A Coach's Journey to Division I Basketball

2011-07-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

Overall	Name	Height	Position	Projected Level	School	College
1	Marquis Teague	6'2	PG	High Major	Pike	Kentucky
2	Cody Zeller	6'10	PF	High Major	Washington	Indiana
3	Branden Dawson	6'7	SF	High Major	Gary (Lew Wallace)	Michigan State
4	Michael Chandler	6'11	C	High Major	Lawrence North	Central Florida
5	Dee Davis	5'11	PG	High Major	Bloomington (South)	Xavier
6	Austin Etherington	6'6	SF	High Major	Hamilton Heights	Indiana
7	Andy Smeathers	6'6	SF	High Major	Center Grove	Butler
8	Nic Moore	5'8	PG	High Major Stretch	Warsaw	Illinois State
9	Justin Gant	6'8	PF	High Major Stretch	Terre Haute (North)	Indiana State
9	Steven Jamison*	6'6	SF	Mid Major Plus	Broad Ripple	Passed Away*
10	Jeremiah Jones	6'3	SG	Mid Major	Merrillville	SJ NW Miltary Acad.
11	Antonio Wilson	6'6	PF	Mid Major	Fort Wayne (North Side)
12	Kendall Griffin	6'5	SG	Mid Major	Avon	Wright State
13	Austin Richie	6'2	CG	Mid Major	Lowell	Western Michigan
14	Adonis Filer	6'3	SG	Mid Major	Bishop Noll	Brewster Academy
15	Jonny Marlin	5'11	PG	Mid Major	Center Grove	IPFW
16	Alex Pritchett	6'7	PF	Mid Major	Bedford North Lawrence	Wright State
17	Zac VanDeWater	6'4	SG	Mid Major	Whitko	Indiana Wesleyan
18	Chris Page	6'4	SG	Low Major Plus	Plainfield	Albany
19	Michael Albrecht	5'11	PG	Low Major Plus	Crown Point	Northfield Mt. Hermon
20	Max Landis	6'2	PG	Low Major Plus	Perry Meridian	Gardner Webb
21	Spencer Turner	6'3	SG	Low Major Plus	Bloomington (South)	Belmont
22	Joe Crisman	6'4	SG	Low Major Plus	Munster	Loyola (Chicago)
23	Jalen Packer	6'2	PG	Low Major Plus	Princeton	Western Illinois
24	Tyler Greathouse	6'9	PF	Low Major Plus	Columbus North	Indiana Wesleyan
25	Josh Gentry	6'5	SF	Low Major	Pike	North Dakota
26	Jared Smoot	6'9	C	Low Major	Crown Point	Navy
27	Evan Maschmeyer	6'3	SG	Low Major	Jefferesonville	New Hampton Prep
28	Eric Stutz	6'8	PF	Low Major	Castle	Eastern Kentucky
29	William Barnes	6'3	SG	Low Major	Marion	SW Tennessee CC
30	Alec Peterson	6'10	C	Low Major	Carmel	Huntington
31	Dustin Smith	6'2	CG	Low Major	Eastern Hancock	Maine Central Institute
32	P.J. Boutte	5'7	PG	Low Major	Indianapolis (Howe)	Detroit
33	Jerrick Ware	5'10	PG	Low Major Stretch	East Chicago Central	Trinity Valley JC
34	Logan Thomas	6'1	CG	Low Major Stretch	Monroe Central	Ball State (Student)
35	Alexander Hutson	6'1	PG	Low Major Stretch	Seeger	Ancilla JC
36	Juwan Brescacin	6'5	PF	Low Major Stretch	Culver Academy	Northern IL (Fball)
37	Matt Schauss	6'4	SG	Low Major Stretch	Centerville	Bethel College
38	Chandler Thomas	6'5	PF	Low Major Stretch	Cathedral	Maryland-Baltimore Co
39	Demetrius Lawson	6'2	CG	Low Major Stretch	Zionsville	Mt. Vernon Nazarene
40	Brandon Clark	6'0	PG	Low Major Stretch	Merrillville	Santa Clara
41	Chris Whitehead	5'9	PG	Low Major Stretch	New Albany
42	Ben Davisson	6'10	C	Low Major Stretch	Renesselar Central	W.Michigan (football)
43	Brandon Smith	5'11	PG	D2	Cathedral	Lynn College
44	Ricky Carbajal	6'6	PF	D2	Munster	Quincy (IL)
45	Spencer Comer	6'3	CG	D2	Rushville	St. Francis
46	David Quarles	6'5	SF	D2	Ben Davis
47	Jon Trawick	6'3	SF	D2	Richmond	Mott CC
48	Ryan Rebholz	6'7	SF	D2	Fishers	Morehead St. (walkon)
49	Sam Cooper	6'6	PF	D2	Perry Meridian
50	Lloyd Milton	6'3	SF	D2	Fall Creek Academy
51	Conner Rich	6'4	SG	D2	Tipton	DePauw
52	Greg Dickey	5'11	PG	D2	Tipton	St. Francis
53	Lonnie McElwain	6'9	C	D2	Northwest	Panola JC
54	Chandler Guion	6'2	CG	D2	Lapel	Anderson
55	JaVonte Young	6'2	SG	D2	Mishawaka	Iowa Central CC
56	Jordan Hahn	5'11	PG	D2	New Castle	Huntington
57	Tyler Hall	6'2	CG	D2	Danville	Goshen
58	Dontray Chavis	6'5	PF	D2	Princeton	Cincinnati State CC
59	Michael Nesbitt	6'6	PF	D2	La Lumiere Prep
60	Brian Stolarz	6'4	SF	D2	Munster	IU (student)
61	Ken Mullen	5'9	PG	D2	Fort Wayne (Luers)	IU (football)
62	Kenny Enoch	6'3	SG	D2	Indianapolis (Howe)	Vincennes
63	Evan Brinkmeyer	6'3	SF	D2	Evansville Reitz	Southern Indiana
64	James Sanders	6'5	SF	D2	Michigan City
65	Brandt Miller	6'8	C	D2	Winchester
66	Nyree Robinson	6'3	SG	D2	Carmel	Danville Area CC
67	Aaron Abram	6'3	SF	D2	Lew Wallace (Gary)	JUCO

2011-07-15T14:32:00.003-05:00

Marcus Mershon

6'7

Low Major Stretch

Plainfield

2011-07-15T14:19:00.002-05:00

Overall	Name	HT.	Pos	Level	School	College
24	Stephan Hawkins	6'8	C	MM-	Bowman Academy
35	Daniel Purvlicis	6'7	C	LM	Noblesville
39	Tyler Alderman	6'9	C	LM	Fishers
52	Josh Turnock	6'8	C	LM-	Eastbrook
63	Keith Cochran	6'10	C	LM-	Bluffton
70	Marcus Mershon	6'7	C	LM-	Plainfield
71	Nathan Cox	6'7	C	LM-	Roncali
	Jordan Van Treese	6'8	C	D3	Lawrence North
	Laron Counce	6'6	C	D2	Gary (Wallace)
	Sam Hunt	6'8	C	D2	Jennings County
	Shawn Heffern	6'5	C	D2	Carmel
	Trevor Thompson	6'10	C	D2	Ben Davis

IN Basketball Source

2010-05-23T20:25:00.002-05:00

http://inbasketballsource.com

All updates of the blog will now only be available at inbasketballsource.com. Go there and create a free account. Sections will be restricted to users only this week. Accounts are easy to create as it is just an email address, user name, and password.

http://inbasketballsource.com

2013 Overall Rankings

2010-05-03T23:18:00.005-05:00

Here is my top 16 for the class of 2013 so far. Once again, it is a combination of college potential and current skill level.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch

M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch

L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch

Collin Hartman 6’5 Cathedral H Good without the ball, very good shooter, always looking to attack, average athlete for a high major prospect. Best when he is coming off screens and either shooting or attacking when the defender is out of position.
Basil Smotherman 6’5 SF Heritage Christian H Long arms, quick, good athlete, good basketball IQ like a coach’s son should have, great shooter. Purdue and Xavier have offered so far.
Darryl Baker 6’2 Jeffersonville H Power guard, good shooter with great range, penetrates to create for others just as much as he drives to score, still recovering from knee injury but looked healthy April 11.
Bryson Scott 6’1 Fort Wayne Northrop H- Change of pace and crafty moves with the ball makes him really hard to guard at this level. He is also strong for his age and finishes well right below the rim. If you play off to stop his penetration, he can knock down jumpers from the outside. The twins play full speed the whole game. He is fun to watch.
Devin Davis Jr. 6’6 F Warren Central H- Long, active rebounder, finishes well. Looks like he could grow more and has the fundamentals to improve as a perimeter player. Has been showing more and more of an outside skill set lately.
V.J. Beachem 6’5 Fort Wayne Harding SG Big time potential, ultra long arms, ability to handle the ball, good shooter. He hasn’t been too aggressive looking to score when I have seen him.
Richard Freeman 6’7 Lawrence Central PF H Good looking lefty stroke to about 17’, athletic, great looking frame. It seems like he will be really good this time next year. Potential is ahead of his skill level by a good margin right now.
Brenton Scott 6’0 Fort Wayne Northrop M+ Much like his brother and I can’t really tell them apart, but I believe Bryson is slightly better in terms of scoring ability and play making ability.
Phillip Owens 5’11 PG Heritage Christian Ultra quick, good handles, can shoot it from the outside, will go for the flashy play at inopportune times. Very similar to Zavier Turner, but I think Owens is a better shooter and scorer at this point although Turner is more controlled and won’t take some of the bad shots that Owens will.
Milos Kostic 6’8 Bishop Noll M+ Solid complete skill set that you would expect from a European-type big man. Kostic picked up an early offer from Northwestern as he fits their mold perfectly.
Demetrius Jackson 6’1 Mishawaka M Solid body for a freshmen point guard, good athlete although he doesn’t seem ultra-quick, very good handles.
Zavier Turner 5’8 PG Pike Played a pure point guard role for Pike his freshmen year. He displayed great court vision and very tough on ball defense.
Zak Irvin 6’3 SF Hamilton Southeastern M Good looking shooting form, can handle the ball, very long. Lots of potential at this point. Similar build as Basil Smotherman, but he doesn’t have the skill set that Smotherman has at this point.
Franco House 6’5 Concord PF M Strong, finishes well, dominates inside at this age, but might be done growing. He does move well though. House showed more of a perimeter game this weekend with a full array of dribble moves while driving.
Clay Yeo 6’4 Triton SG M More athletic than he looks, good shooter, unsure of his handles at this point. I like his length for a shooter.
Nick Davidson 6’3 SG Andrean Had a great year for Andrean starting most of the season if not all for their varsity team. Definitely need to see him more, he might be ranked too low for right now.

