Pfloyd's Elite 8 of Southern/SouthEast Ohio-Preseason 2024-25

[Geronimo]

Shout out Pfloyd You like up and coming talent Gallia Academy has a 5 '11 freshman guard Ty Reed might fit into that!!! Agree with Mock 6'7 SR also should stand out big time,Reed under radar could be the up and coming for GA .

[pfloyd]

Shout out Pfloyd You like up and coming talent Gallia Academy has a 5 '11 freshman guard Ty Reed might fit into that!!! Agree with Mock 6'7 SR also should stand out big time,Reed under radar could be the up and coming for GA .

... Geronimo - EVERYTHING starts with the PG situation on a team imo ... has to be able to handle pressure, distribute the ball which in my mind has the pg being able to get into the paint AND feed the post ... Cade Mock will be as special as "the pg's ability to feed the post" will let him ... Coach Harrison told me during a chat during the post season that he had a pg coming up who he thought could/would be a good one ... I told him that even though having a freshman pg is a "learning experience" for the freshman (getting used to the strength/speed of the game at the varsity level) - in the end if you have a freshman pg who IS good enough to play as a freshman - the experience of having a 4 yr starting pg is invaluable ... Logan has that in Daniel Bauers imo - Bauers started/played lots of minutes as a freshman last season, got his feet wet, learned from his mistakes, he WILL BE that much better THIS season, as will the Logan TEAM in having him as pg for the next 3 seasons ... Ty Reed for Gallia Academy PG, I have his name with an asterisk beside it as a player to watch in the 2024-25 season ... I will catch GAHS a couple of times in the opening week of the season as GAHS takes on Warren 12/2 at home and then I'll see the Blue Devils travel to Meigs on 12/7 ...

[Geronimo]

Hard two opening games for GA to start the season !!!

[WonderNova]

Here is some pre-season info on Eastern Brown, since we are way out west in the Southest... They return most of their starters from last year's team. This is a VERY talented group of team players top to bottom. They will feature Kade Walkup as a shooting guard as their most experienced player at 4 years of varsity experience, along with 6'4 Pryce Murphy in the paint, and 6'2 Landon Koehler as a guard rounds out the 3 seniors.Grady Barber (6'3), who was averaging 20 ppg, and Braxton Vance(6'2) will be juniors that make huge contributions. Marcus Lynch (6'0 junior) and Sophomore Kayne Dotson, while not prolific scorers, will provide point guard duties and high intensity defense. Next is what gets interesting. The sophomores are loaded with height and depth. The wildcard will be 6'2 Chase Pinkerton. He relocated from Warren when his mom became the new principal at Eastern. He dressed varsity as a freshman on an Elite 8 Warren Warriors team. He is a rangy shooting guard, that rounds out with 6' 3 shooter Jaiden Florence, 6'2 Rebounder and shooter Carter Cluxton, and 6'7 Matthew Dick( he might be 6'8 now), who is recovering from ankle injuries which limited his time last year. It is a wealth of talent, and when you add in Coach Rob Beucler, it could be a great year for the Warriors. I'm writing this fast, so I might have missed a few details.

[danicalifornia]

Here is some pre-season info on Eastern Brown, since we are way out west in the Southest... They return most of their starters from last year's team. This is a VERY talented group of team players top to bottom. They will feature Kade Walkup as a shooting guard as their most experienced player at 4 years of varsity experience, along with 6'4 Pryce Murphy in the paint, and 6'2 Landon Koehler as a guard rounds out the 3 seniors.Grady Barber (6'3), who was averaging 20 ppg, and Braxton Vance(6'2) will be juniors that make huge contributions. Marcus Lynch (6'0 junior) and Sophomore Kayne Dotson, while not prolific scorers, will provide point guard duties and high intensity defense. Next is what gets interesting. The sophomores are loaded with height and depth. The wildcard will be 6'2 Chase Pinkerton. He relocated from Warren when his mom became the new principal at Eastern. He dressed varsity as a freshman on an Elite 8 Warren Warriors team. He is a rangy shooting guard, that rounds out with 6' 3 shooter Jaiden Florence, 6'2 Rebounder and shooter Carter Cluxton, and 6'7 Matthew Dick( he might be 6'8 now), who is recovering from ankle injuries which limited his time last year. It is a wealth of talent, and when you add in Coach Rob Beucler, it could be a great year for the Warriors. I'm writing this fast, so I might have missed a few details.

