Most Valuable Postseason Players in NEO

Northeast Ohio is a special area to find basketball talent. Here are players in the area who have been valuable this postseason. There are more than below, but these are the players highlighted for this year take a look:   [player_tooltip player_id="360875" first="Zennia" last="Thomas"] 6’2, 2022, Warrensville Heights High School Thomas is a top ten player in the state in my opinion. She averaged 30 points on the season dominating all postseason. Thomas has had multiple high major schools show up to her home as of recent which has not been done by many. She managed to not only have the best year in her career at Warrensville High School, but she also learned her game which has attracted all attention to her. Thomas has had her way in the post and mid-range game. She stands above 6’1 and can push the basketball in transition which makes her special. [player_tooltip player_id="92512" first="Lanae" last="Riley"] 6’1, 2022, Hoban High School Riley is the best post player in the state of Ohio and it is clear by her career. She is one you can’t stop, but many try to slow down. Riley is unselfish and does a great job of being a leader. She is a calm player, plays hard and she is always ready to play every game. Riley is committed to Middle Tennessee State and they are getting a kid who will come in ready. She has not only dominated on the court, but she takes care of business everywhere off the court. [player_tooltip player_id="157709" first="Paige" last="Kohler"] 5’8, 2023, Olmstead Falls High School Kohler has been one of the most consistent players all year. She has been impressive on both ends of the floor with her ability as well as decision making. Kohler is a dynamic player that all college coaches should be recruiting. She plays every game like it is her last and is a team player. Kohler doesn’t shy away and finishes through contact. She was an impact player all postseason and has been a year in and year out. College coaches this is arguably one of the best guards in the state that can guard the position she plays. The best is yet to come from this young lady. Madison Miller 5’8, 2022, Highland Heights High School Miller step by step and day by day proved to be one of the better players in the area regardless of class. She has been involved with a lot of success for the Highland Heights team with wins for the first time in her career it must feel good to finish with that good of a feeling. Miller does a great job finishing through contact and got her teammates involved all post-season. She is a rare one that displays workaholic behavior with the way she dives for loose balls and sacrifices for her team. Miller all postseason was valuable because she never lost faith and by the way of her passion it showed every game. Ava Hadad 6’0, 2022, Saint Joseph Academy High School Hadad went out on top although her team lost she gave everything that she could. Hadad at the end of the game was embraced by all her teammates and it was clear what she has done all season for the program and the impact she has left. She finished around the basketball and play-making ability scoring on all three levels doing whatever she could to advance. Hadad is an unselfish player that brings good energy to the players around her. A great season and overall career by this young lady in all phases of the game. [player_tooltip player_id="217076" first="Alexa" last="Hocevar"] 6’1, 2023, West Geauga High School Hocevar is arguably one of the best 2023 players in the state. She is feisty, but that’s part of the game. Alexa is effective on both ends. A lot of players take many shots due to their team, but this young lady takes over. Hocevar does a great job of handling pressure and doesn’t get rattled much at all. She did a phenomenal job not only in the regular season but very effectively off the ball in the postseason. Hocevar is a whatever-it-takes type of kid and wants to win so bad that she will be very unselfish in her efforts to get a team wins. Keep an eye on this 2023 as I can see her breaking records. She is on her way to a recruiting outpour. [player_tooltip player_id="157687" first="Mahogany" last="Cottingham"] 5’9, 2023, Trinity High School Cottingham is a scorer and has the mental mind of go mode. She does not back down and all year has offensively showcased her ability to shoot from the perimeter. She was named the division player of the year scoring her 1,000 points in her junior season. Cottingham has a chance to do something her senior year that not a lot of people’s names are attached to. She led her team this year to new heights and pressure made her a diamond. Cottingham will be one to watch as she transitions from a great high school season to travel basketball. Abby Rosol 5’9, 2023, Magnificat High School Rosol is a worker on both ends of the floor. She is a coachable player that does the little thing’s the right way. Rosol handles a lot of the pressure with a young Magnificat team. She plays hard and does a great job putting the basketball in the net by any means necessary. Keep your ears clean listening to the music that this young lady will play from her level of