Complete 2013 Overall rankings http://inbasketballsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=59&Itemid=81

Add Me on Twitter!

2010-04-27T23:22:00.002-05:00

The title says it all. I post a lot of updates during tournaments through twitter. Follow me on twitter.

New 2012 Rankings This Week

2010-04-27T00:31:00.001-05:00

AJ Hammons 6’10 Carmel H Love his touch and footwork around the basket also passes well against double teams. I wish Carmel would give him more touches because he makes so many good things happen.
Jeremy Hollowell 6’7 Lawrence Central H Extremely long, good shooter from distance, drives the ball well. Lots of upside but inconsistent. He should be a pro one day if he hits the weight room hard and continues to develop his game extremely hard. All the natural ability anyone could ever ask for.
Gary Harris 6’4 Hamilton Southeastern H Good length, good set shooter, solid with the ball. Harris and Hollowell have the most upside in the class. Both are nowhere near their potential yet. Harris seems like a kid who wants to become better and might have a slight chip on his shoulder because he didn’t get the early attention that other 2012’s got from schools. Might be more of a 2 right now, but can also play point…I would like him to be more aggressive with the ball
Ron Patterson 6’3 Broad Ripple H Athletic as you can get for this age, good shooter…set and off the dribble, solid defender. Weakness-would like him to tighten up his handles. Probably is going to be a SG in college as I don’t see him making the switch to PG. His athleticism will allow him to guard most HM guards.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera 6’3 North Central H- Crafty, strong as a bull, smart with the ball. He is a great defender because of his strength and great will to win. If you haven’t seen him play, think Byron Eaton the former Oklahoma State PG.
Yogi Ferrell 5’11 Park Tudor H- Quick, very good with the ball i.e. change of pace, decision making. Outside shot has improved greatly but still inconsistent. When he has the outside shot going he is unstoppable.
Austin Burgett 6’8 Avon M+ Can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, passes well, also rebounds. Added strength and aggressiveness could take his game to the next level, which is a very elite level. Burgett did not have the high school season most expected. He will have to be more assertive in the spring to keep his stock this high.

Glenn Robinson, Jr. 6’5 Lake Central M+ Slasher that doesn’t force things, solid athlete, decent handles, good shooting form although he doesn’t look for his shot much. He would rather drive. Finished well at the rim against good size.
Dejuan Marrero 6’5 Bowman M+ Solid athlete but not a freak, good rebounder, good motor. I definitely like his toughness and how he gets after on the court.I’m unsure what position he will play at the next level. It looks like he could end up being an undersized PF. He has a lot of work to do to become a perimeter player. Improving shooter, but still a lot to work on and I don’t think he has any ball handling skills whatsoever.
Rhett Smith 6’6 Sullivan M True inside/outside player, good post moves, drives the ball well. Rhett has added some weight over the last year. I don’t know if it is mostly muscle or what but he is noticeably bigger than last summer. Weakness-not super athletic although he has a good first step.
Rafeal Davis 6’5 Fort Wayne South M Shooter, good length, strong for age. Not a great athlete, he is long so he can dunk but he isn’t jumping out of the gym by any stretch. Weakness-early maturation and could be done growing.
Nick Osborne 6’7 Muncie Central M Moves well, strong body for a sophomore. Rebounds out of his area. Right now, he gets most of his baskets off rebounds and when penetrators draw people and he is left with an easy lay-up. He has shown some post moves, but you aren’t going to throw it to him in the post and let him go to work.Decent leaper although he isn’t going to have many highlight dunks..
Edward Seay 6’8 Merrillville M+ Long, active in the post. A high potential guy. Needs a lot of refinement, but could definitely get there in two years.
Kellen Dunham 6’3 Pendleton Heights M Shooter, can create off the bounce, takes care of the ball. Is not very explosive. Lateral quickness worries me.
Ronnie Johnson 5’10 North Central M Very quick, good lefty shooter, small right now. Brother is Terone Johnson.
D.J. Ballentine 5’11 Kokomo M Crafty with the ball, good shooter but would like him to look to get to the rim more often.
Dylan Langkabel 6’3 Morristown M Very good shooter, good elevation on his jumper, uses screens well, not going to go 1 on 1 to get his shot very often, competitor, decent handles. Athleticism/who he can guard will determine how high he can play at the next level.
Brent Calhoun 6’8 Warren Central M Lefty (I love lefty post players), good shot blocker, developing jump hook. Slimmer than last summer. Improving athleticism. Potential is much higher than his current skill level.
Tyler Corley 5’10 Lawrence Central M Quick, good handles, good shooter from the outside
Kellon Thomas 5’10 Southport M- Leader, good decision maker, improving shooter, strong, finishes well in the lane. Weakness- shooting ability
Patrick Ingram 6’3 North Central M Strong body, more of a mid-range shooter than 3pt shooter, likes to get to the rim.
Mike Ramey 6’5 Southport M Quick, solid strength for his age, good with the ball, very good shooter.
Harry Willis 6’1 Ben Davis M- Quick first step, great defender, will create easy baskets for other with his quickness, can finish inside against bigger players.
Kendall Waters 5’11 Pendelton Heights M- Solid shooter, quick, good defensively, looks to make plays for teammates more than himself, very hard-nosed
Tyler Alderman 6’9 Fishers M+ Probably will be moved to the Power Forward section. When I saw him, he was facing a zone defense that featured 2 6'10 players. He did show great athleticism...jumps really well, moves well, and can run
Jared Drew 6’6 Lawrence Central M- Solid athlete, long, gets to the rim easily. Weakness-shot selection
Jordan Burton 6’7 Edinburgh M Posts well, good post moves, good rotation on shot although flat, runs well, not explosive off the floor.
Logan Irwin 5’11 L Whitko L+ Strong, leader, slasher, creator. Needs to improve shooting.
R.J. Hunter 6’2 Pike M- Shooter, long, smart. Weakness-rail thin
Brad Hartman 6’5 Union County L+ Good shooting form, gets after the boards, good basketball IQ
Daniel Purvlicis 6’6 Noblesville M- Good looking shot, solid footwork in the lane, wingspan looks much bigger than his 6’6 height, needs strength work. Has to be more aggressive to make that next step in his development.
Aaron Payne 6’2 Broad Ripple L Plays more of a pg position but struggles with decision making at times.
Adam Botts 6’0 Muncie Central M- Good shooter, steady with the ball, leader
Travis Britt 6’3 Culver Academy M- Strong, gets to the rim very well (Old for his grade I believe)
Jodan Price 6’6 Lawrence Central L+ A true 6’6, potential guy right now, tentative at times
Joel Smith 6’5 Heritage Christian L+ Strong, smart, good motor, solid mid-range set jumper. Might be done growing.
Rashad Richardson 6’4 Lafayette Jeff L+ Long, handles the ball but is loose with it right now, unusual shoot from the outside but is consistent with it. Length is his major strength to his game.
Da Veon Balls 6’0 Lawrence North L+ Quick, good handles, solid outside shot
Kyle Wuest 6’2 Edinburgh L Athletic slasher with a good mid-range pull-up game.
D.J. Neal 5’11 Fort Wayne North L+
Riley Rapp 6’0 Guerin Catholic L+ Mostly a shooter right now, but has the ability and quickness to get to the rim off the dribble.
Ben Gardner 5’11 Carmel L+ Lefty, great with the ball, quick enough to penetrate and finishes well at the rim. Looks to pass more than to shoot
Jordan VanTreese 6’8 Lawrence North L+ Stephen’s brother, developing, plays hard, rebounds well
Keith Cochran 6’9 Bluffton L+ Good touch, still catching up to his body.
Nathan Cox 6’7 Morristown L- Solid post moves, good motor, unathletic, doesn’t move too well.
Aloyis Gray 6’5 Brebeuf L+ Extremely long, active rebounder
Mitch Yeagy 5’10 L Alexandria L Smart player, good shooter
Shawn Heffern 6’5 Carmel L Strong with solid post moves
Thomas Treadway 6’4 Zionsville Lanky, good set shooter
Mike Lenz 6’1 Brebeuf Slasher, tough, good mid-range game

Final 2010 Overall Rankings

2010-04-19T16:56:00.002-05:00

Here are the final rankings for the class of 2010 in the state of Indiana.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch

M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch

L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch

Deshaun Thomas 6’7 Bishop Luers H
Terone Johnson 6’3 North Central H-
Chrishawn Hopkins 6’2 Manual H-
Jesse Berry 6’1 Lafayette Jeff H-
Erik Fromm 6’8 Bloomington South M+
Donnie Hale 6’7 New Albany M+
Ethan Jacobs 7’0 Tipton H-
Russell Byrd 6’7 Blackhawk Christian M+
Khristian Smith 6’3 Pike M
Travis Carrol 6’8 Danville M
Tyrae Robinson 6’1 Bowman Academy M
Jordan Manual 6’8 Howe M+
Daniel Turner 6’6 Mount Vernon M
Jack Isenbarger 6’3 Zionsville M
P.J. Hubbert 6’5 Mount Vernon M
Jake Kitchell 6’8 South Central M-
LaTroy Taylor 6’2 Gary Wallace M-
Michael Harris 6’1 East Chicago L+
Christopher Bond 6’4 Bowman L
Julian Boatner 6’3 Bloomington North L+
Kegan Clark 6’4 Jeffersonville L+
Neal Beshears 6’6 Winchester L-
DeArmond Davis 6’6 Mount Vernon L
Brandon Demmings 6’2 Washington L+
Chris Welker 6’4 Zionsville L
Andre Hampton 6’1 Howe L
Greg Miller 6’6 North Miami L-
Mitchell Patton 6’9 South Knox
Mike Kibiloski 6’7 Elkhart Memorial L-
Colin Maltsberger 6’3 North Montgomery L-
Robert Kitzinger 6’6 Carmel L-
Thomas Anderson 6’7 Terre Haute North D2
Andrew Rudakas 6’5 Wheeler L-
Jeff Howard 6’8 Westfield L-
John Michael Jarvis - Terre Haute South L-
Roddy Richardson 6’2 Lafayette Jeff L-
Leland Brown 6’4 Noblesville L-
Brad Elam 5’10 Ben Davis L-
Jordan Weidner 6’1 Danville L-
Willie Rhodes 6’2 Warren Central D2
KeVan Ford 5’11 Bowman D2
Cyllk Joesph 5’11 Bowman D2
Brad Karp 6’4 Valparaiso D2
Parker Staufer 6’6 Southridge D2
Justin Gill 6’6 Munster D2
Kyle Ritz 6’0 Munster D2
Zach Starr 6’1 Hamilton Southeastern D2
Trip McFall 6’3 North Central D2
Jeff Sustarcic 6’1 Union County D2
Aaron Bluitt 6’1 North Central D2
Jake Browne 6’6 Hamilton Southeastern D2
For all other rankings go to inbasketballsource.com and register an account in order to see the rankings.