No Edmisten?

[WonderNova]

There is my missing detail!!! only arguably the best defender in the Southest with a pretty 3 ball and nice ball handling skills. Sheesh...I knew I was leaving someone out. But seriously, this team is MAJORLY loaded. So much quality, experience, and depth.

[pfloyd]

Here is some pre-season info on Eastern Brown, since we are way out west in the Southest... They return most of their starters from last year's team. This is a VERY talented group of team players top to bottom. They will feature Kade Walkup as a shooting guard as their most experienced player at 4 years of varsity experience, along with 6'4 Pryce Murphy in the paint, and 6'2 Landon Koehler as a guard rounds out the 3 seniors.Grady Barber (6'3), who was averaging 20 ppg, and Braxton Vance(6'2) will be juniors that make huge contributions. Marcus Lynch (6'0 junior) and Sophomore Kayne Dotson, while not prolific scorers, will provide point guard duties and high intensity defense. Next is what gets interesting. The sophomores are loaded with height and depth. The wildcard will be 6'2 Chase Pinkerton. He relocated from Warren when his mom became the new principal at Eastern. He dressed varsity as a freshman on an Elite 8 Warren Warriors team. He is a rangy shooting guard, that rounds out with 6' 3 shooter Jaiden Florence, 6'2 Rebounder and shooter Carter Cluxton, and 6'7 Matthew Dick( he might be 6'8 now), who is recovering from ankle injuries which limited his time last year. It is a wealth of talent, and when you add in Coach Rob Beucler, it could be a great year for the Warriors. I'm writing this fast, so I might have missed a few details.

Thanks WonderNova! I've NEVER screwed up like that before (wink wink wink) - all good, the fact we have information from someone in the know - it's ALL good stuff in my book ... thank you ... tough getting information from West of Rte 23 ... getting better !!! I always read the Sports from the Highland County Press - Stephen Forsha the Sports Editor ... good rundowns/I like their previews of teams in the SHAC along with Hillsboro, McClain , Court House from the FAC ...

[pfloyd]

Getting in hoops mode! watched Fairland vs Athens scrimmage (video) and Warren vs Cambridge (video) tonight ... teams missing pieces due to football runs in the post season ... but it sure feels good watching basketball again... I know lots of teams had opening scrimmages yesterday - saw some pics of the Minford scrimmage - missing a couple of key pieces with Montgomery/Glockner in the state soccer final match tomorrow at Crew Stadium ... Shoemaker/Kayser played in the scrimmage - I saw a couple of "good size" players for the Falcons besides these 2! had to be in the 6-3 range? who are these players? ...Minford might be deeper than I thought! ... someone in the know - let us know ...

[Dundas]

In terms of the TVC Ohio. I see…

Meigs - hasn’t won a TVC Ohio EVER. Last championship was in the late 80’s. Pressure is on.
VC - Lost A LOT from last season. The Vikings return two of the best guards in the TVC Ohio from last year. What can they add to that? We’ll see.
Athens - Struggled last year but return a lot from that squad.
NY - one of the best coaches in the TVC and will have 5 athletes on the floor at all times.
Wellston - Another squad that lost talent from a year ago. Solid coach and could compete.
Alexander - Nowhere to go but up from a tough season. Talent is there to compete.
RV - playing with house money. No expectations for the raiders could make them a dangerous team for anyone in the conference.

[Ohio1234]

Chillicothe will be in the top two of the FAC this season and make a run this season. Mark my words chillicothe will be a really solid team this season. Ethan Adams the 6'4 guard transfer from hamilton township offers size athleticism and length to the guards. Freshman Cartae ligon is a freak athlete, mix that in with Cox and hammond and chillicothe has all the tools to win the fac. Not a huge team but average about 6'3 across the board.

