High school hoops: Ohio State offers Centerville’s Gabe Cupps

Centerville's Gabe Cupps drives the lane during Sunday's Division I state championship game vs. Westerville Central at UD Arena. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

Centerville's Gabe Cupps drives the lane during Sunday's Division I state championship game vs. Westerville Central at UD Arena. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

Ohio State is the newest scholarship offer for Gabe Cupps.

The Centerville junior, a starting guard on the Elks’ state championship team last season, announced the news Wednesday afternoon after visiting with coach Chris Holtmann in Columbus.

Cupps received his first Division I offer last week from Xavier and has since added offers from Miami University, College of Charleston and Brown.

Last week, Ohio State offered a scholarship to Wayne point guard Lawrent Rice, a three-star prospect in the same class who is the No. 3 player in the state according to 247Sports.

No. 1 is Rayvon Griffith, a shooting guard from Cincinnati Taft who also has an Ohio State offer, while Marlon Barnes Jr. of Brush High School near Cleveland is ranked second.

Cupps averaged 15.2 points and 4.9 assists for the Elks last season. He shot 48.9 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from 3-point range.

Ohio State has no commitments for the class of 2023 but has three for 2022 — all guards.

Roddy Gayle Jr. of Youngstown, N.Y., is the No. 40 player in the country while Bruce Thornton of Alpharetta, Ga., is No. 61 and Bowen Hardman of Cincinnati Princeton is No. 139.

At least two of Cupps teammates are bona fide Division I prospects as well.

Tom House, a 6-5 guard in the class of 2022 who led the Elks with 17.2 points per game as a junior, received an offer from Wright State. Earlier in the month, the Ohio Bobcats offered House a scholarship. He also picked up an offer from Oral Roberts in May and Mercer in April.

Centerville’s third-leading scorer, Rich Rolf, a 6-7 forward in the class of 2022 who averaged 14.1 points per game as a junior, received his first Division I scholarship offer on May 30 from Radford. Dayton’s former director of basketball of operations, James Haring, is now on the staff at Radford.

In addition, Centerville senior-to-be Cotie McMahon is a verbal commit to the Ohio State women’s basketball team.

McMahon is a four-star prospect and the No. 3 wing in the country per ESPN.com’s Hoopgurlz Basketball Prospectus.

About the Author