2010 Final Rankings Posted

2010-04-17T02:06:00.001-05:00

My final rankings for 2010 have been posted on inbasketballsource.com. Make sure to check them out and leave some feedback!!!

IndyBall.com Impressions (2013)

2010-04-10T21:45:00.005-05:00

The 2013 class might not quite be as good as the 2012 group, but it looks to be very good. Again, Eric Gordon All-Stars have a great group of prospects.

Basil Smotherman, Jr. 6'5 Heritage Christian is long, baby-faced, quick, athletic, and is a great shooter from the outside. He plays smart and within himself. He has reportedly been offered by Purdue already. I was really impressed with his game in the first couple times I have seen him.

Zak Irvin 6'4 Hamilton Southeastern is built like Smootherman with his long, wirey frame. He played JV this year for HSE and should be a nice second option to Gary Harris next year for them.

Devin Davis, Jr. 6'6 Warren Central was really active, plays hard, he looked comfortable on the perimeter although he did most of his scoring damage inside. He had a nice dunk driving from the arc in a half-court set. I see him being a wing in college.

RJ Currington, who is from Schererville but attends Oak Hill Academy in Virgina, was not at the tournament this weekend.

Darryl Baker 6'3 Jeffersonville (Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red) was playing after being out the high school season with a knee injury. Baker is strong, good court vision, and can shoot it really well from distance. Hopefully, he will be 100% soon and I will get to see how he really measures up with the other top 2013 players.

IndyBall.com Impressions (2012)

2010-04-10T21:14:00.002-05:00

2012 is a loaded class in Indiana. There is enough talent in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 classes in Indiana for college coaches across the nation to all get a piece of the action.

The Eric Gordon All-Stars 2012 team is just absolutely loaded. All the next players are on the EG10 team.

Jeremy Hollowell 6'6 Lawrence Central has added some muscle since last summer. Hollowell didn't have the high school season most people thought he would. It wasn't a bad year, but he was inconsistent and people questioned his motor. Today, he was back in his AAU form. He buried a couple of 3's sandwiched together with a couple of powerful dunks. His length, athleticism, and skill set is unmatched in the 2012 class.

Rhett Smith 6'6 Sullivan has also added some weight to his frame. I'm not sure if that has affected his quickness. His pump fake and drive game was very good last year. His 3pt form looks more smooth than it did last year.

Nick Osborne 6'7 Muncie Central is really strong for his age. Osborne dominated the glass in the game I saw. He is really active and tough inside. He even showed some lateral quickness by containing a guard on the perimeter.

Brent Calhoun 6'8 Warren Central has improved around the basket. He is finishing much more consistently now. He has always been able to block shots and rebound, but now he is a threat on the offensive end.

Dylan Langkabel 6'4 Morristown was not as athletic as he looked when I saw him during the high school year. He did knock down a couple of 3's though. His skill set will not be questioned when determining what level he can play in college. The deciding factor will be his athleticism and who he can guard.

There are other very good players that I have not listed. Ronnie Johnson (North Central), Kendall Waters (Pendleton Heights), Patrick Ingram (North Central).

Grant Meyer 5'11 Silver Creek (Team Southern Indiana) impressed me with his shooting ability. Quick release and always in control, I will be watching him this spring.

Sam Hunt 6'7 Jennings County (Team Southern Indiana) is a big man prospect I haven't seen before today. He did some good things and moved pretty well. I will be keeping an eye on him this spring.

I didn't get a chance to see the Indiana Elite One team featuring Ron Patteron, Kellen Dunham, and Kellon Thomas. I should get a chance to see them Sunday.

IndyBall.com Impressions (2011)

2010-04-10T20:37:00.005-05:00

The club has started and it is great to be back. There is a lot of Indiana talent in the tournament. There aren't many out of state teams, but it is a good first tournament for most teams.

2011

Alex Pritchett 6'7 Bedford North Lawrence (Spiece Select) had a dominating performance Friday night. Pritchett is very active, great motor, tough, physical and finishes well around the rim. He has the ability to shoot from the outside, but is still improving. He can play at the MM level, but probably not higher.

Justin Gant 6'8 Terre Haute North (Spiece Select) was much more aggressive on the boards and in the post than I have seen him in the past. If he continues to play aggressive, he will have a great summer.

Austin Richie 6'1 Lowell (CAPS All-Stars) had a huge first half in a game tonight. When Richie gets into an offensive rhythm, he is tough to stop. His whole game improves when he is knocking down shots. He gets into the lane more and finds teammates better when things are going well for him. I'm not sold on his quickness yet or his ability to play PG at a level higher than LM. I hope to see him more this spring.

Brandon Dunaway 6'1 Corydon (Southern Indiana) always plays within himself, finds a way to get into the paint, and is a good shooter. He looks like a good D2/NAIA prospect.

Chandler Guion 6'2 Lapel (Spiece Indy Stars) was in foul trouble in the game I saw, but I was impressed with his athleticism and quickness. He is a point guard, but is usually creating his own shot rather than looking to create for others.

Nate Gross (sp?) 6'5 Madison-Grant (Spiece Indy Stars) is a very good offensive rebounder, good motor, and a pretty good athlete. LM would be a stretch, but I think he could be a really good player at the D2/NAIA level.

Isiah Hill 6'9 Howe Academy (Eric Gordon All-Stars) still impresses me with how much weight he has lost. That being said, he still needs a lot of work. He still needs to get into better shape and his offensive game needs a lot of work. He could be a project for a LM or MM school willing to take a chance.

Ryan Taylor 6'5 Lawrence North (Eric Gordon All-Stars) hit three 3's to start a game this afternoon. He also went coast to coast splitting a couple of defenders on his way to a lay-up. He needs to be a wing at Louisville and it looks like he making strides towards achieving that.

Chris Page 6'4 Plainfield (Eric Gordon All-Stars) puts up big numbers for Plainfield, but he was basically their only scoring option this year for a bad team. Page can shoot it from the outside and is good off the dribble. Who he can guard is a question for me.

I have not seen many of the 2011 teams play yet. I hope to see Indiana Elite Team Indiana Sunday along with a few of the other 2011 teams.

AAU Begins!

2010-04-09T13:25:00.003-05:00

Friday marks the start of the AAU season. I will be attending the Indyball.com tournament held at North Central High School in Indianapolis. The national tournament going on this weekend is the Boo Williams Invitational in Virginia.

I'm trying to compile a database of all the teams from Indiana. If you are a coach, player, or parent and would be willing to send me a roster for the team you are associated with it, I would greatly appreciate it. Please include grade level of the team, high schools, and height.

This is like Christmas in April for basketball fans!

Indiana Kids

2010-03-19T06:12:00.002-05:00

Here is a list of Indiana kids in the NCAA tournament playing on non-Indiana teams.

Todd Hanni G 6-4 215 Sophomore Danville, IN UNLV
Armon Bassett G 6-2 180 Junior Terre Haute, IN Ohio
Tommy Freeman F 6-5 190 Junior Muncie, IN Ohio
Mark Titus G 6-4 215 Senior Brownsburg, IN Ohio State
Gary McGhee C 6-10 250 Junior Anderson, IN Pittsburgh
Jeff Robinson F 6-9 200 Freshman Indianapolis, IN Xavier
Joe Hughes F 6-6 205 Junior Indianapolis, IN Xavier
Dallas Green F 6-8 210 Senior Indianapolis, IN Robert Morris
Zak Estes G-F 6-4 200 Sophomore Indianapolis, IN Richmond
Kyle Kuric G 6-4 190 Sophomore Evansville, IN Louisville
Stephan Van Treese F 6-9 230 Freshman Indianapolis, IN Lousivlle
Dominic Moore F 6-10 195 Junior Fort Wayne, IN Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Mason Plumlee F 6-10 230 Freshman Warsaw, IN Duke
Miles Plumlee F 6-10 240 Sophomore Warsaw, IN Duke
Jonah Baize F 6-6 205 Junior Evansville, IN Clemson
Dairese Gary G 6-1 205 Junior Elkhart, IN New Mexico
Errick Peck F 6-6 215 Freshman Indianapolis, IN Cornell

I believe that is the complete list. If I missed someone, please let me know!

Next Level Translation

2010-02-28T20:31:00.004-05:00

One thing that most parents, fans, and players themselves struggle with, at the high school level, is how a player's game will translate to the college level. Most fans seen a kid who scores 20 points per game and automatically think he will be a good college player. That player might very well be a good collegiate player, but some characteristics make it more or less likely. Most casual fans can tell how skilled a certain player is, but will he be able to do those skills at a faster pace against smarter, quicker, stronger opponents?

