Region 2 Teams Preview
When: Wednesday, March 10 at Twinsburg High School
5:30 - Medina (17-6) vs North Canton Hoover (17-8)
8:00 - Mentor (23-0) vs Massillon Jackson (23-3)
Medina (7-2 in the GCC, 14-6 in regular season, 17-6 overall)
Medina has established themselves as one of NEO's top programs since Coach Hassinger took over in 2014. They dropped both games to Mentor, but swept through the rest of their GCC matchups. The Bees swept the season series with Brunswick and also knocked off Solon, a district runner-up. With high expectations in 2020-21, Medina upped the difficulty of their non-conference schedule. The four OHSAA teams to beat the Bees this season are all still in the tournament. Medina's tournament path to this point began with a 92-53 sectional final win over Westlake. Following a win over an underrated Copley team (42-35), Medina was matched up with one of the hottest and most talented teams in the area: Cleveland Heights. The two talented squads battled all night before Medina held on for a 54-53 victory.
The Bees are led by three seniors that started a season ago on a team that won a district title. Corey Tripp is one of the best players in the state. The underrecruited 6'3 guard has proven to be a dynamite scorer inside and out. Tripp, averaging 24 ppg this season, recently became Medina's all-time leading scorer. Senior guard Brandon Geschke is one of the most accurate shooters in the area. Forward Christian Howard brings the size, rebounding, and inside scoring that makes the Bees a difficult team to defend. The 6'4 senior averages 12 points and 7 rebounds a game. Juniors Jajuan Jackson and Matt Spatny, also key starters on the football team, provide depth for Medina's trio of experienced and talented seniors.
Coach Chris Hassinger shared the 2020 Coach of the Year honors in the GCC with Mentor's Krizancic. Hassinger has four district titles in his seven seasons with the Bees.
Biggest regular season wins: Cleveland Heights, Copley, Chaney, Solon Brunswick (twice), and Green
Regular season losses: Mentor (twice), St Ignatius, Buchtel, Richmond Heights, ISA
Hoover (6-6 in the Federal League, 14-8 in regular season, 17-8 overall)
Of all the teams that made it to this regional, the Hoover Vikings are the biggest surprise. While the other three regional teams earned the top seeds at their respected district, Hoover was the 4th highest seed at the Northeast 2 district. They started the season pretty shaky after dropping five of their first six. A team with only one senior in the rotation was sure to experience some growing pains. Hoover flipped the switch and has been on a 16-3 tear since Christmas. That included handing Canton McKinley their only league loss as well as four impressive wins at their sectional/district. Three of those tournament wins were rubber match victories against Federal League foes after splitting the regular season series. An "upset" win at the higher-seeded Boardman was sandwiched in between home victories against Lake and Green. Finally, Hoover put together an impressive 64-53 district final win on the road against a highly talented McKinley squad that was the #2 overall seed in the Northeast pool of districts.
Unlike the other three teams at this region, Hoover is more likely to rely on their size over guard play to carry them to victory. 6'4 junior Trent Ware and 6'5 senior Brock Henne lead the Vikings in points and rebounds. Another big body in the lineup is 6'4 junior Elijah Barker, who scored a team-high 22 points in the district final. Junior Cade Henne has emerged as the team's top scoring guard. The junior Henne made his presence known with a 24-point outburst in Hoover's regular season win against McKinley.
Coach Mike Bluey is in just his third season at Hoover after a five year stint at Tallmadge. This is Bluey's first district title as a coach, and Hoover's first since 2013.
Biggest regular season wins: McKinley, Green, Dover, Massillon, and Worthington Kilbourne
Regular season losses: Jackson (twice), McKinley, Green, Hoban, Walsh Jesuit, GlenOak, Lake
Mentor (9-0 in the GCC, 19-0 in regular season, 23-0 overall)
Mentor won their 15th district title since Coach Krizancic took over the program. The 2013 state champions are making their fourth trip to regional play in the last five seasons. During the regular season, Mentor went 19-0 and capped off the first undefeated season atop the final AP poll. Sweeping Medina and routing St Ignatius were the highlights of the regular season. Their path to the district crown included a pair of comfortable sectional wins against North and Harvey. In the district semifinal, Mentor was able to control pace against a Dover squad that did their best to slow down the game. In the district final, Mentor had probably their most impressive offensive performance of the season in a 91-73 win over conference foe Solon. The Cardinals shot a staggering 74% from the field. Through four games in the tournament, Mentor is averaging over 85 points a game. While the offense gets the attention, this team has proven to be very formidable on the defensive end as well. They cause headaches for the opposition in the half court as well as when they use their patented full court pressure.
Mentor is led by Mr. Basketball candidate Luke Chicone. The three-year starting guard and Youngstown State commit has an 11-1 tournament record since 2019. Chicone is averaging 23 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals a game. Seniors Jonah Waag (18 ppg) and Steven Key (15 ppg) combine with Chicone to form one of the top scoring trios in the state. Waag had a game-high 29 points in the district final. Senior guard Kyle Culler is one of the top shooters in NEO. Key scored a season-high 33 points in a 76-70 win over Medina last month. Forwards Ian Kipp, Andrew Smith, and Sean Collins provide some size and depth in the front court.
Coach Bob Krizancic has over 600 wins in his career that are highlighted by his state championships (1995 with Girard and 2013 with Mentor).
Biggest regular season wins: Medina (twice), St Ignatius, Solon, Chaney, and Brunswick (twice)
Regular season losses: None
Jackson (9-3 in the Federal League, 19-3 in regular season, 23-3 overall)
The Polar Bears were the top seeded team at Northeast District 1, and also the #3 overall in the Northeast pool of districts. After cruising through a couple of sectional wins against Ellet and Warren Harding, Jackson had a grueling district round against two of the better teams in NEO. Standing in their way on the other side of the bracket were the #4, 5, and 6 overall seeds. In the district semifinal, the Polar Bears held off Brush, 51-41. In the district final, Jackson once again demonstrated their grit with a 51-47 win over Walsh Jesuit. In both district games, the Polar Bears had to overcome first half double-digit deficits to grind out victories. Before the tournament started, Jackson snapped St Ignatius' nine-game winning streak with a 57-46 win last month in their regular season finale. The Polar Bears overcame a late deficit to pull out their most impressive regular season win.
Jackson has won two state championships (2010 and 2017), four regional titles, and ten district titles. In a highly competitive athletic region like Summit/Stark County, Jackson has proven to be among the premier area basketball programs. The offense is led by a trio of double-digit scoring guards. After a strong sophomore campaign last season, Kevin James once again is among the players to watch for on the Polar Bears. Senior Michael Skeriotis is a sharpshooting guard that is capable of a big scoring night. Junior Ben Suillivan leads the team in assists and is second in scoring. In the front court, Jackson is not short on length or depth. 6'5 senior Alex Graybill, 6'6 senior Jovan Jovivic, and 6'6 sophomore Owen Woolbert are integral parts of Jackson's success. This is a team built on balance and depth.
Coach Tim Debevec is in his 10th season for Jackson, which included guiding them to a 2017 state title. Jackson has won four district titles during Debevec's tenure.
Biggest regular season wins: Hoover (twice), Hoban, Chaney, Brush, St Ignatius, Copley, Green, and Massillon
Regular season losses: McKinley (twice) and Green
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