North College Hill High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

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Cincy

2/18/06

For once, NCH is an underdog

May be shorthanded in big national matchup

BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

North College Hill will not be at full strength for tonight's mythical national championship boys' basketball game, billed as the biggest high school game in Cincinnati-area history.
The Trojans (19-0), rated No. 2 nationally by USA Today, have their top star hobbled and their 6-foot-11 center gone as they meet No. 1 Oak Hill Academy, Va. (36-0), at 8 p.m. at U.S. Bank Arena. The game is sold out.
NCH junior guard O.J. Mayo, who is averaging 27.9 points a game, has missed the team's last two games because of a stress fracture in a foot, but Trojans coach Jamie Mahaffey said Mayo should play tonight.
But NCH is without junior center Keenan Ellis, who was dismissed from the team Thursday for undisclosed reasons. Ellis was the Trojans' third-leading scorer, with an average of 11.5 points a game.
"You could say we're the underdog," said Damon Butler, NCH's sophomore point guard. "Without Keenan we lose some height, so everybody really has to hit the boards now."
Ellis missed last Sunday's 100-68 win over Holmes for undisclosed reasons, then was removed from the team a few days later.
NCH athletic director Joe Nickel said Ellis, who transferred from Indianapolis Cathedral and became eligible in January 2005, is still enrolled in school.
In addition, NCH senior forward Andre Evans (8.9 ppg) was not in the lineup for the Trojans' two games last weekend and his status is hazy. Evans will dress for the game, Nickel said.
NCH junior forward Bill Walker, who had 50 points and 25 rebounds in a 100-68 win over Holmes last Sunday, may have to carry the load again. Walker averages 22.2 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Nickel said Mayo has a "mild stress fracture" in his left foot and might be fitted with special padding in his shoe.
Mahaffey has tried to deflect the distractions in a very long week.
"Oak Hill is a highly respected team, and you have to beat them if you want to be national champs," Mahaffey said.
Said Butler, "Our goals are to win a state championship and a national championship."
NCH is in this position largely because of Mayo, rated the No. 1 junior nationally by most scouts, and Walker, who is among the top five in most scouts' ratings for the class of 2007.
NCH has won 40 straight games dating to last season, while Oak Hill has won 52 straight.
NCH will face an Oak Hill team that has seven players either signed or committed to NCAA Division I college programs, including:
Senior point guard Tywon Lawson (24.2 ppg), rated in the top 10 of his class nationally. He has signed with North Carolina.
Junior power forward Michael Beasley, rated the No. 2 junior by both Hoop Scoop and Scout.com. He averages 18.7 points and has committed to UNC Charlotte.
Junior shooting guard Nolan Smith, son of late former NBA player Derek Smith and rated the No. 6 junior by Hoop Scoop and No. 16 by Scout.com. He averages 16.3 points and has made an oral commitment to Duke.
Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said Ellis' absence should not radically alter the game.
"I'm sure they'll miss (Ellis), but I'm sure their other kids will try to respond," Smith said.
Smith said some of his players, including Lawson and Nolan Smith, are battling colds and bronchitis. The coach himself also has had bronchitis for several weeks.
Oak Hill averages 102 points a game and allows 66. The Warriors like an up-tempo pace, and it starts with Lawson, a solidly built guard.
NCH, which is winning by an average score of 89-56, also will try to push the ball upcourt, with Butler and Mayo orchestrating things. The 6-6 Walker dominates down low and averages about 3.5 dunks a game.
NCH may seem outmanned without Ellis, but not necessarily.
"Depth won't win this game," said Dave Telep, national recruiting director for Scout.com. "The stars of each team will dictate the outcome."
Mayo and Walker were not supposed to grant pregame interviews about Oak Hill, under an NCH edict that began last week. Mahaffey said he and the players' families decided those players - Ellis originally also fell under this - instead would focus on preparation for the game.
The winner figures eventually to be named the USA Today national champion. This is Oak Hill's most challenging remaining game, and NCH hereafter should cruise to its second straight Ohio Division III championship.
More than 100 media representatives and several college coaches are expected tonight.
E-mail tgroeschen@enquirer.com

Team comparisonOAK HILL

Star players: Michael Beasley, 6-9½, 18.7ppg, 10.3 rpg; Tywon Lawson, 6-0, 24.2 ppg, 9 apg., 4.9 spg; Nolan Smith, 6-3, 16.3 ppg

