COLUMBUS, Ohio — While the eyes of the Ohio high school basketball world are fixed on Dayton this weekend, it’s the prefix re- that is at the center of so many storylines.

It’s the Ohio High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball state tournament, which gets underway Friday, the first of three days filled with returns, repeats, rematches and revenge.

There are seven schools returning to the state final four from 2022:

• Pickerington Central
• Centerville
• Lutheran East
• Africentric
• Ottawa-Glandorf 
• Richmond Heights
• Berlin Hiland 

Of the 16 teams in the state tournament, 11 of them have reached this level within the past four years.

Meanwhile, nine schools have former players that returned to their alma mater as head coach:

• Spencer Cordonnier – Russia
• Rayshon Dent – Akron Buchtel
• Doug Etzler – Convoy Crestview
• T.K. Griffith – Hoban
• Tyson McGlaughlin – Ottawa-Glandorf
• Sam Liggins – Lutheran East
• Charlie Szabo – Dayton Chaminade Julienne
• Mark Schlabach – Berlin Hiland
• Mike Schoen – Toledo St. John’s

Of the seven schools back in the state tournament, Pickerington Central (Division I) and Richmond Heights (Division IV) are looking to repeat as state champs.

There are rematches galore, both in the semifinals and with possible championship match-ups, leading to opportunities to get revenge from painful losses:

• Centerville beat Pickerington Central 60-44 earlier this season
• Pickerington Central beat Centerville 55-48 in last year’s Division I championship game
• Convoy Crestview beat Richmond Heights and Berlin Hiland on the way to the 2019 Division IV state championship. The Knights start out with the Hawks, and could face the Spartans if both win in the semifinals.
• Africentric lost to Ottawa-Glandorf 53-48 in last year’s Division III state semifinals
• Lutheran East beat Africentric 71-60 in the season opener. The Falcons and Nubians would meet in the final game of the year if both advance.
• Harvest Prep beat Lutheran East 55-42 in the 2019 Division III state semifinal.
• If Ottawa-Glandorf beats Africentric, and Lutheran East gets by Harvest Prep, the Titans and Falcons would reprise their 2021 Division III state semifinal.

Remarkably, three programs had its girls and boys teams qualify for the state tournament. Pickerington Central (Division I), Africentric (Division III) and Berlin Hiland (Division IV) each pulled off the accomplishment. Just as impressive, all three schools have done it previously with the Hawks an incredible five times (2023, 2019, 2012, 2000 and 1999). The Nubians (girls won Division III last weekend) could be the fourth to have both programs win state titles in the same year, with the most recent being Marion Local in 2003.

It’s also been 20 years since LeBron James wrapped up his high school career, with a third state championship at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. His 206 points scored in state tournament games are the most all-time, appropriate considering he broke the National Basketball Association’s all-time scoring mark in February.

Immortality awaits four teams hoping to cut down the nets at the University of Dayton Arena. The entire tournament can be watched on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App. The games are available here by clicking on the banner at the top of the page.

Division II State Semifinal: Dayton Chaminade Julienne (26-2) vs. Lutheran West (24-3); Friday at 10:45 a.m.

You make a right on Ludlow, another right on Washington, turn left on Edwin C. Moses Blvd. and in roughly one mile you arrive at UD Arena. That’s how easy it is to get there from Chaminade Julienne High School.

Of course, the journey on the basketball court is longer and more difficult to traverse to reach the state tournament. The Eagles have earned it, spending most of the season at the top of the Associated Press Ohio High School Division II poll, with the only losses to a school from Georgia and Dayton Carroll.

George Washington III moved to Dayton when his father was hired as an assistant coach for the women’s program at the University of Dayton (under Chaminade Julienne graduate Tamika Williams-Jeter), and was named the Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, despite not being one of seven finalists for the Ohio Mr. Basketball award.

The Michigan signee (who originally committed to Ohio State) averages 24.4 points a game, converting nearly 54% of his field goal attempts, while making just under 89% of free throws and over 47% from three-point range.

His brothers (B.B. is a junior starter, J.J. a freshman reserve) are also on the team. Evan Dickey is a holdover from the Eagles’ squad in 2021 that reached the state tournament.

