CLEVELAND, Ohio — You met the top 25 teams in the cleveland.com boys basketball rankings. What about the top 25 players?
Consider this list a player-of-the-year watch, based on overall ability, college potential and how integral these prospects are to their teams’ success.
Barber has been coach Quentin Rogers’ starting point guard since stepping onto the floor for Richmond Heights as a freshman. He has been atop the charts for assists in Northeast Ohio ever since then, including an area-high 8.1 assists last season to go with 3.1 steals and 10.2 points. Barber is committed to UTEP, where former NBA veteran and Cleveland Central Catholic standout Earl Boykins is an assistant.
A 6-3 senior guard and fourth-year standout for coach Kevin Sapara, Byers averaged a team-high 23.0 points while helping Strongsville to 18 wins a season ago. Byers is a smooth scorer who can create at the mid-range as a point of attack, either toward the basket, with a jumper or to find a teammate. He also averaged 3.1 assists last season.
A breakout 2023 season quickly stopped at the beginning of last season for Calo at Mentor. He returned in the district tournament as the Cardinals’ point guard, but is now at Lutheran West with twin brother Jake Calo for their senior year. Both are challenging defensive assignments, with Ryan standing 6-4.
Looking for a traditional power forward or a stretch 4? Crumble can be both. This 6-7 junior returned to Lutheran East, where he helped the Falcons to a Division III state title as a freshman. A back-and-forth dispute with the OHSAA over his eligibility kept Crumble from playing more than 17 games last season at Richmond Heights, where he averaged 14.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists. His offer list is an extensive one, including recent visits to Michigan and Virginia. Of course, Ohio State also is recruiting him as a four-star prospect.
Crutcher could break plenty of scoring records this season at Elyria and in Lorain County. The 6-5 senior guard averaged 19.5 points and 1.2 steals last season while helping the Pioneers to the district finals. He holds offers from Ashland and Fairmont State.
A 6-4 wing, Dammons emerged as a freshman on a talented Brush team for coach Chet Mason. He received an early offer from Cleveland State and took a step last season as a leader for Mason, who is leaning on him more this winter.
Another point guard on pace to be a four-year starter, Drexler has grown into a Division I college prospect. Kent State and Akron have offered scholarships to Drexler, who guided the Blue Devils to last season’s Division I regional finals with 16.9 points and 3.9 assists.
By the time Friery steps away from basketball, he should have made plenty of memories in Dayton. St. Ignatius’ 6-10 senior forward helped the Wildcats to last season’s Division I state championship and is committed to the Flyers for college. He averaged 12.1 points with 4.4 rebounds in 30 games with the ability to stretch the floor and shoot the 3 or hit a teammate on the open pass.
After a season of leading the Bees’ backcourt with former cleveland.com Player of the Year and All-Ohio point guard Luke Skaljac, who is now at Miami (Ohio), Ganley steps into the lead guard role for the Bees with two more turning starters from their Division I district final run. They seek a fifth straight Suburban League National Conference crown with Ganley, who took a considerable step forward in the summer, and showed it in a recent scrimmage with defending state champ Lutheran East, Elyria and Massillon Jackson. He averaged 10.8 points last season as a junior guard.
Hamilton emerged on a young St. Vincent-St. Mary team that reached last season’s Division I district finals at Garfield Heights. A 6-4 junior wing, he is now at Garfield in Akron’s city league.
Hill proved to be one of Northeast Ohio’s toughest guards last season as a freshman, starting at the point for coach Sam Liggins with a defensive tenacity normally unseen from ninth-graders playing at the varsity level. Hill averaged 3.0 steals with 8.5 points and 5.5 assists for the Falcons. He is their lone returning starter from the Division III state championship run.
At 6-7, Holley rises above the rim at both ends of the court and helped Barberton to a 19-win season after the Magics won none the previous year. His first scholarship offer came from Youngstown State while playing for Akron East during that 2022-23 season. At Barberton last season, Holley averaged 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.
Coach T.K. Griffith kind of had the chance last season to hand the keys from one four-year starter to another one, as Jonas Nichols’ senior year came with Johnson’s emergence as a ninth-grader. He didn’t initially play varsity until a call up for the Knights’ fourth game. The 6-0 guard averaged 8.9 points and is one of four returning starters from a team that reached the Division I regional semifinals.
