Advertisement

Central Ohio high school basketball: 5 storylines for a busy MLK Day weekend

dave purpura, the columbus dispatch
·5 min read

Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend probably is the most prominent weekend for high school basketball for the remainder of the regular season.

In addition to several important league games, including a CCL showdown Friday with Hartley visiting undefeated Ready, this weekend includes Flyin’ to the Hoop at Kettering Fairmont, Battle in the 614 at Ohio Dominican and two powerhouse girls events in Classic in the City and Classic in the Country at Pickerington Central and Berlin Hiland, respectively.

All are multiday events, lasting through Monday evening.

Future Buckeye? Northside Christian's Landon Vanderwarker relishes workout with Ohio State's Evan Turner

'It could happen to me': High school athletes, trainers reflect on Damar Hamlin emergency

Here are five storylines to watch this weekend:

Ready guard Luke Ruth averages 14 points and six assists.
Ready guard Luke Ruth averages 14 points and six assists.

1. Ready relies on defense during 11-0 start

Coming off a 20-2 season, their first CCL championship in two decades and a Division III district runner-up finish, Ready has allowed 39.4 points per game and 38 or fewer in six consecutive contests, including a 66-30 win at Washington Court House on Tuesday.

Coach Tony Bisutti called senior guard Luke Ruth, who averages 14 points and six assists, “a lockdown defender” but emphasized that the entire team has bought in on both ends of the court.

“Everybody thinks about playing basketball together as a team on the offensive end, but you have to do the same things on the defensive end,” said Bisutti, whose team also is 3-0 in the CCL. “Our guys have grasped on to our system, and having a lot of veterans helps.

"At the end of it all, we’re going to be battle-tested just for what we’ve been through in our league. Our league isn’t top heavy; it’s very balanced. We have to be ready to beat teams at their own game.”

Ruth is one of four returning starters, along with senior forwards Charlie Russell (15 points per game) and Kaleb Schaffer (13 ppg) and junior guard Josh Paul. Ready’s fifth starter is sophomore forward Kayden Schaffer.

Russell is an Air Force baseball recruit.

In a battle of defending state champions, Devin Royal and Pickerington Central will take on Indianapolis Cathedral at 3 p.m. Monday in Flyin' to the Hoop at Kettering Fairmont.
In a battle of defending state champions, Devin Royal and Pickerington Central will take on Indianapolis Cathedral at 3 p.m. Monday in Flyin' to the Hoop at Kettering Fairmont.

2. Ohio powers heading to Flyin’ to the Hoop at Kettering Fairmont

All four defending boys state champions, including Pickerington Central in Division I, will participate in the 21st Flyin’ to the Hoop.

Twenty Division I commits, including Central’s Devin Royal (Ohio State) and Africentric’s Dailyn Swain (Xavier), headline the event. Central (9-4) will face Indianapolis Cathedral, the defending Class 4A state champion in Indiana, at 3 p.m. Monday.

Fall honorees announced: Catch up with the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards

Coach Michael Bates and Africentric face Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in the Flyin’ to the Hoop showcase Saturday at Kettering Fairmont.
Coach Michael Bates and Africentric face Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in the Flyin’ to the Hoop showcase Saturday at Kettering Fairmont.

The area’s other participants, Pickerington North (11-1) and Africentric (9-3), play in consecutive games Saturday. North will play Dayton Dunbar at 1:15, followed by Africentric against Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

Cincinnati Taft, the defending Division III state champion, plays Lyndhurst Brush at 1:15 p.m. Sunday. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, which won the title in Division II, faces Atlanta program The Skill Factory at 4:45 p.m. Sunday.

At 11:30 a.m. Monday, defending Division IV state champion Richmond Heights takes on Fairfield.

The Pickerington Central girls team hosts the 21-game Classic in the City event Saturday through Monday.
The Pickerington Central girls team hosts the 21-game Classic in the City event Saturday through Monday.

3. Pickerington Central’s Classic in the City features loaded field

Ten area girls teams, plus the defending Division II and Division III state champions in Kettering Alter and Cincinnati Purcell Marian, highlight the 21-game Classic in the City, a three-day event that starts Saturday.

Three of the state’s top 10 teams per MaxPreps will compete in Cincinnati Princeton (No. 1), Dublin Coffman (No. 6) and host Pickerington Central (No. 9). Louisville (Kentucky) Sacred Heart Academy is ranked 12th nationally by ESPN, and Purcell Marian is 25th.

Columbus High School Sports newsletter: Sign up for our weekly newsletter on high school sports

Jenna Kopyar and Dublin Coffman play twice this weekend in the Classic in the City at Pickerington Central.
Jenna Kopyar and Dublin Coffman play twice this weekend in the Classic in the City at Pickerington Central.

Coffman plays Louisville (Kentucky) Mercy Academy at 4:30 p.m. Sunday and closes the event at 7:30 p.m. Monday against Hudson Western Reserve Academy.

Central also plays twice, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Mercy Academy and at 4:30 p.m. Monday against Fort Erie (Ontario) Secondary School.

The event is in its second year under the Classic in the City branding after going by the Lady Tigers MLK Classic in 2021.

Gahanna boys coach Tony Staib is preparing his team for games Friday at Pickerington North and Sunday at Battle in the 614 at Ohio Dominican.
Gahanna boys coach Tony Staib is preparing his team for games Friday at Pickerington North and Sunday at Battle in the 614 at Ohio Dominican.

4. Battle in the 614 returns to Ohio Dominican

Division I powers Columbus South, Gahanna and Olentangy Orange headline the second Battle in the 614, which consists of 19 boys games Saturday through Monday.

Gahanna was last year’s Division I regional runner-up and despite replacing all five starters is 10-2 overall and 4-0 in the OCC-Ohio Division entering a first-place showdown Friday at Pickerington North. Orange and South are 11-1 and 10-2, respectively.

South tips off the Battle in the 614 at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Wilmington, and Orange plays Toledo Whitmer at 6:30 p.m. Gahanna is in action at 2 p.m. Sunday against Medina.

A mixed boys and girls event last year, Battle in the 614 grew to the point that it added a day of seven girls games Dec. 17.

Coach Jack Purtell will lead defending Division I state champion Reynoldsburg against Wadsworth at 6 p.m. Monday in the Classic in the Country at Berlin Hiland.
Coach Jack Purtell will lead defending Division I state champion Reynoldsburg against Wadsworth at 6 p.m. Monday in the Classic in the Country at Berlin Hiland.

5. Powers Reynoldsburg, Newark traveling to Classic in the Country

Two area teams, Newark and defending Division I state champion Reynoldsburg, are participating in the 20th Classic in the Country.

Both will play back-to-back Monday, with Newark playing Batavia West Clermont at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Raiders against Wadsworth at 6 in the showcase’s penultimate game.

dpurpura@dispatch.com

@dp_dispatch

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLK Day weekend features key Ohio high school basketball events