Basketball star power returns to Thomas More University this weekend for the annual Ohio-Kentucky Senior All-Star Basketball Game.
Many of the top seniors from the Buckeye and Bluegrass states will be in attendance for the game at TMU's Conner Convocation Center. The girls will play Saturday at 5 p.m., followed by the boys at 7 p.m. Admission is $9 for one game or $15 for both.
On Friday nights, the arena hosts a “Slam Jam'' festival, with many skill contests. Admission is free.
As of Tuesday, 16 Greater Cincinnati seniors are scheduled to play in the game.
The roster includes both the newly crowned Mr. Basketball winners from Ohio and Kentucky, and the new Miss Basketball from Kentucky. Ohio State's Miss Basketball, Purcell Marian's Dee Alexander, is a junior.
Who are the top women's basketball players at the All-Star Game?
Local residents are well represented on both sides.
Ohio State representatives are Serena Blount (Lakota East), Brittany Campbell (Winton Woods), Laila Harrison (Mount Notre Dame), Riley Homan (Edgewood), Kathy Ingram (Kings), Maddie Mueller (Lebanon) and Peyton Shafer (Goshen). Harrison and MND advanced to the DI regional finals. Ingram was a first-team all-district player, while Blount and Schaefer were second-team players.
On the Bluegrass girls team, Liz Freihofer, who represents state semifinalist Cooper, averaged 12 points per game for the Jaguars and helped Cooper win its third straight regional title.
Lyle's Sarah Baker and Quinn Eubank are on the Kentucky team, as is Conner's Anna Hamilton. Eubank was a Miss Basketball finalist and had over 1,800 points and 1,300 rebounds during her career at Lisle University.
Kentucky has 10 Miss Basketball finalists, led by Miss Basketball winner Trinity Rowe of Pikeville University, who led the Panthers to the Sweet 16. She plans to play collegiately at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Two players from state semifinalist Louisville Butler join the team, as well as one from state runner-up McCracken County.
On the Ohio State side, three of the four Miss Basketball finalists will play: Emily Bratton of Bloom Carroll, Cori Vermilya of Loudonville and Berry Wallace of Pickerington Central.
Wallace, an Illinois State signee, was McDonald's All-American Player of the Year and Division I Player of the Year. Vermilya was named DIII Player of the Year.
Fairland College's Bree Allen (DII) and Bellbrook College's Taylor Scohee (DI) are also first-team all-state picks.
Who are the top men's basketball players at the All-Star Game?
The local team, led by Moeller's Eric Mahaffey and AJ McBride, finished 26-2 and advanced to the Division I regional finals.
Tyler McKinley, a Winton Woods senior who signed with the Cincinnati Bearcats, will play alongside Hamilton's Andrea Holden and Fenwick's Bailey Temming.
McKinley averaged 19 points per game on 61.7 percent shooting for the Warriors. He was first-team Division I All-State and one of five DI first-teamers on Ohio State's roster. He is also one of four finalists for Mr. Basketball in Ohio.
Ohio State Mr. Basketball Colin White, a native of Ottawa-Glandorf, played for Ohio State University and averaged 25 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists this year.
The other two Mr. Basketball finalists are Mason Shrout (Preble Shawnee) and Alex Blascotter (Shelby).
Shrout, who signed with Purdue Fort Wayne, averaged 24 points and eight rebounds this season and was first team Division III all-state. At Wright State University, Bullscotter averaged 24 points per game and was named Ohio Division II Player of the Year.
In addition to McKinley, DI's All-Ohio first-team picks include Luke Skarjak (Brecksville-Broadview Heights), Cade Norris (Hilliard Bradley), Jesse Burris (Delaware Hayes); Jonas Nichols (Akron Hoban).
Kentucky has no playing local seniors on its roster.
Leading the out-of-towners playing for Thomas More is 2024 Mr. Basketball, Ryan County senior Travis Perry, who signed with the Kentucky Wildcats. His father, Ryan Perry, is the head coach at Ryan County and Kentucky's head coach for this game. They led the Lions to the Sweet 16 state championship in March. Travis Perry averaged 28.8 points this season, setting Kentucky's all-time scoring record. Lions teammate Brady Shoulders contributed for Mercer, averaging 17.5 points.
Kentucky has four other players on its roster who played in the Sweet 16, including semifinalists Great Crossing and Evangel Christian. Four Mr. Basketball finalists will also play.
list
oh girl: Bree Allen (Fairland), Selina Blount (Lakota East), Emily Bratton (Bloom Carroll), Kylie Bruce (Fairland), Brittany Campbell (Winton Woods), Alley Haas (Miami) Zuberg), Lyla Harrison (Mount Notre Dame), Riley Homan (Edgewood), Kathy Ingram (Kings), Ira Raby (Nelsonville-York), Maddie Mueller (Lebanon), Taylor Schohee (Bellbrook) ), Peyton Shafer (Goshen), Cory Vermilya (Loudonville), and Berry Wallace (Pickerington Central). head coach: John Buchanan (Fairland). assistant coach: Tyler Batos (Loudonville).
kentucky girl: Sarah Baker (Lyle), Hayden Barrier (Montgomery County), Gina Bolin (Pleasure Ridge Park), Dear Bradley (Hart County), Ayanna Darrington (Frederick Douglas), Quinn Eubank (Lyle) ), Liz Freihofer (Cooper), Anna Hamilton (Conner), Claire Johnson (McCracken County), Destiny Jones (Central), Jasmine Jordan (Boyd County), Mariah Knight (Butler), Sydney Martin. (Pulaski County), Trinity Rowe (Pikeville), Abby Varney (Barren County), Ramiyah White (Deacon). head coach: Candace Wheeler (Butler). assistant coach: Deshaun Pendleton (center).
ohio boys: Dominick Akins (Walnut Ridge), Alex Blascotter (Shelby), Jesse Burris (Delaware Hayes), Bransyn Copas (North Adams), Andrea Holden (Hamilton), Caleb Lovely (South Point). , Eric Mahaffey (Moeller), Anthony McBride (Moeller), Tyler McKinley (Winton Woods), Jonas Nicholas (Hoban), Cade Norris (Hilliard Bradley), Mason Shrout (Preble Shawnee), Luke Skarjak (Brecksville-Broadview Heights), Bailey Temming (Fenwick), Colin White (Glandorf, Ottawa). head coach: Steve Mehalik (Brecksville-Broadview Heights). assistant coach: Adam Vincenzo (Delaware Hayes).
kentucky boys: Daniel Allen (LaRue County), Derrell Bateman (Christian County), Christian Doerr (Evangelical Christian), Tyler Doyle (Lexington Catholic), Emmanuel Dutt (Danville Christian), Aiden Evans (Elizabethtown) ), Jamison Glass (Central Todd County), Jeremiah Godfrey (Great Crossing), Max Green (Oldham County), Kellon House (Seneca), Damone King (DeSales), Travis Perry (Ryan County) , Mason Ritter (Bowling Green), Brady Shoulders (Lyon County), Cade Unseld (Warren Central). head coach: Ryan Perry (Ryan County). assistant coach: Steve Page (Great Crossing).