Ohio boys high school basketball Top 25 rankings: Findlay ascends to the top (01/16/2024)

Reynoldsburg, Green and Russia join the rankings this week

Second SBLive Ohio boys basketball Power 25 of the season, second team atop the rankings as Findlay is the new No. 1.

Louisville jumps a spot from No. 11 to sneak into the top 10, while Reynoldsburg (No. 21), Green (No. 24) and Russia (No. 25) make their Power 25 debuts.

SBLive Ohio boys basketball Power 25 

1. Findlay (10-0)

Last Week: 2

Findlay remains undefeated after a weekend sweep of Northview and then-No. 10 Ottawa-Glandorf. The Trojans' Javonte Hill was the go-to man on Saturday against Ottawa-Glandorf, scoring a career-high 30 points with 21 coming in the second half. Findlay trailed 27-20 early in the third quarter before going on a 16-8 run to enter the fourth. Findlay hosts Toledo Rogers for a Monday matinee, followed by a Friday road contest against Fremont Ross.

2. Olentangy Orange (12-0)

Last Week: 3

Olentangy Orange survived a gauntlet of three contests this week, remaining perfect past the midway point of the season. The Pioneers earned weekend wins over Thomas Worthington and Grove City, but the highlight was a 52-50 win against then-No. 15 Hilliard Bradley. The game was tied at 50 when Devin Brown drew a foul going for the basket with 2.5 seconds left. Brown hit both free throws, followed by a deflected inbound pass to seal the win for the Pioneers. Olentangy Orange heads to Olentangy Liberty on Friday, followed by a home game against Walnut Ridge.

3. St. Ignatius (11-3)

Last Week: 1

St. Ignatius opened the weekend with an instant classic, a double overtime victory over then-No. 5 Centerville, 94-92. Junior Quinn Woidke led the Wildcats with 27 points including the game-tying three near the end of regulation. The jubilation would only last one night as the Wildcats would fall to Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) on Sunday, 74-68. Next weekend, St. Ignatius hits the road for contests against Benedictine on Friday and Lutheran West on Saturday.

4. Lutheran East  (12-1)

Last Week: 4

Lutheran East continue to build their case as the team to beat in Division-III after a pair of wins this past week. The Falcons defeated Maple Heights, 78-27 on Wednesday, followed by a 55-36 win over Newman (New Orleans). The intensity gets turned up a notch when the Falcons head to Cleveland Central Catholic on Thursday, then a Sunday matinee against Glenville.

5. Westerville North (10-2)

Last Week: 6

The Warriors opened the week with convincing wins over Worthington Kilbourne and Dublin Scioto. But, the marquee contest of the week saw Westerville North defeat Kettering Alter, 60-43. Junior Micah Young was a highlight reel machine on the night, leading all scorers with 23 and adding four steals. The Warriors host Franklin Heights and Buchtel this weekend.

6. Brunswick (10-2)

Last Week: 7

Brunswick came out of the gate strong in their Greater Cleveland Conference game at Medina. The Blue Devils led 27-9 in the second quarter and coasted from there, winning 74-61. Quinn Barnett led all scorers with 23 points and tacking on 4 rebounds. Brunswick hosts Uniontown Green on Tuesday with a GCC contest against first place Mentor on Friday.

7. Whitmer (10-1)

Last Week: 8

Whitmer opened the week with a 61-39 win over Western International (Michigan) before their Northern Lakes League contest against Anthony Wayne. The Panthers led early, but Anthony Wayne stuck around throughout the game. Eventually, Antione West and company were too much, coming away with the 59-53 win. Whitmer hits the road to face Northview on Tuesday and Southview on Friday.

8. Centerville (8-4)

Last week: 5

Centerville was on the wrong end of the instant classic with then-No. 1 St. Ignatius, 94-92. Xavier commit Jonathan Powell had a standout performance with 34 points on the night. The Elks face Newman (Louisiana) on Monday night, then return to Greater Western Ohio Conference play at Springfield on Saturday.

9. Garfield Heights (11-0)

Last Week: 9

Garfield Heights remains undefeated after a pair of wins this week. The Bulldogs pulled away from Bedford for a 72-54 win on Thursday. Saturday, it was a back-and-forth battle against Oak Cliff Faith (Texas) that saw the Bulldogs come away with a 68-67 win. Things only get tough as Garfield Heights gets a gauntlet this week with Holy Name, Reynoldsburg, and Cleveland Heights, all on the schedule.

10. Louisville (11-1)

Last Week: 11

Louisville has now won 11 straight after a 76-57 win against Woodridge on Saturday. Beau Siegfried, Hayden Nigro, and Brayden Gross all finished with 16-plus points on the night. The Leopards host CVCA and Boardman this coming week.

11. Ottawa-Glandorf (10-2)

Last Week: 10

Ottawa-Glandorf just finished their toughest weekend of the season, coming away with mixed results. On the bright side, the Titans were victorious against then-No. 25 St. Marys on Friday, 74-65, in Western Buckeye League action. The following night, Ottawa-Glandorf fell in a nail-biter to then-No. 2 Findlay on the road, 49-47. The Titans head to Bath on Friday, followed by a Saturday game against Lima Senior.

