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Photos: Northridge vs Oakwood Basketball
Category: Northridge
Top Under-the-Radar guards who have shined this season
Dayton, Ohio– The Dayton area has always been known for good guard play. Many guys have caught my eye this season who haven’t been getting the recognition they deserve. Here is my list of the best under-the-radar guards who you need to keep your eye out on!
(In no particular order)
Jonathan Riddle/ 2021/ 6’5″ G/ Legacy Christian– Riddle doesn’t get much recognition playing in the Metro Buckeye Conference, but Riddle can flat out score the rock. Riddle can score from all three levels and uses his size to hit tough shots. Riddle is leading Legacy Christian to an 11-3 record and a tie for first place in the Metro Buckeye Conference. Riddle is averaging 19 PPG to go along with 3 AST. Riddle has had multiple 30 games and is shooting an impressive 85% from the FT line. Riddle is definitely someone college coaches should keep on their radar.
AJ Eller/ 2021/ 6’0″ G/ Brookville– Eller is one of the best scoring PG’s in the area. Eller has already had ten 20 point scoring games so far this season. Eller joined the 1,000th point club on January 16 against Twin Valley South. Eller is a knockdown shooter from deep with a very high basketball IQ. Another 2021 prospect college coaches should keep their eye on.
Antoine Jacobs/ 2022/ 6’2″ G/ Northridge– Jacobs was a name unknown to the area prior to this season. That has changed completely. Jacobs is another guard that can score from all three levels and uses his strong frame really well to attack the rim and finish through contact. Jacobs has had two 30 point games, including a 39 point performance against Dixie. Jacobs is also a very good rebounder for the guard spot. Expect Jacobs to be a top 2022 prospect in the Dayton area as he continues to develop.
Blake Brumbaugh/ 2023/ 6’1″ G/ Milton Union– Video surfaced on social media of the 2023 guard doing a windmill dunk and making it look easy before the season. Not too many people knew Brumbaugh’s name, but Brumbaugh has had a very nice year for the Bulldog’s averaging 18 PPG to go along with 5 Reb. Brumbaugh is just scratching the surface and will continue to develop. Look for the sophomore guard to have a big year on the AAU circuit playing with the Mid Ohio Pumas.
AJ Leen/ 2023/ 6’1″ G/ Archbishop Alter– When most people think of Alter, Jacob Conner and Ryan Chew first come to mind, but Leen has been the most consistent player for the Knights. Leen has a high basketball IQ and lets the game come to him. Can knockdown shots from deep, finishes around the rim well, and has a nice mid-range game. Moves without the ball really well. Has quick feet and is a very good defender. Leen is the X-factor for the Knights and will have to step-up even more with Ryan Chew out for the remainder of the season due to OHSAA transfer rules. Leen is a 2023 prospect who has a very bright future.
Alex Ball/ 2021/ 5’11” G/ Miamisburg– Ball is a complete all-around player and has had a really nice season for Miamisburg who has surprised a lot of people this year. Ball is everything you want in a PG- can knockdown shots, finish at the rim, and a good passer. I was really impressed with Ball’s high basketball IQ in their game against Lebanon. Ball will continue to have to play at a high level if Miamisburg wants to make a run in March.
Carson Seemann/ 2021/ 6’3″ G/ Archbishop McNicholas– Seemann is a high-level player out of the Cincy area from McNick. Seemann’s size allows him to see over the defense and has great court vision. Has great lift on his jumper and hits really tough shots. Seeman shoots the ball well from deep and has a solid handle. Plays with great poise. Definitely a name to get familiar with.
Kohl Todd/ 2021/ 5’9 G/ Waynesville– Todd is a pure scorer at the guard spot for Waynesville. Todd has unlimited range and can get hot quickly. Does a really good job getting to the FT line. Todd is shifty with the ball in his hand and has a variety of finishes around the rim. Todd continues to put up big numbers but will need more help if Waynesville wants to make a run come March.
Dre’sean Roberts/ 2023/ 6’1″ G/ Piqua– Roberts is an explosive guard who gets to the rim well. Not much of an outside shooter, but uses his quickness to get to the paint and make plays. One of the top scorers in the Miami Valley League at 17 PPG. Expect to see more of Roberts as he continues to lead Piqua.
