High school basketball: What to know about the MVL so far

Butler's Jon-Fayne Cunningham passes from the baseline as he is guarded by Tippecanoe's Jackson Smith, who did a little bit of everything for the Red Devils and scored 20 points. Jeff Gilbert/CONGTRIBUTED

Butler's Jon-Fayne Cunningham passes from the baseline as he is guarded by Tippecanoe's Jackson Smith, who did a little bit of everything for the Red Devils and scored 20 points. Jeff Gilbert/CONGTRIBUTED
Sports
By
Jan 3, 2025
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One third of the way through the high school basketball season, the defending champions are off to strong starts in the Miami Valley League.

That goes for both the boys and the girls as many of the league’s top players from last season are back this winter.

ExploreWhat to know about the GWOC so far

Here is a closer look at what’s gone on so far in each division:

MVL boys

In the Miami division, Butler is 8-0 overall and 7-0 in league play while defending champion Tippecanoe is 6-1 overall and 6-0 in the league.

In the Valley division, defending champion Sidney leads the way at 6-1 overall and in the league.

Tipp and Sidney play Friday night in Sidney. The Yellow Jackets’ only loss came at home to Butler 63-52 last Friday night.

Tippecanoe’s CJ Bailey and Sidney’s A’zon Steele lead the league in scoring at 18 points per game. Steele is No. 1 in assists (4.1) while West Carrollton’s Chylan Ingram of West Carrollton is No. 1 in rebounds (14.7).

Bailey and Steele made the All-MVL first team last season, as did center Julius Rusk of Butler and Sidney guard Julius Spradling.

Rusk (12.2 ppg.) and senior guard TJ Green (11.1 ppg.) are Butler’s leading scorers so far this season while Spradling is averaging 12 points and 7.0 rebounds.

MVL girls

In the Miami division, defending champion Butler is 10-0 overall and 7-0 in league play, two games ahead of Tippecanoe.

In the Valley division, Stebbins and Sidney are 7-2 overall, and the Indians are 6-0 in league play while the Yellow Jackets are 5-1.

Tippecanoe freshman guard Abbi Mader leads the league with 17.7 points per game and is shooting 34.5 percent from 3-point range.

Sidney senior Kelis McNeal leads the league in assists (3.3 per game) and steals (5.4) while Raniah Nicholson of West Carrollton is the top rebounder (10.3 per game). McNeal is second in rebounds (9.5).

Jordan Scully, a 5-8 senior guard, is a returning first-team all-conference pick and is averaging 16.6 points per game for Sidney while junior guard Aubrey Fritz, another first-teamer last season, is averaging 15.4 points per game for Stebbins.

Butler has wins over Tippecanoe and Sidney with a visit from Stebbins scheduled for Friday night.

Sidney has lost to Butler and Chaminade Julienne with a visit from Tippecanoe scheduled for Saturday and a trip to Stebbins set for Monday.

The Yellow Jackets won the division by two games over West Carrollton and Stebbins last season.

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Marcus Hartman has been a digital sports columnist and reporter at Cox's Ohio newspapers the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News since 2016.