One example of being a great player at one level and not having it translate to the next level is former Oklahoma All-American Hollis Price. Price was generously listed at 6'1". He was probably closer to 5'10" than he was to 6'1". So, his height would be a major factor in the NBA. Height alone won't disqualify you from playing at any level (middle school all the way to the NBA). A player will have to be able to offset the disadvantage with a great strength though. Usually if a player is shorter than the average he will have to be unbelievably quick in order to create separation. Hollis was very quick for the college game, but probably average or slightly below average for an NBA point guard.

The next level is always made up of better athletes and more skilled players. The NBA is disliked by many people because of the lack of effort. That is true, but they are the best in the world. NBA benches are filled with college All-Americans. Guys that might have been the best player their college ever produced might struggle to get off the bench in the NBA. Hollis Price was a consensus second team All-American and never even made an NBA roster.

Every college team is made up of guys who led their team in scoring in high school. That is true for every college level as well D2, D3, NAIA...not just D1. That is hard for most people to understand. People see someone struggle to play well in the Big Ten and assume he isn't very good. If he was in a smaller conference though, he would probably be the leading scorer for a lot of teams. It can be very deceiving to the eye at times.

One player that has started a lot of arguments between fans of Indiana high school basketball is Nic Moore. The junior point guard from Warsaw is a great high school player. Not good, he's been great since he stepped on the floor as a freshmen. There is no doubt he is very skilled, hard nosed, and a smart player. He has a few things that will likely hold him back from playing in a major conference (Big Ten, ACC, Big East, etc.)and those things include his height and his lack of ultra quickness. He is very quick for the high school game, but he has average or below average quickness for those major conferences.

A lot of people think I'm just "hating" on Nic Moore. For one, I hate the phrase "hating on" someone. I respect his game very much. I just think he has some things that would make it very hard for him to play well in a major conference. He could even play for some of the weaker teams in the major conferences, but he would likely struggle against the good teams. His toughness and competitiveness definitely help offset his height disadvantage. I don't believe it is quite enough though.

I hope this helps parents, fans, and players to be more realistic about what level they think someone can play.

Road Trip: Eastern Illinois

2010-02-26T01:52:00.003-05:00

My first trip to Eastern Illinois was a success. EIU ended up winning by 10, I believe. They were down most of the first half but closed it out on a nice little run. The officiating was not very good but it was half way consistent for how bad it was. EIU battled in the second half and started getting to the rim more for easy looks. The "bigs" for EIU played well especially in the second half. Indianapolis native James Hollowell had a very good game and hit some big shots down the stretch.

Overall, I liked the gym although it probably only seats 5,000 (pure guess)but has a good atmosphere. The band was rocking all night and the crowd was into the game which isn't always the guess at smaller conference schools. The only thing missing was a few more Indiana kids on the Eastern Illinois roster.

All Rankings Updated

2010-02-23T06:06:00.002-05:00

All rankings have been completely updated at inbasketballsource.com and all you have to do is sign-up for a free account.

Rankings will be kept up to date at that site. I will try to change the rankings anytime I change my database rankings.

Winter Plans Revisited

2010-02-21T02:55:00.001-05:00

Before the high school season started I listed the high school teams I wanted to see. I will put an "X" by the teams I have seen.

Avon
Ben Davis
Bishop Chatard
Bloomington North
Bloomington South [x]
Bowman Academy [x]
Broad Ripple [x]
Carmel [x]
Centerville [x]
Chesterton [x]
Danville [x]
Hamilton Southeastern [x]
Howe [x]
Lake Central
Lawrence Central [x]
Lawrence North [x]
Luers [x]
Merrillville [x]
Michigan City
Muncie Central [x]
Munster [x]
New Castle [x]
North Central [x]
Park Tudor
Rushville
Southport [x]
Tech [x]
Valparaiso [x]
Warsaw
Winchester [x]
Whitko
Zionsville [x]

Not too bad plus I still have a couple weeks left and the postseason to see more teams. I think I am on a good pace though.

Danville at North Central

2010-02-20T22:48:00.001-05:00

This game featured two Purdue commits (North Central’s Terone Johnson and Danville’s Travis Carroll) and two highly ranked teams (North Central #2 in 4A and Danville #1 in 3A). It did lose a little bit of its hype with North Central losing to Center Grove last night. Danville entered the game a perfect 17-0.

The first quarter was up and down just like North Central likes to play. Terone Johnson got off to a fast start. Johnson had 10 points in the quarter. Travis Carroll had a couple of impressive post moves to start the game. Carroll had 6 points and 5 boards in the quarter. North Central substituted very liberally early in an obvious attempt to wear down Danville with their superior depth. Danville held a slim 18-17 lead after the first.

North Central picked up the pace even more in the second quarter if that is possible. They extended their pressure up the court more into a full-court press and it started to wear down Danville. Aaron Bluitt had a strong second quarter…busting out for 7 points. Carroll had to help alleviate the North Central full-court pressure. He used up a lot of energy doing that. North Central did a great job of pushing Carroll away from the block. Carroll did a good job of facing up and making big time moves against the physical play of North Central. Carroll had 16 points and 8 rebounds in the first half on 8-10 shooting. Not to be out done, Johnson had 16 points himself.

Read the rest of the article at Danville at North Central

Feb. 19th and 20th

2010-02-19T15:07:00.002-05:00

It looks like I am going to go to the Indianapolis Tech/Broad Ripple game tonight (Feb. 19th) and the Danville/North Central game tomorrow night (Feb. 20th).

I haven't seen Danville play yet this year. I would like to see how Tyler Hall can handle the pressure the North Central guards will apply. Danville's big man Travis Carroll should be able to have a good game as North Central lacks size down low. Fellow Purdue commit Terone Johnson will probably get his usual 30.

I've only seen Tech once this year and they didn't play well. Mo Cross was in foul trouble the whole game...I think he ended up fouling out in the 3rd quarter if I remember correctly. So, I would like to get a better look at Tech against the athletes that Broad Ripple has. We all know what the Broad Ripple guys can do...Ron Patterson, Steven Jamison, and Aaron Payne.

If anyone has suggestions for upcoming games I should go to please let me know. They have to feature really good teams or kids that have D1 potential for me to go in all likelihood.

Chesterton at Merrillville

2010-02-11T23:27:00.001-05:00

I was excited for this game because of the big men featured by each team. Chesterton has 6′10″ junior Mitch McGary and Merrillville has 6′8″ sophomore Edward Seay. I had seen both in action last week and both had disappointing showings. I was hoping to see both play at a higher level against each other tonight. Those hopes were dashed though as we walked into the gym with news of Mitch McGary having mono and being out until sectional play.

Merrillville controlled this game early by going into Seay on the first possession and getting a basket. Seay dominated the boards in the first quarter by getting to four rebounds. Jeremiah Jones had a solid first quarter getting to the rim on a couple of easy drives. Chesterton ended the quarter with a few straight baskets and it was 12-12 going to the second period.

In the second quarter, Chesterton’s offense looked a lot better. They had more ball movement and were a lot more aggressive looking to drive. Junior shooter Scott Homner connected on 3 three point field goals and senior guard Remy Lewis had 8 points in the quarter including 2 three’s. Merrillville struggled against Chesterton’s 2-3 zone. The Pirates were trying to force passes inside and Chesterton was anticipating the passes. Chesterton led 27-23 at halftime.

Read the rest of the article at Chesterton at Merrillville

Newer 2012 Rankings

2010-02-10T16:43:00.003-05:00

I have posted more updated 2012 rankings at inbasketballsource.com. You will need to create a free account to see them. The ranking will be updated regularly there especially when we see new 2012 prospects and 2013 kids we have yet to see.

Merrillville at Munster

2010-02-10T15:52:00.002-05:00

Merrillville and Munster entered Saturday night’s meeting with two losses each. Munster’s coaching staff is filled with Merrillville alumi. Coach Mike Hackett coached under Merrillville’s Jim East for many years and Munster’s JV coach Jake Argenta was on a semi-state team at Merrillville. So, there is a lot of familiarity on the coaching staffs.

The first quarter featured both teams playing zone defense and both offenses shooting over the top of the zones effectively. Jeremiah Jones, 6′3″ junior guard, hit 3 three pointers in the quarter while Munster hit three of their own. Merrillville had a 16-15 lead going to the second quarter.

Munster switched their defenses in the second quarter. They played man to man for the first portion and then went back to their 2-1-2. The man to man defense helped slow down Jones. Offensively, Munster rode 6′4″ junior Brian Stolarz. Stolarz had 16 points in the first half on 6-7 shooting. He hit a couple of 3’s and was really good finding gaps in the Merrillville zone which he exploited to get to the rim. Munster took a 29-28 lead into the locker room.

Read the rest of the report at Merrillville at Munster

Chesterton vs Valpo

2010-02-10T15:48:00.002-05:00

Valparaiso is having a great year with only a close loss to Carmel on their record. Chesterton has been up and down especially because Mitch McGary has been fighting injuries all season. In the first match-up, Valparaiso jumped on Chesterton opening up a huge lead in the first quarter and they never looked back. That was without McGary in the line-up for Chesterton.

This game was very different. Chesterton played with a lot of energy especially early behind the play of senior guard Remy Lewis. Lewis hit a couple of three’s and had a couple of assists in the first quarter. McGary looked like he was going to get off to a fast start. He converted a basket inside and on the next defensive possession McGary got into the passing lane for a breakaway, but he was never able to control the ball and they missed an opportunity. Valparaiso led 17-13 with Jerrick Suiter doing a lot for the Vikings. Suiter is a competitor to sum it up. He had the duty of guarding the much bigger McGary in the post (with a lot of help obviously). Suiter really attacks rebounds with great intensity.

The second quarter was controlled by Chesterton. Senior point guard Freddy Price was able to break down the Viking defense one on one to get to the rim. Valpo struggled to convert many shots although that was partly because Chesterton was playing pretty good defense. Valparaiso still held a 24-23 lead at halftime though.

Read more at Chesterton vs Valpo

Winchester @ Centerville

2010-02-03T23:03:00.003-05:00

A rivalry game and the intensity showed it. The game was played at a frenzy pace early. After the first quarter, the game was tied at 14. Centerville created a bit of separation in the second quarter behind the shooting of Zac Sandlin. Sandlin hit 3 three's in the first half and had 11 points for the half. Centerville led at halftime 27-21.