Ronald Smith/ 2022/ 6’1″ G/ Thurgood Marshall– Smith has bursted onto the scene this year with his stellar play for the Cougars. Smith has good size and can really shoot the rock. Shifty guard who can get to his spots and hit shots. Finishes at the rim well. Smith has had multiple 20 point games for Thurgood. Expect Smith to continue to play at a high level and help bring Thurgood back into the picture of one of the top teams in DPS.
Casey Keese/ 2022/ 5’9″ G/ Bethel– Keese has the ball on a string and is a great passer. Good shooter from deep, has a nice floater, and an overall really good feel for the game. Keese is a tough match-up for the opposition with his ability to knock down shots or take you off the dribble as Keese is very shifty. Keese is a 2022 prospect that college coaches should keep their eye on.
Jakob Reed/ 2021/ 6’0 G/ Stebbins– Although we haven’t seen much from Reed this season due to Stebbins only playing four games thus far, Reed, in my opinion, plays with the most toughness in the area. Can score from all three levels, but is very good at getting to the rim and finishing through contact. Has a good handle and doesn’t get rattled. Fierce competitor and loves the game. No doubt a college prospect. Expect for Reed to have a big rest of his senior year for Stebbins.
Caleb Maurer/ 2023/ 6’0″ G/ Fort Loramie– Maurer is well-known on the AAU scene, but is a young guard that will make a lot of noise at Fort Loramie over the next few years. Maurer can really shoot the rock and has a overall good feel for the game. Maurer is averaging 10 PPG and will be a key piece for Fort Loramie. Keep your eye out on Maurer as he is returning from injury and will be a big time player for years to come in the SCAL.
Late Second-half surge lifts Bethel past Northridge
Tipp City, Ohio– Northridge traveled up to Bethel High School on Tuesday night for a non-conference matchup against the Bees. Northridge came into the game with a win against Milton-Union last Friday night while Bethel had lost five straight. The game started out extremely slow with both teams struggling to find a flow on the offensive end. Ethan Rimkus and Will Reittinger got things going on the offensive end for Bethel. For Northridge, Jamel Crusoe was playing really well. Crusoe had a nice transition dunk in the second quarter. Both teams were settled into a 2-3 zone and couldn’t get much going. The score was knotted at 17 all at halftime. The second half both teams found a rhythm and started to knock down shots. Northridge’s Antoine Jacobs came out in the second-half and really attacked the basket hard. Isaiah McCallop was knocking down perimeter shots for the Polar Bears. Casey Keese for Bethel started to get going as Northridge went into the 4th quarter with a 35-33 lead. The 4th quarter was all Bethel. Casey Keese did a terrific job handling Northridge’s pressure all night. Will Reittinger knocked down some big shots. Bethel showed a tremendous amount of toughness and didn’t give Northridge anything easy. They contested every shot at the rim, were quicker to every loose ball, and rebounded the ball well. I thought Bethel’s toughness in the 4th quarter was the X-factor. Northrige’s Antoine Jacobs who came into the game averaging 20 points did everything he could to keep the Polar Bears in the game, but it wasn’t enough. Jacobs finished the game with 13. Jamel Crusoe finished the game with 11 for the Polar Bears. Casey Keese finished with 19 for Bethel. Bethel will travel to Twin Valley South Friday night. Northridge will play host to SWBL foe Bellbrook.
Top Prospects (In no particular order)
Jamel Crusoe/2021/ 6’2″ F/ Northridge- Crusoe at 6’2″ is very athletic and can get to the rim very well. Has a soft touch around the rim and a nice mid-range game. Crusoe will have to continue to be aggressive on the offensive end for the Polar Bears.
Antoine Jacobs/2022/ 6’2″ G/ Northridge- Jacobs is an under-the-radar prospect in the 2022 class in the Dayton area. Jacob’s has a strong frame and really attacks the rim hard. At 6’2″ and 180, Jacob’s is a tough matchup for opposing foes with his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack. Jacob’s has had an extremely impressive season so far including a 23 point output against Wayne. Jacob’s is definitely a 2022 prospect to keep your eye out for.
