College notebook: Former basketball stars from 9th and 10th Regions enjoying success at next level

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

A number of former basketball standouts from local high schools continued their careers in college and enjoyed plenty of success this season. Here’s a look at how several basketball stars from the 9th and 10th Regions did this winter while away at college.

Cooper Theobald, Covington Catholic High School — Theobald just completed his junior year at Transylvania University and averaged 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-1 Theobald also dished out 3.0 assists per contest and made a team-leading 105 free throws as the Pioneers posted a 17-9 overall record this season.

On Jan. 27, Theobald became the 48th member of Transylvania’s 1,000-point club during a 70-69 loss to Rose-Hulman. The CovCath graduate netted his milestone on a runner in the lane midway through the first half and finished with 20 points in that game.

Theobald earned honorable mention All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference accolades this season, a year after being named to the second team. He scored in double figures 14 times as a junior, including a career-high 44 points against Anderson (Ind.) during the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Feb. 20.

In that 44-point performance, Theobald hit 12 of 17 shots from the floor and converted 18 of 23 free throws in 35 minutes of play. The Ft. Mitchell native also grabbed 10 rebounds in that game.

While at CovCath, Theobald played on the 2014 state championship team and was co-captain of the 2015 squad that advanced to the state semifinals. He averaged 12.4 points and 3.7 rebounds average per game as a senior and was selected to both the 35th District and 9th Region All-Tournament teams.

•James Bolden, Holmes High School — A sophomore guard at West Virginia University, Bolden averaged 8.7 points per game this season as the Mountaineers finished 26-11 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Bolden also shot 69-for-168 (.411) from 3-point range and made 83.7 percent of his free throws.

Bolden opened the season by scoring 19 points in an 88-65 loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 11. During an 86-51 win against Texas on Jan. 20, he buried five shots from 3-point range en route to matching his career high with 19 points. The 6-foot Bolden scored in double figures 18 times this past season. He also averaged 17.2 minutes per game.

During his freshman year at West Virginia, Bolden averaged 3.5 points per game that included a 17-point performance against Oklahoma. He will enter his junior season with 415 career points.

Bolden finished his prep career at Holmes with 2,024 points, 464 rebounds, 402 assists and 227 steals. He averaged 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a senior as Holmes advance to the 9th Region championship game for the third straight year.

Bolden was named all-state three times in his career at Holmes and selected twice as the Player of the Year by the Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association.

•Adam Goetz, St. Henry High School — A sophomore at Mount St. Joseph University, Goetz was a starting guard and averaged 12.5 points per game in 2017-18 as the Lions won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title.

The Erlanger native drained a team-leading 61 shots from 3-point range and helped the Lions post a 17-9 overall record. He was also named second team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Goetz also collected 29 steals and made 85 percent of his free throws this season. He poured in a career-high 27 points during a 92-57 win over Defiance on Feb. 3, knocking down six 3-pointers in that game.

The 6-foot-1 Goetz scored in double figures 15 times this season and has netted a total of 602 career points in two years. He has also made 103 shots from 3-point range during his two seasons at Mount St. Joseph.

During his career at St. Henry, Goetz averaged 14.4 points as a junior and 18.6 points as a senior. He scored more than 1,000 points during his three-year varsity career and was twice named to the Northern Kentucky Division II All-Conference Team.

•Bo Schuh, Covington Catholic High School — Schuh just completed his junior campaign at Transylvania University, where he averaged 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season. A 6-foot-6 forward, Schuh saw action in 22 games and started seven times as Transylvania posted a 17-9 overall record. The Pioneers finished 12-6 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Schuh scored in double figures nine times this season with a high of 17 points during an 80-77 win over Guilford on Dec. 21. He also pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against Hanover on Dec. 6 as Transylvania cruised to a 95-81 victory.

For the season, Schuh made 53.1 percent of his shots from the field. He also buried 17 shots from 3-point range in 47 attempts and converted 85.7 percent (36-for-42 shooting) of his free throws.

Schuh was a starting forward on CovCath’s 2014 state championship basketball team. The Ft. Mitchell native also helped the Colonels advance to the semifinals of the state tournament in 2015 before losing to eventual champion Owensboro. During his three seasons as a varsity starter, the Colonels had a 91-15 record.

Schuh finished his CovCath career with 1,089 points and 677 rebounds. In his senior season, he averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds and was named to the 9th Region all-star team.

•Austin Schreck, Dixie Heights High School — A 6-foot-3 junior guard at Capital University, Schreck averaged a team-leading 15.3 points per game and was named second team All-Ohio Athletic Conference this season. He also dished out a team-leading 60 assists and was second in rebounding (5.2 rpg) as Capital posted a 12-14 overall record.

