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Here are 2023-2024 All-Enquirer preseason boys basketball teams for Greater Cincinnati

James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer
·6 min read
Lakota East guard Trey Perry (0) is one of the top players in Cincinnati.
Lakota East guard Trey Perry (0) is one of the top players in Cincinnati.

Thanksgiving football signifies the stretch run of the National Football League season.

It also means high school basketball is right around the corner. Northern Kentucky boys teams can have their first official tipoff on Monday, while Southwest Ohio boys teams start Dec. 1.

Here are the preseason Enquirer teams for Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Preseason predictions in any sport are always an inexact science, so it will be interesting to see who emerges as the season goes on.

Southwest Ohio

First team

Raleigh Burgess, Sycamore – The 6-foot-11 senior signed with Purdue in November. As a sophomore for the Aviators, Burgess averaged 10.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. As a junior, he missed part of last season with a leg injury but averaged 14 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and earned second-team Southwest District All-Star honors for Div. I. Sycamore was 17-7 and second in the Greater Miami Conference.

A.J. McBride, Moeller – The 6-foot-5 senior guard led Moeller with 10.3 points and five rebounds per game last season, leading the team to an 18-8 record before falling in Division I district finals. He committed to play for Division I Niagara and was honorable mention all-district and all-state.

Tyler McKinley, Winton Woods – The four-star recruit moved back to Cincinnati after being the No. 1 recruit in Missouri while playing for the Link Academy in Branson. McKinley signed with the Cincinnati Bearcats. The 6-9, 220-pound power forward played for Walnut Hills his first two years, averaging 17.2 points and 7.4 rebounds his sophomore year.

Ru Mills, Woodward – The 6-foot-4 senior was second team all-state in Division II and first team all-Southwest District after averaging 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals. He helped the Bulldogs finish 19-5 and second place in the CMAC-Red Division.

Trey Perry, Lakota East – The junior guard was honorable mention all-Southwest District and honorable mention all-state in Division I after averaging 18.5 points and 3.3 assists. He has at least seven offers including Murray State and NKU.

UC signee Tyler McKinley (25), after playing for Walnut Hills two seasons ago, has returned to Cincinnati and is playing for Winton Woods.
UC signee Tyler McKinley (25), after playing for Walnut Hills two seasons ago, has returned to Cincinnati and is playing for Winton Woods.

Second team

Jaiden Arnold, Aiken – The 6-foot-1 junior point guard transferred to Aiken after averaging 10.1 points and 2.4 assists per game last year for Princeton, a Division I district champion. He is drawing Division I interest including a recent offer from Purdue Fort Wayne. He joins an Aiken team that was 7-15 last year.

Donovan Waleskowski, St. Xavier – The 6-foot-4 junior guard was second team all-district after averaging 15.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, plus making 46 3-pointers last season.

Kam Sanders, Fairfield – The 6-foot-2 junior guard is the top returning scorer for the regional finalist Indians. He averaged 8.3 points and 1.6 assists, and hit 44 3-pointers.

Luke Sanders, CHCA: The junior averaged 25 points and five rebounds per game last year and hit 58 3-pointers for the Eagles, who were 17-7 and moved down to Division III this year due to competitive balance rules.

Anthony Thompson, Lebanon – The 6-foot-6 sophomore averaged 11.3 points with 47 made 3-pointers last year. He is currently getting DI offers and is ranked by PrepHoops Ohio as the No. 5 player in the Class of 2026.