Will Reittinger/2022/ 6’2″ F/ Bethel- Reittinger has the ability to stretch the floor and finish around the rim. Really liked his ability to contest shot’s around the rim. Will be a key piece for the Bees the remainder of the season.
Casey Keese/2022/ 5’8″ G/ Bethel- Keese wasn’t the tallest or most athletic player on the floor Tuesday night, but it’s safe to say he was the most skilled. Keese has the ball on a string and great court vision. Keese blew by the Northridge pressure multiple times and found teammates open for easy buckets. Keese can knock down shots and has a high basketball IQ. Keese is another 2022 prospect to keep your eye on.
Stivers defeats Northridge to close out season
Dayton, Ohio — To wrap up the 2019-20 regular season, Stivers hosted Northridge for a rematch of last year’s down to the wire game. Stivers led by Tre Ellis mounted an 18 point comeback to beat the Polar Bears. Now a year later a lot of things are different. Ellis is no longer apart of the Stivers team and Northridge lost its two leading scorers from last season to graduation.
Allen Lattimore got the scoring started for the Tigers with a steal and a dunk. The duo of Cameron Evans and Chad Florence excelled in the first quarter for Northridge as both bigs dominated Stivers in the paint. Dajuan Allen played well in the first as he made a pullup jumper and a putback layup. Northridge led after one quarter 14-9.
Stivers came into the second quarter on fire. An Allen Lattimore and-one and then a jumper suddenly put the Tigers up 19-14. Justin Hamilton and Isaiah McCallop each got a bucket for Northridge to tie the game back up. After both teams traded buckets, Darryl Story gave Northridge back the lead with a steal and score. Stivers led at halftime 28-23 after Dajuan Allen made a jumper and finished an alley-oop to put the Tigers up at the half.
Chad Florence went back to work in the second half as he started the scoring with a turnaround floater in the paint. Isaiah McCallop then caught fire as he couldn’t miss. He 3 three-pointers back-to-back-to-back as Northridge took a one-point lead. Florence’s turnaround jumper made that a three-point lead. Allen Lattimore hit a pair of threes and then Darryl Story finished off the quarter by drilling a three before the buzzer to put Northridge up 47-45 heading into the fourth.
Stivers went on a massive run in the fourth quarter led by Allen Lattimore and Dajuan Allen. Both players couldn’t miss and hit shot after shot to put Northridge away. The Polar Bears went cold in the fourt quarter and had too many turnovers to stay in the game. Stivers finished off the game with a dunk from Lattimore and a three at the buzzer to put an exclimation point on the 77-58 victory.
Northridge will face Kenton Ridge in the first round of the tournament held next week and Stivers will play Northeastern which will take place two weeks from now to begin their tournament run.
Oakwood defeats Northridge on senior night
Dayton, Ohio — Northridge looked to defend their home court on senior night as Denison University commit Darren Rubin and the Oakwood Lumberjacks came to town. Northridge was coming off of a loss the previous night to Madison as they fell 56-39. The Polar Bears looked to bounce back bigtime against Oakwood.
In his final home game, senior Darryl Story got the Polar Bears started off right with a transition layup and a jumper. Darren Rubin responded with a deep three. Cameron Evans added on a bucket as well but Oakwood freshman Will Maxwell tied the game with a three of his own. Northridge senior Chad Florence hit a deep three before Daniel Hu responded with an and-one. Rubin got a pair of layups and then kicked it out to Dan Flannery who drilled a three before the buzzer. Oakwood led 16-10 after one quarter of play.
Christian Reynolds hit a three to put Oakwood up 19-10 and both teams traded buckets most of the quarter. Cameron Evans brought the Bears back within 3 after an and-one. Isaiah McCallop then tied the game after a transition layup. A Darren Rubin three was the difference at the half as Oakwood led 28-26.
Jack Epley and Chad Florence traded threes as this back and forth affair continued. Daniel Hu hit a jumper and then Darryl Story drilled a three from way downtown to give Northridge the lead. Senior Shawn Shehee got on the board with a putback layup to give the Polar Bears the lead. Shehee then went coast to coast for an and-one to keep Northridge in front. Will Maxwell got a layup as he dribbled baseline to tie the game at 40 apiece heading into the 4th.