They’ll be matched up with the Longhorns of Lutheran West. Sister school Lutheran East (more on the Falcons in Division III) is quite familiar with the final four, but West is here for the first time since 1998.

With a roster mostly built from juniors and sophomores, the Longhorns may be a year ahead of schedule. They are led by 11^th-graders Jayson Levin (19.1 PPG) and Derek Fairley (9.1 PPG and an eye-popping nine assists per contest).

Lutheran West hasn’t been challenged the full 32 minutes this tournament, with the two closest games (16 point wins) coming in the regional semifinal and final. Two of the team’s three losses (Hoban and Lutheran East) were to teams still playing this weekend, while the Longhorns have beaten Division III state semifinalist Ottawa-Glandorf, as well as St. Ignatius and Mentor.

Division II State Semifinal: Akron Buchtel (21-6) vs. Columbus Ready (28-0); Friday at 2 p.m.

In the other Division II semifinal, Buchtel is finishing the season strong, after starting out 6-4. Since then, the Griffins are 15-2.

They are driven by a trio of seniors. Khoi Thurmon (19.1 PPG) will play next year at Purdue Fort Wayne, while Amire Robinson will take his 13.2 scoring average to play for Steve Alford (who was college teammates at Indiana with Robinson’s father, Stew) at Nevada. Marcel Boyce, Jr. average 14.2 PPG, but he’s going to play football at Wayne State after being an all-Ohio Division IV wide receiver this past fall.

Buchtel likes to get up and down the floor, scoring 71 points per game. The Griffins—while making their seventh state tournament appearance—are shooting for their first state title.

The opponent is undefeated Bishop Ready from Columbus, looking for its first state title in 50 years (won back-to-back Class AA championships in 1972-73).

The Silver Knights finished on top of the AP poll in Division II, setting program records for wins and consecutive wins (28 each).

In contrast to Buchtel, Ready is comfortable slowing things down, and it wins with defense, holding opponents to just 40.3 points a game.

However, the Sliver Knights counter with their own talented triumvirate of seniors in Charlie Russell (17.6 PPG, headed to Air Force to play baseball), Luke Ruth (12.5 PPG, playing at Ohio Dominican next year) and Kaleb Schaffer (15.1 PPG).

Division IV State Semifinal: Convoy Crestview (24-3) vs. Berlin Hiland (19-9); Friday at 5:15 p.m.

Friday evening turns to Division IV, and Crestview returns with a fresh batch of Etzlers to try and capture a second state title in five years. In 2019, it was brothers Javin (in the transfer portal after playing at Miami University) and Kalen (Ohio State) Etzler leading the Knights to the championship in Division IV, by beating Richmond Heights and Berlin Hiland, both of which are also back this year.

Now it’s younger cousin Gavin’s turn. The senior (and son of head coach Doug Etzler) averages 10 points per game, connecting on nearly half of his three-point attempts. Doug, who also played at Ohio State from 1992-95, took over the program in the 2019-20 season from two-time state champion Jeremy Best.

Ray Etzler (Doug’s father) had a 445-171 career record at Crestview, and the Knights play in the gym bearing his name.

Crestview is an unselfish team, assisting on 420 of 578 made field goals on the season, which has led to a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging between 9.5 and 10.4 points per game.

Mark Schlabach celebrated his most recent regional title (nine total) in style, winning his 500^th career game including his time at Loudonville. It’s safe to say that 2023 was probably the most unexpected trip to the state tournament, however.

This inexperienced Hawks team needed some time to jell, sitting at 8-9 before winning their last 11 games. It’s been nail-biting through the district and regional tournaments, too, with the last four wins by a combined 15 points.

Junior Sammy Detweiler is the top scorer, at 17.2 points per contest. As a team, Hiland has only hit the 60 mark five times this year, but have only allowed two teams to get to that figure.

Division IV State Semifinal: Richmond Heights (27-0) vs. Russia (25-3); Friday at 8:30 p.m.

You can make a compelling case that the best team in the state, regardless of division, can be found in Division IV. Defending champion Richmond Heights has not lost since Jan. 2, 2022, a span of 47 straight games.

The Spartans play a challenging schedule to help prepare them for tournament season, too, beating Harvest Prep and Lutheran East (both Division III state semifinalists), Beachwood, Hilliard Bradley, Brush (last team to beat them), Fairfield and St. Edward.