[mattash]

wow love Symmes Valley in the top 25. excited for hoops season

[HamPorter]

Chillicothe will be in the top two of the FAC this season and make a run this season. Mark my words chillicothe will be a really solid team this season. Ethan Adams the 6'4 guard transfer from hamilton township offers size athleticism and length to the guards. Freshman Cartae ligon is a freak athlete, mix that in with Cox and hammond and chillicothe has all the tools to win the fac. Not a huge team but average about 6'3 across the board.

They won’t beat Jaxson, WCH, hillsboro or mt but they will be beyter at least

[pfloyd]

Chillicothe will be in the top two of the FAC this season and make a run this season. Mark my words chillicothe will be a really solid team this season. Ethan Adams the 6'4 guard transfer from hamilton township offers size athleticism and length to the guards. Freshman Cartae ligon is a freak athlete, mix that in with Cox and hammond and chillicothe has all the tools to win the fac. Not a huge team but average about 6'3 across the board.

Ohio1234 ! I.HOPE. you're right about the improvement for the Cavs - it's been a building process Coach Beard has been doing for a what? 2? 3 years now ... I know it takes time for sure - I always enjoyed going to "the Hatt" to watch games 1) it was outstanding basketball 2) good people in Cavs land with Coach Beard ... pfloyd looks forward to seeing the Cavs vs the rest of the FAC @ the Hatton Memorial Gymnasium- it's a whole lot easier to get to Chillicothe from Logan than going all the way to Miami Trace , Washington CH or Hillsboro ...

[JJMD24]

Chillicothe will be in the top two of the FAC this season and make a run this season. Mark my words chillicothe will be a really solid team this season. Ethan Adams the 6'4 guard transfer from hamilton township offers size athleticism and length to the guards. Freshman Cartae ligon is a freak athlete, mix that in with Cox and hammond and chillicothe has all the tools to win the fac. Not a huge team but average about 6'3 across the board.

Don't forget about Cooper Stoneking. One of the best guards in our area.

[Cypress]

In terms of the TVC Ohio. I see…

Meigs - hasn’t won a TVC Ohio EVER. Last championship was in the late 80’s. Pressure is on.
VC - Lost A LOT from last season. The Vikings return two of the best guards in the TVC Ohio from last year. What can they add to that? We’ll see.
Athens - Struggled last year but return a lot from that squad.
NY - one of the best coaches in the TVC and will have 5 athletes on the floor at all times.
Wellston - Another squad that lost talent from a year ago. Solid coach and could compete.
Alexander - Nowhere to go but up from a tough season. Talent is there to compete.
RV - playing with house money. No expectations for the raiders could make them a dangerous team for anyone in the conference.

Only pressure for Meigs is for their players to remain injury free.
They were without their top 3 scorers by late midpoint of last season.
If Meigs stays healthy this year, the TVC Ohio is theirs and it will not be close.

[Dundas]

In terms of the TVC Ohio. I see…

Meigs - hasn’t won a TVC Ohio EVER. Last championship was in the late 80’s. Pressure is on.
VC - Lost A LOT from last season. The Vikings return two of the best guards in the TVC Ohio from last year. What can they add to that? We’ll see.
Athens - Struggled last year but return a lot from that squad.
NY - one of the best coaches in the TVC and will have 5 athletes on the floor at all times.
Wellston - Another squad that lost talent from a year ago. Solid coach and could compete.
Alexander - Nowhere to go but up from a tough season. Talent is there to compete.
RV - playing with house money. No expectations for the raiders could make them a dangerous team for anyone in the conference.

Only pressure for Meigs is for their players to remain injury free.
They were without their top 3 scorers by late midpoint of last season.
If Meigs stays healthy this year, the TVC Ohio is theirs and it will not be close.

Anytime you’re looking to break a 35 year championship drought, there has to be pressure. Last year, VC beat every team in the Ohio by 10+ points. Meigs has the talent to do the same this year. Obviously injuries can change a season but Meigs has the top talent and a lot of it. Upsets can and do happen though. I can’t wait to see the TVC Ohio shape out this season. Again, Meigs is by far the favorite.

