‘I tip my hat to him.’ Moeller coach Carl Kremer on Steve Klonne
Before he was running Moeller’s basketball factory, Carl Kremer was an assistant on Steve Klonne’s football staff.
High school basketball fans had plenty to enjoy during the 2023-24 boys basketball season. Elite teams such as Moeller, Wyoming, Newport and Campbell County made deep runs in the postseason, and there were star players making waves all across Greater Cincinnati,
The class of new 2024 graduates produced a lot of top talent, with players headed to college at programs such as Cincinnati, Purdue and Akron. There is plenty of returning talent with hopes of leading their teams to great things and potential college scholarships as well.
Here is a look at some of the top rising seniors in Greater Cincinnati boys basketball for the 2024-25 season. They are listed alphabetically by last name.
Arnold arrived in College Hill last year and lifted the Falcons to the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference-Blue Division championship and a 16-7 record after winning just seven games the year before. He averaged over 17 points per game, posting 5.7 assists a contest. The 6-foot Purdue Fort Wayne commit was one of the top point guards in the city last season and is making waves this summer. He and guard James Burnett Jr., who also averages more than 17 points, return to a strong Aiken lineup in 2024-2025.
The 6-3 guard was first-team all-league in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, leading the Knights to a 12-11 record and a tie for second place in the league. He averaged 17.6 points, three rebounds and three assists while shooting 39 percent from three-point range, sinking 79 overall. Clark has recent DI offers from Radford, Southeast Missouri and Stetson.
The 6-0 guard averaged 22 points per game last season, leading Franklin to a 13-9 record and the Southwestern Buckeye-Southwestern championship after going 3-20 the season before. The senior exceeded 1,000 career points after averaging more than 20 points as a sophomore.
The 6-1 senior is one of the top returning players in the CMAC, averaging 18.7 points and 6.6 rebounds on his way to first-team all-league honors. He has Division I football offers, most recently from Eastern Michigan.
The 6-7 senior led the Bearcats to a 23-11 record and the Eighth Region semifinals. He averaged 21 points per game with 51 3-pointers and is being mentioned as a Kentucky Mr. Basketball candidate next season.
Imade, a 6-5 forward, is the top returning scorer for the Greater Miami Conference champions, a team that lost all-state center Raleigh Burgess to Purdue. Imade averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.
The senior point guard led the Camels to a 27-7 record, the 37th District championship, the 10th Region championship and the Sweet 16 state quarterfinals. He hit a shot at the buzzer to win the 10th Region final and averaged 11.7 points per game.
Jallick, a point guard, led the Raptors to a 14-9 record and a tie for second in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. He averaged 8.7 points and 4.2 assists. His college future is in football, where he is entertaining mid-Division I offers.
Playing for the defensive-minded Crusaders, who averaged 57 points per game last season, Kazanecki averaged 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, while hitting 48 3-pointers.
The wing guard is Moeller’s go-to scorer, and he stepped up in the postseason, leading the Crusaders to the Division I regional finals and a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Centerville. Kazanecki scored 34 points against Centerville, 21 after halftime. He was 11-of-16 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range. This came after he made a game-winning 3-pointer against Elder in the final seconds of Moeller’s win in the regional semifinals.
He has recent visits to DI schools Furman and Miami University.
The 5-11 guard is one of the top returning scorers for the Greater Miami Conference champions. Kimbrough posted 9 points and two assists per game in addition to 33 3-pointers and has drawn attention on the summer AAU circuit.
The 6-3 guard averaged 15 points, four rebounds and 2.1 assists last season, leading the Middies to an 18-8 record, third place in the Greater Miami Conference, and an eight-point loss to Centerville in the district finals. The first-team All-GMC performer led the Middies with 16 points in beating Winton Woods in the district semifinals. Landers is a versatile scorer and defender.
The 5-11 guard averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists, including a season-high 32 points and two games of 26 in ECC play. He was first-team all-league for the Spartans.
The Miami University commit is one of the top guards in the area, leading the Thunderhawks to a 12-13 record, 7-9 in the deep Greater Miami Conference. Perry averaged 22.9 points, 2.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds this past season, helping the Thunderhawks reach a Division I sectional final, upsetting higher seed St. Xavier along the way. He had five 30-point games, including 36 in a four-point loss to Winton Woods and 31 against La Salle in the sectionals.
He was named third-team all-state, first-team all-district and first-team all-league. He enters his senior season with more than 1,200 career points.
Piening has committed to play tight end for Central Florida football. He led the Raptors to a 14-9 record and a tie for second in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, leading the team in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (7.2).
The Highlanders return their top two scorers from a team that went 15-10 and advanced to a Division I sectional final, upsetting higher-seeded Aiken along the way. Riep, a 6-6 wing player, is one of the city’s most athletic players and recently drew an offer from Kentucky Wesleyan. He averaged 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds last season. Guard Henry Maginn, a teammate, averaged 13.5 points.
The senior has transferred to the two-time defending Ninth Region champions after leading Cooper against the Wildcats in the regional final in both seasons. He has been one of the best point guards in the area, averaging 13 points per game last season with 27 3-pointers, and looks to join Newport rising junior Taylen Kinney in a dynamic Wildcats backcourt.
The 6-3 guard averaged 26 points and five rebounds last season, leading the Eagles to a 16-8 record and co-championship of the Miami Valley Conference-Scarlet. He was league player of the year in the Scarlet Division. He made 45 3-pointers and is getting interest from Division II schools.
The 6-3 guard averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season for the Indians. He also made 45 3-pointers. The first-team All-GMC performer is a clutch shooter with multiple buzzer-beating winners during last season. Sanders has recent offers from DI schools, Mercer, North Carolina A&T and Youngstown State.
The 6-8 senior has committed to South Carolina after leading Lloyd to a 25-9 record last season and the 34th District championship.
Walker averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds last season while playing in the post. He projects as a forward in college. He is a four-star recruit on 247Sports Composite Rankings and a consensus top-150 recruit in the 2025 class. With an experienced backcourt returning around him, Walker hopes to make the Juggernauts Ninth Region contenders next season.
More: ‘They see the potential.’ Lloyd basketball star E.J. Walker commits to South Carolina
The 6-11 post player averaged 11 points and seven rebounds to lead the Bombers (16-7) in both categories. The wins included his buzzer-beating tip-in in a win over La Salle. He has gained attention this summer with his shooting ability and athleticism.
The 6-3 guard was the leading scorer last year for the Panthers with 12.7 points and also averaged 2.4 points. He made 44 3-pointers for Elder, who was 21-5 with three of those losses to Moeller, including a last-second heartbreaker in the Division I regional semifinals. Williams was also a key defender and has impressed observers with his defense this summer.
