AKRON — Get ready to feel the heat.
The Brunswick boys basketball team (21-4) will have another shot to add to its already impressive resume tonight when it plays storied Canton McKinley (21-5) in a University of Akron Division I Regional semifinal at 7.
Infused with four starters thanks to a merger with Timken, the Bulldogs are athletic, skilled and feature two D-I college players.
The winner tonight will face Lima (27-0) and Mr. Basketball favorite Xavier Simpson, who will play with Medina’s Jon Teske at the University of Michigan, on Saturday night. Lima defeated Lorain 46-38 at the University of Toledo on Wednesday.
“To be honest, Monday they got back to practice and got their heads refocused on the next task,” Blue Devils coach Joe Mackey said. “They’ll have plenty of time to talk about the Medina win in the offseason because we know McKinley is going to be a stiff challenge for us.
“They’re definitely enjoying the moment, the community support and all that, but we’re really focused on Canton McKinley right now.”
A 48-time regional qualifier, 23-time state qualifier and three-time state champion, McKinley has won nine of its last 10, with the loss coming 75-70 to D-II superpower St. Vincent-St. Mary. Four-fifths of the starting lineup played for Timken, which went 20-4 and lost to Medina in the district semifinals last season, before its high school was shut down in a budget-cutting move.
Headlining the Bulldogs is versatile 6-foot-5 guard LePear Toles, an ESPN three-star recruit with offers from Ohio, Kent State, Akron and Tennessee-Martin. The four-year starter has 1,291 career points and is averaging 20.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.5 steals in the postseason, highlighted by a 20-10-5-5 line against Massillon Jackson in the Canton District championship.
McKinley’s other high-profile player is Akron recruit Jordan Davis (10.4 ppg), a beefy 6-7 center with soft hands and good footwork. Davis began his career at Garfield Heights, but never appeared in a game against Brunswick.
“(Toles) really is good off the bounce,” Mackey said. “He’s really good in transition and he’s really good at getting to the basket, so we have to keep him out of the paint. He’s a tough guard for us, obviously.
“We’ve got to contain him, and they’ve got some shooters on the perimeter and the D-I kid (Davis) in the middle. It’s a tough matchup not only for us, but for every team that plays them.”
McKinley also will start 3-point threat Darryl Straughter (5-10, sr., 12.1) and X-factor T.J. Lipkins (6-1, sr., 9.8). The fifth starter likely will be Isaiah Williams (6-2, sr., 3.6) or Kynan Hall (6-2, sr., 5.3).
Coach Rick Hairston’s squad is known for tremendous full-court pressure similar to what Brunswick faced against Lorain in the Midview District semifinals last season. The Bulldogs average 69.2 points and are 11-0 when they score at least 71.
“We know they’re going to pressure us,” Mackey said. “We just have to do a good job taking care of the ball and attacking. We won’t slow the pace, but we definitely don’t want the game in the 80s or 90s. We’re going to attack when the opportunity presents itself.”
Brunswick is arguably the top 3-point team in the state, as its 263 total ranks eighth in Ohio history. The Blue Devils have won 14 of their last 15 games, including twice over archrival Medina and the 7-1 Teske.
Brunswick will start Kyle Goessler (5-10, fr., 5.6 ppg), Zach Cebula (6-2, sr., 11.7, 64-of-158 3-pointers, 44-of-49 free throws), Aaron Badowski (6-6, sr., 8.8, 5.4 rpg, 47-of-106 threes), Kevin Simmons (6-1, sr., 15.5, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg) and Michael Quiring (5-10, sr., 14.1, 3.9 rpg, 4.4 apg, 57-of-146 threes).
“It’s important for our guys that you’ve got to enjoy the process,” Mackey said. “You can’t have guys not enjoy the week, but I’ve been really impressed with how they’ve focused all week long following the script and the game plan. I’m interested to see how we come out (tonight).”