Schreck netted double-figure scoring in 22 games this season and eclipsed the 20-point mark eight times. The Erlanger native scored a career-high 28 points on Feb. 7 against Marietta, and he also poured in 27 points during Capital’s overtime win over Mount St. Joseph on Dec. 18.

In addition, Schreck shot 10-for-14 from the floor during a 24-point performance against Mount Union on Feb. 3 as Capital posted an 86-74 victory. He grabbed five or more rebounds in 19 games this season and led the team with 833 minutes played. Schreck is also an academic scholar at Capital.

As a senior at Dixie Heights, Schreck averaged 11.4 points per game and led the team in rebounding at 5.1 boards per contest. He was also the cornerstone for the Dixie Heights defense, which limited opponents to less than 50 points per game that season.

•Alex Trentman, Bishop Brossart High School — Trentman helped Christian Brothers University finish with a 21-9 record this season, averaging 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The junior forward also shot 54.7 percent from the field and blocked 23 shots for the Buccaneers, who were nationally ranked in the NCAA Division II poll early in the season.

Trentman scored in double figures six times, with a season-high 17 points and 14 rebounds during a 104-85 victory against West Georgia on Jan. 4. The 6-foot-6 Trentman also hauled in 14 rebounds in a 78-62 win against Shorter (Ga.) on Feb. 8.

A year ago, Trentman scored in double figures 13 times. He poured in a career-high 24 points against Alabama-Huntsville on Feb. 23, 2017. Trentman will enter his senior season at Christian Brothers with 611 points and 477 rebounds.

As a senior year at Brossart, Trentman averaged 19.6 points per game and 8.1 rebounds. He led the Mustangs to a 23-5 record and a district runner-up finish. A two-time All-10th Region performer, Trentman set five school records and finished 11th in career scoring with 1,137 points.

•Cole VonHandorf, Covington Catholic High School — As a freshman at Fairmont State University this season, VonHandorf averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-2 guard helped the Falcons post a 21-8 record and finish 17-5 in the Mountain East Conference, which is a member of the NCAA Division II level.

The 2017 CovCath graduate scored in double figures seven times this season, with a high of 18 points during a 98-97 win against West Liberty on Jan. 28. VonHandorf finished his freshman campaign by scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds during an 89-84 loss to Concord (W.Va.) in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament.

For the season, VonHandorf shot 46.6 percent from the field and made 75.9 percent of his free throws. He was 27-for-70 from 3-point range and started 12 times in 29 games.

As a four-year starter at CovCath, VonHandorf poured in 2,244 career points to become the Colonels all-time leading scorer. He averaged 17.6 points per game as a senior at CovCath and was earned all-state honors three times.

During his senior season at CovCath, VonHandorf shot 53.6 percent from the field, 36.9 percent (45-for-122) from 3-point range and 82 percent from the free-throw line. He was also named the 9th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.

•Jake Ohmer, Scott High School — As a senior at Scott High School in 2016-17, Ohmer forged a legacy on the basketball court that made him a legendary figure during the Eagles’ remarkable run to the Sweet 16. During his just-completed freshman season at Western Kentucky University, Ohmer also enjoyed a number of memorable moments as the Hilltoppers advanced to the semifinals of the NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Western Kentucky finished with a 27-11 record and posted victories over Boston College, USC and Oklahoma State to reach the semifinals of the NIT. The Hilltoppers then dropped a 69-64 decision to Utah in a nationally televised game at Madison Square Garden.

For the season, Ohmer averaged 5.6 points per game and made 79.2 percent of his free throws. He drained 35 shots from 3-point range in 114 attempts this season and averaged 16.5 minutes per game for the Hilltoppers. Ohmer also scored in double figures seven times, with a high of 15 points during a 77-73 win against then-No. 16 Purdue.

As a senior at Scott, Ohmer averaged 27.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and broke school record with 2,705 career points. He shot 52.7 percent from the field as a senior, 41.6 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent from the free-throw line.

Ohmer became a crowd favorite at the Sweet 16 in Lexington, scoring 106 points during three games – the 13th-most ever scored in a single Kentucky state tournament – while leading Scott to the semifinals in Rupp Arena.

•Ben Weyer, Newport Central Catholic High School — A sophomore forward at Bellarmine University, the 6-foot-7 Weyer averaged 8.7 points this season while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. He also converted 75 percent of his free throws and helped Bellarmine finish with a 29-3 overall record that included the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament and regular-season championships.

Weyer appeared in all 32 games and started 22 times, finishing second on the team in 3-pointers made (56) and third in blocks (18). The Ft. Thomas native buried five 3-pointers while scoring a team-high 18 points during an 84-82 win over Indiana-Southeast on Nov. 15.

Weyer drained four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 16 points in a 65-50 win against Wayne State on Nov. 21, and he made four of his five 3-point attempts in scoring 14 points during a 75-69 victory over No. 8 Barry on Nov. 24.

