2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best boys basketball players in central Ohio?
Two players who led their teams to the state tournament are among the 12 honorees on the 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro boys basketball team.
The Athlete of the Year in each sport – 30 in all – will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 20 at Mershon Auditorium. Each member of the All-Metro boys basketball team will receive a free ticket to that live event, where nine premier awards also will be announced, including boys and girls overall athletes of the year, boys and girls overall coaches of the year, boys and girls overall teams of the year, courage award, school spirit award and lifetime achievement award.
All-Metro Coach of the Year: Delaware Hayes' Adam Vincenzo helps Pacers make history
Adonus Abrams, Harvest Prep
A 6-foot-1 senior guard, Abrams led the Warriors in scoring (14.2 points), assists (4.2) and steals (3.8) and was third in rebounds (3.6) as they reached their second consecutive Division III state tournament. Abrams had 26 points in a 61-59 semifinal win over Ottawa-Glandorf, and Harvest Prep (24-5) fell to Cleveland Heights Lutheran Heights 45-36 in the final. Abrams was named second-team all-district and honorable mention all-state.
Dominique Aekins, Walnut Ridge
A 5-9 senior point guard who has signed with Duquesne, Aekins’ 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.5 steals per game led the Scots (17-8) to a Division I district runner-up finish. Aekins earned first-team all-City League-South and all-district and was named third-team all-state. Walnut Ridge fell to Delaware Hayes 90-76 in a district final, scoring 26 points above the average allowed by the eventual regional champions.
Devin Brown, Olentangy Orange
The 6-5 junior guard helped lead the Pioneers (26-2) to the OCC-Central championship, a second consecutive Division I district title and a regional runner-up finish. Brown averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He was named OCC-Central Player of the Year, first-team all-district and second-team all-state.
Jesse Burris, Delaware Hayes
The 6-4 senior forward capped his prep career by leading the Pacers (27-2) to their first state tournament and nearly the Division I final. Delaware fell to eventual champion Cleveland St. Ignatius 54-53 in a semifinal. Burris, an Ohio University signee, averaged 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists and was named first-team all-OCC-Capital, all-district and all-state. He also was a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee.
Jaden Calloway, Hartley
The 6-2 junior guard was named first-team all-CCL and all-district and third-team all-state after helping to lead the Hawks (22-4) to league and Division II district championships. Calloway averaged 14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 steals. Hartley lost to Zanesville Maysville 50-49 in a regional semifinal.
Peyton Heiss, Jonathan Alder
The 6-3 senior guard led the Pioneers (15-10) to a Division II district championship, the program's first district title since 1979. Heiss, who has signed with Mount Vernon Nazarene, averaged 22.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He was named first-team all-Central Buckeye Conference, Division II Central District Player of the Year and first-team all-state.
Sam Johnson, Worthington Christian
The 6-6 senior forward and center led the Warriors (22-5) to a Division III regional semifinal, averaging 21.4 points and 11.2 rebounds. Johnson, the Division III Central District Player of the Year and a first-team all-state honoree, had 16 games with 20 points or more and a season-high 33 points with 11 rebounds in a regional semifinal loss to Castalia Margaretta. Johnson has signed with Cedarville.
Carter Mallernee, Northridge
A 6-4 senior guard, Mallernee graduates as the Vikings’ all-time leading scorer (1,304) and 3-point leader (134). He also holds records for most free throws in a season (155) and career (324), points in a game (54) and points in a season (559). His 54-point outing came on Jan. 21 against Fairview Park. Mallernee, who averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals, was named first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division III.
Kruz McClure, Westerville South
The 6-6 junior guard averaged 23.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals to earn Player of the Year honors in the OCC-Capital and the Central District in Division I. McClure also was first-team all-state and a finalist for Ohio Mr. Basketball. South (16-8) advanced to a district semifinal, losing to league rival Delaware.
Steele Meister, Newark
The 6-4 senior forward averaged 17.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists – all team highs – as well as 1.3 steals to lead the Wildcats (22-5) to a share of the OCC-Buckeye championship and their second consecutive Division I district title. Meister, a Findlay signee, was named league Player of the Year, first-team all-district and second-team all-state. He also was a third-team all-state quarterback in the fall.
Braylen Nash, New Albany
A 6-4 senior guard and McDonald’s All-American Game nominee, Nash averaged 17.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in leading the Eagles (20-5) to their first league championship in eight years, a 17-game winning streak from December into March and a Division I district semifinal. Nash was named OCC-Ohio Player of the Year, first-team all-district and special mention all-state.
Cade Norris, Hilliard Bradley
The 6-5 senior guard capped his prep career by leading the Jaguars (21-6) to a Division I district championship. He averaged 17.7 points, 5.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds and was named first-team all-OCC-Central, all-district and all-state. The son of Bradley coach Brett Norris, Cade will play at Illinois State.
Second team
Reggie Bagley, Whitehall, junior
Alex Bauermeister, Shekinah Christian, junior
Jordan Fisher, Reynoldsburg, junior
Cortez Freeman, Africentric, senior
Zach Jones, London, senior
Tyler Kropp, Olentangy Liberty, junior
Arness Lawson, Pickerington North, junior
Colin McClure, Dublin Coffman, junior
Jason Moore, Marysville, senior
Tai Perkins, Westerville North, junior
Philip Towns, Linden-McKinley, senior
Landon Vanderwarker, Delaware Hayes, junior
Special mention
Ronald Amoah, Tree of Life, sr.; Austin Buescher, West Jefferson, so.; Rosean Burns, Beechcroft, sr.; Brody Clark, Westfall, sr.; Reid Evans, Madison Christian, sr.; Carson Davis, Bloom-Carroll, so.; Theo Falkenhain, Columbus Academy, jr.; Brody Fields, Teays Valley, so.; Micah Germany, Ready, sr.; Kraig Gilbert, Grove City, sr.; Derek Goodman, Olentangy Berlin, sr.; Davontrel Jackson, Northside Christian, jr.; King Kendrick, Northland, so.; Noah Knostman, Whetstone, jr.; Holtz Maine, Fairbanks, jr.; Jovon McBride, Hamilton Township, so.; Pharez Nicholas, Hartley, jr.; P.J. Noles, DeSales, jr.; Hyde O’Rielley, Fisher Catholic, jr.; Max Parish, North Union, sr.; Ulysses Ponder, Olentangy, jr.; Caleb Ransom, Grove City Christian, sr.; Brandon Roddy, Harvest Prep, sr.; Dominic Sammons, Patriot Prep, sr.; Caleb Schmelzer, Fairfield Union, sr.; Amare Spiva, Pickerington Central, jr.; Dominic Theado, Watterson, jr.; Gavin Toombs, Fredericktown, so.; Micah Young, Westerville North, jr.; Andrew Zwick, Bexley, sr.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro high school boys basketball team
