SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Lakewood St. Edward basketball coach Eric Flannery stopped short of calling Carl Kremer the best high school boys’ basketball coach in Ohio early Monday afternoon.
Yet his point was made loud and clear.
“I have nothing but respect for Coach Kremer and Moeller,” Flannery told reporters on the Ohio High School Athletic Association media teleconference. “I think they are kind of the standard that everybody wants to be at right now with the run they’ve had the past few years.”
The Moeller basketball team (27-0) is not only the talk of Greater Cincinnati but the Crusaders are the only undefeated boys’ basketball remaining in this week’s state Final Four across four divisions statewide. Keep in mind 798 schools had varsity boys’ basketball teams in Ohio this winter.
“You can use all the motivation you want but the reality is they are a pretty darn good basketball team,” Flannery said.
Moeller plays St. Ed’s (19-8) in a Division I state semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. This will be the first meeting since the 2007 state semifinal in which Moeller won and eventually captured the state title.
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Friday’s winner plays either Powell Olentangy Liberty (24-4) or Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (23-3) in the state final at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
Moeller, ranked No. 14 nationally by the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, has been on quite the pace the past three seasons. The reigning state champions have won 47 consecutive games and are 82-4 since the 2016-17 season.
Moeller is trying to be the first Division I state boys' basketball champion to go undefeated since Zanesville (26-0) in 1995. The last time a Southwest District boys' basketball team went undefeated at the large school level was Dayton Chaminade (27-0 in Class AA) in 1970.
A large school boys' basketball team hasn't been undefeated in the Greater Cincinnati area since Hamilton Taft won the Class AA title in 1962 (27-0).
But, Kremer says none of that matters in this moment of preparation for the Crusaders.
“We never talk about win streaks or what we are going to do in the future,” Kremer said. “We try to win every day individually. We put no value in our record.”
The formula has worked for the Crusaders the past few seasons. The emphasis is about the next opponent and nothing else.
Even though Moeller graduated four starters from the 2018 state championship team, the Crusaders haven’t dwelled on last season.
Moeller, which has four state titles, is led by senior forward Alec Pfriem (Bellarmine University signee) and senior guard Miles McBride (West Virginia).
Pfriem, who averages 14.3 points, is making his fourth consecutive state Final Four appearance (two with Roger Bacon, two with Moeller).
McBride, known as a defensive standout, averages 14.1 points.
Senior guard Michael Shipp, junior guard Max Land and sophomore forward Logan Duncomb are the others in the starting rotation.
“To be in the final four is awesome,” Kremer said. “…We are really excited for Friday night.”
The Crusaders are getting it done defensively, allowing just an average of 38.6 points while scoring 66.5 points.
“There is a reason why they are undefeated,” Flannery said.
St. Ed’s, winners of the Cleveland regional, is back in the final four after its most recent appearance in 2017. The Eagles may not be as big or as deep or even as skilled as in years past, but they have found a way to advance throughout this tournament.
The Eagles are led by senior guard Demetrius Terry (13.9 points per game), who is a three-year starter. The Eagles’ starting five also has senior forward Spencer Crane, junior forward Devontae Blanton (14.2 ppg.), junior guard Grant Huffman (14 ppg.) and junior guard Montorie Foster (8.8 ppg.).
“Our guys have to be ready to play one of the most talented teams we’ve played all year,” Kremer said.
