Five Seniors Commit, Buckeye Prep a Success Again

Doug Taylor

It was a busy weekend in Ohio prep hoops as several top seniors took official visits and others made their college decisions. Additionally, Rob Taylor’s annual camp, the Buckeye Prep Report Fall Showcase, drew over five-hundred kids from all over the region. While this year’s camp focused more on some of the top middle school prospects in the region, TDP was on hand to check out the high school prospects from the Buckeye State that made their way to Otterbein University in Columbus for the well-known showcase. Here is a recap of some of the latest recruiting news, as well as a couple of standouts from Buckeye Prep….

• Doug Taylor – ’15 Columbus Northland C: After a huge junior season propelled Taylor from a somewhat known post to a heavily recruited prospect, the 6’8 center ended his recruitment quietly this week, committing to Ohio University out of the MAC. While it took a couple of days for most scouts and media to realize that Taylor had pulled the trigger, TDP has confirmed through a source close to OU that Taylor has indeed pulled the trigger. With the addition of Taylor to their class, new OU coach Saul Phillips now has commitments from two of Central Ohio’s top seniors, as Taylor joins Newark guard Jordan Dartis as Bobcat pledges. Taylor also heavily considered offers from Tulane, Miami (OH) and other interest before making the call to the Bobcats out of Athens, Ohio.

• Noah Bramlage – ’15 Ottawa Glandorf PF: Bramlage, a 6’7 power forward with a good skill-set, came to his final decision this Saturday after considering around twenty college offers. In the end, academic standing played a huge part in Bramlage’s decision as he chose to continue his career at Princeton University of out the Ivy League, with the decision coming just hours after finishing his official visit to the Princeton campus in New Jersey. Bramlage also heavily considered Harvard and William & Mary in the end, as he focused his decision on finding a Division I school with a good basketball history as well as great academics.

• Dylan Lowry – ’15 Cincinnati Lakota East PG: Lowry ended his recruitment on Sunday, committing to Division II Hillsdale College out of Michigan, one of the GLIAC’s top programs for both basketball and academics. The 6’0 combo guard is a feisty competitor with a very good feel for the game and shooting touch who was heavily committed at the D2 and low-major D1 levels. Lowry will join his older brother, Stedman Lowry at Hillsdale, as Stedman will be a redshirt freshman this coming season for Hillsdale.

• David Dunnigan – ’15 Parma PF/C: After a great July playing on the AAU scene with DB Hoops, the 6’8 Dunnigan picked up several D2 offers. However, you only get to choose one school, and Dunnigan did so on Sunday, making a verbal pledge to Cleveland area Division II program Lake Erie College. Dunnigan is the second Ohio front-court player in Lake Erie’s 2015 class, as he joins Malvern power forward Mitch Loomis, another 6’8 prospect.

• Jacob Sawman – ’15 Marlington C: One of Ohio’s potential hidden gems in the senior class, the 6’10 Sawman came off the board this week when he made a commitment to Division II program Notre Dame College, located in the Cleveland area. Sawman made a name for himself on the AAU scene, running mainly with DB Hoops, and is a high upside big man with excellent size.

BUCKEYE PREP RECAP:

• Seth Goodson – ’18 Columbus Gahanna Lincoln SG: Goodson has created hype in Columbus as being one of the areas top freshmen, and he certainly looked the part at Buckeye Prep this past weekend. Goodson is a quick 6’2 shooting guard who can get to the rim off the dribble and is also able to create mid-range shots at will. As a gifted scorer and wing who is physically ready to compete at the varsity level, look for Goodson to be a freshman who makes an impact in Columbus area hoops this season.

• Cory Davis – ’18 Cincinnati Walnut Hills SF: Davis, who is expected to be an impact guy on the varsity team at Walnut Hills this season, is a lanky 6’4 wing who is very skilled for his size and age. A good athlete who can make plays off of the dribble, Davis is a promising young prospect who showed a smooth ability to handle the ball in the full-court and good scoring instincts at Buckeye Prep.

• Dondre Palmer – ’18 Columbus Pickerington North SF: A freshman that we had never heard of before out of Columbus, Palmer was extremely impressive as a 6’4 combo forward who will likely transition to becoming a true small forward in the next year or two. He’s a good athlete and high motor guy who can finish around the rim, but is also a decent ballhandler in the full-court who is good at using his length to extend by the defenders. Palmer is a little more raw than some of the other top freshman, but he has an excellent ceiling and should be a contributor at Pickerington North.

• Isaiah Speelman – ’18 Hilliard Bradley PF: Speelman is an athletic power forward with size and length at around 6’5 who can score inside with touch. While his lack of strength could be an issue at the varsity level, Speelman’s ability to go get the ball at or above the rim should give opponents fits for four years, and he also showed enough of a skill-set to make it look like he’ll eventually become a true inside-outside versatile forward.

• Shawn Christian – ’17 Cleveland Garfield Heights SG: The only sophomore to make the list of top players that we evaluated in our afternoon at Buckeye Prep, the Garfield Heights sophomore combo guard was impressive in his shooting and scoring abilities. Christian is a powerfully built natural shooting guard who handles it well enough to play the point guard spot in spurts. However, the 6’0 guard is more comfortable off the ball and will likely be a strong complimentary piece at Garfield Heights this year, after having a solid 15u AAU season with All-Ohio Red last summer.

• Other Buckeye Prep standouts: Dwayne Cohill Jr (’18 Cleveland Holy Name), Coryon Rice (’18 Cleveland Stow), Charles Gayflor (’18 Columbus Mifflin), Austin Bennett (’17 Columbus Westerville North), Amani Redus (’17 Cleveland Shaker Heights), Braun Hartfield (’16 Willoughby South)