They can score the ball, averaging 82 points per game, with four players in double-figures. Sophomores Dorian Jones (20.1 PPG) and De’Erick Barber (9.4 PPG, 9.2 assists a contest) are generating interest from major college programs. Junior Hosea Steele averages a double-double, with 15.1 PPG and 10.2 rebounds.

Richmond Heights has cruised through the tournament, winning five games by an average of 43 points.

On the other sideline is Russia (pronounced ROO-she), which has dealt with tremendous adversity before the season even began. Head coach Dave Borchers was in an automobile accident and eventually succumbed to his injuries in October. Spencer Cordonnier has stepped in and guided the Raiders to the school’s second final four appearance.

Russia has championship pedigree, as all five starters were in the starting lineup for the Division IV baseball championship game last June, which the Raiders won. 

Winning Region 16 wasn’t pretty, as Russia survived a 27-25 final, scoring just five points in the second half, and only two in the fourth quarter. The Raiders have continued to display resiliency, trailing early in each of their last six tournament games.

Division III State Semifinal: Columbus Africentric (22-5) vs. Ottawa-Glandorf (24-3); Saturday at 10:45 a.m.

As previously mentioned, Africentric and Ottawa-Glandorf square off again in a Division III state semifinal on Saturday, in a rematch of teams and top players. One year ago, The Nubians' Dailyn Swain had a game-high 32 in the 53-48 loss, one better than Colin White’s 31, which paced the victorious Titans.

Now a senior, the Xavier-bound Swain was one of seven finalists for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball, finishing fourth in the voting. He’s averaging 18.9 a game, and is the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Junior Cortez Freeman (17.6 PPG), junior Laron Fuller (11 PPG) and senior Preston Steele (10.3 PPG) are also in double-figures for a team with just three 12^th-graders on the roster.

Scoring 60 points is key for Africentric, as the Nubians were held to that number or less in all five losses (4-5 overall record with that qualifier).

Ottawa-Glandorf is making a third straight trip the state tournament, but trying to capture its first state title in 10 years. The Titans fell a year ago to Cincinnati Taft in the Division III championship, and lost in the state semis to eventual champion Lutheran East in 2021.

White (a junior) has several Division I college offers, including from West Virginia and Cincinnati. He’s averaging 20.5 points an outing this year, including a 44-point outburst against St. Mary’s Memorial, which had big-man Austin Parks, who is signed to play next year at Ohio State.

The Titans three losses were by a total of eight points, and were to Division I schools Lima Senior and Princeton, and Division II state semifinalist Lutheran West.

Division III State Semifinal: Lutheran East (20-5) vs. Harvest Prep (21-6); Saturday at 2 p.m.

There wasn’t a state tournament played in the 2020 season, due to the pandemic that took hold while the boys tournament was still at the regional stage.

So, with that said, Lutheran East has made it to the final four six consecutive seasons, winning it all in 2021 and in 2017. Each year, the Falcons prepare for the tournament with a challenging schedule, and this season was no different, knocking off fellow final four teams Africentric and Lutheran West, while losing to Richmond Heights.

“The Lue” proved ready so far in this tournament, winning five games by an average of 36 points per, with the closest margin of victory 24 points.

While it’s a younger team, with eight of the top 10 players in the rotation underclassmen, senior Cody Head helps lead the way. He averages 19.5 PPG, to go with six rebounds and 6.5 helpers per contest.

The youth comes from one of the top players in the state in the Class of 2024, Jesse McCullough who scores at 17.5 game per clip, and pulls down 10-and-a-half boards a game. T.J. Crumble (15 PPG) is one of the best freshman in Ohio.

One of the most underrated powers in Ohio high school basketball is Harvest Prep. The Warriors have returned to the state tournament for the first time since winning it all (against Lutheran East) in 2019.

It’s the school’s seventh final four all-time, which have all occurred since 2007, including five of the last nine years (removing 2020).

David Dennis loves for his teams to keep scoreboard operators busy, and this one does, averaging nearly 73 points per game. The Warriors have hit the 80-point plateau eight times, including a season-high 115 against Corning Miller.