Maxwell got a layup to start the 4th, but Shehee quickly answered it with a layup of his own. After Rubin and Hu each got a basket, Chad Florence kept Northridge in the game with a putback layup. Darren Rubin’s nasty euro put Oakwood up 48-45. Isaiah McCallop cut the 9 point deficit to 6 with a clutch three. McCallop and Story each got layups to cut it 8 but it wasn’t enough down the stretch. Northridge pulled Story and Florence for the final time at home in an emotional scene at Northridge. Oakwood came out with the 66-54 win.
Darren Rubin finished with 23 points in the win, Daniel Hu had 19, and Will Maxwell finished with 11.
Northridge was led by Chad Florence and Cameron Evans who each had 13 and then Darryl Story who had 11. Northridge will close out league play with a game at Preble Shawnee and then will end the regular season with a game at Stivers next Saturday. Oakwood will end their season with a game at Franklin next Friday.
A strong 4th quarter helps Belmont get the win
Dayton, OH — It was a quiet afternoon as football fans stayed home to watch the playoff games but Belmont and Northridge still had a great game. Northridge came into this game as dropping a tough loss the night before to Meadowdale who came back from behind to seal the victory. Belmont had not played for about eight days entering this contest and four-star big man Shawn Phillips who already has offers from Ohio State and other D-I schools was playing in just his 6th game since returning from a foot injury that kept him out to start the season. Phillips was matched up against Northridge big man Cameron Evans who is avergaing a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds a game. Phillips was locked up most of the first half which opened up opportunities for other players like Belmont guard Randy Latham to succeed. Latham got a steal and score to put the Bisons up 7-4 early. Then Belmont senior Logan Moore and Latham both tacked on some layups to make it a 13-6 advantage before Northridge burned a timeout. Northridge guard Isaiah McCallop hit a three ball to make it a 15-9 game at the end of the first quarter. Northridge junior guard Jamel Crusoe shut down the gym with a massive one handed slam that sent the Polar Bears crazy. Then just a couple plays later Crusoe hit McCallop who nailed the open three off of a fornutate bounce to give Northridge a 19-18 lead. Northridge added on to their lead as Chad Florence hit a cintestetd layup and McCallop hit yet another three pointer to give the Polar Bears 24-19 lead. Randy Latham hit two layups to cut it to just a one point defecit going into halftime. Both teams came out of halftime kind of lathargic but freshman Antaune Allen got the scoring started for Belmont as he banked in a three to give the Bisons back the lead and Belmont never looked back from there. Big man Shawn Phillips turned up in the second half scoring all of his 10 points in clutch time and guard Randy Latham finished with a game high 16 points. For Northridge, they were led by McCallop’s 13, Cameron Evans with 11, and Shawn Shehee with 10. This loss for Northridge was mostly due to the lack of offensive production and turnovers in the second half as they couldnt get things rolling after halftime and Belmont took advantage.
Fenwick Falcon Preview Rundown
Franklin, OH — I attended the Bishop Fenwick preview tournament on Sunday. I only saw 3 of the games and the teams I saw play were Thurgood Marshall vs Fenwick, Tippecanoe vs Dunbar, and Northridge vs Emmanuel Christian. I was very impressed by both Thurgood and Fenwick. Thurgood has four really good players in Chanze Amerson, Mekhi Elmore, Anthony McComb, and Prophet Johnson. All four of those players are great defenders, ball handlers and shooters. Thurgood’s only weakness is their size, as they don’t have a true big man who can guard the post. Fenwick had two breakout players in A.J. Braun, and Dan Luers. Braun is an elite big man and will destroy the GCL Co-Ed this season and Luers is a great shooter and playmaker. The Tippecanoe and Dunbar game was very sloppy and had a lot of turnovers. One player I was impressed with from Tippwas Ben Knostman. Knostman is an elite playmaker who can fit passes in tight windows but Tipp won’t reach their full potential until Nolan Mader returns from injury. Dunbar ended up tying the game on a half-court shot. The Northridge and Emmanuel Christian game was what I expected. Northridge will be good in the SWBL this year but not great. They lose their two leading scorers from last season but still return really good guards in Darryl Story and Shawn Shehee.