For the season, Weyer scored in double figures 12 times. His top performance was a 19-point effort against Lewis on Dec. 2, when he shot 7-for-12 from the field with a trio of 3-pointers.

As a freshman at Bellarmine in 2016-17, Weyer earned a spot on the GLVC’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 6.8 points per game. He also shot 52.5 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.

During his senior year at NewCath, Weyer averaged 21.6 points and 11.4 rebounds as the Thoroughbreds finished 30-5. Weyer scored 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in NewCath’s 52-47 win over top-ranked Covington Catholic in the 9th Region Tournament championship game.

NewCath then advanced to the state tournament semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Lexington Paul Dunbar. Weyer earned 9th Region Player of the Year honors as a senior and was also named to the all-state team.

•Ethan Snapp, Newport High School — As a sophomore at Urbana University this season, Snapp averaged 9.9 points per game as the Blue Knights posted a 4-24 overall record. He also made 83.3 percent of his free throws and dished out 61 assists.

Snapp drained 44 shots from 3-point range in 120 attempts this season. He started 20 times and saw action in all 28 games.

Snapp scored in double figures 16 times with a season-high 18 points against Notre Dame College on Jan. 20. He also collected 19 steals and averaged 2.3 rebounds per game for Urbana, which finished 3-19 in the Mountain East Conference this season.

A year ago at Urbana, Snapp averaged 5.1 points per game and was second on the team in 3-pointers made with 29. He scored in double figures six times as a freshman, with a season-high 15 points on three different occasions.

While at Newport, Snapp scored more than 1,700 career points. He averaged 19.0 points and 6.1 assists per game as a senior. Snapp was also a three-time Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association all-star selection and led Newport to three appearances in the 9th Region Tournament.

•Matt Wilson, Campbell County High School — Wilson just completed his sophomore season at the United States Military Academy at West Point by averaging 12 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 5.7 boards per contest. The 6-foot-9 Wilson shot a team-leading 59.7 percent from the field and helped the Black Knights finish with a 13-17 record.

Wilson scored in double figures 21 times this season and led the team in rebounding in 11 games. He netted 20 points against Loyola Maryland on Jan. 27 to equal his career-high scoring output.

Wilson recorded double-figure scoring on 16 different occasions as a freshman, with a career-best 20 points in games against Fairfield and St. Bonaventure. He was also named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week three times last season.

While playing at Campbell County, Wilson totaled more than 1,000 career points and rebounds. He was named the 10th Region Player of the Year as a senior. Wilson also was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in Kentucky in 2016 and named to the Kentucky All-Star Team.

•Brandon Hatton, Dixie Heights High School — A 6-foot-2 junior guard at Kentucky Wesleyan College, Hatton averaged 12.4 points per game as the Panthers posted a 15-16 record this season. The former Dixie Heights standout started 13 times and appeared in 27 games for the Panthers, who finished 9-11 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference

Hatton buried a team-leading 62 shots from 3-point range this season and made 84.4 percent of his free throws. He poured in a season-high 30 points during a 76-75 loss at David & Elkins on Feb. 17 and led Kentucky Wesleyan in scoring six times this season.

While a standout for Dixie Heights, Hatton scored 3,045 career points — the most in 9th Region history. Hatton saw action in 183 games at Dixie Heights and drained a school-record 334 shots from 3-point range. He also made 82 percent of his free throws and grabbed 522 rebounds while a member of the Colonels.

Hatton was named 9th Region Player of the Year in 2014 after averaging 25.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He ended his career as just the 31st player in Kentucky high school basketball history to score at least 3,000 points.

Hatton began his college career at the University of Vermont, where he averaged 3.9 points per game in limited action as a freshman in 2014-15. He transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan and averaged 6.5 points per contest in 2016-17 as the Panthers posted a 28-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Kentucky Wesleyan also won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship a year ago.

•Michael Scott, Conner High School — A sophomore at Ohio Dominican University, Scott’s basket with 0.2 seconds remaining lifted the Panthers to a 68-66 upset over No. 11 Findlay in the semifinals of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament on March 2. With the score tied at 66-all and less than 10 seconds left, Ohio Dominican’s Ryan Hoyng stole the ball and found Scott streaking down the court.

Scott converted the layup to give the Panthers the upset over Findlay, which entered the game 26-3 and considered one of the favorites to win the NCAA Division II national title.

Ohio Dominican later knocked off Hillsdale, 71-53, to win the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship and earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Panthers (20-11) finished the season with a loss to eventual national champion Ferris State in first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Scott saw action in 21 games this season and averaged 3.1 points per contest. While at Conner, he scored more than 1,000 career points and earned most valuable player honors in the 33rd District Tournament. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a senior and led Conner to an 18-11 record.

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport