year (averages 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds). Spearheads an incredibly talented junior class (eight deep) that also includes Luke Thomas (15.2 points), Gunner Short (14.9 points), Kollin Van Horn (10.9 points and 6.8 rebounds) and Ty Staten (5.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists).

Craig McGee, Roger Bacon
Senior named second team All-Ohio. Averages 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three steals. Headlines talented roster that also includes sophomore Alec Pfriem (13.2 points), senior James Johnson (12.8 points and 5.6 rebounds) and senior Justin Johnson (10.1 points).

Bryce Williams, Archbold
Junior racked up 42 points in the regional. Averages 15 points and 4.1 rebounds.
 
Jakoby Lane-Harvey, Perry
Senior named first team All-Ohio. NWCC player of the year averages 16 points. Part of a strong senior class that secured the program’s first state tournament berth with a 57-44 D-IV regional final win over Cincinnati Christian. Also helped the Commodores net an emotional 52-50 regional semifinal win over Fort Loramie that came just a day after assistant coach Herb Lane Jr. passed following an automobile accident on the way home from practice the day prior. Lane Jr. was also Perry’s head football coach.

Timothy Kreeger, Delphos St. John’s
Senior is a first team All-Ohioan, first team All-MAC performer and the D-IV Northwest District player of the year. Averages 18.7 points. Had 14 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in a regional semifinal win over Holgate and 12 points in a regional final victory over Mansfield St. Peter’s.

Maurico Tate & Jordan Burge, Lutheran East
Tandem both named second team All-Ohio. Tate, a senior, averages 17 points, while Burge, a junior, averages 18.

Dustin Harder, Wellington School
Senior (6-foot-9) leads a tall and talented team in scoring (12.7 points) and rebounds (8.5).