This season, Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson averaged 23.1 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game on 50% from the field and 39% from three-point range, leading Garfield Heights to a 25-2 record overall and earning Division I All-Ohio Player of the Year, in addition to All-Ohio First Team honors for the second straight season.
“It’s a blessing from God,” Johnson said of being named the 2023-24 OH Hoops Player of the Year. “I put in a lot of hard work and dedication to the game of basketball, so getting those awards is a blessing for me. It’s making me keep going even more.”
“It’s exciting,” added Sonny Johnson Sr., his father and coach. “Not only is it exciting because he’s my son, it’s exciting because of the work that he puts in. You always want to see a kid get rewarded for the work they put in.”
Every day, Marcus Johnson pushes himself on his own accord.
Early mornings to late nights, getting shots up, lifting, improving his agility — any way he can get better, he will do it.
“A lot of people see the success that I have, the accomplishments that I have, but they don’t know how hard I work,” Marcus said in an exclusive sit-down interview at Garfield Heights High School in early April. “I probably work three times, four times a day. Sometimes two-a-days, sometimes three-a-days. I put a lot on my body and I work hard.”
The future Ohio State Buckeye and highly-touted five-star prospect aspires to be great, and nobody, not even Sonny, has to say a word about what needs to be done to achieve that.
“I didn’t have to tell him to do it,” Sonny said in another interview at the school. “You usually have kids where you’ve gotta make ’em get up and workout, make ’em shoot, make ’em set up. He sets up his own workouts. For example, yesterday he set up his basketball workout and then he set up his pool workout and then he set up a strength-and-conditioning workout. And then when he was done with that, he came back that night and shot 500 jumpers.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody because basketball is in his DNA.
“The Johnson bloodline is the example,” Sonny Sr. said.
Julius “Juby” Johnson, his eldest uncle, played for four years at Miami of Ohio as an All-MAC Team member in his upperclass seasons, ranking third in school history in total minutes (3.914) and ninth in win shares (11.0).
Juby put together an impressive, decade-long international pro hoops career in Croatia, France, Greece, Ukraine and Spain. He boasts multiple championships with different teams across the pond.
Demetrius “Meechie” Johnson, Sonny Sr. and Juby’s youngest brother, won a Division II state championship at Warrensville Heights High School as a freshman and returned to the title game as a senior. He took that momentum into Kent State and Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne from 2003-08. As a senior, he was second in the Summit League in assists average (5.7) and scored a career-high 8.2 points per game for the Mastodons. He, too, played professionally in Slovenia.
Post-career, after assisting Sonny Sr. for 13 years at Garfield Heights, Demetrius returned to his alma mater one year ago to become a head coach for the first time. In his debut season, the Tigers went from 4-19 to 18-7, winning a district and appearing in the DII regionals for the first time since 2020. Demetrius was named Northeast Lakes District Division II Coach of the Year.
His son Meechie Johnson Jr. is coming off his second NCAA Tournament appearance. Even with South Carolina falling to Oregon in the first round, Meechie showed out in Pittsburgh in front of friends and family who made the short trip to watch, dropping 24 points on 9-for-16 from the field on national television.
“Man, it’s amazing. That’s my big brother, so seeing him playing in March Madness, it’s great,” Marcus said of his talented cousin.
As the team’s floor general for the last two seasons, Meechie burst onto the scene and helped lead the Gamecocks to a 26-8 record after an 11-21 showing the previous year — just like his father did at Warrensville Heights.
It’s now been announced that Meechie will be returning to The Ohio State University too via the transfer portal, back to where he began his college career and closer to home once again. And of course, younger sisters Aniyah and Naudia and little brother Noah are aspiring to follow in those footsteps.
Garfield Heights star and Ohio State basketball commit Marcus Johnson in a game vs. Richmond Heights. (Photo Credit: Dane Gardner/Sky High Sportz)
Sonny Sr. is the oldest of the three Johnson brothers and their two sisters, Celina and Charity.
Decades before Marcus, Sonny Sr. starred at Garfield Heights for his father and coach, William Jones Johnson. In 1998, among many other accolades, Sonny Sr. won Ohio’s Mr. Basketball award as a senior.
“That’s one thing I can hold over his head,” Sonny Sr. joked about Marcus with a wry smile. “Yes, I was Mr. Basketball and he’s not Mr. Basketball, and that’s one thing that he don’t have that I have.”
Sonny Sr. would be the first of his siblings to play Division I basketball, spending two solid seasons at Cleveland State before transferring to Ohio University and breaking out further in the Mid-American Conference as a highly impactful sixth man for the Bobcats. He faced off against high-profile competition, including Juby, Chet Mason and a collection of future NBA players at powerhouse schools.
Nowadays, Sonny Sr. is the head coach at Garfield Heights and the founder of NEO Youth Elite, two powerhouse programs that develop young players on and off the court. Since 2004, Sonny has helped train more than 20 players who’ve made it to the D-I level and, beyond that, opened paths for many more of the club’s alumni to get to the collegiate stage.
Among that company — Meechie is one of many notable names — is the next generation of Johnson hoopers.
Sonny Johnson Jr., the oldest of Sonny Sr.’s four children, is currently at Detroit-Mercy in the Horizon League. Unfortunately due to two hip surgeries, he hasn’t been able to suit up for the Titans just yet.
Marcus is up next, taking after his older brother and sister Serena, who started at Cornerstone Christian and finished her high school career at Lutheran East last year. The youngest of the bunch, Mia, is a multi-sport athlete in basketball and volleyball.