Winchester came out in the second half and quickly wiped away the lead. The game was tied a minute into the third quarter. Centerville took a time-out and regained their composure. Winchester did take a 39-38 lead to the fourth quarter though.

Matt Schauss had a great second half for Centerville. He scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Many of them were tough shots off the dribble and pressure free-throws down the stretch.

Centerville made a few more plays late than Winchester did and pulled off the 56-48 victory.

Matt Schauss, 6'4 junior point guard Centerville, is a true 6'4 and plays the point for Centerville. He is naturally more of a shooting guard, but can handle the ball against pressure. It looks like he has worked on scoring off the dribble more. Schauss hit some tough shots off the dribble against pressure. He was also 7-8 from the line. I think he can be a low-major combo guard. His defensive ability is a question mark, but it is improving.

Neal Beshears, 6'6 senior wing Winchester, had a quiet game. Centerville played a zone the whole game and really concentrated on taking Beshears out of the game. Neal did a good job of not forcing shots although Winchester relies on him a lot. Beshears finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. I liked that it looked like he had more arc on his shot and he elevates well on his shot. It also appears that he has added some muscle. If he can continue to add muscle, I think he would be a very good 3/4 man at the low-major level. He could be really good at the D2/NAIA level immediately.

Pendelton Heights vs. Lapel

2010-01-31T01:21:00.003-05:00

I was excited for this game. All the sites and paper said this game started at 6:30pm. I got there at 6:25 and the game was half way through the second quarter! Yes, second quarter.

I wasn't quite as mad when I learned that Lapel had 5 guys out including Chandler Guion due to team rules violations. I saw Guion a few years ago and liked his game then but I have not seen him play since. He has been putting up good numbers and I hope to see him this spring!

Pendelton Heights has a couple of sophomores that have been making a lot of noise this year. Kellen Dunham is a 6'4 shooting guard that has had a few really big games this year. The other sophomore is Kendall Waters. Waters is a 5'10 point guard who also has had a good year.

Kellen Dunham, 6'4 sophomore shooting guard, was super quiet against Lapel. He had a handful of points on even less shots. From what I saw, he is a catch and shoot...shooter. He didn't do much off the bounce. Hard to tell what he can do when he wasn't "hunting" for his shot much. I will see him plenty over the spring/summer though.

Kendall Waters, 5'11 sophomore point guard,was much better than what I had given him credit for last spring/summer. I thought he was mainly just a point guard that could handle the ball. He showed a very good jumper off the catch and off the bounce. He looked very good defensively, guarding the Lapel point guard full court one on one most of the game. Waters is quick and always seemed under control. Probably a M- (mid-major stretch) prospect right now, but possibly higher.

Nathan Hendershot, 6'1 junior shooting guard, did not miss in the first half. He went 3-3 from three point range for a total of 15 points in the first half. Unfortunately, I missed most of those points. He showed above average speed in the open court on a couple of fastbreaks. He's more of a 2 or a 3 for PH and at 6'1 it will be hard to play at any college level at that height. I'm unsure how he would be at the point, but that is probably a position he would need to play even at the NAIA level.

Gary Harris vs. Jeremy Hollowell

2010-01-31T00:11:00.002-05:00

The game pitted Hamilton Southeastern against Lawrence Central in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Most were there to see the two super sophomores (channeling my inner Dick Vitale)Gary Harris and Jeremy Hollowell. Both have question marks about their games, but both have amazingly high potential.

Gary Harris, the 6'4 point guard, has had questions posed about his intensity, his competitiveness, and his overall aggressiveness. Against Lawrence Central, Harris showed how good he could be one day. He was aggressive looking to drive especially in the first half. He was looking to be a scoring threat everytime he touched the ball (something that he doesn't always do). He showed his 3point range, he showed his anticipation skills on defense, he showed his athleticism. He looked great but now he has to do it every time he steps onto the court!

Jeremy Hollowell, the 6'6 wing from Lawrence Central,has been inconsistent this season just like Harris. Hollowell is long, athletic, a good but streaky outside shooter. In the first half, Hollowell was missing in action. He had 2 points on 3 shot attempts. Showing all the flaws that have been plaguing him all season. In the third quarter, Hollowell seemed to have a light click on. He was more aggressive, hit some outside shots, and was more active defensively. The fourth quarter was more of the old Hollowell. If he becomes as strong as his older brother James than his upside is the largest in the class for 2012 in Indiana. He has a lot of work to do to fulfill his potential though.

Edinburgh @ Morristown

2010-01-29T21:53:00.004-05:00

I ventured away from the Indianapolis area for this one. Well, it isn't that far but still. This game was filled with underclassmen. Morristown starts two sophomores and a freshmen. Edinburgh started two impressive sophomores themselves.

It was a close game throughout until Morristown pulled away in the fourth quarter. Morristown led by 2 at the half behind a three from Dylan Langkabel with 5 seconds left. Morristown increased the lead to 3 going to the fourth. Morristown ended up beating Edinburgh 72-61.

The trip's objective was to see how good Dylan Langkabel is and he did not disappoint. He uses screens well and is unselfish enough to set a lot of screens for his teammates. I like how he elevates on his jump shot as it allows him to shoot over people. He isn't going to kill people off the dribble too much, but he will drive if people try to pressure him too much. Langkabel posted up a few times and showed some nice post moves for a guard. I was impressed with his game. He rebounded pretty well although he was always one of the biggest people on the court. Langkabel finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds by my unofficial scoring. My first impression is that he is a solid M (mid-major) prospect.

The second most impressive player in the game to me was Jordan Burton, the 6'6" sophomore from Edinburgh. He is listed at 6'8" but I think he is more like 6'6 and possibly 6'7. Burton showed some good post moves and he seals pretty well although he bends over a little too much while trying to get position. He has good rotation on his shot, but he doesn't have much arc on it. I had him 3-9 from the line and most were on target just rimmed out due to no arc. Burton runs the floor well and is an okay overall athlete. He doesn't jump out of the gym by any stretch though. My first impression is that he is a M to M- prospect.

Kyle Wuest 6'2 sophomore from Edinburgh impressed me with his athleticism...mainly his lateral quickness, but also is a good jumper. He is a slasher with a good looking mid-range jumper. Wuest seems like he is in-between being a point guard and a shooting guard right now. He needs to improve his ball handling to be a D1 point guard prospect or improve his shooting to be a D1 shooting guard prospect. Off of my first impression, I would grade him as a L+ prospect at this point.

Nathan Cox 6'7 sophomore from Morristown was plaqued by foul trouble all game. While he was in he showed some solid post moves and rebounded aggressively. He is not athletic, but he does run the floor and puts in a great amount of effort. He is probably a D2/NAIA prospect unless he grows or really works on his shooting.

Kyler Brewer 6'1 freshmen from Morristown showed a good amount of athleticism for a freshmen. He has a good looking shot although he took a few unwarranted shots especially late in the game, but a lot of freshmen do. He showed okay handles at times, but will need to improve them greatly to be a college point guard.

Warren Central @ Southport

2010-01-19T22:13:00.002-05:00

This was not a pretty game to watch. Southport really struggled to get good shots and to get them to fall. Warren Central didn't light it up either. WC doesn't shoot it well from distance and they weren't finishing inside consistently.

That being said, it was a close game throughout. Warren Central led the whole way but could never blow it open. WC ended up winning 60-51.

Devin Davis 6'6 freshmen Warren Central was the main reason why I went to the game. Davis has been starting from day one for Warren Central. He is a long 6'6. He looks like he might have a couple more inches in him as well. I had him for 10 points and 7 rebounds. He was 4-4 from the line showing nice form. I assume he will be mostly a post player in high school, but I believe he will develop into a small forward at the next level.

Brent Calhoun 6'8 sophomore Warren Central didn't play a ton of minutes, but he has really slimmed down. He has a great ability to block shots. His athleticism has increased and is a true 6'8 now.

Wille Rhodes 6'3 senior Warren Central is a really good defender, rebounds well for his height, can attack the rim off the dribble, and can handle the ball a little bit. He really struggled from the line going 3-10.

Nickalus Turner 6'3 senior Warren Central started the game off quickly by getting to the rim often. He didn't do much in the second half. He is an athletic slasher though.

Michael Ramey 6'4 sophomore Southport struggled shooting in the first half, but rebounded in the second half. He ended the game with 15 points on 4-9 shooting from 2pt shots and 2-5 from 3. He is a shooter with good size. Decent quickness and can handle the ball alright.

Kellon Thomas 5'11 sophomore Southport struggled the whole game. Warren Central really pressured him and double teamed him then denied him the ball when he gave it up. I had him as 2-12 from 2 and 1-3 from 3pt range.

Shane Young 6'5 sophomore Southport really battled on the boards and down low. He was really active and had some nice finishes inside. Young is not super athletic, but he is strong.

Muncie Central @ Noblesville

2010-01-17T16:32:00.002-05:00

I went to this game to see Muncie Central. I have already seen Noblesville twice this year so I knew what to expect from them. I have only seen Munice Central sophomore Nick Osborne once and I wanted to see him play in a full game. I wanted to see how Jeremiah Davis was doing as well.

Noblesville played zone pretty much the whole game and Muncie Central just could never get anything going. They had to work very hard to get anything to fall and couldn't string consecutive possessions together.

Noblesville ended up winning in a low scoring affair 49-41. Muncie Central was always in the game, but could never make a run to take the lead.

Jeremiah Davis 6'3 junior Muncie Central did not start the game and played limited minutes throughout. He is up to 195 pounds and looks good physically. He didn't do much of the ball handling for MC as Adam Botts handled that. Overall, not much to report because he didn't play many minutes.

Nick Osborne 6'8 sophomore Muncie Central struggled to get open shots inside against Noblesville's zone defense. I liked how he moved offensively and he is strong for a 6'8 (probably closer to 6'7) sophomore. He didn't have many one on one opportunities in the post to show his post moves. I'm not sure how good of jumper he is. He never skyed well above the rim at any point. Osborne did go down with an injury in the 3rd quarter and didn't return so I got a limited viewing of him as well. Definitely D1 potential...how high is the question.

