5 storylines from central Ohio boys high school basketball so far this season

Now that we're about a month away from the boys basketball district tournament draw Feb. 5, it's a good time to take stock of what has happened so far.

The Challenge: City League, OCC to battle in showcase at Pickerington North

Here are five storylines from the boys high school basketball season in central Ohio:

1. Westerville North finds winning formula

North coach Shan Trusley says solid chemistry has been the major factor behind his team’s strong start.

The Warriors are 8-1 overall and have their sights set on the OCC-Capital Division title, as they are tied for first with Delaware and Westerville South at 3-1. North lost to Delaware 63-60 in overtime Dec. 6, and the teams meet again Jan. 24 at North.

“It’s a great bunch of kids, practices are a blast,” Trusley said. “We have a tremendous staff and the relationships that we have with the kids are tremendous. We’ve been working with these kids since they were little. The kids have known each other forever. It’s a real family atmosphere. We have depth and the kids have great chemistry with each other. They’re real supportive of one another.”

Ultimate Warrior: Westerville North camp raises funds for alumnus Keegan Hale's ALS battle

That chemistry is evident on the court in the form of balanced scoring. Sophomore wing player Micah Young averages a team-high 12.5 points, followed by senior wing player Carter Reese (11.9) and sophomore point guard Tai Perkins (9.9).

Junior wing player Vari Adams, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Walnut Ridge, averages a team-best 5.1 rebounds. Perkins leads in assists at 4.5 per game.

“We’re striving,” Trusley said. “We always talk about (how) we want to be perfect, and that’s what we’re attempting to do.”

2. Pickerington Central looking to regain championship form

Seeking its second consecutive Division I state title and third overall, the Tigers are 7-4 overall and lead the OCC-Buckeye at 3-0.

Last season, Central beat previously unbeaten Centerville 55-48 in the state final. The Tigers also won the title in 2012.

“It’s a work in progress,” coach Eric Krueger said. “We’ve played some really good teams. We play a much tougher schedule than a lot of teams in the area. We’re not where we want to be right now. I would like to be in a better spot. We’re challenging this group and pushing them to become a better team, especially with a decent number of guys who won state last year. That can be a positive thing for us.”

Central is led by senior forward Devin Royal, a first-team all-state and all-district honoree and OCC-Buckeye Player of the Year last season. The Ohio State signee averages team highs of 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds and reached 1,000 career points in a 54-36 win over Gahanna on Dec. 6.

The Tigers went 2-2 in the Kingdom of the Sun Tournament held Dec. 27-30 in Ocala, Florida, and lost to Centerville 60-54 in double overtime in the Play-by-Play Classic on Dec. 17 at Nationwide Arena.

3. Columbus Academy exceeding expectations

Academy is off to its best start since 2016-17, when it began the season 17-0. The Vikings are 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the MSL-Ohio.

“I don’t think anybody expected anything like this,” coach Jeff Warstler said. “I thought if we came out of the (holiday) break 5-4, we would be doing some really good things. What they have done is great, but you don’t want to get (overconfident) with that kind of stuff.”

The 2016-17 team went on to finish 19-8, losing to Worthington Christian 55-49 in a Division III district final.

Warstler said solid defense has been a key to his team’s success. The Vikings have yet to allow 50 points in a game.

“I like the defense right now,” Warstler said. “We are ahead of schedule defensively. I thought that would be a problem. I still don’t know if we’re as stout in the half-court as we were last year.”

Sophomore guard Theo Falkenhain leads the team in scoring (14.1 points), steals (2.4) and assists (2.1), while sophomore forward M.J. Jackson averages 12.1 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds.

Academy is seeking its first league title since 2018-19 and ninth overall, with Worthington Christian expected to provide a challenge. The Warriors are second in the league at 4-1 under interim coach James Storey, who replaced Kevin Weakley. Weakley guided the team for 22 seasons.

The rivals meet Jan. 7 at Academy and Feb. 10 at Worthington Christian.

4. Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange battling for OCC-Central title

Orange and Liberty are tied for first in the OCC-Central at 3-0, with Hilliard Bradley third at 2-1.

Orange is 10-0 and Liberty has won 10 in a row since falling 52-49 to Kettering Alter in the season opener Nov. 26.

Orange visits Liberty on Jan. 13 and plays host to the Patriots on Feb. 17.

The Pioneers have remained unbeaten despite the loss of leading scorer Mikey McCollum to a hip injury in a 55-45 win over Dublin Jerome on Dec. 6. The senior guard was averaging 18 points through three games, and coach Anthony Calo hopes McCollum returns sometime this month.

Elias Lewis averages 16.1 points and Jordan Edwards averages 9.8. Both are senior guards.

Three seniors lead Liberty in scoring: guard/forward James Hummel (12.3 points), forward Alex Okuley (10.2) and guard/forward Matthew Wilson (10.2).

5. Dublin Jerome, Olentangy Berlin among early contenders in OCC-Cardinal

In pursuit of a second consecutive OCC-Cardinal title, Jerome has started 3-0 in the league. Last season, the Celtics went 10-0 for their first league title since 2008 and finished 21-5 overall, losing to Westerville South 71-64 in double overtime in a Division I district final.

Sasha Stavroff is averaging a team-high 14.7 points in Jerome's 7-3 start, ahead of Luke Kuhlman (12.7) and Ryan Nutter (11.6). All three are senior guards.

Senior guard Lachlan MacDonald is the program's career leader in steals with 172. The previous record of 138 was held by 2012 graduate Cam Wilson.

Coach Richie Beard reached a milestone with a 71-59 victory over St. Marys Memorial on Dec. 10, surpassing Jamie Pearson as the program’s all-time leader in wins with 74.

Olentangy Berlin and Olentangy are tied for second in the league at 2-1. Each is seeking its first league title.

At 8-2 overall, Berlin also is seeking its first winning season. The Bears are in their fifth season.

“We have a long way to go, but it’s doable,” Berlin coach Donovon Barrett said of winning a league title.

Junior guard/forward Derek Goodman leads the Bears in scoring, averaging 15.5 points, followed by junior guard Noah Gamble (13), senior forward Jason Inbody (12) and senior guard/forward Mathios Abenet (10.4).

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Columbus boys high school basketball: Top storylines this season