Maysville, Wyoming stars to join forces in North-South All-Star game

"It's a lot better playing with him than playing against him," Nichols said of Wiley, who will play at Ashland. "Obviously, as we know, and as we figured out, that dude can hoop a little bit."

Brown agreed.

"Kellen is obviously a really good player," Brown said. "If any team was going to win a state championship, not that we wanted to lose, but that was the team that deserved it. They worked really hard and you could tell they got a lot better. ... They did it the right way. Those kids grew up together."

Kellen Wiley, of Cincinnati Wyoming, goes up for a shot on Maysville's Gator Nichols during a 68-51 win against in a Division II state semifinal on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Wright State's Nutter Center. Wiley and Nichols will be teammates during the annual Ohio North-South All-Star Classic on April 24 at Olentangy Liberty High School.

The North squad features the likes of Delphos St. John's Cameron Elwer, a Furman signee who was named OHSBCA Mr. Basketball by state coaches. He shot better than 50 percent on 3s as a senior.

Berlin Hiland's Alex Miller, who helped the Hawks win a Division VI state title, will also play for the North. Other North players of note include Dayton signee Julian Washington, of Castalia Margaretta, Lima Senior high flyer Willie Foster, who inked with Northern Kentucky, Toledo signee Manny Johnson, of Canton Central Catholic, and Brunswick sharpshooter Sean Barnett, who hit 88 3s as a senior and will play at Flagler (Florida).

Per usual, Nichols won't exactly pass the look test when compared to his taller, more athletic teammates and counterparts on the North. At a wiry 6-1, is built more like a slot receiver than most basketball players earning scholarships.

The lack of size hasn't stopped him yet.

"It's one more time, one more high school game, I guess, to prove myself that I could play with these dudes," Nichols said. "Obviously, I am going in there and it's an All-Star game — I'm going to have a little fun — but I am going to hopefully go in there and show those dudes I can really play with them."

Brown joins a rare pantheon as someone who played in the game after a standout senior season at Coshocton who now will serve as a head coach.

Brown echoed Nichols in his excitement to be able to coach Nichols a final time.

"There aren't too many area coaches who have gotten to do this," Brown said. "It's a great honor. I'm thankful for the coaches who thought enough of me to be able to do this. Getting to coach Gator one more time is icing on the cake."

Balancing trying to win and ensuring the players have an enjoyable experience is one of the challenges Brown and assistant Greg Ross, of Cincinnati Country Day, face when meshing together some of the state's best players in a short time.

One of them is his own in Nichols.

"You're talking about 24 of the best seniors in the state," Brown said. "I'm excited to see how (Gator) competes against them. I don't think he has ever been outmatched before.

"We're going to get two practices together," Brown added. "Just watching him be able to compete in the practices and then the game, G is like another kid to me. I've just been proud of who he has been in the last four years. I don't know in the rest of my career if I will have another kid like him. It's going to be tough to top what he has done."

Head coach Dave Brown encourages his players from the bench during Maysville's 68-51 loss to Cincinnati Wyoming in a Division IV state semifinal on Thursday, March 18, 2026, at Wright State's Nutter Center. Wyoming advanced to its first state final in program history.

Dick ready to show her worth

Snubbed by All-Ohio voters, the 5-10 Dick, who play volleyball at Mount Vernon Nazarene, was one of two District 12 choices to play for the South squad by coaches. Sarahsville Shenandoah's Brenna Leach will also be part of the team, coached by Franklin Furnace Green's Melissa Knapp and Cincinnati Purcell Marian's Jamar Mosley.

Dick is part of a strong local lineage of girls players to earn spots in the game. Many have thrived before taking their games to college.

In Dick's case, it's her final game on the hardwood. She admittedly didn't know much about the history of the game before doing some digging.

One of her teammates in the game is fellow Southeast District product Sienna Allen, of Portsmouth, who is signed with Ohio University.

"I didn’t realize how much of a privilege it is," Dick said. "Looking at the roster, there are a lot of great players. I didn’t realize the scale of it. I played in the (North-South) volleyball one and it’s not at the same prestige as this is."

Chloe Dick works a move in the lane during the second quarter of New Lexington's 63-31 win against visiting Meadowbrook on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2026, in New Lexington. Ohio. Dick scored a game-high 22 points as the Panthers finished 14-8 in the regular season.

Dick helped lead the Panthers' volleyball team to the Division V state finals — the first team in MVL history to do so — in earning first-team All-Ohio honors. After winning the MVL and a sectional title as a freshman in basketball, her teams never enjoyed the same level of success in the years that followed, even as she produced consistent numbers.

She averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and shot 82 percent at the line as New Lex finished 15-9. Six of its losses were by single digits.

"It is bittersweet for me because I have been playing this longer than volleyball," Dick said. "My brother (Isaac) played and so I wanted to play. I enjoy volleyball better, and in basketball I am too hard on myself sometimes. Losing is something that has always been hard to handle."

This offers a chance to end her career with a win. She called it "a great honor" to even be nominated.

"I'm just so excited that I get to play one last game," Dick said. "We're there Thursday and Friday overnight, with team practices before. I'm just excited to have fun with everyone."

sblackbu@usatodayco.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Maysville, Wyoming stars to join forces in North-South All-Star game