consistency talked about by others. Rosol did all she can do this postseason for Magnificat and made it always about the team first. Alyssa Ziehler 6’1, 2022, Green High School Ziehler not only broke the rebounding record this year but also has the steals record for her high school. She has a superior work ethic and a purpose larger than herself. Ziehler this postseason owned the inside. She was a complete playmaker throughout her career and in the postseason valuable in her team’s overall success. Ziehler is a Findlay Oilers commit and I believe with her shot-blocking, rebounding, scoring, and the way that she plays she will fit in immediately. [player_tooltip player_id="92514" first="Emma" last="Dretke"] 5’11, 2022, Jackson High School Dretke is a Walsh commit and plays with energy& efficiency. She is a big-time value to her team and does great in big-time moments being a key factor in the postseason for her team. Dretke was taught how to work and whenever she was taught that she hasn’t stopped since. She is a postseason player that understands when to do what and it will pay off for her. Dretke is unselfish and is committed to doing whatever she needs from scoring to creating for others. [player_tooltip player_id="217339" first="Corri" last="Vermilya"] 5’9, 2024, Loudonville High School Vermilya has been and still is a big-time player for her team. She is valuable to the northeast Ohio area as her statistics put her among the states best regardless of class. Vermilya plays with a good motor and all postseason showcased her ability to score and defend. She has done what few sophomores have done and already has over 1,000 points lets you know she can score. Vermilya is confident in her game and continues to bring value to the program. Her length and ability to finish have been great on the year and consistent throughout her postseason play. She is valuable because she pushes others to be great and her team had a great run in the postseason. Honorable Mentions: [player_tooltip player_id="313120" first="Kailey" last="Minch"] 5’6, 2023, North High School Minch is a two-sport athlete that many people have had a hard time staying in front of all season. She is a playmaker and even if you keep up stopping her is tough to do. Minch this postseason alone has scored and defended to a high level with the energy she has brought all year and allowed it to carry into the postseason rubbed off on her teammates. She is a problem and proved to be all post-season and never backed down. Jacana Anderson 5’10, 2022, Perry High School Anderson did not want to go home and it showed all postseason. She did a great job game after game shooting from the mid area and owning the post. Anderson has had a great career at Perry High School and was valuable in their post-season run making a push past where they got to. Keep her in your near sight as she will be attending NAIA Madonna University this coming fall. [player_tooltip player_id="313104" first="Janyah" last="Bohanon"] 6’0, 2023, Warrensville Heights High School Bohanon is a playmaker that many don’t know just yet, but eyes need to be on her. She has been a force for the Tigers during the year and in the postseason helped big time in her team’s accomplishments. Bohanon can play all five positions on the floor and is one of the best overall in the 2023 class. Bohanon was a balanced attack all postseason and will look to carry that to the offseason and build. [player_tooltip player_id="162143" first="Jada" last="Ward"] 5’5, 2022, Warrensville Heights High School Ward is a quick guard that is small but plays like a giant. She has not had one post-season game where she didn’t create a highlight reel. Ward is a quiet kid off the court and turns into a floor general when she is playing. She knows basketball and it is what she loves. Ward will fit someone’s program at the next level the question is who is ready to take a chance on a player who can play. [player_tooltip player_id="329490" first="Taylor" last="Johnson-Matthews"] 5’8, 2022, Brush High School Matthews a Wright state commit did all she could do this postseason for the Arcs. She is a playmaker that finishes in traffic. Matthews all postseason did a great job getting by defenders and creating opportunities for teammates and then herself. She is a player that will go down as one of the special players that the arcs have had. Matthews is arguably one of the better scorers in the state proven against multiple teams, but she is a player in the area that many would say get’s the job done every night. [player_tooltip player_id="157686" first="Mari" last="Bickley"] 5’10, 2023, Laurel High School Bickley to be in the position that her team was in losing so many did a phenomenal job. She knows how to play the game and works hard. Bickley is one of the best players in the state and it shows every time she is on the floor. Bickley makes others around her better and she doesn’t even have a problem putting the team on her back to fuel them. She will have the opportunity this offseason to transform a young team and start where she finished this postseason. [player_tooltip player_id="270501" first="Morgan" last="Blackford"] 