Northeast Ohio Youth  Elite is an organization founded by former Mr. Basketball of Ohio, Sonny Johnson. NEO Youth Elite hosts basketball camps & showcases for young basketball players to improve their skills. We also help young athletes get local, state, & national recognition for their outstanding effort and talent on the basketball court. Once players attend a NEO Youth Elite camp or showcase, they will play against great competition.

Players also get skill training from some of the nation’s best.  Our trainers are skilled at recognizing talent and providing appropriate feedback to athletes in an effort to help them reach their full potential. Players will be evaluated according to their performance during camps by qualified basketball evaluators.

              Sonny Johnson is the current head coach of Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1998, Sonny was named  Mr. Basketball for the state of Ohio. Sonny played  basketball at Ohio University and graduated in 2003. Sonny has two brothers who also played college basketball at the division one level.  Julius Johnson played for Miami of Ohio and Demetrius Johnson played for Kent State and IPFW.  Garfield Heights is considered a state and local powerhouse that is producing many college athletes. Since Sonny Johnson took the helm as head coach, Garfield Heights has been considered one of Ohio's top high school basketball teams. Check out some of his accolades:

• 1998 Ohio's Mr. Basketball
• Last 4 high school games scored 48, 51, 40, 52 points
• Plain Dealer Player of the Week 1997
• 2- Time Plain Dealer Player of the Week 1998
• 1st Team All Lake Erie League 1997 & 1998
• Plain Dealer Best of the Best 1997 & 1998
• Lake Erie League Most Valuable Player 1997 & 1998
• 1st Team All Northeast Lakes District 1997 & 1998
• All Northeast Lakes District Co-Most Valuable Player 1998
• 1st Team All Cuyahoga County 1997 & 1998
• Plain Dealer Cuyahoga County Player of the Year 1998
• 1997 Plain Dealer Scoring Champion (26.3 ppg; 524 total pts)
• 1998 Plain Dealer Scoring Champion (34.0 ppg; 680 total pts.)
• 1998 Plain Dealer Rebounding Champion (17.6 rpg; 354 total rebds.)
• Honorable Mention All -American 1997 & 1998
• 1st Team All Ohio 1997-1998
• All -Ohio Tri- Most Valuable Player 1998
• Cleveland Cavaliers Nate Thurmond Award Winner 1998
• Shattered 12 Garfield Heights High School Basketball records
• Top 100 player in the nation

 COACH STATS

   

• Overall Coaching Record: 205-56
• Conference Championships: 2006-7, 2007-8, 2008-9, 2010-11, , 2012-12, 2014-15
• Winning Percentage: 80%
• State Final Four: 2010-2011, 2014-2015, 2015-2016

 WHAT INSPIRED NEO YOUTH ELITE?

               Johnson prides himself on working tirelessly for his basketball players to make sure they have the opportunity to attend college on basketball scholarships.  He does this by training, mentoring, and advocating for his players. Since 2004, Coach Johnson has developed and trained 18 division one-basketball players. Below are student athletes that furthered their education and basketball careers at colleges and universities in Coach Johnson's 13 years of coaching. 
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Some of Coach Johnson's recent graduates currently playing in college include: David Bell (Ohio State), Trey Lewis (Penn Sate), Rob Wilson (Wisconsin), Carl Jones (St. Joes) See complete list below.                              

COLLEGE PLAYERS 

2005-2006            Josh Mallory                         Berea University (D2) 
2006-2007            Daitwan Eppinger               Cleveland St.(D1) 
2006-2007            Marcus Mitchell                  Wooster (D3) 
2006-2007            Shawn Jones                          Central State (D2)
2006-2007            Chaz Jackson                         Mount Union (D3 )
2007-2008            Donzell Jones                       Thiel University (D3) 
2007-2008            Robert Wilson                      Wisconsin (D1)  
2007-2008            Paul McQueen                       Clarion (D2) 
2008-2009            Bilal Young                            Rio Grande (D1)
2007-2008            Lathan Bennett                   Berea Univ (D2) 
2007-2008            Anthony Steplight             Lakeland
2008-2009           Carl "Tay" Jones                  St. Joe’s (D1)
2008-2009           Andre Jackson                    Bethany (D2)  
2008-2009           Mario Hines                           IPFW (D1)  
 2008-2009          Roy Brown                            Alderson-Broaddus (D2) 
2008-2009           Fred Chatman                     UMKC (D1)
2009-2010            John Jacobs                         Owens College
2010-2011              Ricardo Chatmon              CCAC 
2010-2011              Trey Lewis                             Penn State (D1)
2010-2011              Doran Phillips                    Theil University (D3)  
2010-2011              Will Weeks                           UNC Ashville  (D1)
2010-2011              BJ Dayes                                Genesee (NY)
2011-2012              Mike Davis                            Northern Illinois (D1)
2011-2012              Marquis Jackson             Theil
2011-2012             Kenny Simpson                   Wabash
2011-2012             Brett Thomas                     Wilberforce
2011-2012            Jermaine Davis                    LaSalle (D1)
2011-2012            Terrill Byrd                         Lakeland
2012-2013           Robbie Hurst                        Edison
2012-2013           Richard Parker                 Berea(D2) 
2013-2014          David Bell                             Ohio State Univ(D1)
2013-22014        Al Burge                                 Longwood (D1)
2013-2014          Vonte Montgomery           Fairmont  St.(D2) 
2014-2015         Branden Johnson              Alabama State (D1)
2014-2015         Kyle Stergis                          Urbana (D2) 
2014-2015         Raymel Franklin                Jackson College​
​2015-2016         Frankie Hughes                   Louisville (D1)
2015-2016         Willie Jackson                    Missouri (D1)
2015-2016         Charles Jackson               
2015-2016         Braun Hartfield               Youngstown St.
2015-2016         Frankie Hughes                 Louisville(D1)
2016-2017        Dae John Bey                       Northwestern OH (D1)
2016-2017        Marreon Jackson             Toledo (D1)
2016-2017        Shawn Christian               Cleveland State (D1)
2016-2017        Leonard Cottrell             Monroe (NY)
2016-2017        McRay White                        Lourdes University
2017-2018       Julian Whiteside                Lakewood
2017-2018       Donovan Forte                  Jacksonville
2017-2018       Keandre Graves                Central Christian
2017-2018       Alex Heath                           Lincoln Trail
2018-2019        Taj Mal Toney
2018-2019       Alonzo Gaffney                Ohio State
2018-2019       Jordan Black                     Thiel University
2018-2019       Bryson Whaler                  North West Florida      
2019-2020      Ronald Davis                      Thiel University
2019-2020      Jessie Lester                       Lincoln trail
20192-2020     Markeo Bolden                Terra 
2019-2020      Gilbert Davis                       Lincoln Trail
2019-2020      Terris Jackson
2019-2020       Makail Cottingham       Clarion
2019-2020       Mechie Johnson            Ohio State
2019-2020       Tyler Jackson                Lincoln trail
2019-2020        Xen Bolden                     Penn State College
2021-2022       Sonny Johnson              Penn State University

VIDEOS