SI All-American Basketball Candidates in Ohio

SI All-American hoops candidates (from the class of 2021) in the state of Ohio

One high school basketball player in Ohio, shooting guard Malaki Branham, has been named to the SI99, an inaugural ranking of Sports Illustrated's top senior high school basketball players in the country. The 99 prospects who made the cut earn the distinction of being named a Sports Illustrated All-American candidate. 

Branham, 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, committed to Ohio State in July, choosing the Buckeyes over a final list of schools that included Baylor, Louisville and Alabama. He attends St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, the alma mater of LeBron James.

Fourteen prospects on the SI99 attend high school in Florida, the most of any state. California comes in second with seven players, while Georgia and Texas are tied as the states with the third-most SIAA candidates, boasting six players each. North Carolina (five prospects) is the only other state where more than four student-athletes on the SI99 are playing high school basketball this season.

For a breakdown of which of the 99 nominees have verbally committed to or are considering schools in the Big Ten as their college choice, head to:

• Illinois
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Michigan State
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Ohio State
• Purdue

Hundreds and hundreds of student-athletes were evaluated for the SI99—Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the top-99 senior high school basketball players in the country—before the list of All-American candidates was finalized. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages at SIAllAmerican.com.

The SI99 was unveiled on Dec. 2, accompanied by lists of prospects ordered by state and college choice/contenders. Position rankings, in-depth videos on top-rated players and more will be released throughout the remainder of December. Sports Illustrated’s final All-American teams for the 2020-21 prep hoops season will be announced in coming months.