Adam Botts 6'0 sophomore Muncie Central is a solid point guard that is going to take care of the ball, lead his team, and hit open shots from the outside. He is quick, but not lightning quick. Probably a low D1 prospect, but I will need to see him more.

North Montgomery @ Westfield

2010-01-17T16:13:00.002-05:00

North Montgomery dominated the whole game. They played a 2-3 zone to collapse on Westfield big man Jeff Howard. North Montgomery looked very good offensively but that is easy to do when you make shots. They had a lot of ball movement and set a lot of flare screens. Westfield struggled to get around screens.

Westfield made it a game late by picking up the defensive pressure. North Montgomery did not handle it well. Freshman Ajay Lawton keyed the defensive pressure while Austin Brengle hit some big 3's in the fourth quarter.

In the end, Westfield's run came up just short and they lost by 3 points.

Colin Maltsberger 6'3 senior North Montgomery hit 6 3's on the night. He has good elevation on his jumper. He's strong with the ball...looking to drive when defenders close-out too aggressively. He was very active defensively helping to double team Jeff Howard most of the game. He looks like a very good D2/NAIA player and possibly a low D1 prospect.

Jeff Howard 6'8 senior Westfield was the main reason I went to watch this game. He struggled with North Montgomery collapsing on him and even double teaming him away from the ball. He does post aggressively and really gets after rebounds. He is also pretty good laterally for a 6'8 kid, but he does not jump very well. His shooting form was pretty good except he didn't have any arc on his shot. He ended up going 4-12 from the line and 4-11 from the field. I think he would be a stretch for a low D1 to take him, but I think he could be very valuable for a D2/NAIA school.

Maurice Fuller 6'3 junior Westfield showed a solid knack of getting to the basket. Decent athlete, good first step. Shot seemed above average although he struggled from the outside.

Ajay Lawton 5'10 freshmen Westfield showed great quickness and was very good defensively. He got after the North Montgomery guards pressuring them full court one on one. He missed all of his 3pt. shots, but was able to get to the basket a few times. It seems like he has some potential with his quickness.

2012 Overall Rankings (TOP 39)

2010-01-13T17:51:00.005-05:00

The class of 2012 is loaded in Indiana. Lots of guys are old news to the people following high school basketball in Indiana although they are only sophomores. Multiple guys have offers from a bunch of Big Ten schools. Rafeal Davis has already committed to Purdue.

The class is loaded with potential, but it is not a given that all of them will develop properly. I have not seen a ton of 2012 class outside of the top 20 or 30 guys. This spring/summer I will get a chance to see a wider range of players.

Most of the rankings are based off of potential (indicated by the H,M,L) but some have been ranked because of their current skill level. That is why some of the projected level ratings don't go in order (H then H- the M+ etc).

1. AJ Hammons 6’10 Carmel H Love his touch and footwork around the basket also passes well against double teams.
2. Austin Burgett 6’7 Avon H Good shooter, ample ball handling skills, solid athlete, good basketball IQ. Weakness-Assertiveness…he is aggressive when he gets the ball but doesn’t demand the ball when he needs to sometimes.
3. Jeremy Hollowell 6’6 Lawrence Central H Extremely long, good shooter from distance, drives the ball well. Lots of upside...possibly the most potential in the class.
4. Ron Patterson 6’3 Broad Ripple H Athletic as you can get for this age, good shooter…set and off the dribble, solid defender. Weakness-would like him to tighten up his handles.
5. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera 6’3 North Central H- Crafty, strong as a bull, smart with the ball. Weakness-used to be perimeter shooting, but that has improved greatly over this offseason. I think it is a question of lateral quickness if he is done growing for what level he will end up at. He seems like a great competitor that will work on any weakness. If you haven’t seen him play, think Byron Eaton the former Oklahoma State PG.
6. Yogi Ferrell 5’11 Park Tudor M+ Quick, very good with the ball i.e. change of pace, decision making. Outside shot has improved greatly but still inconsistent. When he has the outside shot going he is unstoppable.
7. Gary Harris 6’4 Hamilton Southeastern H Good length, good set shooter, solid with the ball. Might be more of a 2 right now, but can also play point…I would like him to be more aggressive with the ball
8. Dejuan Marrero 6’5 Bowman M+ Solid athlete but not a freak, good rebounder, good motor. I’m unsure what position he will play at the next level. He has a lot of work to do to become a perimeter player. Improving shooter, but still a lot to work on.
9. Rafeal Davis 6’5 Fort Wayne South M Shooter, good length, strong for age. Weakness-early maturation and could be done growing.
10. Nick Osborne 6’6 Muncie Central M
11. Rhett Smith 6’6 Sullivan M True inside/outside player, good post moves, drives the ball well. Weakness-not super athletic although he has a good first step.
12. Harry Willis 6’1 Ben Davis M Quick first step, good defender. Unsure of his outside shooting.
13. Edward Seay 6’8 Merrillville M+ Long, active in the post. A high potential guy. Needs a lot of refinement, but could definitely get there in two years.
14. Kellon Thomas 5’10 Southport M- Leader, good decision maker, improving shooter, strong, finishes well in the lane. Weakness- height and could be done growing.
15. Brent Calhoun 6’7 Warren Central M Lefty (I love lefty post players), good shot blocker, developing jump hook. Weakness- very raw.
16. Jared Drew 6’4 Lawrence Central M- Solid athlete, long, gets to the rim easily. Weakness-shot selection
17. Logan Irwin 5’11 Whitko L+ Strong, leader, slasher, creator. Needs to improve shooting.
18. R.J. Hunter 6’2 Pike M- Shooter, long, smart. Weakness-rail thin
19. Mike Ramey 6’2 Southport M- Quick, solid strength for his age, good with the ball, very good shooter.
20. D.J. Ballentine 5’10 M- Kokomo Crafty with the ball, good shooter. Baby faced…could still grow which would help his game.
21. Brad Hartman 6’5 Union County M Good shooting form, gets after the boards, good basketball IQ
22. Tyler Corley 5’10 Lawrence Central M Quick, good handles, good shooter from the outside
23. Daniel Purvlicis 6’6 Noblesville M- Good looking shot, solid footwork in the lane, wingspan looks much bigger than his 6’6 height, needs strength work. Has to be more aggressive to make that next step in his development.
24. Patrick Ingram 6’2 North Central M- Strong body, more of a mid-range shooter than 3pt shooter, likes to get to the rim.
25. Ronnie Johnson 5’10 North Central L+ Very quick, good lefty shooter, small right now. Brother is Terone Johnson.
26. Travis Britt 6’3 Culver Academy M- Strong, gets to the rim very well (Old for his grade I believe)
27. Joel Smith 6’5 Heritage Christian L+ Strong, smart, good motor, solid mid-range set jumper. Might be done growing.
28. Rashad Richardson 6’4 Lafayette Jeff L+ Long, handles the ball but is loose with it right now, unusual shoot from the outside but is consistent with it. Length is his major strength to his game.
29. D.J. Neal 5’11 Fort Wayne North L+
30. Riley Rapp 6’0 Guerin Catholic L+ Mostly a shooter right now, but has the ability and quickness to get to the rim off the dribble.
31. Ben Gardner 5’11 Carmel L+ Lefty, great with the ball, quick enough to penetrate and finishes well at the rim. Looks to pass more than to shoot
32. Jordan VanTreese 6’7 Lawrence North L+ Stephen’s brother, developing, plays hard, rebounds well
33. Keith Cochran 6’9 Bluffton L+ Good touch, still catching up to his body.
34. Aloyis Gray 6’5 Brebeuf L+ Extremely long, active rebounder
35. Aaron Payne 6’2 Broad Ripple L
36. Mitch Yeagy 5’10 L Alexandria L Smart player, good shooter
37. Shawn Heffern 6’5 Carmel L Strong with solid post moves
38. Thomas Treadway 6’4 Zionsville Lanky, good set shooter
39. Isaac Mack 6’1 Indianapolis Tech L Lefty shooter

2011 Overall Rankings (TOP 43)

2010-01-10T16:24:00.003-05:00

I would like to start off by saying I hate overall rankings. They are rarely relevant. I prefer to compare players of the same position or at least guards vs. guards and post guys vs. post guys.

I would also like to remind people my rankings are mainly based on college potential and not current skill level. They are connected in some situations, but college potential is my main objective.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA
D3=D3