Twice already in his high school career, Johnson has played a critical role in getting Garfield Heights to the Division I regional finals. His family lineage is an impeccable one, starting with father Sonny Johnson, who played at Cleveland State and Ohio. Uncles Juby and Demetrius “Mechie” Johnson Sr. starred at the mid-major level, too, while older brother Sonny Johnson Jr. earned a scholarship to Detroit before halting his basketball career. Cousin Demetrius “Meechie” Johnson Jr. is back at Ohio State. Like him for the first two years of his high school career, Marcus is one of Northeast Ohio’s top scorers, averaging 23.1 points per game last season as a combo guard. ESPN ranks Johnson as the No. 20 overall prospect in the country for the Class of 2026.
Jones will head to Columbus next year after concluding this senior season with the Spartans. The 6-5 guard averaged 14.1 points during the regular season on a balanced lineup with six players who averaged double-digit scoring. ESPN has Jones as a top 100 prospect in the country and four-star guard in the Class of 2025.
History could remember Kwasniak as Ohio’s best 3-point shooter in its history. He already owns the single-season record in the state for made 3-pointers with 155 last season, eclipsing Zach Rasile’s best mark for McDonald of 140 in 2017. Kwasniak’s freshman season of 110 made 3s ranks 11th all-time, while his sophomore year ranks fourth. Rasile’s career record of 485 made 3s through 2020 is within range for Kwasniak, who is committed to Army with 389 career 3s to start his senior season.
Pollard’s 4.8 blocks per game led Northeast Ohio last season. He also averaged 13.2 points and 11.4 rebounds as a 6-5 forward. The senior is one of four returning starters for first-year coach Jermaine Gay.
A three-star guard, according to Rivals, Powell moved in from New York to Akron. He is 6-3 and originally from Connecticut. His list of scholarship offers includes: Kent State, Oklahoma State and FIU, to name a few.
Of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s underclassmen who emerged last season for coach Dru Joyce II, Prince took a step forward in late December and throughout January. He earned MVP honors at the Chosen One’s event in Los Angeles and is a 6-3 junior guard, returning with 6-7 senior center John Whorton.
One of Northeast Ohio’s most-improved players last season, Shaker emerged as a shot blocker and rebounder at Brunswick alongside established senior forward Tommy Morgan. With Morgan now at Hillsdale College, the Blue Devils will lean more on Shaker. The 6-5 senior averaged 1.5 blocks last season while helping the Blue Devils to the Division I regional finals.
Even after he committed to Minnesota for football on the defensive line, Stubbs joined his basketball teammates this summer to compete at Midwest Live. An injury during the football season cost him the stretch run to his senior season and could impact his status on the basketball court. A 6-6 forward, Stubbs led the Tigers with 18.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
Coach Eric Flannery called up Vlosich to the varsity roster at the start of January, where he made an impact against Centerville during the Play By Play Classic at John Carroll. Vlosich remained in the Eagles’ lineup, which grew with two more sophomores in Zach Hackleman and J.T. Kelsheimer. They are now juniors, ready to lead a St. Edward team that reached the district finals. Vlosich averaged 6.5 points in 11 games.
While Kwasniak climbs up the 3-point charts, Winters is arguably Northeast Ohio’s most efficient shooter. He shares the ball with two other Division I college recruits in Dorian Jones and De’Erick Barber. The trio has led Richmond Heights to three straight Division III state championships. They now are in the new Division V. Winters averaged 12.2 points and 2.7 steals last season. He is committed to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The Wildcats’ leading scorer from last season’s title run averaged 13.4 points in 29 games and is committed to Kent State. He could have a bigger ball-handling role this season for coach Cam Joyce after the graduation of point guard Jack Zapolnik. Woidke averaged 2.5 assists and a team-high 1.7 steals.
Older brother Davin Zeigler starred at Benedictine to earn a scholarship at Bowling Green. Their father, Derrick Zeigler, spent four years at Cleveland State. The youngest of the Zeigler family already has offers from Creighton, Nebraska and Stanford before beginning his high school career as a 6-0 guard.
The poll above will be open until noon on Dec. 10. Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on X (@mgoul), Threads (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com).
