What is everyone's opinion on the basketball being played this year. I was really disappointed in the talent levels of the teams at Cbus this year. No team really stood out and honestly, I can't remember this many sloppy games being played in the final four.

There were some close games, but most were sloppy games with a lot of turnovers and very poor foul shooting.

.....maybe my eyes deceive me though.

I agree. I thought the talent in D-III was really below what it's been in the past.

I agree that there was a low level of talent this year. There is no way that in a normal year, that this Zanesville team would have made the Final Four.

BlueDevil11 wrote: I agree that there was a low level of talent this year. There is no way that in a normal year, that this Zanesville team would have made the Final Four.

Or Bedford Chanel.

I knew Chanel would get smoked. I follow the eastern district in D4 and the Canton Regional. The talent just is not state championship caliber and hasn't been for a number of years.

Jackson and Dunbar looked good.

Jackson looked very good. Dunbar was sloppy, but they were great with their press.

I would give Jackson the nod. Dunbar's fast paced aggressive play generated some sloppy play but the four dunks in the final were definitely impressive. Especially the one by the Bass kid. I am impressed by anybody who can throw down a two hand power slam at 5'9".

we scrimmaged jackson this past summer, and pretty well got smoked. Was glad to see a (very good) DI school in Moeller got pretty well smoked as well. man, that 3rd quarter looked like men playing with boys..

I can't comment on talent level, because I haven't been to enough State tournaments to compare, but if Northland, Finday-liberty Benton and some of those teams had made it you would have seen a better attendance of basketball fans to see the marquee players play. Does everyone think the talent level is down in the State or just the teams that made the final 4?

The top individual talent does not always make it to state. Last year's D1 runner-up Cincy Princeton (with Jordan Sibert) did not make it down there, Northland with their 4 D1 recruits did not make it.

There was a lot of team ball this year, not one dominating player. Those of us that have been going down to state year 10+ years got spoiled having LeBron for 4 years, then OJ Mayo and Bill Walker for 2 years. Those guys are in the NBA today and carried their teams.

I thought the Newark and Chillicothe teams of a few years ago were better than any that I watched this year or last.

The talent level state-wide was not down this year, but the teams who made it to the finals were not the Grade A you are used to seeing. Jackson was better than average but not a team that should have made it to the finals in a normal year. Moeller was one of the worst finalists in D-I that I have ever seen. Dunbar was pretty good.

Paladin wrote: The talent level state-wide was not down this year, but the teams who made it to the finals were not the Grade A you are used to seeing. Jackson was better than average but not a team that should have made it to the finals in a normal year. Moeller was one of the worst finalists in D-I that I have ever seen. Dunbar was pretty good.

I think the talent level in the state was about on par with what it usually is, as evidenced by all the top notch recruits coming out of Ohio this year. It just so happened that many of those top recruits were beaten by better TEAMS. That may not always result in the most aesthetically pleasing teams winning the titles, but I'm not so sure it means the talent level was any less than usual (with the exceptions of the LeBron's and OJ's we've been spoiled with as of late).

the_one wrote:

Paladin wrote: The talent level state-wide was not down this year, but the teams who made it to the finals were not the Grade A you are used to seeing. Jackson was better than average but not a team that should have made it to the finals in a normal year. Moeller was one of the worst finalists in D-I that I have ever seen. Dunbar was pretty good.

I think the talent level in the state was about on par with what it usually is, as evidenced by all the top notch recruits coming out of Ohio this year. It just so happened that many of those top recruits were beaten by better TEAMS. That may not always result in the most aesthetically pleasing teams winning the titles, but I'm not so sure it means the talent level was any less than usual (with the exceptions of the LeBron's and OJ's we've been spoiled with as of late).

After watching games for the last 15 to 20 years I see mostly the same level of talent, Lebron and Mayo were the exceptions, but rarely do you see 1st team All-Ohio players on both teams in the finals. This year's final four had 2 in DI, 3 in DII, 2 in DIII, and 2 in DIV. The finals were DI Henninger, DII Johnson and Hicks, DIII Bolyard, and DIV Dawson and Payne ,with Payne the only Player of the Year from any division to make the finals. Very few 2nd and 3rd teamers were in the final 4, 0 in DI, 1 in DII, 0 in DIII, and 2 in DIV. This year's regionals saw a lot of good teams get knocked off as around 20 poll rated teams fell there.

I felt the best team might have been Jefferson Township, the D-IV winner. Payne will be a stud at Michigan State and possibly beyond.

I think that Jefferson would have won every division besides D1. They beat Dunbar during the season and D3 was not impressive.

wes_mantooth wrote: I think that Jefferson would have won every division besides D1. They beat Dunbar during the season and D3 was not impressive.

Actually DIII was probably the most entertaining games as the 3 games were decided by a total of 16 points, whereas DIV games were a boring 56 point total difference, DI 42 point total, and DII 22 points total difference, so it seems DI and DIV were the most lopsided games, and I wasn't impressed by Jefferson's 7 point win to say they would beat the DII or DIII games, season wins have a way of being revenged during tourney games in alot of cases.

I agree that the D3 games were very entertaining and competitive, but I just thought it was a weak year talent wise. I mean...the effort and heart was there, but there just wasn't that eye opening team down there.

Riders1,
Jefferson beat Dunbar.

Don't forget Payne was hampered by a shoulder injury during the tourney as well.