5 things to know as Cincinnati College Prep basketball plays in 1st-ever district final

WEST END, Ohio − Cincinnati College Prep Academy (CCPA) head boys basketball coach Reggie Revels is in a great mood as he conducts a Monday afternoon practice from the sidelines.

“Work harder,” “three more reps,” and “we’re not done yet” are common tropes Revels echoes to his team as they prepare to do something no other team in program history has ever done.

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CCPA is in the district championship game for the first time ever. The Lions play Jackson Center for a chance at a Division IV title on Friday at UD Arena.

Here are five things to know about CCPA’s history-making journey.

Cincinnati College Prep's turnaround under Reggie Revels

Revels was named the CCPA head coach in June 2020. He came to the Lions after a four-year run as a Deer Park assistant, where he helped the Wildcats go 29-0 in 2018 and win a Division III state title.

Revels’ state championship ring is still present in practice at CCPA and serves as an inspiration for his team.

“We just have to keep working hard so we can get one,” junior Hansen Thomas said.

In 2019, CCPA went 2-14 overall and finished last in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference-Blue division. The next year, CCPA was 10-11 and was third in the division under head coach Michael Holmes, who then took the head-coaching position at Gamble Montessori.

In Revels’ two-plus seasons, CCPA has gone 46-12 overall and won division titles in 2021 and 2022.

“I’m not easy to play for. I coach hard and love hard,” Revels said. “I try to preach that you have to work hard in life. That’s the biggest thing. It really spills over to these guys.”

Cincinnati College Prep history books changed with one shot

CCPA was formed in 1999 and had never had a boys basketball team reach a district championship game. In Revels’ first two seasons, the Lions were one victory away, but each campaign ended in the district semifinals: a 65-57 loss to New Miami in 2021 and a 66-46 loss to Fayetteville Perry in 2022.

That changed with one buzzer-beater on Feb. 22.

Tied at 49 with No. 2 Cincinnati Christian in the district semifinals (also known as the sectional final) at Princeton High School, Thomas hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired. It gave the Lions a 52-49 victory and its first-ever trip to the district championship.

“Hansen (Thomas) has played great at the end of the season. He had a really good summer,” Revels said. “He works his butt off. He’s a really tough kid and the hard work he puts in really shows.”

Thomas, who averages 10.6 points per game, hit the shot, ran to the other end of the court and smacked his hand on the backboard in celebration before being mobbed by his teammates.

“My emotions were through the roof. I can’t really explain it because I shoot that shot so many times in practice, it was just muscle memory for me,” Thomas said. “I was crying. I couldn’t believe it.”

Senior Josh Marshall leads CMAC in scoring

When the CMAC voted for its all-conference teams in mid-February, there was little doubt who would be named the Blue division’s player of the year. The honor went to CCPA guard Josh Marshall, who is the CMAC’s leading scorer at 25.5 points per game.

This season, Marshall has had seven 30-point games and has gone over 40 points four times. He is the team’s leading rebounder, according to Revels. Marshall scored 28 in the win over Cincinnati Christian.

“There’s a lot of weight on the kid’s shoulders,” Revels said. “He rises to the occasion but he leads his team. When he’s not scoring points, he’s rebounding. He gets all the stats. He does a lot for this team and the program.”

As the only senior in the starting lineup right now, Marshall said he enjoys being viewed as the team leader.

“It means a lot to me,” he said. “I had to step up a lot since people left and really, I just had to push the younger guys to work just as hard as I do to get to where we are now.”

Shorted-handed Cincinnati College Prep Lions continue winning

In February, CCPA lost senior forward Donald Bailey to a torn ACL. At the time, Bailey was averaging a double-double per game at 12.8 points and 11.9 rebounds.

CCPA doesn’t have the luxury of a deep bench, only playing six guys on average per night. Younger guys had to step up to lead the Lions down the stretch and into the tournament.

Sophomore Kendall Anthony is one player who has received more minutes. The forward had 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in CCPA’s first-round win over St. Bernard. Guard Rico Johnson, who led the CMAC in tackles (129) in the fall, has stepped up, too. The junior grabs 5.7 rebounds per night and had a season-high 13 points against St. Bernard.

“We’ve put a lot of pressure on some guys who hadn’t had a lot of pressure on their shoulders before. Just seeing those guys who didn’t really have the spotlight step up when they needed to has been awesome,” said first-year assistant coach Kevin Anzenberger, who spent last season on Wes Miller’s staff at UC.

‘Happy’ times at Cincinnati College Prep

CCPA will play at UD Arena on Friday night and the Flyers’ court is actually 10 feet longer than the Lions' Den on Linn Street downtown. In preparation, CCPA practiced at Xavier on Tuesday.

“We’ll try to put them in the right situation. It’s just basketball at the end of the day. Let’s play basketball,” Revels said.

Regardless of Friday’s outcome, Revels is optimistic about the future of the program he inherited less than three years ago in the middle of a pandemic. CCPA will only lose two seniors from this year’s history-making squad.

“We’re playing with house money. We won the sectional. We’re in the district finals. We’re in a good situation. These kids have earned it, they really have,” he said. “These kids are in a good place. The program is in a good place, and I think it’s only gonna go up from here. As a coach, I’m happy.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 things to know about CCPA basketball's journey to 1st district final