And we can’t forget about the potential of Mason Broyles, Celina’s son who has drawn eyeballs nationally as a middle-schooler. His father Dwayne Broyles was a four-year standout at James Madison after a great career at Canton McKinley; Dwayne won three championships as a pro in Belgium.
“The bloodline is strong as far as what we like to do, and that’s ball,” Sonny Sr. said.
Marcus was on a plethora of Division I college radars, but ultimately settled on The Ohio State University last Wednesday night. Having only finished his sophomore campaign, he’s ranked 12th in ESPN’s Class of 2026. Two weekends ago in Arizona, he participated in Team USA’s Junior National Team minicamp as he continues to grind away.
“Basketball runs in the family, so it motivates me just to work hard every day and make my family proud,” Marcus said. “Really just put my head down and keep working. Don’t worry about the rankings, the social media. Just put my head down, keep getting better and working every day with my trainers.”
“I think it comes from him wanting to be great,” Sonny Sr. added. “And honestly, it comes from somebody who loves the game… I think he’s had the spotlight since they was ranking ’em — it sounds bad — the No. 1 second-grader in the country. Coming up since second grade. You hear that going all the way up. He’s been on the radar since he was in second grade and everywhere he played, he always had to perform. So I think that prepared him for moments like this.”
Garfield Heights star and Ohio State basketball commit Marcus Johnson playing for Indy Heat on the AAU circuit. (Photo Credit: Steve Helwagen/247Sports)
“We’ve got a close family,” Sonny Sr. said. “My father was an unbelievable man, just a great person to be around. I know our whole family mourns the death of my dad because he was an impactful person throughout our whole entire family.”
“Losing my granddad, that was tough,” Marcus said. “I never lost somebody that close to me. So losing my granddad was very emotional for me and my family. It just made me go even harder.”
Marcus shares that every game he played this season was dedicated to his late grandfather. Sonny Sr. could proudly see that as well, but “more importantly, he wanted to do it for himself too because it’s something he loves to do.”
William not only instilled the Johnson’s love for the game in them, but more importantly, he spread the word of God to the family and touched countless lives. It’s something that Marcus carries with him.
“God led me through the hard times of my life, so him just being there for me every step of the way is big time for me and my family,” Marcus said.
Sonny Sr. explained further why faith is so important.
“Without God, you have nothing. Everything we have is because of God’s favor,” Sonny Sr. said. “People might say, ‘Oh Marcus, you’re a great basketball player. Oh Sonny, you’re a great coach.’ We know who we are, but we’re humble because we know any minute, God can take that away from you. Once you start thinking it’s about you, that’s when you fail.
“But once you continue knowing that God’s put you on this pedestal and God is giving you his opportunity to be successful and God is giving you that gift, you will never fail. That’s one thing: We will never, never stop giving God the glory and stop thanking God for the favor he blessed on not just me and my son, but our entire family.”
Like William did for him as his coach and as his father, Sonny Sr. has passed down the word of God to his teams at Garfield Heights and to the student-athletes of NEO Youth Elite. It’s a message that has resonated a great deal.
“At the end of the day, I try to plant seeds that will last a lifetime,” Sonny Sr. said. “When they’re out of my care and they’re out of their parents’ care, they’re about to go to college, they’re about to go in the real world. Some of the kids are graduating. You’re gonna go through tough times and hard times. How do you handle the tough times and the hard times? You handle it by having somebody you can always count on, and that’s God.
“So at the end of the day if you’ve got God beside your side, who you know you can pray to and come to when things get tough, when you’re on your own, then you’re always gonna find a way to be successful, you’re gonna always find a way to get over the hump and you’re gonna always turn out on the right side.”
Garfield Heights PG Marcus Johnson goes up for a shot against Richmond Heights F TJ Crumble. (Photo Credit: Dane Gardner/Sky High Sportz)
Asked about a favorite game of the season, Marcus points to a star-studded matchup on Dec. 29, 2023 at the NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic in front of college scouts and coaches. Top-ranked Garfield Heights defeated No. 2 Richmond Heights 60-57 in a battle between teams lined with premier talent.
“A lot of D-1’s on the court,” said Marcus, whose teammates Deandre Jones and Carter Jackson and opponents TJ Crumble, De’Erick Barber, Dorian Jones and Demarris Winters Jr. have committed to/drawn heavy interest from D-1 schools. “High matchup, high game, high intensity. That was a fun game to play.”
Pose the same question to Sonny Sr. and he’ll point to Marcus’ performance at Flyin’ To The Hoop in Dayton. He had a 40-point game in a 68-67 double-overtime victory over Faith Family Academy, a back-to-back-to-back state title winner and top-tier program in Texas.
“To play like that on that type of stage on both ends of the floor was just impressive,” Sonny Sr. said. “It was great because against those teams that we competed against, he performed at a high level. He can only get better by competing against the best, and that’s what we try to do is to round us, make sure our program is one of the top programs in the state. We try to make sure we’re competing against the top talent, and not just top talent, top talent that’s college prospects.”
“Big-time stage and I performed at a high level,” Marcus added. “My teammates trusted me, the coaches, so I just went out there and played how I play.”
Though the team’s season ended in a controversial loss to Toledo Whitmer in the state regional finals, Garfield Heights made plenty of memories along the way. Sonny Sr. shouted out that senior group one by one for the part they played for the Bulldogs.
