Zack's List: Top 10 Crawford County boys basketball players for 2022-23
BUCYRUS — The 2022-23 boys basketball season is officially underway, and before we get too far into things let's take a look at the top returning players in Crawford County.
We already ran down the top girls a couple weeks ago, so now it's time to see who the best of the best boys are entering the season. Keep an eye out at the end of the year to see how many of these earn postseason honors and land on the All-Telegraph-Forum teams.
Here are Zack Holden's Top 10 — plus some honorable mention — boys basketball players entering the season.
Honorable Mention
Crestline senior Trevor Shade is the most experienced player on the roster and running the point will be key to any success the Bulldogs have this season; Colonel Crawford senior Ethan Holt has an engine that never quits and as a sophomore last season was a key depth player whose role will increase this winter; Wynford senior Cainen Allen is a leader for a relatively young Royals squad and has talent to go along with his leadership; and Buckeye Central freshman Jack Phillips has already carved out a role for himself on the varsity squad and reached double figures in the Bucks' home opener.
10. Wynford's Grant McGuire
This kid is just an athlete. A first-team All-Ohioan in baseball as a sophomore and Crawford County's reigning No. 1 male athlete, McGuire is the type of player most teams would love to have on the court. He played some as a freshman and really saw his role increase last winter. Now, he slots into the starting lineup and should be one of the premier defenders in the area this season while also being more than capable of adding a handful of buckets when called upon. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists last year.
9. Bucyrus' Malachi Bayless
Honorable mention Northern 10, District 6 and Northwest District as a sophomore, Bayless is who the Bucyrus offense revolves around. He already holds the program's single-season freshman (158) and sophomore (415) scoring records and is on pace to do what no boy at Bucyrus has ever done before — score 1,000 points. His athleticism and pure talent allow him to score from virtually anywhere on the court, too. Bayless led the team in scoring as a sophomore with 11.2 points per game, and that number should increase this season with him as the focal point.
8. Colonel Crawford's Derek Horsley
Patiently waiting his turn, Horsley will be one of the top ball handlers around this season. Playing in 20 of the team's 27 games last year, Horsely almost always came in and made an impact, whether it was on offense by knocking down a clutch 3-pointer or on the defensive end by forcing a turnover or getting a stop. He's one of a few seniors on the Eagles looking to continue the winning tradition established in North Robinson.
7. Wynford's Weston Prenger
It might be strange to put a player who appeared just twice for the Royals last season on this list, but one game is all anyone needed to see in order to be convinced of what Prenger's potential is. Heck, not even a game, just a half in the sectional semifinals showed me all I needed to see. He came in and went 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half to lead the Royals in scoring with 15 points in their finale. He has the tools to not only pick up some scoring slack with Jaron Fillater gone, but could turn into one of the top scorers in the conference very quickly.
6. Galion's Cooper Kent
Kent missed almost half of his sophomore season recovering from an injury suffered during football season, but once he returned he quickly became one of the most dangerous scorers not only for the Tigers and in the county, but in a loaded Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. He earned honorable mention in District 6 after averaging 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals for Galion. Kent will likely be the driving force for the Tigers.
5. Crestline's Isaiah Perry
An all-around threat whenever he has the ball, Perry is arguably the most important player on this Bulldogs roster. A good game out of him opens the floor for his teammates to find easy buckets. Tall, long and athletic, he's a tough guard on offense and difficult to navigate around on defense. And as one of just a few seniors on the roster, Perry will be asked to step up even more so this season to set the tone on, and off, the court.
4. Colonel Crawford's Jacob Maddy
One of the premier bigs in Crawford County, 6-foot-5 Maddy is quick on his feet and can make plays happen out of nothing. He played key roles last season in some of the Eagles' biggest wins, controlling the paint and limiting opponents to little, or no, second-chance opportunities. And his ability to battle for any rebound makes him an invaluable asset on both sides of the ball. Look for more plays to involve Maddy under the basket this season and don't be surprised if he becomes a walking double-double.
3. Wynford's Sam McMillan
The other big man in Crawford County, McMillan burst onto the scene last season just as Maddy did. Though his rise was a slower one, once the now junior adjusted to the varsity game and carved a role in the offense he became a vital part of Wynford's game plan. He was second team Northern 10, and honorable mention in District 6 and the Northwest District after averaging 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a sophomore. At 6-6, McMIllan will be a nightmare for most opponents in the paint this season and — like Maddy — should find himself flirting with double figure points and rebounds most nights.
2. Buckeye Central's Tyler Sanderson
Just a walking bucket, Sanderson is one of the most explosive players in Crawford County. Playing scarcely as a sophomore, he turned into the team's third option in offense as a junior behind two seniors averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Now in his final season with the Bucks, Sanderson understood his role would increase and has already risen to the occasion, nailing a game-winner against Plymouth in the opener and following that up with an 18-point performance against Crestline the next night. He can shoot it from deep, drive into the paint, drain free throws and cause havoc on the defensive end — all the makings of a star.
1. Colonel Crawford's Braxton Baker
Anyone who watched boys hoops in Crawford County last season probably assumed who the top player would be on this list. Baker had a phenomenal summer before his junior year and was rewarded appropriately, slotting into the mix on a stacked Eagles team that made history by finishing as regional runner-up to eventual state runner-up Ottawa-Glandorf. And Baker (12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists) played a key role along the way, sometimes leading the team in scoring ahead of two All-Ohioans now playing in college, but always doing whatever it took to get the win for the Eagles. Riding a 54-game win streak, Colonel Crawford will look toward a group of seniors and some talented underclassmen to extend that — and Baker will be at the forefront of that as arguably the most well-rounded player in the area.
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Twitter: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Crawford County's Top 10 boys basketball players