I know they haven’t won a conference title in a while but when was the last time the marauders won a sectional, district? They could break a lot of streaks this season.

[TheOHIOBully]

I have Miami Trace falling lower, they might not be .500. with the best player in the area transferring to Kettering Alter, losing 5 Sr's which 4 of those were starters, and probably one of the best bigs in the area Guthrie coming off a football injury might be a rough go for trace.....they do however have some pieces Trey Robinette, Sky Salyers, and Luke Armstrong.....losing Grant Guess is a huge hit....now with a healthy Guthrie and if Guess returned they would've easily beat out Jackson in the area and won the FAC.

[FACSPORTS]

I have Miami Trace falling lower, they might not be .500. with the best player in the area transferring to Kettering Alter, losing 5 Sr's which 4 of those were starters, and probably one of the best bigs in the area Guthrie coming off a football injury might be a rough go for trace.....they do however have some pieces Trey Robinette, Sky Salyers, and Luke Armstrong.....losing Grant Guess is a huge hit....now with a healthy Guthrie and if Guess returned they would've easily beat out Jackson in the area and won the FAC.

Losing Guess does hurt the Panthers, in my opinion would have been a top 5 player in the FAC. Guthrie, Robinette, Salyers and Julian Baker is a solid core for Coach Ackley. Connor Napier is a solid shooter and they have a couple freshman in Gage Bowers and Carter Davidson who could make an impact at some point this season. I don't know the Armstrong kid so I can't speak to his ability.

I think if the Panthers stay healthy, they will win 13-15 games. I don't see them being under .500, but that's just my opinion.

[bball..guru]

The root had a super scrimmage yesterday and it was fantastic. The facilities at the root are top notch. Teams that were in attendance were Gallia, Point, South Gallia, Eastern, Southern and Western. It was competitive all the way around.

Western maybe the best team in the SOC. They play fast and aggressive. They have two players that can score at any time. They are going to be a tough out for anyone. Them in Symmes Valley will be battling it out for the conference.

Southern is very good. They have a bunch of shooters. All 5 attacks the glass. Size maybe a factor for them. They struggle boarding but make up for it on the defensive end. Southern is the front runner this year to win the TVC.

Gallipolis is also talented. The mock kid is the real deal. He can do it all. All teams struggled guarding him. They also have a solid point guard that attacks well. They will be a mid-pack team in the OVC.

Eastern has a lot of size. They have two guards that can score at a high level. They attack the glass and board well. I like Eastern this year competing to win the conference.

South Gallia is very aggressive. South Gallia might be the most physical team I've seen in a while. Hard nose team that gets after it. They will be on everyone radar this year. They are going to surprise teams in the SOC.

Point Pleasant will be okay. With their schedule they could win double digit wins this year.

[MightyIronOakFan]

The root had a super scrimmage yesterday and it was fantastic. The facilities at the root are top notch. Teams that were in attendance were Gallia, Point, South Gallia, Eastern, Southern and Western. It was competitive all the way around.

Western maybe the best team in the SOC. They play fast and aggressive. They have two players that can score at any time. They are going to be a tough out for anyone. Them in Symmes Valley will be battling it out for the conference.

Southern is very good. They have a bunch of shooters. All 5 attacks the glass. Size maybe a factor for them. They struggle boarding but make up for it on the defensive end. Southern is the front runner this year to win the TVC.

Gallipolis is also talented. The mock kid is the real deal. He can do it all. All teams struggled guarding him. They also have a solid point guard that attacks well. They will be a mid-pack team in the OVC.

Eastern has a lot of size. They have two guards that can score at a high level. They attack the glass and board well. I like Eastern this year competing to win the conference.

South Gallia is very aggressive. South Gallia might be the most physical team I've seen in a while. Hard nose team that gets after it. They will be on everyone radar this year. They are going to surprise teams in the SOC.

Point Pleasant will be okay. With their schedule they could win double digit wins this year.

Coach Elliott always gets the most out of his kids at South Gallia. What they always lack in size, speed, or skill is made up for in hustle and aggressiveness.