Basketball brothers, ex-La Salle stars face each other as head coaches in 'Fleming Bowl'

James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer
St. Xavier head coach Ryan Fleming, far left, reacts during the John Turner Classic boys basketball showcase event Dec. 9, 2023, at Newport High School.
St. Xavier head coach Ryan Fleming, far left, reacts during the John Turner Classic boys basketball showcase event Dec. 9, 2023, at Newport High School.

After the holiday cheer of Christmas and New Year’s ended, two Cincinnati boys basketball programs began 2024 with a celebration of family.

St. Xavier played at Badin Tuesday night in the first Fleming Bowl. Both teams have brothers as head coaches who were facing each other for the first time on the varsity bench.

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Ryan Fleming’s St. Xavier defeated C.J. Fleming’s Badin 56-48 behind Bomber junior Donovan Waleskowski's 21 points. Grant Wissman paced the Rams with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Fleming brothers are in their first seasons as head coaches of their teams after being hired in the spring of 2023. Both were standout players at La Salle High School with their father, Dan Fleming, as head coach, who retired in 2017 after C.J.’s senior season with more than 400 career wins.

C.J. Fleming is in his first season as a head coach after being on the Oak Hills staff last season.

Fleming, a 2017 La Salle graduate, was a McDonald's All-American nominee during his senior season when he was named the Greater Catholic League-South Co-Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and led the Lancers to the Division I regional championship game.

C.J. ranks second on La Salle's all-time scoring list (1,423 career points) and is the program's all-time leader in 3-pointers.

C.J. Fleming is the new head boys basketball coach at Badin.
C.J. Fleming is the new head boys basketball coach at Badin.

At Bellarmine, C.J. Fleming was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a three-year team captain. As a senior in 2022, Fleming was a second-team all-conference selection and made a single-season program record of 84 three-pointers. He averaged 15.5 points per game.

He takes over a Badin program that has had three consecutive losing seasons, including going 6-18 overall last season with a 1-9 record against Greater Catholic League-Coed foes.

Dan Fleming, right, La Salle's all-time wins leader as a coach, celebrates with his son Ryan Fleming (25) in the fourth period of the Division I state championship March 26. La Salle won 59 to 40 over Northland.
Dan Fleming, right, La Salle's all-time wins leader as a coach, celebrates with his son Ryan Fleming (25) in the fourth period of the Division I state championship March 26. La Salle won 59 to 40 over Northland.

Ryan Fleming, a 2011 La Salle graduate, was the head coach at Summit Country Day starting in 2019.

With Summit, he posted a 64-31 record with three sectional finals appearances and one trip to the district finals. He was named the Cincinnati Coach of the Year for Division II-IV in 2020, The Enquirer Coach of the Year, Miami Valley Conference Coach of the Year and District 16 Coach of the Year. Like his brother, he was on the Oak Hills staff, coaching there from 2015-19.

Ryan Fleming is the new head boys basketball coach at St. Xavier.
Ryan Fleming is the new head boys basketball coach at St. Xavier.

His Bombers are 6-2 this season.

As a high school athlete, he helped lead La Salle to a state basketball championship as a senior in 2011.

Fleming played college ball at Northern Kentucky University and Christian Brothers University in Memphis.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Xavier, Badin basketball coaches, brother have 1st 'Fleming Bowl'

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