Best Available in 2022

Mike Sharavjamts

As of today, August 16th, we have already seen 15 rising seniors from Ohio’s class of 2022 make verbal commitments to NCAA D1 schools. Based on recent history, that means we can still expect another 15 or so to follow suit by the end of the spring. While recent high-major commitments from players like Sean Jones (Gahanna Lincoln/Marquette) and Evan Mahaffey (Cincinnati Moeller/Penn State) have dominated the social media feed, there is still plenty of available talent left in Ohio’s 2022 class. Today we’re going to take a look at a few prospects who we expect NCAA D1 schools to continue to prioritize heading into the fall signing period…

Chris Livingston – ’22 SG/SF Akron Buchtel: There’s not really any room for debate as to who Ohio’s most coveted senior is by top college coaches. That list starts and ends with Livingston, a consensus top-10 prospect nationally, who reportedly is strongly considering offers from Kentucky, Kansas and Georgetown. Don’t be surprised if Livingston also weighs pro-options such as the G-League, a path that is becoming more and more common among the nation’s top prospects. An elite athlete who can change the game with his physical tools, Livingston has tremendous long-term potential with his size at 6’7 and combination of frame, explosiveness and fluid mobility. A capable ballhandler, passer and scorer off the dribble, as Livingston’s skill-set continues to evolve he’ll have a chance to be one of college basketball’s most talked about players.

Mike Sharavjamts – ’22 SF Centerville: There’s been a lot of coverage of “Mongolian Mike” on both this site and our social media this summer, as he weas one of the most talked about prospects on the successful Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB 17u team. Sharavjamts should continue to get plenty of buzz statewide heading into his senior year, as he enrolled at Centerville to join the core of a team returning from a state title run. A fluid athlete at 6’8 who is closer to a big point guard then he is to a post, Sharavjamts is an elite passer (probably Ohio’s best in 2022), who can handle the ball and create a shot for a teammate almost at will. With his length and a good motor, Sharavjamts is able to use his athleticism to cover a lot of ground defensively, and he brings a ton of versatility to that end. As he continues to add strength and confidence in his jumper, plus a year on a Centerville team playing a high-profile schedule, Sharavjamts should add to his list of offers which currently includes Rutgers.

Shawn Phillips – ’22 C Dream City Christian (AZ): It’s been a while since the big fella played significant basketball in the state of Ohio, as he spent his junior season at YPSI Prep in Michigan before announcing that he’ll be attending Dream City Christian in Arizona for his senior campaign. A native of Dayton who played his first two seasons at Belmont HS, Phillips has a massive frame at 6’10 with enough meat on his bones to bang with the big boys in college basketball. Phillips is an old school back to the basket big, and with that being a dying breed it will be important that he identify the correct system fit for wherever he ultimately signs his letter of intent. Currently holding offers from a slew of high-majors including Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati and Illinois, the ball will be in Phillips’ court to have the opportunity to sign wherever he wants based on the exposure Dream City Christian will receive on the prep circuit.

Kebba Njie – ’22 C La Lumiere School (IN): Another Dayton area big who has relocated to a prep program, Njie spent the first two seasons of his career at Centerville before transferring to La Lumiere School in Indiana. This summer in the Nike EYBL the 6’9 center enhanced his recruiting profile, adding to an offer sheet which now includes high-majors Butler and Kansas State. Njie is somewhat of a hybrid between the old school and new school center; in the past he’s showed the ability to face-up out of the short corner or mid-post and attack, but at La Lumiere he seems to have added some needed bulk to become more effective around the rim. With length and good feet for his size, Njie is a capable rim protector who plays with a good motor as well. Just like with Phillips, Njie should have as many exposure opportunities this winter as anyone in the country, as La Lumiere is a long-respected prep school with a national caliber schedule.

