'You got to give it your all': Aiken basketball comes together for turnaround season

The Aiken High School boys basketball team has gained new perspective and experience since going 7-15 last season.

For a variety of reasons, the Falcons have engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in Cincinnati this season. Aiken was 16-6 in the regular season, winning the Red Division of the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference.

In the process, the Falcons received a lot of honors this week after winning their first league championship in eight years. Aiken also became the first CMAC school to go from worst to first in one season after going 0-10 in league play last year.  Derrell Black won the coach of the year in his second season with the program.

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“It started last year,” Black said. “Changing the culture, doing things differently, doing the small things that turn into big things: Becoming champs of the league and trying to make a run in the state tournament.”

Aiken, the No. 6 seed in the Division I South sectional brackets, got a bye into next week’s semifinal round. The Falcons will play either Oak Hills or Western Brown on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Lakota West.

'You got to give it your all'

Part of the Falcons’ winning mindset comes from assistant coach Cordero Stewart.

Stewart had surgery last week to help repair a ruptured aorta. Stewart first suffered the ailment in April 2023 and had surgery then, and he is currently away from the team. Stewart’s situation has helped give the team a new perspective.

“He experienced a life-altering event doing something that he loves: Working out,” Black said. “That’s putting everything in perspective for our team. You never know when the end is coming. That doesn’t have to mean life and death. It can be an injury or it can be the tournament when you lose, or if you win a state championship. You never know when the end is going to come, so when you get the opportunity to make something happen, you got to give it your all.”

Stewart, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, has helped with nutrition, hydration and supplements, but also nourishes the players’ minds with good thoughts.

“That has been our motto,” Black said. “I don’t know if we would be here without Coach Stewart. He's been big on keeping our guys refreshed and healthy, pouring positive thoughts into them. You can’t do nothing but work hard for a guy like that.”

Transfers help Falcons soar

Part of the Falcons’ winning style is an infusion of talent in junior guards Jaiden Arnold and James Burnett Jr., who transferred in from Princeton and Taft, respectively.

Both players average over 17 points per game. Arnold, a Division I college prospect at point guard, averages six assists a game. He was named co-offensive player of the year in the CMAC-Red Division, the first Aiken player to win that award since 2016.

“I feel really good,” Arnold said. “I’ve been bonding with the guys, doing a lot of stuff off the court. We want to set a tone that we should be really tight and really together. I think we’re prepared, we’re ready.”

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The Falcons have a deep collection of returning talent as they lost only one senior from last year. That player, Malek Perry, helped keep the team together last season during its seven-win struggles.

Including Perry, there was very little varsity experience on the roster last year, and the returning players have gained a lot.

Black said Arnold and Burnett blended well with the returning players last summer during team camps and tournaments, and the Falcons quickly realized what they could become.

“It allowed the guys to realize what it would take to be good this season,” Black said. “We got some buy-in heading into the fall when school starts.”

Leadership continues in the classroom

Arnold and Burnett are leaders in the classroom as well. Burnett has a 3.3 GPA and leads the team by example off the court, Black said.

The Falcons have several seniors: Parris Feagin Jr., Dwight Richardson Jr., Stephon Meatchem, Jacoby Bell, Jashuan Chapman, Adrian Larkins and Brandon Glass Jr.

Glass and Richardson have played every game.

“They help us prepare and they help us with the leadership they show on the floor and on the bench,” Black said. “Those two guys are the staples of what we do here. They embody what Aiken basketball is about: Being selfless. It’s not about who can get the most points or rebounds, but who helps the team win.”

Glass averages 6 points and six rebounds, plus a team-high 2.5 blocks. Hutcherson averages 6 points.

Meatcham is a big spiritual leader among the seniors, helping the team in every way he can.

Richardson averages 4 points and five rebounds.

“I feel good,” Richardson said. “Coach Black, when he first came here, he told me it’s a process. Keep working. He told me we’re going to win and I’ll have a winning season before I leave. I’m excited.”

Junior Justin Hawkins averages 7 points. Junior Tayvon Smith, a 6-foot-6 junior, posts 9 points and seven boards a game. He was named second-team all-conference.

“We’re very efficient,” Arnold said. “You can tell it’s a good game for us when the three-balls are falling for us and everybody’s getting involved. When everybody is into the game, and we have four or five double-digit scorers, you know it’s a good game for us.”

Aiken expects to see defensive ball in tournament play

Aiken hopes to make a long tournament run. Part of that is adjusting to different styles of play.

The CMAC is known for a fast-paced uptempo style of play, while other Division I schools in Southwest Ohio are more likely to play a slower, more defensive style. Oak Hills from the Greater Miami Conference allows only 44 points per game, for example.

“You got to make sure you retool things going into the tournament,” Black said. “Understanding the game probably won’t be in the 80s, it might only be in the 50s. The CMAC is fun and exciting, but tournament ball is a grind. You have to be able to score in the halfcourt. You have to defend for 45 seconds sometimes.”

The players believe they will be ready.

“We’re representing the school,” Burnett said. “We’re changing the culture a lot, coming over here and winning. Not just the basketball team, but when we win, it’s a big community win, not just a basketball win. It’s a win for Aiken as a whole.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio high school basketball: Aiken has first CMAC title in 8 years