12. Delaware Hayes (11-1)

Last Week: 14

Delaware Hayes was victorious in a pair of Ohio Capital Conference - Capital Division games this past week. The Pacers defeated Canal Winchester, 69-32 on Tuesday, followed by a 60-43 win over Franklin Heights on Friday. The wins keep the Pacers tied for first place in the Capital Division with Westerville North. Delaware Hayes is on the road all week with games against Olentangy on Tuesday and division rival Big Walnut on Friday.

13. Lutheran West (13-0)

Last Week: 13

 The Longhorns pulled out a second straight one-point win, this time over Wayne. Trailing 38-32 with 2:44 left, the Longhorns used takeaways and offensive rebounds to outscore Wayne 10-3 in the final minutes, earning the 42-41 victory. Jayson Levis led Lutheran West with 13 points and 7 rebounds. The Longhorns next game is against St. Ignatius on Saturday evening.

14. Archbishop Moeller, Cincinnati (9-1)

Last Week: 17

Archbishop Moeller rebounded nicely with a trio of wins this past week. The biggest was in their Greater Catholic League South opener against then-No. 18 Elder, shutting out the Panthers in the fourth to win 48-34. Noah George led all Crusaders with 18 points and 7 rebounds while Alex Kazanecki added 16 and 7 of his own. Moeller hits the road for battles against St. Xavier and Mentor this week.

15. Archbishop Alter (10-3)

Last Week: 12

RJ Greer averaged 26.5 points in their opening wins against Beavercreek and Badin. However, the Knights could not keep the momentum going throughout the weekend, dropping back-to-back contests against Westminster Academy (Florida) and then-No. 6 Westerville North. The schedule is a little lighter for the Knights next week with only a Saturday night road contest against Springfield.

16. Brecksville-Broadview Heights (10-1)

Last Week: 19

Brecksville has nearly clinched the Suburban League National championship and we are only into mid-January. On Tuesday, the Bees defeated Wadsworth, 68-39, followed up with a Friday win at Stow, 53-39. The pair of league wins give the Bees a three-game lead in conference over second place. The Bees will look to grow that gap with a game against second place Hudson on Friday.

17. Buchtel (8-2)

Last Week: 20

Buchtel continued their winning ways in a pair of Akron City contests this past week. The Griffins headed to Firestone on Tuesday, earning a 68-37 win, before posting their first win of 2024 against Akron North. The Griffins get a big road test when they head to Westerville North on Saturday in a top 25 showdown.

18. Richmond Heights (5-6)

Last Week: 21

Richmond Heights was off this past week. The Spartans return to action against Westminster Academy (Florida) on Monday, with weekend contests against St. Vincent-St. Mary and Maple Heights on the horizon.

19. St. Edward (8-5)

Last Week: 23

St. Edward rebounded nicely, literally and figuratively with wins over Cleveland Central Catholic and St. John's Jesuit. The Eagles went 15-for-25 from three-point range in their 78-45 win over CCC.  St. Edward is off this week before facing Louisville and Benedictine to wrap up January.

20. Westerville Central (10-4)

Last Week: 24

Westerville Central were tougher than their busy week, building a 3-game win streak heading into the teeth of their Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division schedule. Each of their wins came by double-digits over Westland, Hilliard Darby, and Belmont. All five starters finished in double-digits in the Warhawks' win over Belmont. Westerville Central heads to New Albany on Friday for their lone contest this week.

21. Reynoldsburg (8-3)

Last Week: NR

Reynoldsburg just missed out on the SBLive Ohio Top 25 last week after hitting a three-game skid over the holidays. Those three games came by a combined six points against teams like St. Ignatius and Newark. The Raiders bounced back with a new three-game win streak to start 2024 over Lancaster, Central Crossing, and Gahanna Lincoln. Reynoldsburg opens the week with a Monday matinee against Oak Ridge (Florida) with a pair of brutal weekend contests against Pickerington Central and Garfield Heights.

22. Elder (11-2)

Last Week: 18

Elder pulled away in the third quarter against Turpin, securing a 59-43 against the crosstown rival. Tyler Johnson scored 19 points while totaling five rebounds and three steals. But that is where the Panthers' 8-game win streak came to an end as they dropped their Greater Catholic League South opener to then-No. 17 Archbishop Moeller. The Panthers head to Oak Hills on Tuesday, followed up with a conference battle against La Salle on Friday.

23. Lexington (14-1)

Last Week: 16

Lexington was stellar in their 63-36 win at Wooster this past Friday. Elijah Hudson posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. However, all good things must come to an end as Lexington suffered their first loss of the season, 56-46 at Gahanna Lincoln on Sunday. The Minutemen will look for redemption as they host Mansfield Senior on Friday.

24. Green, Uniontown (9-2)

Last Week: NR

Green suffered a 58-55 loss to Canton McKinley, keeping them out of our last ranking. However, the Bulldogs rebounded with a trio of wins to make their debut in the SBLive Ohio Top 25. Green maintained their share of first place in the Federal League with a pair of road wins over GlenOak and Massillon Jackson. The Bulldogs followed it up with a Sunday win against Canfield. The Bulldogs return to the road on Tuesday to face Brunswick.

25. Russia (13-0)

Last Week: NR

Russia silenced all doubts this past week after handing Antwerp their first loss of the season, 66-36. In fact, the Raiders have won all but two games by double-digits this season with their most recent nail biter coming at Botkins, 62-57, to begin 2024. Russia will head to Fairlawn and Miami East this week.