1. Marquis Teague 6’2 Pike H One of the top players in the country for his class. Explosive, solid shooter, good handles. Can question his focus at times.
2. Branden Dawson 6’7 Gary Wallace H Athletic, good motor, okay shooter. Would like him to improve shooting
3. Cody Zeller 6’9 Washington H A Zeller nuff said. Runs well, shoots well, passes well. If he adds a dribble game to his offense he will go high major
4. Michael Chandler 6’11 Lawrence North H Big man with solid hands, runs pretty well, aggressive for a young big man. Will he continue to work on his game or be happy for what he has got?
5. Mitch McGary 6’9 Chesterton H Great touch around the basket, good shooting form to 18 feet, quick/good feet. Decent handles for 6’9.
6. Jeremiah Davis 6’3 Muncie Central H Power guard, athletic, solid set shot from the perimeter. Needs to improve his decision making.
7. Austin Etherington 6’6 Hamilton Heights M+ Shooter, long wingspan, still trying to get back to where he was before surgery. Lateral quickness is a question for the high majors.
8. Dee Davis 5’10 Bloomington South M+ Great decision maker, good handles, good outside shooter, quick but not lightning quick. Height might hold him back from being an elite PG.
9. Matt Carlino 6’2 Bloomington South H- quick, smart, strong, slasher that is looking to pass first. Not a great shooter, but has time to improve that. Committed to IU
10. Ryan Taylor 6’5 Lawrence North H- Strong and athletic right now. Needs to be more consistent from the outside.
11. Justin Gant 6’8 Terre Haute North M+ Solid set shooter from outside, good length, skilled. Needs to be more aggressive and improve handles.
12. Steven Jamison 6’4 Broad Ripple M+ Long, streaky shooter, okay handles, good motor. More consistency from perimeter shooting would make him a great mid-major prospect.
13. Spencer Turner 6’2 Bloomington South M Best shooter in the class, strong, smart player. Would like him to develop into more of a PG unless he grows.
14. Zac VanDeWater 6’5 Whitko M Good shooter, solid handles, good defender although not super quick. Some muscle might improve his game greatly.
15. Rontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton M Skilled tweener, quick, athletic, solid body. Gets a bit out of control at times.
16. Jalen Packer 6’2 Princeton M Slashing point guard, long, leads well. Needs to get a little tighter with the ball and add a mid-range to long-range shooting game.
17. Nic Moore 5’10 Warsaw M- Solid shooter, strong although small, finishes well in the lane. Needs to be a knock down shooter so he can run an offense and knock down 3’s if he is left open.
18. Kendal Griffin 6’4 Avon M Good shooter, rebounds well from a SG/SF. Would like him to handle it better and make better decisions at times.
19. Isiah Hill 6’10 Howe M- Huge kid, doesn’t run too well. Has been out most of the spring
20. Tyler Greathouse 6’8 Columbus North M- Good outside shooter, good post moves. Needs to be more aggressive offensively and rebounding.
21. Greg Dickey 5’11 Tipton M- Feisty, good worker, solid with the ball. Good spot up shooter with great range.
22. Alexander Hutson 6’1 Tipton M- Shooter, deceptively athletic, solid vision. Would like better ball handling and better defense without so much unwarranted gambling
23. Demtrius Lawson 6’1 Zionsville M- Strong, athletic, good looking jumper to 20 feet, solid handles, unselfish. Very similar body to Jeremiah Davis.
24. Jonny Marlin 5’11 Center Grove L+ Smart, solid shooter, good ball handler. Would like him to be more aggressive offensively but he runs a team well,would like him to add some muscle.
25. Tyler Hall 6’2 Danville M- Smart, pass first, good defender. More consistency from the outside is needed.
26. Chandler Thomas 6’5 Cathedral L+ Very good post player, good athlete, strong. Needs to become a wing.
27. Ken Mullen 5'11 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Strong, good defender. Can get to the rim on most guards and finishes well when he does. Outside shot is questionable
28. P.J. Boutte 5’10 Howe L+ Quick, flashy, decent shooter. Needs to make better decisions
29. Brian Stolarz 6’4 Munster L+ Strong, good jumper, good set shooter, good rebounder. Not great with the ball…needs to improve ball-handling and overall perimeter skills.
30. Joe Crisman 6’4 Munster L+ Shooter, strong, tough, good defender. Needs to tighten up handles
31. Jordan Hahn 5’10 New Castle L+ Leader, good decision maker,good defender at this level, improving shooter. Needs to handle intense ball pressure better
32. Matt Schauss 6’2 Centerville L+ Lights out shooter, long, okay handles. Probably not big enough to be a pure shooting guard at the D-1 level and probably not quick enough to be a pure point guard. Lacks great intensity at most times.
33. Chandler Guion 6’1 Lapel L+
34. Spencer Comer 6’3 Rushville L+ Great lateral quickness, strong, good motor, works very hard, good leader. Needs better handles and consistency from the outside.
35. Jon Trawick 6’2 Richmond L Strong, athletic, good set shooter. Needs to improve ball handling and defense
36. Kenny Enoch 6’3 Howe M- Solid athlete, pretty long, good motor.
37. Alex Prichett 6’6 Bedford North L Finishes well, solid body. Needs to improve post moves and expand range. He recently picked up an offer from Wright State
38. Austin Richie 6’2 Lowell L+ Shooter, skinny as a rail, decent handles but more of an undersized shooting guard right now. Reportedly offered by Valpo recently…also scored 50 points against Hammond recently.
39. Brandon Muncie 6'4 Lawrence North L+ Athletic, long windspan. If he can build his game around his great athleticism he could be very good.
40. Andy Smeathers 6’5 Center Grove L+ Shooter with good length
41. Conner Rich 6’3 Tipton L+ Pure shooter with legit range to 24 feet. Lacks great lateral quickness, but has good length. I’d put him as the 2nd best shooter behind Spencer Turner.
42. Robbie Howell 6’5 Tri-Central L Versatile small forward that has a very good mid-range game although with good strength
43. Brandon Ledford 5'11 Decatur Central L- Slashing pass first point guard or looking to finish in the lane.

2011 Small Forward Rankings

2010-01-06T22:43:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of good talent in the small forward position in the 2011 class. Plenty of high, mid, and low major talent to go around in this position.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA

1. Branden Dawson 6’7 Gary Wallace H Athletic, good motor, finishes well in traffic against contact, okay shooter. Would like him to improve shooting.
2. Austin Etherington 6’6 Hamilton Heights H- Shooter, long wingspan. Good ball handler and court vision. I love his competitiveness. Committed to Indiana University
3. Ryan Taylor 6’5 Lawrence North H- Strong and athletic right now. Needs to be more consistent from the outside and has been so far this summer. His game is expanding from a PF to a SF but he still has some work to do. Committed to Louisville
4. Steven Jamison 6’6 Broad Ripple M+ Long, streaky shooter, okay handles, Runs very well, good motor. More consistency from perimeter shooting would make him a great mid-major or higher prospect.
5. Rontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton M+ Skilled tweener(small forwad and power forward), quick, athletic, solid body, has some range to his jumper. Gets a bit out of control at times.
6. Chandler Thomas 6’5 Cathedral L+ Very good post player, good athlete, strong. Needs to become a wing.
7. Brian Stolarz 6’4 Munster L+ Strong, good jumper, good set shooter, good rebounder. Not great with the ball…needs to improve ball-handling and overall perimeter skills.
8. Jon Trawick 6’2 Richmond L Strong, athletic, good set shooter. Needs to improve ball handling and defense
9. Brandon Muncie 6'4 Lawrence North L+ Athletic, long windspan. If he can build his game around his great athleticism he could be very good.
10. Andy Smeathers 6’5 Center Grove L+ Shooter with good length
11. Robbie Howell 6’5 Tri-Central L Versatile small forward that has a very good mid-range game although with good strength
12. Josh Gentry 6’5 Pike L+ Mega long, weird looking shot, good energy. Will force shots
13. Jackson Renshaw 6'4 Columbus East L+ Strong, solid athlete, decent ball-handling skills. Needs to improve consistency on jumper and decision making.
14. Evan Dodd 6’5 Hauser L Solid inside outside threat. Will force shots up.
15. Levi Garner 6'4 Edgewood L Strong, good penetrating skills. Lacks a consistent jumper..
16. Dwight Cliff 6’3 Ben Davis L Strong, good set shooter, solid rebounder. Needs to improve ball handling on drives and shooting off the dribble.
17. Jerrick Suiter 6’3 Valparaiso D2 Fighter competitor. Does whatever it takes to win games.
18. George Zhang 6’3 West Lafayette
19. Brock Tew 6’4 Tri-Central

2011 Shooting Guard Rankings

2010-01-06T22:40:00.000-05:00

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA

1. Zac VanDeWater 6’5 Whitko M+ Good shooter, solid handles, good defender although not super quick. Had a great July, shot very well and showed his complete game. Some muscle might improve his game greatly.
2. Spencer Turner 6’2 Bloomington South M Best shooter in the class, strong, smart player. Would like him to develop into more of a PG unless he grows. He might still grow and he is a gym rat so I expect him to expand his game.
3. Kendal Griffin 6’4 Avon M Good shooter, rebounds well from a SG/SF, very fast up and down the floor, solid athlete. Would like him to handle it better and make better decisions at times
4. Joe Crisman 6’4 Munster M- Shooter, strong, tough, good defender. Needs to tighten up handles
5. Kenny Enoch 6’3 Howe L+ Solid athlete, pretty long, good motor, good set shooter.
6. Rick Thomas 6’1 Lawrence North L+
7. Conner Rich 6’3 Tipton L+ Pure shooter with legit range to 24 feet. Lacks great lateral quickness, but has good length. I’d put him as the 2nd best shooter behind Spencer Turner.
8. Chris Page 6’3 Plainfield L Solid length, good finisher inside, good shooter. Needs to improve ball handling
9. Trent Lancaster 6’3 Northview L Shooter
10. Micah Smith 6’0 North Central D2
11. Colin Lynch 6’3 Roncali D2 Slasher, good set shooter, okay athlete. Needs to tighten up handles and passing a bit.
12. Trent Crabtree Crawfordsville

2011 Power Forward Rankings

2010-01-06T22:29:00.002-05:00

The power forward position in the 2011 class is loaded. McGary, Zeller, Gant, and Greathouse are all over 6'8 and are all very versatile players. I'm probably higher on McGary than most. I'm not quite sold on Zeller, but judging by how quickly he has improved over the last 3 years he should be the best player of the Zeller family. I am probably lower on Gant than a lot of people mainly because I wish he was more aggressive. If he picks up his aggressiveness on defense and rebounding than his game would go to a new level. Greathouse has all the necessary skills to be a perimeter 4 man. He doesn't always show his skills though.

