Dayton, Ohio — Mekhi Elmore is a name that is very well known in the Dayton basketball community. The Thurgood Marshall prodigy has proved that he’s one of the best players in Ohio’s class of 2022 since middle school. Triple Double Prospects, a scouting service covering Kentucky & Ohio basketball, ranked him the sixth best 2022 point guard in the state. His name was alongside the likes of Ohio’s best, Paul McMillan, Sencire Harris, Sonny Johnson Jr., and Sean Jones.
Alongside 2021 guards Chanze Amerson, Anthony McComb, and 2021 forward Prophet Johnson, Elmore led the cougars to a 19-7 (9-1) record & a second straight city championship. The instant impact from Elmore his freshman year solidified the fact that he deserved being named to the 2019 Dayton City League All-Conference 1st-Team, alongside McComb. Even with the many accomplishments Elmore has achieved over his only two seasons of high school basketball, it may still come as a surprise that he’s holding an offer from one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, Huntington Prep (WV).
Like Mekhi Elmore, Huntington Prep is also no stranger to the city of Dayton. Huntington Prep has been a frequent participant in Dayton’s annual high school basketball invitational, ‘Flyin’ To The Hoop’. For the last ten years, Huntington Prep Academy has brought some of the world’s best high school basketball players to Trent Arena in Kettering, Ohio. Elmore has been offered the chance to follow in the foot steps of Andrew Wiggins (2013), Miles Bridges (2016), Jaemyn Brakefield (2020), and more. The academy finished their recent season 22-9, ranking 145th nationally and 1st in the state of West Virginia. With the long lasting relationship between Flyin’ To The Hoop’s founder, Eric Horstman, and Huntington Prep Academy, don’t expect the academy to be missing out on the invitational anytime soon.
If Elmore accepts Huntington’s offer, this could set up a potential rivalry game at the 21st annual Flyin’ To The Hoop Basketball Invitational against Elmore’s current team, the Thurgood Marshall Cougars. By this time, the cougars will have a new roster and have graduated their core in Anthony McComb, Chanze Amerson, Prophet Johnson (2021), Mekhi Elmore, and Ronnie Smith (2022). We’ve already seen a rivalry match at Flyin’ To The Hoop this recent year when Springfield native, Ra’Heim Moss, faced his alma mater with his new team in Spire Academy out of Geneva, Ohio. If history repeats itself, the Dayton fans are in for a special match up.
Thurgood will be an interesting team these next two years with a heavy 2020 & 2021 filled roster, along with the rumor of transfers and being led by one the best coaches in the Dayton area, Coach Shawn McCullough. Their lasting rivalry with Trotwood-Madison and their chase for a division 2 state championship will be a treat for fans in the area.
Unfortunately, Elmore is yet to receive any collegiate offers, but has racked up a ton of interest and was expected to pull in a few in his upcoming AAU season with Dayton’s Team Flyght. Hopefully his season isn’t cancelled. Flyght’s stacked 15U team last year consisted of Elmore, alongside Shawn Phillips (Belmont), Sellers Littles (TM), Jacob Conner (Alter), and Ryan Chew (Bellbrook).
Who knows what’s in store for Mekhi Elmore and the Thurgood Marshall Cougars these next two years. In three years could we see him facing Thurgood in a Huntington Prep jersey at Flyin’ To The Hoop? Or, could we see Elmore going up against the likes of Mikey Williams and Bronny James at the division 1 level?
Mekhi’s Contact Information & Highlight Tape
Email: mekhielmore@icloud.com
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