Consecutive wins: 52

Scoring: averages 102 points a game, allows 66

Coach Steve Smith's career record: 640-38

NORTH COLLEGE HILL

Star players: O.J. Mayo, 6-5, 27.9 ppg; Bill Walker, 6-6, 22 ppg, 10 rpg; Andre Evans, 6-5, 8.9 ppg

Consecutive wins: 40

Scoring: averages 89 points a game, allows 56

Coach Jamie Mahaffey's career record: 69-19

Related News From The Web

• NCH game Webcast information

If you go
What: Oak Hill Academy (Va.) vs. North College Hill

Tipoff: 8 p.m. today, U.S. Bank Arena

Records/Rankings: Oak Hill 36-0, rated No. 1 nationally by USA Today; NCH 19-0, rated No. 2 by USA Today

Radio: WMOH-AM (1450)

Tickets: Sold out

Note: Covington Catholic will play Ryle at 4:30 p.m., and Taft will play Dayton Dunbar at 6:15 today on the same card at U.S. Bank Arena.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

2/19/06

Mayo's 43 no match for Oak Hill balance

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | In THE show Saturday night at US Bank Arena, Oak Hill Academy showed its balance was better than North College Hill's Big 2.

The Warriors, rated No. 1 by many national services, held off NCH and O.J. Mayo 88-74 in front of 16,500 in the nightcap of the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic.

A 21-11 first-quarter advantage set the tone for Oak Hill. Leading the way in points were Tywon Lawson (21 points), Nolan Smith (19) and Anthony Wright (13). North College Hill, ranked No. 2 nationally, got a whopping 43 points from Mayo — who missed the postgame press conference with cramps — and 24 from Bill Walker.

THE MAIN EVENT
IN THE CROWD: Southern California coach Tim Floyd was spotted at the NCH-Oak Hill game. Floyd arrived from Los Angeles at 6:15 p.m. and has a flight back for this morning. USC hosts UCLA at 8 p.m. today.
"This is the most impressive atmosphere I've seen for a high school game," Floyd said. "It's almost surreal."
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith also was in attendance.
NO SIGN OF ELLIS: There was no sign of NCH junior center Keenan Ellis around the floor seating. Ellis was dismissed from the team Thursday. Ellis was the Trojans' third leading scorer at 11.5 points a game.
LOOKING AHEAD: With O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker returning for their senior seasons, Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said he believes North College Hill "probably" will be the national preseason No. 1.
Smith said he would like to play NCH next season.
"We talked about it, so if they are interested in playing again - it's logical to play here - I am sure the promoter would want to play here," Smith said.

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Cincy

2/20/06

NCH: chase for repeat

Trojans are heavily favored

BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced plans to carry on with the boys' Division III state basketball playoffs, although most know the likely outcome.

North College Hill is so favored, it's funny to many. That is, unless you are a coach of another Ohio Division III team.

The Trojans (19-1) won the state title in 2005 behind superstars O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, who are now juniors. NCH is rated No. 2 nationally by USA Today, and the Trojans' 88-74 loss Saturday to No. 1 Oak Hill Academy did nothing to alter the feeling that everyone in Ohio Division III is playing for second place again this year.

If you took NCH out of the equation, it'd be a great tournament," Madeira coach Jim Reynolds said.

"I don't know what they're going to prove by winning the state again."

Reynolds' team is seeded No. 3 in the Cincinnati sectional. The top non-NCH seeds from that bracket (No. 2 Deer Park, No. 3 Madeira) would not see NCH until the regional semifinals, while No. 4 Purcell Marian possibly could face NCH in the sectional final.

Deer Park is more concerned with a recent slump that has left the Wildcats with a 13-7 record.

"If we play (NCH) and they run us out of the gym, then they do," Deer Park coach Jeoff Gabbard said. "If we pull the 'Hoosiers' upset, then fine. We're not taking the mindset that it's all over and NCH has won it."

Division III is the second smallest classification in Ohio, based on school enrollment. With a smaller talent base than the Division I and II schools, it naturally follows that there aren't many Mayos and Walkers on the DIII level.

Unless maybe you're Bellaire.

Bellaire (20-0), ranked No. 2 in the state behind NCH, is located in eastern Ohio near Wheeling, W.Va.

Bellaire has a 6-foot-3, 220-pound point guard named Nate Davis, who averages 39.1 points and 17.5 rebounds a game. Davis also is a football star who has signed to play quarterback at Ball State.

"North College Hill has some fabulous players and we've got one special guy," Bellaire coach Gene Ammirante said.

"We're just trying to survive each game. To tell you the truth, I haven't thought much about North College Hill yet."

Ammirante was amused by the latest Associated Press Ohio media poll, where NCH got every first-place vote save one for Bellaire.