Sonny Sr. considers CJ Little “one of the biggest winners I’ve ever had in my coaching career,” noting his tenacity on defense and wanting to guard. Corey Wilson did everything the squad needed him to do and has “the biggest heart.”
Jackson, a St. Ignatius transfer, unfortunately was sidelined due to injury late in the season, but fit right in and provided another scoring presence. And simply put, Jones is “the ultimate competitor.”
Marcus appreciates each of them on and off the basketball court.
“They’re my boys for life,” said Marcus, who noted their help and advice in practice. “It was sad the way the season ended, but them just trusting me, telling me to be aggressive, telling me to just keep going no matter what. They know a lot of people try to come after me. Them motivating me just to go out there and be myself, making me better makes them better too.”
Sonny Sr. wholeheartedly agrees.
“They shaped him because they’re competitors. When you’re around winners, you become a winner no matter what,” Sonny Sr. said. “It’s a pleasure to have a kid like Marcus, who does not act like a sophomore, has the mentality of being a senior like those guys when it comes down to competing and playing. But those guys, you couldn’t be around them and not be competitors. So that’s the good thing, and he soaked it all in just having fun riding with his guys.”
A perfect example of a time where Marcus showed his maturity and leadership was after a 68-55 win vs. Western Reserve Academy. He had scored 26 points in the game and was awarded the game’s MVP postgame. Yet, in the locker room, Marcus presented his trophy to Jones, who recorded a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double.
“For life, they’re my brothers,” Marcus said. “My job as a point guard is to make the team happy, make the coaches happy and win. I feel like he deserved it that day and I gave it to him.”
“What it means is he’s not about himself, he’s about the team,” Sonny Sr. added. “That was a joyful moment because when somebody gives you an award or something like that, that’s all good, but Deandre deserved that award that game. Marcus deserved it too, but for him to give it to Deandre knowing Deandre had an unbelievable game on a big stage like that was why this team was a really good team and why we were successful.”
As a point guard, Marcus’ unselfishness and ability to get buckets stand out above all else to the public. But the biggest step he made this season came on the other end of the floor. Thanks to a tip from Little, he began utilizing his lengthy frame to disrupt ball-handlers and passing lanes.
“I always wanted to be a two-way player, offensive and defensive player,” Marcus said. “There’s a lot of players that can score the ball but don’t really play defense. I want to be both.”
“He played defense last year, but this time it seemed like he enjoyed it as a sophomore. He’s only gonna get better when he’s a junior and a senior,” Sonny Sr. added. “But I mean, he loves to compete. He’s a competitor. He don’t back down from challenges. He took a lot of the load for us this year offensively. Towards the end of the year, we had games where he had to defend the best guys. He steps up for challenges for sure.”
Neither Marcus nor Sonny Sr. takes their special father-son, coach-player relationship for granted. Akin to Sonny Sr.’s experience with William all those years ago, it’s unique and a blessing for both of them.
“God’s favor,” Marcus said.
“His biggest inspiration comes from within himself. When I say that, that’s what he loves to do,” Sonny Sr added. “God first and then himself. He wants to be great. And if you want to be great, you do what great people do to be successful, and that’s what he’s done. He’s a confident kid. That’s the way we raised him, to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will. On that court, he better believe in himself because that’s what we expect of him.”
For the second time in three years, the Akron Zips are headed to the Men’s NCAA Tournament.
On Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Zips edged their rival Kent State Golden Flashes by a final score of 62-61.
Players from the 2023-24 Akron Zips men’s basketball team celebrates its MAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth after defeating Kent State 62-61. (Photo Credit: Spencer Davies/Hoop Industry)
It was a game that was decided by a mental mistake heard around the world, but to Akron’s credit, the team took advantage.
After Cli’ron Hornbeak’s putback put Kent on top with just over five seconds remaining in the game, Julius Rollins fouled Greg Tribble as he pushed it up the floor.
Tribble knocked down two key free throws to put the Zips ahead by a point with 4.8 seconds left. The Flashes then put the ball in the hands of Jalen Sullinger, who drove the length of the court but didn’t convert on a float attempt fading out of bounds, securing the victory for Akron.
Akron Zips have punched their ticket to the Men’s NCAA Tournament with a 62-61 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes in the MAC Tournament Championship game. #MACtion@HoopIndustrypic.twitter.com/5Fcy4VyxJv
Kent State big man VonCameron Davis left it all on the floor with a game-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Sullinger found his mark in the second half, finishing with 19 points and eight boards.
Ali Ali led Akron in the points department, scoring 18 with a terrific first half that brought the Zips back to take the lead going into halftime. MAC Player of the Year and MAC Tournament MVP Enrique Freeman recorded 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, converting on clutch possessions as he’s done all season.
Nate Johnson was huge for Akron as well with seven points, including a closeout-attacking fadeaway and a three-point bucket. Shammah Scott also drilled a deep ball with the shot clock expiring late in the game that kept the Flashes at bay.
For the fifth time in men’s Mid-American Conference Tournament basketball history, the Akron Zips and Kent State Golden Flashes will bring their rivalry to the hardwood in the conference championship game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday night.
Coming into Cleveland as the lowest seed in the tourney, the Flashes have downed top-seed Toledo and fifth-seed Bowling Green to get to the title game for the third straight season.