Ben Southerland – ’22 SF/PF Sycamore: Like Sharavjamts, Southerland has received a lot of buzz on this site and our corresponding social media thanks to his outstanding play in the last several months. We first noticed Southerland’s major improvement in a game this past winter at Hamilton HS, and the 6’7 combo forward carried that level of production onto the summer circuit, earning the praises of college coaches with his play on the Midwest Basketball Club 17u team. A new age four man who can shoot the ball with range to the three-point line, finish above the rim and the IQ to play in a college system, Southerland is a versatile scorer with an inside-outside game who can bring size to many of today’s college systems that preach “positionless basketball”. Maybe more so than any other Ohio based 2022 prospect, Southerland saw his offer sheet explode this spring and summer, as he now lists a dozen NCAA D1 offers including Liberty, Tulsa, Belmont, Akron, Wright State and more.

Tom House – ’22 SG Centerville: If Southerland was the 2022 prospect who saw the biggest increase in his recruiting profile the spring/summer then it would only be fair to list House as 1B. The 6’4 shooting guard, coming off a breakout winter which included the game winning shot in the regional final and a state championship, was a standout in June in front of NCAA D1 coaches over two weekends with Centerville and also put together some solid performances on the travel circuit with All-Ohio Red. Two things that House will undoubtedly bring to the college he selects are shooting and passion, as the Dayton area guard plays with a ton of confidence and emotion which fuel his shot-making ability from the three-point line. A mobile athlete who can sit down and guard, House is a high motor player who plays with a chip on his shoulder, and who has also shown significant improvement in his ability to use the dribble to free up space for his jumper. A potential “instant offense” player at the next level, House also saw his offer sheet lengthen during the summer, as he now holds offers from Georgia, Tulane, Winthrop, Furman and many more.

Paul McMillan IV – ’22 PG Hillcrest Prep (AZ): The third member of this list to leave Ohio for a national prep schedule for his senior year, McMillan IV is headed to a Hillcrest Prep team loaded with nationally ranked talent. After averaging around 30 PPG over his last two seasons at Cincinnati Woodward, McMillan IV is a proven scorer at the high school level who excels in the in-between game with floaters or using his strong body to get into the paint to score plus the foul through contact. Playing this summer in the Nike EYBL with Bates Fundamental, McMillan IV took on more of a pure point guard role, one which he likely will bring to the floor this winter with Hillcrest Prep. Additionally, McMillan IV is also a very capable on-ball defender, an important trait for college coaches to consider when comparing point guards. Currently with a variety of mid and high-major NCAA D1 interest and offers, this winter should really shape the final outcome in McMillan IV’s recruitment.

Drey Carter – ’22 SF/PF Westerville South: The only prospect on this list not to play on one of the three major shoe circuits this July, the success of Carter is a point of pride for all non-shoe circuit teams, proving that exposure opportunities can be found everywhere. Despite shoe affiliation, there was still a ton of talent on Carter’s Nova Village travel team, with at least three prospects holding NCAA D1 offers. The recruiting blowup for Cater started this spring but really escalated in front of college coaches at the OHSBCA showcase in June, where he showed great size and length at 6’7 as well as positional versatility and the ability to consistently shoot the ball from the three-point line. Carter still needs to add weight to his frame, but college coaches love his long-term upside and a big senior season in the Columbus area should only help increase his list of college suitors. Carter currently holds offers from Lehigh, Akron, Kent State, Miami (OH), Wright State, Toledo and UIC.

Honorable Mention: Jamal Sumlin (’22 PG Cleveland Rhodes), Roderick Coffee (’22 PG/SG Spire Institute), Jared Frey (’22 SG/SF ISA Academy), Amani Lyles (’22 PF Columbus Beechcroft), Mekhi Elmore (’22 PG Cincinnati Taft), Michael Bova (’22 PG Cleveland St. Edward), Aboubacar Cisse (’22 SG/SF Cincinnati West High), Jonathan Effertz (’22 PG Cleveland St. Ignatius), Cooper Davis (’22 SG Olentangy Liberty), Louie Semona (’22 PF Cincinnati St. Xavier), Jagger Landers (’22 PF Antwerp), Antwone Woolfork (’22 C Cleveland Brush), Josh Whiteside (’22 PF/C Gahanna Lincoln)