OBBL Finals Recap

Carlik Jones

Ohio’s Best Basketball League was a success in year one, and then built on that success in year two with an even larger pool of teams, and talent. That second season came to an end on Sunday afternoon, when the third session of 2014 came to a close at Thomas Worthington High School in suburban Columbus. Three champions were crowned, with Ohio Basketball Club again sweeping all the divisions.

During the games that we watched, Triple Double Prospects focused on the 17u and 16u action at the OBBL. In the 17u (rising seniors) division, OBC defeated a resilient Ohio Varsity team, while it was Cincinnati based Team One who finished as runners-up to OBC in the 16u age bracket.

Here’s a look at the top performers who TDP evaluated at the OBBL Grand Finale…..

• Carlton Bragg – ’15 Cleveland VASJ PF: The OBC product had all the pressure fall on his shoulders to make sure that his club was not upset in the OBBL finals, and Bragg made sure to deliver. The 6’9 forward scored 32 points in the title game, after dominating the league for two straight seasons. Sure, it’s what should be expected from Bragg, but nevertheless the Cleveland product stepped up on the biggest state, giving himself some additional momentum heading into the Adidas Unrivaled camp in Chicago next week.

• Devon Andrews – ’15 Cleveland Lorain SF: You could easily make an argument that besides Bragg, Andrews is the next most talented prospect in the entire OBBL. The 6’6 small forward looked the part in a game TDP viewed on Saturday. Andrews is head and shoulders superior to his competition from an athletic standpoint, and also has the skill-set to do some different things that you don’t usually see out of guys his size. Already committed to Kent State, Andrews has absolute super-star potential in the MAC, if he can consistently play with the focus that he displayed over the weekend.

• Corey Saddler – ’15 Clinton-Massie SF: One of the surprise players of the spring, Saddler started off his summer in style, leading his Ohio Varsity team to an appearance in the finals. The 6’5 wing is a very good three-point shooter who is constantly becoming more confident as he gains AAU experience. However, it is the athleticism of Saddler that makes him such an intriguing prospect. Playing next to two of the state’s top ranked guys in Delaware Hayes forward Khalil Iverson and Pickerington Central wing Rodney Culver, expect for this year’s Ohio Varsity team to attract flocks of college coaches to their games this month.

• Tyrell Edminson – ’15 Plymouth PF: Just like that last time we saw Edminson at Thomas Worthington HS, at the Hidden Gems Spring Showcase, the undersized but overly athletic forward looked like a beast on the court. Edminson is pound for pound as strong of a prospect as there is in the state, and the basketball player who moonlights as a football star was dominant around the rim on Saturday as a rebounder, finisher and scorer. He’s still undecided as to which sport he’ll be pursuing at the college level, but rest assured, this kid can really play.

• RJ Jones – ’15 Huntington Prep (WV) PG: The Cleveland native returned to his home-state in style, after spending the past semester at one of the nation’s elite prep programs. Jones scored at will in a game that TDP checked out against Hidden Gems, as the athletic point guard blew by defenders to score acrobatically at the rim. Also with the quickness to be really good on the defensive end, Jones will be highly recruited, especially by high-academic D1 programs, during July.

• Carlik Jones – ’16 Cincinnati Aiken PG: When it comes to the 2016 point guard rankings, no one is on the rise more right now than OBC’s floor general, Carlik Jones. The Cincinnati Aiken product had a good winter, a great spring and is now setting himself up for an even better July after leading his team to the 16u OBBL title. Jones isn’t the most physically imposing guard, but he is a good decision maker who makes his teammates better, is a strong competitor and also is able to mix scoring with passing depending on the situation. With D1 colleges just starting to take notice, Jones could be on of the 2016 prospects in Ohio who really sees his recruitment take off in July.

• The OBC 16u team is really good, and other than Jones, who starred over the weekend, it would be tough to signal out just one other guy as leading the charge. Wings Jarron Cumberland (Wilmington), Yavari Hall (Warrensville Heights) and Malik Miller (Farrell/PA) all shined offensively, especially in transition where they could finish above the rim, while new addition Markell Johnson, a 2017 prospect out of Cleveland East Tech, also stepped up on the perimeter, playing some of each guard position. On the interior, OBC boasts a quartet of powerful athletes in Darrius Harper (Dayton Springfield), Kameron Moore (Cincinnati Aiken), Evan Clayborne (Dayton Dunbar) and Justin Slyver (Cleveland Brush), all four of whom performed well over the weekend.

• Trey McBride – ’16 Cincinnati Moeller PG: An athletic defender who can really disrupt opposing point guards in full court man-to-man situations, McBride was very impressive on both ends over the weekend. The Roger Bacon transfer likes to play fast, and is capable of finishing above the rim for a dunk, with a smooth layup around a defender, or making the pass for an assist. McBride will need to continue to improve as a shooter, but the Team One 16u guard led his team to a finals appearance, and is making a name for himself as one of the best guards in all of Southwest Ohio.

• Trey Smith – ’16 Delphos Jefferson SF: An elite shooter with a good basketball frame, Smith just has the look of a college basketball player at 6’4. When his feet are set, Smith can knock in long-range shots effortlessly, and gets good elevation to get his shot up over bigger opponents. He looks better scoring off the dribble, especially in transition, than when we’ve seen him in the past; and after his great high school season, there’s no doubt he’s one of Ohio’s most consistently prolific scorers.

News and Notes

• The University of Dayton picked up a second local commitment for the 2015 class this past week, as they received a verbal commitment from St. Henry wing forward Ryan Mikesell. One of Ohio’s most skilled and versatile prospects, Mikesell excelled recently at UD’s team camp, after having a very strong spring on the AAU circuit with All-Ohio Black. The 6’6 small forward joins AAU teammate Xeyrius Williams of Huber Heights Wayne as Flyer commits in the 2015 class. Mikesell chose Dayton over multiple MAC offers, committing to coach Archie Miller just a week after receiving a scholarship offer.

• One of the hottest names on the circuit right now among 2015 post players is Toledo Springfield center DeMajeo Wiggins. The 6’8 post has recently received offers from Illinois State and Bowling Green, to go along with an existing offer from Bethune-Cookman. Finally, Wiggins also has received strong interest from Cleveland State, after recently taking an unofficial visit to their campus. A somewhat raw prospect with ideal size for the low post at the mid-major level, Wiggins will be heavily tracked this July by D1 college coaches while he plays with his OBC 17u team.