Kent State’s Jalen Sullinger at the 2024 MAC Tournament (Photo Credit: Wesley Seyfang/HSLD Sports Media)
The Kent State backcourt of Jalen Sullinger and Giovanni Santiago combined for 42 points and 11 assists in that game, drilling 11 threes in a scorching performance.
Strong guard play guided the Kent State Golden Flashes to their third straight MAC title game. Jalen Sullinger & Gio Santiago combined for 42 points & 11 assists.
Meanwhile, Akron has heated back up after dropping four of its last six games, defeating seven-seed Miami and edging third-seed Ohio in a close contest on Friday.
Akron’s Enrique Freeman grabs a rebound at the 2024 MAC Tournament (Photo Credit: Wesley Seyfang/HSLD Sports Media)
Enrique Freeman flat-out dominated the glass and brought his nose for the ball, putting up a 24-point, 21-rebound, seven-block stat line, setting a MAC Tournament single-game record for boards.
After a rough offensive first half, the Akron Zips used “mental toughness” to put on a terrific performance to beat the Ohio Bobcats in the men’s MAC Tournament semifinals.
In MAC Tournament title game history, Kent State has a 3-1 record in these head-to-head scenarios; the Flashes knocked Akron off in last year’s tourney as well. This season, the Zips have beaten KSU twice, but as we know during this time of the year, it’s a clean slate.
Saturday night’s meeting between the Zips and Flashes should be one to remember.
It didn’t take long for the men’s MAC Tournament to be flipped upside down from the very first tip at 11 a.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
In the first game of the quarterfinals, the eighth-seeded and defending-champion Kent State Golden Flashes defeated the top-seeded Toledo Rockets in a stunner with a 67-59 victory.
Kent State might’ve been the lowest seed in the MAC Tournament, but the Flashes knew there was a clean slate in Cleveland. As last year’s winner, they weren’t coming to be one and done.
Shereef Mitchell leads the Ohio Bobcats’ fastbreak vs. Western Michigan. ((Photo Credit: Wesley Seyfang/HSLD Sports Media)
And in our last game of the evening, the third-seeded Ohio Bobcats suffocated the sixth-seeded Western Michigan Broncos in a rout, 82-55.
“Everything is intensified in March.”
The Ohio Bobcats have won 7 in a row & are the hottest team in the Mid-American Conference. Asked OU senior Miles Brown about that momentum. Shereef Mitchell & Jeff Boals also talked after the win vs. Western Michigan. #MACtion@HoopIndustrypic.twitter.com/lAZMvKcNyb
The Flashes and Falcons will meet to start the men’s semifinals at 5 p.m. ET, then the Zips and Bobcats will do battle afterward to determine who meets in the MAC Tournament Finals on Saturday.
After spending time with the Memphis Grizzlies and their G League affiliate Hustle’s training camp this past fall, former Kent State star point guard and Solon product Sincere Carry will officially begin his professional basketball career with Greek club Iraklis BC after the New Year.
As a rookie, he’s going to be entrusted midseason to help turn around an organization that is looking to climb the ranks and return to its former glory under a new, Cleveland-led ownership group headed by Broadview Heights native Bobby Mansfield and Carry’s longtime family friend Dennis Barba.
“Knowing the Barba’s and the owners being from Cleveland, it just felt like the right place for me to go,” Carry said in an exclusive phone interview. “It’s in Greece. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’m hearing a lot of good things about it, so I just felt like it was the right opportunity for me to keep this thing going.”
Barba and Carry’s relationship goes back to when he was in grade school. For close to 20 years, Barba played a big part in Ohio youth basketball. Along with Mike Duncan, he ran Ohio Basketball Club, an elite AAU program throughout the state that Carry joined during his high school days.
Their bond goes even further beyond that though, which made this an easy decision for all parties involved.
“I know his family. My son Andy has known Sincere and his brother Mike since grade school, and Andy and Mike were teammates and roommates at Duquesne. It just sort of all fell into place,” Barba said in a conversation over the phone. “We were looking to make a move. Bobby knew who Sin was. I’ve always been a big Sin fan ever since I saw him play in the fourth or fifth grade. I’ve followed his career and worked with him when he played for OBC.
“The kid is a winner. He loves the game of basketball. He competes. He’s an elite point guard. He was one of the best guards in the Atlantic-10 and then he went to the MAC and was Player of the Year and one of, if not the best guard in the Mid-American Conference.”
Duncan has been training Carry since those late elementary school days.
“Sincere is good at reading the defense well and he’s setting the offense up pretty well,” Duncan said in a separate phone interview. “Whatever the coaches want to run, that’s what he’ll run. His thing’s just winning. He competes. When I say compete, he competes. I don’t think he takes losing well.”
Sincere Carry celebrates with his Kent State teammates. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Mansfield and Barba are fully behind Carry to lead Iraklis back to prominence. Currently, the team is in the middle of the pack at 8-7 in the Greek A2 Basketball League, but only two games behind first place. Similar to soccer, Iraklis must finish in the top two to be elevated next season to the Greek A1 Basketball League, the highest level of competition.
“He’s a winner, man. He doesn’t cause problems. He don’t do any of that,” Duncan said. “You’ve got some people that wherever they go, they’re a problem. He doesn’t cause problems.
“They’re gonna like him over there. He’s gonna bring a winning attitude, ‘Come on, pick it up, let’s go.’ He’s gonna do all of that. He’s just gotta make that adjustment. Once he makes the adjustment, they’re gonna love him. Going over there is definitely different than playing over here. Going over there, you’ve got to get the trust of the new players, all of that.”