"I wonder if my mom just got tired of voting for North College Hill," Ammirante said.

Purcell Marian coach Randy Reeder, whose team could see NCH in the sectional final, is more concerned with beating Felicity (sectional opener) and then CHCA (sectional semifinals). NCH would be next, in the sectional final.

"We would treat it like any other game," Reeder said. "I certainly don't want to give them any bulletin-board material yet."

Mayo, Walker, and 6-11 junior center Keenan Ellis all moved to NCH - from out of town - within the past few years. Mayo is rated the No. 1 junior nationally and Walker is in the top five of most scouts' evaluations. Even without Ellis, who was dismissed from the team last week, NCH should have little trouble in the Division III tournament.

NCH has taken a lot of heat for winning with transfer players. The school said it has cleared every transfer with the OHSAA over the past few years.

Whenever someone e-mails OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross about NCH, Ross always responds the same way: The players all live in the district.

Everything is legal, everything checks out.

"It's tragic for some kids in that district who maybe haven't had a chance to play," Reynolds said. "But if you say bad things about them, then you come off as whining or crying. We'll just do the best we can with what we have."

E-mail tgroeschen@enquirer.com

DIII sectional seedsNorth College Hill is a heavy favorite to repeat as Division III boys' basketball state champion.

As sectional play begins this week, here is a look at the top seeds and their won-lost records:

1. North College Hill (19-1)

2. Deer Park (13-7)

3. Madeira (14-6)

4. Purcell Marian (12-8)

NOTE: NCH has a first-round sectional bye, and will play the winner of Tuesday's SCPA-Blanchester game Feb. 27 at Mason at 7:30 p.m.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

2/22/06

Lakota West, NCH top poll

Firebirds, Trojans lead respective divisions from start to finish

BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Lakota West coach Mike Mueller reluctantly accepted his team's No. 1 preseason ranking back in November. North College Hill coach Jamie Mahaffey took his own No. 1 spot in stride. Between them, the two schools lost only once to a Cincinnati team.

Lakota West (18-2) won The Enquirer final Division I boys' basketball area coaches' poll voting Tuesday, after the Firebirds were ranked No. 1 all season. West's only loss to a local team was to Oak Hills, which finished No. 5 in The Enquirer D-I poll.

North College Hill (19-1) won the Divisions II-IV poll for the second consecutive year, again by unanimous vote. NCH, led by junior superstars O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker, is ranked No. 4 nationally by USA Today. NCH was No. 2 nationally before losing 88-74 to No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Va.) Saturday.

Mueller said The Enquirer poll title is his first in 19 seasons in Cincinnati.

Mueller coached old Lakota High School before the split into East/West in 1997. Mueller's 1991 state runner-up and '92 state champion Lakota teams did not win Enquirer regular-season poll titles.

"What means the most is that it's voted on by my coaching peers," Mueller said. "We realize North College Hill is the best team in Cincinnati, but I'm pleased to be voted No. 1 in Division I."

Lakota West is led by 6-8 senior center Josh Chichester (11 points per game), who has signed a football letter with Louisville as a wide receiver. Chichester also might play basketball at U of L.

NCH's Mahaffey, who said a mythical national title was among his team's goals, said his team will shoot for its second straight Ohio Division III championship. The Enquirer poll title also goes into the NCH scrapbook.

"It's an honor that the city recognizes us as being one of the better teams in our division," Mahaffey said.

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North College Hill (19-1) lost 88-74 to Oak Hill Academy Saturday; vs. Blanchester Monday, 7:30 p.m. at Mason Middle School

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Cincy

2/28/06

NORTH COLLEGE HILL 103, BLANCHESTER 30

Sophomore guard Courtney Davis scored 26 points to lead North College Hill in a Division III game at Mason.

O.J. Mayo did not play because of symptoms related to pneumonia, and Bill Walker had a stomach virus, according to NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey.

Both stars are expected to play Friday, according to Mahaffey.

Blanchester (6-16) - Lawson 1 0 2, Smith 1 0 2, Hollingsworth 3 0 6, Emerson 1 0 2, McClanahan 3 1 7, Johnson 4 1 9, Rhinehimer 1 0 2. Totals: 14 2 30.
NCH (20-1) - Glover 6 1 14, Davis 11 4 26, Butler 8 0 16, Parks 1 0 2, Lipscomb 2 2 6, Leary 4 0 8, Green 1 0 2, Evans 9 0 18, McPhearson 5 1 11. Totals: 47 8 103.
Blanchester112107-30NCH34242520-103