The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Big Ten comes calling
Ohio State, Michigan among colleges contacting West Geauga’s Irwin
Josh Irwin’s freshman season at West Geauga ranked among the best by first-year players in Ohio.
As Irwin prepares for his sophomore campaign, he’s already garnered significant attention from top flight basketball programs at the next level. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward has been in contact with a host of Division I schools — headlined by Ohio State and Michigan.
“It’s pretty crazy, thinking about it,” Irwin said. “It’s been my dream to play college ball since I started playing. When you get that phone call from a Division I college coach saying ‘Hey, we’re kind of interested in you,’ it’s kind of surreal, you know?”
Irwin attended Michigan’s elite camp in June, and he said he played “really well.” Irwin is in the process of scheduling unofficial visits to the Wolverines and Buckeyes, where he plans to go in the fall and take in a football game. The schools will also be watching him play with his AAU team, tNBA East Black, during the second evaluation period throughout July.
Irwin was recently invited to Kent State’s camp in August. Other schools in contact with the rising sophomore are Bowling Green State, Akron and Duquesne.
Irwin’s grown since the end of the winter season and his versatility out of the frontcourt makes him an attractive prospect to college coaches.
“They really like that I can shoot the ball,” Irwin said. “That’s what they all say, they like that I can shoot the ball, I’m a good rebounder. But then the one thing they always say, just to work on your ballhandling.”
Alongside his ballhandling, Irwin’s improving his physical skill. He’s worked on adding to his vertical leap, quickness and strength. He’s added 10 pounds during the offseason.
During the first evaluation period, Irwin played in Columbus and Pittsburgh. His AAU club heads back to Columbus and visits Fort Wayne, Ind., this month.
As a freshman, Irwin averaged a double-double with 15.2 points and 11 rebounds per game. Alongside Chardon’s Alex Sulka, a Kellogg Award finalist, South’s Damion Williams and Lake Catholic’s Luka Eller, Irwin was one of four area players to average a double-double.
Irwin helped lead the Wolverines to their first conference title in more than a decade. West Geauga went 19-3 and finished 12-2 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division. As a freshman, Irwin was second on the team with 34 made 3-pointers and 2.8 assists per game and led the team with 1.7 blocks per game.
Irwin’s inside-out game will be further showcased during his sophomore season as West Geauga lost guards Jax Shenkel and Caleb Ramey to graduation.
Irwin was a D-II third team Northeast Lakes District selection. He was challenged by the high school game but adjusted quickly. Irwin credited sitting on the bench next to his father, Doug, watching him coach since Irwin was 5.
“It’s tougher than I thought it was,” Irwin said. “The game speed is crazy, the guys are much physical than I thought they were going to be, they didn’t take it easy at all. That’s about it, and I adjusted pretty quickly to it.”