Carry is grateful to have earned that reputation and level of belief to lead as a rookie.
“It really shows my character, just how consistent I can be my whole life,” Carry said of Barba’s confidence in him. “He’s been watching me play since I moved to Ohio [from Pennsylvania]l, so just seeing my growth and still wanting to bet on me and take chances on me, It just says a lot. I’m just gonna try my hardest to win games and make everyone proud. I know how big they want to get to the Tier 1 League, so I’m just trying to make that happen for this team.”
On the court, Mansfield values the intelligence Carry has, believing that it will translate to the overseas game.
“European basketball, you see, [differs from] the NBA. It’s a very technical game,” Mansfield said over an additional phone call. “So we feel like even as a rookie, he has the ability because of his technical knowledge and the way he sees the game and the way he plays to adjust very quickly. So that was a big benefit.”
“To be honest, it’s gonna take about maybe two or three games. He’s got to figure it out,” Duncan added. “They play different than we play. They push the ball. We think we push the ball over here (laughs). No, they push it. I don’t think he’s gonna have any problems because he’s gonna adjust good. He’s alright because he knows how to get his shot off, so he’ll be okay on that end. And he put on about 20 pounds, so he’s got some good muscle. He’ll be physically ready.”
Carry’s college basketball accolades speak for themselves. He was a member of the A-10 All-Freshman Team at Duquesne, finishing at the top of the conference in assists per game (5.8) and in the top 15 in the NCAA in steals per game (2.4).
“He makes the other players better on his team,” Duncan said. “With Sincere, it’s not really about points. It ain’t because of points. Sincere just made everybody better with the right pass, the right open shot. In basketball, that’s what they look for. They look for people that win. The game is winning. It’s not about points. A lot of people got the wrong idea.”
“We can talk about D all day, but he has the skill level where he can pick somebody up full court and you’re not gonna beat him because he knows how to use his body pretty well to keep you in front of him. He’s aggressive on defense.”
Carry was also named to the All-MAC Team, All-MAC-Defense Team, and All-MAC Tournament Team in his last two years at Kent State. In 2021-22, Carry led the MAC in total assists (161) and the next season was second in the same category (167).
Among all of that, Carry averaged 17.7 points on 48.7 percent from the field overall with the Golden Flashes, playing nearly 37 minutes per game.
“In college, I was more of a true point guard. But I feel like now that I’m a professional, I’ll show the way I can score the ball more,” Carry said. “Just my energy. I play defense at a higher level, so guys always want to play with a guy who takes defense serious and takes pride in that. I know I have a high IQ. I know when to pass, when to shoot and I can just take control of the game. I’m a winner at the end of the day. I can impact the game at any level.”
“What I give him credit for, is he averages five rebounds. Think about it. For a guard, that’s a lot of rebounds,” Duncan added. “He’s about 6-foot-2, but he’s mixing it up. He’s not scared, no matter who’s inside. He ain’t scared of the contact, getting pushed, all of that. His thing is he’s a great rebounder for a guard. That’s gonna be good for the game because once he grabs the rebound, he’s gone already on the break. He never would sit there and wait for an outlet.”
With Iraklis in striking distance and the second half of the season set to begin on Jan. 13, Mansfield explained that the holiday break was the perfect time to make this move.
“Sincere is the last piece of the puzzle,” Mansfield said. “We added three new Greek players, and we also added another foreigner, and Sincere is the last piece.”
“When Bobby and I talked, you get kids that win like this and we think he’s really gonna come in and compete and play hard and try to help us win,” Barba added. “He’s performed at every level, and there’s no reason to think that he’s not gonna continue to just work hard and produce at this level.”
Kent State’s Sincere Carry reacts after making a shot vs. Ohio University. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Carry admits that things haven’t gone his way since training camp with the Hustle, and he has “come too far” to stop chasing his dream of getting to the NBA. He’s appreciative of his guardian Kevin Bekelja and his family being with him every step of the way of his journey.
“Nobody in my family has played in the G League or NBA or overseas, so we’re just learning as we go,” Carry said. “You have to trust people, new agents, new coaches and stuff. I feel like just having him on my wing, it just makes it easier.
“My family is a big supporter of me. My mom [Melissa] she comes to all my games, Kevin’s wife. My little brother [Mike] has followed me to every college, my sisters [Jordan and Dee]. It’s just a family effort. It’s much bigger than me.”
(The Bekelja family is full of basketball talent. Like Carry, Mike Bekelja transferred to Kent State after two years at Duquesne and is currently on the team. Dee finished a career at DePaul in 2022, while Jordan played at Clarion University from 2015-19. Kevin was a member of Elizabethtown College’s roster in the early 1990s.)
“The league is definitely different and tougher. Probably three years from now, he’ll get a shot at the league,” Duncan said of Carry’s NBA aspirations, adding that his time spent with Memphis at training camp will serve him well.
“That gives him an idea of what he needs to do and what he needs to say. But he’s got to develop. He’s got to develop over there. It ain’t as easy as people think. He loves the game. Every day, he works out. He’s in the gym every day, which is good for him.”
The beginning of Carry’s professional road will start in Thessaloniki, Greece — a great chance to kick off his career with people he knows in his corner and a passionate Iraklis fan base.
“I got a chance to watch their last game, a rerun of it where it went into double overtime, and the fans were going crazy,” Carry said. “It’s definitely an environment that I’ll love to play in and be around, that type of love for sure.