Honorable mention

Batavia: Jess Roller; CCPA: Avonte Payne, Hanse Thomas; CHCA: Luke Sanders; CCD: Andrew Zimmerman; Clark Montessori: Jakari Parker; Clermont Northeastern: Symon Mattes, Connor Yeager; Clinton-Massie: Jerry Trout; Elder: Drew Murphy; Fenwick: Bailey Temming; Gamble Montessori; Taron Patterson; Georgetown: Ryland Hayslip; Goshen: Conner Moore, Caden Zeinner; Indian Hill: C.J. Hayden; La Salle: Brady O’Connor; Lockland: Damien Dawson; McNicholas: Andrew Ehlers; MVCA: Gavin French, Henry Patterson; Moeller: Kyle Havens, Cooper McCutchan; Mt. Healthy: Jay Jay Etheridge; New Richmond: Rylan Utter; Princeton: Dorian Williams; Summit Country Day: Cayleb Walters; Taft: Kieran Grandville-Britten; Talawanda: Isaiah Meade-Moss; Western Brown: Abe Crall; Western Hills: Omarion Beckley; Williamsburg: Alex Ervin; Wilmington: Mikey Brown; Withrow: Chris Henry Jr., Michael Johnson; Wyoming: Kellen Wiley.

Lloyd's E.J. Walker (with ball) and Newport's James Turner are two of the top returning players in Northern Kentucky.
Lloyd's E.J. Walker (with ball) and Newport's James Turner are two of the top returning players in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky

First team

Taylen Kinney, Newport – The sophomore guard helped the Wildcats win the Ninth Region championship last year and finish 28-7. Kinney averaged 14 points per game last season, hitting 64 3-pointers and averaging four rebounds. This fall, he has received offers from some of college basketball’s elite programs, including locals UC and Xavier plus Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois and Notre Dame

Travis Krohman, Simon Kenton – The senior guard led the Pioneers with 17.7 points per game and is a key to SK contending in the Eighth Region this year. He signed with Thomas More in August.

Yamil Rondon, Cooper – The junior point guard led the Jaguars to the Ninth Region final last year and an 18-13 record. He averaged 13.5 points per game with 33 made 3-pointers and shot 86 percent from the foul line. This summer, he was named to Puerto Rico’s U-17 boys national team that won a major tournament in Belize.

Nathan Vinson, Highlands – The senior is the Bluebirds’ top returning scorer after averaging 16.5 points per game. He helped the Bluebirds finish 23-10.

E.J. Walker, Lloyd Memorial – The 6-foot-8 forward is the top returning scorer for the Juggernauts, who went 19-10 last year and lost to Newport in the Ninth Region semifinals. He averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, shooting 57 percent from the floor. He currently has a host of high-Division I offers including Butler, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Arizona St, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Missouri and Ohio State.

Covington Catholic's Brady Hussey squares up a three-pointer during the Colonels' game against Oak Hills at the Kelsey Sorrell Memorial Scrimmages at Simon Kenton High School on Nov. 18, 2023.
Covington Catholic's Brady Hussey squares up a three-pointer during the Colonels' game against Oak Hills at the Kelsey Sorrell Memorial Scrimmages at Simon Kenton High School on Nov. 18, 2023.

Second team

Aaron Gutman, Walton-Verona – The junior averaged 17.5 points per game for the Bearcats, who were 20-11 last season. He shot 54 percent from the floor and averaged 6.7 rebounds.

Brady Hussey, Covington Catholic – The senior guard is the top returning scorer for the Colonels, who went 27-5 and lost in the Ninth Region semifinals. He averaged 12.5 points with 49 made 3-pointers, and also averaged 4.2 rebounds per game.

Caden Miller, Covington Catholic – The 6-foot-9 center is a four-star recruit who moved in from Arkansas. He was first team all-state in 6A, the state’s second-largest class. Miller has several DI offers including UC and Xavier, and his post presence will be a key to the Colonels’ hopes this season.

Shaun Pouncy, Cooper – The senior forward became eligible in the postseason after transferring from Boone County. He averaged 15 points and eight rebounds with an athletic and physical presence, helping the Jaguars advance to the regional final. He didn’t play in the regional final after suffering an injury.

James Turner, Newport – The Wildcats’ top returning post player averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school boys basketball: All-Enquirer preseason teams