5’8, 2023, Solon High School Blackford is fast really fast and her ability to change pace and create space is impressive. Blackford this postseason seemed to me to be very coachable, hard worker, good finisher, and could stay in front defensively and make it a nightmare for other teams. She is a two-sport athlete and she is going from one season to the next, but she showed how valuable she was by working consistently. Chyanne Hatcher 5’7, 2023, Solon High School Hatcher is tough to stay in front of with her speed and ability to change direction. She is a good player and valuable in her team’s success winning games and upsetting teams. Hatcher and the rest of her teammates know what they can do and this postseason they showed just that. She can score and finish through contact, but her poise is something worth watching in any game she plays. [player_tooltip player_id="266971" first="Kristin" last="Chmielewski"] 5’11, 2022, Stow High School Chmielewski has given stow everything that she could have given them. She shot the basketball well all postseason and pushed her teammates to be better all season. Watching her last game and seeing her emotions showed me she left it all out on the court. Chmielewski showed all of the postseason that she can score and put others in places for opportunities. She is an effort and efficient based player that plays with next-level passion. Chmielewski is a flat-out problem for defenders and disruptive herself on defense. She had an amazing postseason and will do great things at the next level. Grace Kingery 6’1, 2024, North Ridgeville High School Kingery is a big-time prospect. She has the length and size to create opportunities for herself that many others haven’t done. Kingery is one of the most confident shooters in the area, but not only confident her shot is consistent. She is valuable because she is coachable, plays hard, plays at multiple paces and she is really both on and off the ball. Kingery can shoot it from anywhere on the floor and understands the game. College coaches are noticing her more and more and this offseason will prove why she is a top 5 kid in the state in my opinion. [player_tooltip player_id="270514" first="Mary" last="Meng"] 6’4, 2023, Midview High School Meng has the size and the length for any college coaches program in which we all know you can’t coach height. Meng has continued to improve her game and her work has paid off. Meng has made more of a mark being at her new school and the future for the program is bright with her returning. She is active and whether she’s being a defender or not like the season in the postseason she made it look easy. There isn’t a better shot blocker than Mary in the area as due to her length she makes no contact outside of the basketball. Meng is a dominant post player that can shoot the basketball. She should be on more lists than she is on. [player_tooltip player_id="157679" first="Breezie" last="Williams"] 5’5, 2022, Glenoak High School Breezie has had a blast in her past and the postseason. She has helped her team the past three seasons to the district championship game is a player in all her seasons. Williams has been consistent all postseason always giving her team a chance. She has displayed quickness and her ability to finish through contact and create space for her shot. She is a special player that is going to the right type of conference and team for her to continue making noise. Williams was and will be remembered for how much passion she plays with and her athletic ability. [player_tooltip player_id="162140" first="Catara" last="DeJarnette"] 5’6, 2022, Kenston High School Dejarnette has had an amazing career at Kenston high school. She has been incredible to watch all postseason in wanting to get things done for her team. She is unselfish and created for herself and others. She is going to play at the next level and be special because of her willingness and her passion for the game of basketball. Dejarnette has a high basketball IQ and did a great job creating space and being effective without the ball in her hands in the postseason. [player_tooltip player_id="266970" first="Annie" last="Watson"] 6’0, 2022, St.Vincent Saint Mary High School Watson has been a great leader for the Irish team this year. She plays with passion and has a high intensity when on the floor. Watson has done a great job all season and has been valuable in leadership, consistency, and doing what the team needed. She has a great mid-range game and is a player that will have an opportunity at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="214493" first="Lauren" last="Pallotta"] 5’9, 2023, Jackson High School Pallotta played all season and has been a force. She battled a lot of things that she has been using as fire this year as you can see through her play. Pallotta knows how to score and get her teammates involved. She can be considered as one of the most underrated 2023 in the state. Pallotta is a big-time player that scores not only on all three levels, but creates space and handles a lot of pressure. Keep all recruiting boards open for this kid she can help you win games and win games for you if you test her.