“I just want to win. That’s all there is. Just go over there and win.”
Sincere Carry drives inside for Kent State vs. Buffalo. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Having been neglected by previous ownership over the last few years, Iraklis BC is undergoing a transformation. Just weeks after its 115th anniversary, Mansfield and Barba are determined to elevate the historical, decorated franchise back to the top where it belongs.
“They fell on some more difficult times where they went from First League to Second League two years ago. We’ve taken over the team to set it right and to bring them back to their glory days,” Mansfield said. “I asked Dennis to be a part of this. Luckily for me, he said yes and he’s been a really impactful person in this. We have several other Clevelanders in the ownership group as well.”
Greater Cleveland area folks such as Aaron Fazulak (founder of All Cleveland Coffee and CEO of Performance Lighting), Drew Parker (director of strategy at Trajektory), Joseph Delio (senior vice president of IWA Technical Services Inc.) and Christian Kovacevic (recruiter for Robert Half) all have a stake in this.
“Greek basketball, it’s debatable whether soccer or basketball is the No. 1 sport, which is impressive in itself when you consider Europe and Greece. This is one of the most historic clubs. It’s a club with a rabid fan base. In the Second League, we’re still selling out the gym. The support’s been amazing. It’s almost like the [Cleveland] Browns. You can’t buy support and fans. The fans and the brand is what made Iraklis attractive for us.”
Barba can’t hide his excitement for this new venture.
“I coached for 20 years, so it’s my intent now to not coach and to scout and help put together how we’re gonna scout in the United States, help with the branding,” Barba said. “I’m excited to be involved in this. It’s a new basketball project to fuel my passion for basketball, and I hope to be able to help other people realize their dreams.”
Asked where and how things are going to change, Mansfield laid out his vision for Iraklis, a brand he is trying to make a household name in the second-biggest city in Greece.
Step-by-step, since officially taking over the team in November, he’s already begun the process. There is an emphasis on apparel and bringing in fresh sponsorships behind a new and improved marketing department. It’ll also be easier for fans to attend games by going through Ticketmaster.
“This is a total revamp,” Mansfield said. “We’re lucky that we can be Picasso and we have the blank sheet of paper to paint. So we’re starting from scratch, and we’re starting from scratch literally midseason.”
There will always be conversations about talent acquisition too. If they add a foreigner from outside the nation, midwest players like Carry will always be considered because of the style they play and the knowledge they can trust them. As far as the local talent is concerned, their biggest focus, the pool is deep.
With a population of 1.3 million people, the club’s arena and facilities are centrally located in the heart of Thessaloniki, with younger fans and aspiring pros always nearby. Mansfield and Barba both mentioned that one of the more attractive parts of the opportunity is working with the Iraklis Basketball Academy.
“We have an academy that is assigned for the amateur club, which is slowly being merged into the professional basketball team,” Mansfield explained. “So we will have all categories from Under-10 to Under-18 all part of Iraklis. We plan to develop. We plan to have camps with people from the United States coming over and so forth where we can really make this a place where we are also developing talent.”
Mansfield said they hope to follow the Serbian model that helped players like Nikola Jokic, Boban Marjanovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic mature and ultimately make it to the NBA. (Many other overseas franchises have these focuses on junior teams regarding their affiliations and player development with pro clubs, such as Real Madrid fostering the growth of Luka Doncic.)
“We feel we have a great talent pool in the area if we can bring knowledge and expertise and continued professionalism, which all starts from the professional basketball side,” Mansfield said. “This is gonna merge down to the youth categories, which is super exciting and is a long-term ambition for us.”
Mansfield, Barba and their partners in the ownership group plan on being hands-on with this operation. They didn’t get into this for nothing. They truly feel this is an investment with incredible potential in multiple ways.
“As soon as the fans found out about what was happening, they’ve gotten very excited. They send me videos of these games,” Barba said. “The support’s been unbelievable. So we’re very excited and we’re looking at everything, really trying to get this as efficient as we can and install the culture that Bobby knows he can put in.
“This is really good basketball. When you watch this basketball, it’s fun basketball. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this. I went and I started watching games. These are good players, they play good basketball, they compete and I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. Bobby will be able to really help us turn this thing around and get it moving in the right direction, or I wouldn’t have gotten involved in it.”
Mansfield and Barba are fans themselves. They just happen to be two basketball junkies from Northeast Ohio looking to restore a once-great franchise on the other side of the world back to prominence.
When Todd McGuinness left a decorated, successful career at Hartwick College to accept a new head coaching job at Case Western Reserve University in July 2016, he came into a position that had been accustomed to mediocrity.
Decades of data indicated the university would never be able to shake its reputation of failure. But since returning to a familiar place and taking the reins of the Spartans’ program, McGuinness and his teams have dramatically flipped the script.
Off to a 4-0 start this season as the No. 13 men’s basketball team in Division III, Case Western has ripped off 24 straight regular-season wins against non-conference opponents. Akron Massillon Jackson alum and Baldwin-Wallace graduate transfer guard Anthony Mazzeo is averaging 18.5 points per game, putting together a 25-point clutch performance at Denison University in a big overtime road win 80-78. And in the previous contest, he dropped 29.
The Spartans continue to build off the momentum of last year’s school-record-setting 22-4 campaign, back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and three straight winning seasons for the first time since leaving the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in 1983-84.
