Burg's Rucker to play for Shawnee State MBB program

Pursuing any passion in one’s life at a high level takes a strong will and determination, especially to do it correctly.

An All-Ohio talent in both football and basketball, Wheelersburg graduate Braylon Rucker certainly earned his flowers in both sports with the success that the six-footer was able to obtain during his career. Rucker even ran track this past season as an effective sprinter and relay talent, helping the Pirates qualify in both the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 meter relays.

Now, Rucker is looking to showcase his abilities for a program that he’s long admired from afar, as Rucker will suit up for the Shawnee State men’s basketball program as the Bears begin their first season at the NCAA Division II level beginning with the 2026-27 campaign.

“I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to play the sport I love just a little bit longer,” Rucker said. “I’m thankful I get to do it at a school so close to home.”

A highly skilled athlete who routinely looked to attack immediately in transition on the hardwood, Rucker was a two-time First-Team All-Southeast District and two-time All-Ohio honoree at the quarterback position. Rucker accumulated a 32-10 overall record in three seasons as Wheelersburg’s starting quarterback, and, in 2025, Rucker led Wheelersburg to a 14-1 overall record.

During that 2025 season, one where Wheelersburg returned to the OHSAA Division V State Championship Game for the first time since winning it all in 2017, Rucker completed 130 of his 170 pass attempts for 1,643 yards and 15 touchdowns while being picked off just twice. No. 4 also toted the rock 120 additional times for 578 yards while scoring eight touchdowns in 2025.

Those totals ultimately amounted to 2,221 yards and 23 touchdowns in all in a prolific 2025 season where the Pirates tallied 4,181 yards of total offense with Rucker calling the shots at quarterback.

Rucker then continued to excel on the hardwood, ultimately earning All-Southeast District honors three times in the sport.

As a sophomore, junior and senior, Rucker posted 12, 18.3 and 16.9 points per game respectively in his last three seasons of high school basketball. Rucker was a Second-Team All-Southeast District honoree as a sophomore and upped his accolades to first team billing as a junior and senior. He eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career and helped the Pirates go 47-24 over his final three seasons of play with Wheelersburg, earning Honorable Mention All-Ohio status in the 2023-24 season and Special Mention All-Ohio accolades in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

With no basketball in the spring, Rucker focused on track and field and, true to form, earned All-Southeast District honors in the sport as a result of helping Wheelersburg qualify for the state meet in both the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 meter relay events.

“I’ve played basketball and football for as long as I can remember,” Rucker said. “Every memory I have, I always had a ball in my hand. Track was new to me. I usually played AAU basketball in the spring but couldn’t this year so I gave it a shot. I’m glad that I did.”

Rucker finished his high school career as a six-time All-District and four-time All-Ohio honoree between three different sports with a state championship game appearance and a state championship meet appearance to boot.

“Our senior year was definitely special,” Rucker said. “We played a football state championship on Saturday and basketball started that Sunday. Then I had an opportunity to compete at the state track meet in the spring. I was very blessed. It was something that I’ll never forget or take for granted. Wheelersburg is blessed with great coaches and a great community, but my teammates were my brothers. We grew up together and played for each other. That’s what made the difference.”

After spending time over the summer, Rucker, who had competed in front of Shawnee State’s coaching staffs over the years at various basketball camps including elite camps that had been held at Waller Gymnasium in the past, wasn’t ready to hang up his sneakers from a competitive standpoint.

“I think I’ve always wanted to play college ball,” Rucker said. “After graduation, I just wasn’t ready to quit competing. I had some down time, so I’ve just been putting in the work. I’m looking forward to this new challenge.”

Rucker will be joining a Shawnee State men’s basketball program that is in the middle of its most successful stretch in program history.

Prior to the 2019-20 season, the Bears never qualified for a national tournament and had eight winning seasons in its first 31 campaigns as a program.

Since the start of the 2019-20 academic year, however, that success has completely reversed. Shawnee State has had seven consecutive winning seasons, and in its final seven seasons as an NAIA member, qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in five out of those seven seasons. The Bears won the NAIA National Championship during the 2020-21 season.

In 2025-26, Shawnee State went 24-7 with a roster that was arguably its best overall collection of skill and talent since that 2020-21 NAIA National Championship unit.

The expectation is that the Bears — while not eligible for postseason competition in the NAIA realm — will enjoy its eighth consecutive winning season in 2026-27 between the talent that’s returning as well as what’s been brought in under second-year head coach Fred Lymas, a former NCAA Division I assistant at Florida A&M, fourth-year Shawnee State assistant coach Chandler Fointno, and first-year SSU assistant Daniel Autry.

“Last spring, I took every opportunity I could to get in front of them,” Rucker said. “I grew up playing there and attended every camp they had. I’m thankful (Fred) Lymas and Coach Chan (Chandler Fointno) are giving me this opportunity. Coach Lymas and Coach Chan are building something special here at Shawnee State. Their success last season speaks for itself. I’m excited for the program and very happy to be a part of it.”

With his future...

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