Several players are capable of stepping up when needed, and the leading scorer is Nyelle Shaheed, at nearly 16 points over six boards per game.

Division I State Semifinal: Pickerington Central (23-5) vs. Centerville (25-3); Saturday at 5:15 p.m.

The first Division I semifinal on Saturday night has everything you could possibly want. Pickerington Central beat Centerville 55-48 in last year’s championship game, ending the Elks’ 45-game winning streak.

Centerville already got pay-backs in this regular season, with a 60-54 triumph on a neutral court in Columbus.

It’s got the last two Ohio Mr. Basketball winners, in the Tigers’ Devin Royal (2023) and Centerville’s Gabe Cupps. Those two will continue their personal series in college, as Royal will be a Buckeye, and Cupps an Indiana Hoosier.

Royal (19.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG) became the school’s all-time leading scorer recently, passing Jae’Sean Tate. Cupps (15.1 PPG, 6.1 APG) needs six more to match Centerville’s career mark, held by Ben Rhoda.

This game is much more than two players, however. Pickerington Central sports a 16-1 mark since January, and several key performers from last year’s state champs (Markell Johnson, Gavin Headings, Jonathan Hedgepeth and Juwan Turner) are looking for a second ring.

Elks’ seniors Cupps, Emmanuel Deng and Kyle Kenney are also seeking another state title, winning as sophomores in 2021. Helping to replace the loss of Tom House and Rich Rolf, three starters transferred in, Jonathan Powell (a junior getting serious college attention), Collin O’Connor and Dulguun Gankhuyag.

Powell averages 17 points per game, and has become a target for several major college programs, Ohio State included. He made the state tournament as a freshman with Dayton Chaminade Julienne.

Division I State Semifinal: Toledo St. John’s (19-9) vs. Hoban (25-3); Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

The last time a greater Cleveland-area school didn’t make the Division I state tournament was in 2009. Not coincidentally, that’s the last time Toledo St. John’s advanced to the final four.

The Titans were another team that didn’t have the expectation of still playing this deep into the season. St. John’s began the tournament with a 13-9 mark, and had a 5-6 record earlier in the year.

Make no mistake, though, this is a blue-blood in Ohio high school basketball. The Titans are appearing in a seventh state tournament (still looking for their first title) and have featured names like John Amaechi (Vanderbilt/Penn State/NBA), Brian Roberts (Dayton/NBA), Jay Larranaga (Bowling Green), Shane Komives (Bowling Green), Neshaun Coleman (Ohio State). B.J. Raymond (Xavier), Marc Loving (Ohio State) and Vince Williams (VCU, just drafted in NBA last June) over the years.

Head coach Mike Schoen, just the fourth in school history, played under the legendary Ed Heintschel, and reached the championship game in 2004. Ironically, Schoen went to the University of Dayton, serving as a student manager on the men’s basketball team.

For the first time in 25 years, Hoban is in the final four, trying to win the school’s second state basketball championship.

Head coach T.K. Griffith (and school principal) played for the Knights on that 1989 winner, and now in his 30^th season on the bench, he’s back for a second time on the sidelines.

Two players to keep an eye on are junior Jonas Nichols, who averages 16 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He already has Mid-American Conference offers, and is getting interest from Penn State, Xavier and Dayton. Senior Will Scott chips in 14.2 PPG.

Hoban is a regular in the state football championship game, getting there eight of the last nine years, while winning five. While the Knights lost to Toledo Central Catholic in December, Ohio’s Mr. Football Lamar Sperling was impressive, running for 356 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s a reserve on this team, and becomes just the third Mr. Football to reach the basketball final four the same academic year as winning the gridiron honor. Bobby Hoying did so in 1991, helping St. Henry to state titles in both sports. Dante Booker got to the state tournament with Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2014. Both Bam Childress (Bedford St. Peter Chanel in 1999) and Cade Stover (Lexington in 2018) played in final fours before winning Mr. Football.

The schedule on Sunday begins with OHSAA Championship Gameday 15 minutes before each final, and returns with a postgame show immediately following. Former Buckeye George Reese joins Neil Sika for studio coverage.

10:45 a.m. – Division II Championship

2 p.m. – Division IV Championship

5:15 p.m. – Division III Championship

8:30 p.m. – Division I Championship