On Nov. 11 at Horsburgh Gymnasium for the second consecutive year, Case Western defeated Eastern University 82-72 to win the Bill Sudeck Tournament Championship. It was a milestone night for McGuinness, who recorded his 200th overall win as a head coach.
“I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of really good players. That’s number one. We all know that,” McGuinness said in an exclusive interview over the phone. “In basketball, you’re not gonna win by outcoaching people. You’re gonna win by having good players that are put in position to win games. Good players, good assistants that helped get those players.
“I’ve been doing it for a while now, but it got here quicker than I thought it would. At times, you think you’re never gonna get to that number and then someone’s like, ‘Oh, 300 will be quick.’ I don’t know because that seems like a long way away. But having good players and good assistants and being in good sports helps too. But it’s been great.”
McGuinness added that it’s been a whirlwind and he hasn’t had time to reflect on his accomplishment. When the Spartans won their next game at La Roche University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he celebrated with his parents and friends, yet stayed focused on what’s ahead. He even joked following that 78-58 win: “Now we’re only 99 to 300.”
“I’ll forget about that number real quick. Let’s be honest, when you get that many wins, it’s longevity too,” McGuinness said. “Being able to stay in the business and being able to coach for 14 years as a head coach, sometimes that doesn’t happen in places.”
Despite an unbeaten start, McGuinness admits that this version of the Spartans is unique compared to past iterations. He’s still figuring out who to play, who to put on the floor together and how to allocate the proper amount of minutes to his guys. Last year, they had essentially a seven-man rotation. This season, McGuinness speaks highly of Case Western’s depth, proposing the team can play anywhere from nine to 12 players on any given night. A lot of “new” to get used to.
“The best comparison’s probably being like a G League coach where you get all these guys thrown at you and you don’t have that much time to formulate and get ’em on the floor. That’s what I feel like right now,” McGuinness said. “We’ve got all these new guys thrown at us and we’re trying to assimilate and get everyone together. There’s not much time, and all of a sudden, you’re playing games.
“I think it’s a work in progress, which I like as a coach. It’s like every day is a new challenge and refreshes you a little bit. Every practice, we’re trying to figure out exactly what we want to do and figure out who needs to go in and trying to figure out exactly what works for this team. It’s different than what worked last year and it’s different from what worked the year before.”
Foundations of Success: The Influential Figures and Milestones in Todd McGuinness’s Coaching Career
Case Western Reserve head coach Todd McGuinness on the sidelines. (Photo Credit: OHHoops.org)
In addition to the countless number of players who have steered him toward success, McGuinness appreciates his parents for supporting his passion for coaching. He also maintains a great relationship with upstate New York basketball coaching great Nicholas Lambros, who he credits for being a critical influence on his career and continues to stay in touch with today.
“He’s 85 now and he has the energy of a 30-year-old. He’s nuts,” said McGuinness, who met Lambros while coaching at Hartwick from the late 2000s until the mid-2010s. “He’s coached forever. He would sit on my bench. He would sit next to me every game when I first got in as head coach. I don’t think I’m where I’m at now, I’m not here without him helping me coach, figure out what to do. Stuff we still run is stuff that he ran.”
(A note on how small the basketball world truly is: Lambros originally was an assistant for Roy Chipman at Hartwick before taking over as head coach from 1977-1998. Chipman’s coaching tree includes Lambros, as well as John Calipari, Seth Greenberg and Bruiser Flint when Roy was at Pittsburgh in the 1980s.)
After McGuinness finished his playing career at West Virginia’s Bethany College in 2002, McGuinness helped assist at Hartwick in the 2003-04 season. He went on to hold similar associate positions at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York and at Case Western from 2006-09, where he was the head coach for the first time with the Spartans’ junior varsity team.
Hartwick is where McGuinness earned his reputation as a program changer. Used to consistent success and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Hawks took a downturn when Lambros stepped away as head coach in the late 1990s. Even when McGuinness was there for a brief moment early as an assistant, it was among the poorest seasons in the university’s history.
So when he went back to Hartwick as a first-time varsity head coach in 2009, with only one winning season at that point since 1995, McGuinness had to restore a once-elite program to its expected standard. He was 28 years old and felt the pressure. Through it all, however, he was able to get the job done over time.
“We were able to recruit. We got the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in our school history the next year [Jared Suderley]. We were able to get a transfer too that helped us. We just started rolling and then we were the team to beat. It was a small college. I had a great time there. It was a great experience, made a lot of great friends.”
Following an impressive run where he won Empire 8 Coach of The Year (2011-12) and the third-most games in the school’s history (114-72) while guiding the Hawks to three Empire 8 conference championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, McGuinness sought after returning to Cleveland in 2016.
Balancing Academics and Athletics: Coach McGuinness’s Journey with Case Western Basketball
An avid boater, McGuinness was drawn to living in a city with a big body of water. He also already knew of Case Western’s respected academic reputation, meaning student athletes would be focused on their grades and the sport they played above all else.
“Our guys are here for school. They come in here because they’re going to a top-30 private research university in the country, but also they’re here because they love basketball. School’s 1A and basketball’s 1B,” McGuinness said.
“Our guys are in the gym all the time. They’re putting in just as much work as the guys at Cleveland State and maybe some of the guys with the Cavs. Their summers, they’re working to get better. Instead of having all day to do stuff, they might be in a computer science class or an engineering class, then they get in the gym right after that ends.”
Once again, though, McGuinness had work to do with a hoops team that had historically struggled.
Even with signs of early progress — particularly a win over sixth-ranked Rochester in his first season and then a five-game University Athletic Association winning streak in his second — it wasn’t until a lost season that the Spartans really took off.
McGuinness will never forget that moment. He was sitting in the middle of Lake Erie during the coronavirus pandemic when he learned of the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule. Immediately, he picked up the phone to call a coach at another four-year school to ask if his son would play for the Spartans, who had a grad program and an extra season of eligibility to offer. Once McGuinness found that option as a recruiting pitch, it opened the floodgates of possibility.
“I think it was just a niche that we never had here as a program,” McGuinness said. “We get here [in 2020-21] and it started turning. You could see it. We got some new life in here. We got some guys that, one game as grad guys, and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna be pretty good.’ And we went to the Sweet Sixteen that year and then last year we won the UAA for the first time in our school history.
“The crazy thing is we went from never being able over .500 in our conference; 6-8 was the best record in our school history. And then, the year after COVID, we went 9-5 in the conference. And then last year, we went 11-3 and won the UAA. I looked down there and there’s two banners on the wall. When I got here, I thought I was never seeing another NCAA Tournament again, and now, it’s expected. I’d tell people, ‘Woah, woah, let’s remember the past’ (laughs). But it’s been great. I think it just shows you that good players go a long way. That’s the main thing. We were able to get some good players and then formulate ’em.”
The more he’s coached, the calmer McGuinness has become too. Once self-described as “a maniac” who “probably put miles on” roaming the sidelines, you’ll now find him sitting often and offering encouragement more than scolding his players as he might have before. McGuinness shares that his practices are even a little lighter than they used to be because the games carry more weight. It’s just adapting to the times and understanding that players want to win just as much as he does. That’s why they’re there.
“We kinda know when to push ’em and when not to,” McGuinness said. “These kids are trying their hardest and I don’t need to be all over ’em all the time. I think that’s really helped our guys play better too. I still get mad at guys, but I’m pretty calm. Whatever you see in practice you pretty much see in games. I still get after the refs. They drive me nuts, but that’s everyone.”
Transitioning from player to assistant to head coach, McGuinness feels his perspective from all angles has helped him connect on a deeper level. Maintaining relationships is the most important thing to do in each position, no matter how the responsibilities change. Tougher conversations have to be had as a head coach, as well as more of the management side.
There’s also one major lifestyle change that’s part of the job that nobody talks about.
“When games start, my sleep goes to hell,” McGuinness said with a chuckle. “Your sleep pattern changes once the season starts. Especially after wins, you’re so juiced up. It’s hard to sleep. And then the next day you’re up and ready to go and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I need to go back to bed.’
“The main thing I try to tell guys when they want to get into looking at being a head coach, I’m like, ‘Make sure you figure out your sleep pattern ’cause it’s gonna change.’ You’re gonna have a lot of energy after some wins that you never knew. The win as a head coach feels like when you’re a player. When you’re an assistant you’re still excited, but once it’s your own program, it goes back to the joy you felt as a player when you win games. That’s a pretty special feeling.”
Coach McGuinness’s Vision: Building a Division III Basketball Powerhouse at Case Western
Todd McGuinness cutting down the nets. (Photo Credit: OHHoops.org)
Asked about his goals, McGuinness is somebody who lives in the present and doesn’t look ahead. He enjoys coaching the Spartans and loves being involved in Division III basketball, noting how talented the players are and how competitive the games can be.
“We have a unique conference. It’s the Ivy League of schools and ACC of basketball. We had five out of eight teams in the NCAA Tournament last year. I think right now our conference [UAA] in the first week, it’s 20-2 or one loss or something like that as a conference. So it’s insane,” McGuinness said. “Especially in Ohio, you think about the OHC and the NCAC. John Carroll right up the road and Mount Union real close. There are some really good players that either were Division I players or had opportunities to play Division I.
“We have probably two or three guys on our team that have had multiple Division II offers that just were like, ‘I’m gonna go to a great academic school over taking a scholarship.’ I tell people all the time if you come to our games and our conference games, you’re gonna see something, a dunk or two that you’re gonna be like, ‘What just happened there? What am I watching?’ I think when people actually come to games at Division III, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’d rather go watch this game than watch a Division I game.’ It’s 90-88 and it’s up and down. Everyone’s talented, everyone’s shooting.”
While he doesn’t downplay the differences in size and athleticism, he points out the amount of skill level being at “an all-time high.”
“You think about Duncan [Robinson]. Duncan started out playing Division III. There’s other guys. Even [Max] Strus, he played Division II to start. He was at Lewis. He was at Division II then came up,” McGuinness said.
“I don’t worry about our guys trying to play overseas. Our guys are going to become doctors. One of our best players last year, he had a year to come back, but he got a job at Rolls Royce working in propulsion. So that’s gonna trump coming back for a grad year, I get that.”
McGuinness wants to build a consistent national powerhouse at Case Western. He is a Pittsburgh guy who enjoys living in Cleveland. When he’s not busy recruiting, he gets to enjoy his summers and take in life. Being a head coach of a basketball team, it’s a pretty good gig.
“If you look at the coaches in our conference, there’s only eight of ’em. No one leaves. Everyone usually keeps these jobs forever ’cause you get to live in a major city and coach high-academic kids and pretty good players,” McGuinness said.
The 4-0 Spartans will have a nine-day break before hosting Capital University to continue non-conference play.