1. Mitch McGary 6’9 Chesterton H Great touch around the basket, good shooting form to 18 feet, quick/good feet. Solid handles at a true 6’9.
2. Cody Zeller 6’10 Washington H- A Zeller nuff said. Runs well, shoots well, passes well. Developing quickly, but still ranked mainly off of potential. He has made huge strides since last summer and I expect him to continue that type of development.
3. Justin Gant 6’8 Terre Haute North M+ Solid set shooter from outside, good length, skilled. Aggressive/toughness on the defensive end and while rebounding will decide what level he plays.
4. Tyler Greathouse 6’8 Columbus North M Great outside shooter, good post moves but would rather be on the outside. Very similar to Justin Gant, Greathouse needs to be more aggressive offensively and rebounding.
5. Alex Prichett 6’6 Bedford North L Finishes well, solid body. Needs to improve post moves and expand range. He recently picked up an offer from Wright State
6. Ricky Carbajal 6’6 Munster L Tough rebounder, physical, decent touch around the rim. Decent jumping ability. Can handle the ball a little bit..
7. Dontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton L+ Skilled tweener, quick, athletic, solid body. Can put the ball on the floor from the perimeter to get to the basket. Gets a bit out of control at times and more of a power forward than his brother. It appears that Dontray has rejoined the Princeton team after he went a few weeks ago.
8. Dedric Griffin 6’4 North Central L Finishes well against bigger guys
9. Tim Simmons 6’6 Pike L+ Good post moves, decent shooter, best thing going for him is his body...looks like a grown man
10. Robert Pittman 6’7 Washington L Athletic, can put it on the floor a little bit. Needs to improve all around game.
11. Beecher Ward 6’4 Indianapolis Tech D2 Athletic post, can guard a 3 or 4 at D2 level
12. Brandon Herbert 6’6 Rushville D2 Good rebounder, good motor. Needs to improve shooting range and become more of a PF instead of pure center.
13. Colin Bowles 6’7 Franklin Central D2 Good motor, great timing for shot blocking. Needs to improve offensive game.
14. Armond Patterson 6’5 Broad Ripple D2
15. Dakota Slaughter 6’6 Fishers L
16. Jeremy Reed 6’6 Lapel L
17. Matt Howard 6’5 Carmel D2 Good pick and pop shooter, decent athlete. Good small college prospect if he gets playing time at Carmel.
18. Randy Gregory 6’5 Hamilton Southeastern D2
19. Jon Thompson 6’3 Rushville D3 Insanely effective in high school and even in AAU due to his shot fakes and the way he uses his body. He does have a good set shot to 20 feet, but I think D3 is the highest he can play in college.
20. Kevin Fisher 6’5 Huntington D3 Strong, good worker, decent mid-range jumper

2011 Point Guard Rankings

2010-01-06T22:10:00.002-05:00

The point guard class in 2011 is very deep especially for the mid-major or low-major prospects. The class has a lot of good leaders and floor generals. It should be fun to see how the point guards in this class turn out in college.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA

1. Marquis Teague 6’2 Pike H One of the top players in the country for his class. Explosive, solid shooter, good handles. Can question his focus at times
2. Dee Davis 5’10 Bloomington South M+ Great decision maker, good handles, good outside shooter, quick. Height might hold him back from being an elite PG at the next level. Committed to Xavier
3. Matt Carlino 6’2 Bloomington South H- quick, smart, strong, slasher that is looking to pass first. Not a great shooter, but has time to improve that. Committed to IU
4. Jalen Packer 6’2 Princeton M- Slashing point guard, long, leads well. Reminds me of Verdell Jones of IU…long, good creator, but gets loose with the ball at times.
5. Max Landis 6’0 Perry Meridian M Good shooter, finishes well in the lane, good handles. Not a great defender, would like him to add some muscle.
6. Nic Moore 5’10 Warsaw M Solid shooter, strong although small, finishes well in the lane. Needs to be a knock down shooter so he can run an offense and knock down 3’s if he is left open
7. Greg Dickey 5’11 Tipton M- Feisty, good worker, solid with the ball. Good spot up shooter with great range.
8. Jonny Marlin 5’11 Center Grove L+ Smart, solid shooter, good ball handler. Would like him to be more aggressive offensively but he runs a team well,would like him to add some muscle.
9. Ken Mullen 5'11 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Strong, good defender. Can get to the rim on most guards and finishes well when he does. Outside shot is questionable.
10. P.J. Boutee 5’9 Howe L+ Quick, flashy, decent shooter. I would like him to cut down on his spin dribbles…asking to be trapped at higher levels. Right now, he gets away with it. Committed to Detroit
11. Chandler Guion 6’1 Lapel L+
12. Jordan Hahn 5’10 New Castle L+ Leader, good decision maker,good defender at this level, improving shooter. Needs to handle intense ball pressure better
13. Tyler Hall 6’2 Danville L Smart, pass first, good defender. More consistency from the outside is needed.
14. Austin Richie 5’11 Lowell L+ Shooter, skinny as a rail, decent handles but more of an undersized shooting guard right now. Reportedly offered by Valpo recently… scored 50 points with 7 3's recently.
15. Brandon Ledford 5'11 Decatur Central L- Slashing pass first point guard or looking to finish in the lane.
16. Seth Small 5’9 Hamilton Heights L- Smart, great shooter, good pull up game in the mid-range. Just like his name says…he is small though.
17. Evan Blackmon 6’0 Fort Wayne Luers L- Explosive athlete, streaky shooter. Needs to be better with the ball i.e. limit turnovers and run an offense more often to become a point guard.
18. Phil Miller 5’10 Fishers D2 Good slasher, quick, finishes pretty well when he gets into the lane. Not a great shooter.
19. JaJuan Sarver 5’11 Avon D2
20. Christian Ford 5’10 Cardinal Ritter D2 Score first PG, very good penetrator. Will get out of control and force bad shots
21. Brandon Burtner 5’11 Western Boone D2 Solid defender, knocks down the open 3 consistently, steady ball handler
22. Mark Fenerty 5’11 Carmel D2 Very good shooter, gets his feet set coming around screens well, overall very good with the ball.
23. Kyle James 6’0 Franklin Central
24. Brody Sowers 5’10 Fountain Central

2011 Combo Guard Rankings

2010-01-06T22:03:00.002-05:00

The 2011 class has so many guards and so many guards that aren't really point guards or shooting guards. I decided to make a special combo guard ranking for them. Most of the players listed need to become point guards to play at the level I have forecasted for them.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA

1. Jeremiah Davis 6’3 Muncie Central H Power guard, athletic,can get to the rim at will right now, solid set shot from the perimeter. Needs to improve his decision making.
2. Alexander Hutson 6’1 Tipton M- Shooter, deceptively athletic, solid vision. Would like better ball handling and better defense without so much unwarranted gambling.
3. Demtrius Lawson 6’1 Zionsville M Strong, athletic, good looking jumper to 20 feet, solid handles, unselfish. Very similar body to Jeremiah Davis.
4. Tyler Hall 6’2 Danville M- Smart, pass first, good defender. More consistency from the outside is needed.
5. Matt Schauss 6’2 Centerville L+ Lights out shooter, long, okay handles. Probably not big enough to be a pure shooting guard at the D-1 level and probably not quick enough to be a pure point guard. Lacks great intensity at most times.
6. Spencer Comer 6’3 Rushville L+ Great lateral quickness, strong, good motor, works very hard, good leader. Needs better handles and consistency from the outside.
7. Anthony Williams 6’1 East Chicago L+ Shooter, tough defender
8. Torrey Nibbs 6’1 Brownsburg L+ Athlete, great first step, strong. Needs to improve handles, decision making and shooting
9. Eric Harris 6’2 Lawrence North L+ Long, crafty, great rebounder for a guard. Needs to improve handles and more consistent shooting. I would like him to become a pure point guard.
10. Brandon Dunaway 6’1 Corydon Central Does a lot of things well…shooting, ball handling, court vision, but nothing exceptionally

2011 Center Rankings

2010-01-06T21:51:00.003-05:00

The center position is rarely deep in Indiana. This class is no different, but all the centers I have ranked seem to be improving. Although, it appears Tony Springmann is choosing to focus on football instead of basketball. I hear he is a high major football recruit. Isiah Hill is greatly improved with his weight loss. He doesn't even look like the same person anymore.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch/D2/NAIA

1. Michael Chandler 6’11 Lawrence North H Big man with solid hands, runs pretty well, aggressive for a young big man. Will he continue to work on his game or be happy for what he has got? Committed to Louisville
2. Tony Springmann 6’7 Fort Wayne Dwenger M+ Powerful big man, great motor and rebounder, solid shot to 14 feet. A face-up game would shoot him up the rankings. (Football only now)
3. Isiah Hill 6’10 Howe M- Improving due to weight loss, mobility is increasing. Decent touch around the basket. Still needs to refine his footwork.
4. Ben Davisson 6’9 Renesselar Central L+ Huge body, huge hands, decent touch around the basket. Can hit 15 foot jumper if left open, struggles when he puts the ball on the floor in the post.
5. Jared Smoot 6’9 Crown Point L+ Strong, flashes of great potential…raw at this point.
6. Alec Peterson 6’9 Carmel L Long, finishes okay in the lane. Plays passively and without much energy.
7. Michael Nesbitt 6’6 Evansville Memorial L Solid body, good rebounder, needs to work on offensive skills.
8. Wade Thomas 6’8 Western Boone L- Super raw, good motor, plays with energy, good form on shot to 15 feet. Just needs experience and work on post game along with added strength.

2010 Center Rankings

2010-01-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Travis Carrol 6’9 Danville H- The big fundamental, range to 17 feet. Weakness=Athleticism. Commit to Purdue
2. Ethan Jacobs 7’0 Tipton H-Long (obviously), good shot to 19 feet, developing post game. Jacobs is getting more aggressive but still has work to do in this area. Commit to Ohio University.
3. Mitchell Patton 6’9 South Knox Committed to IUPUI
4. Kevin Owens 6’9 Indianapolis Cathedral L Good hands, overall good tools, needs to be more aggressive/assertive
5. Leith Hobbs 6’9 Lake Central D2
6. Parker Staufer 6’6 Southwood D2 Smart, tough, good motor. Weakness=height, not a great offensive skill set. Commit to Indiana Wesleyan.

2010 Power Forward Rankings

2010-01-02T23:05:00.001-05:00

The power forward position is a deep one for the 2010 class. Led by Deshaun Thomas who has a chance to break the legendary career scoring record of Damon Bailey.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Deshaun Thomas 6’7 Bishop Luers H Complete inside game, developing range, solid handles. Weakness=quicks as a 3 in the Big Ten, Height as a 4 in the Big Ten. Commit to Ohio State
2. Erik Fromm 6’8 Bloomington South M+ Fundamental footwork, strong, finishes very well inside. Weakness=range although improving. Commit to Butler.
3. Donnie Hale 6’7 New Albany M+ Quick, athletic, good rebounder, good shot blocker. Weakness=right hand and perimeter shooting Commit to Purdue
4. Jake Kitchell 6’8 South Central M- Good motor, solid athlete, can rebound out of his area. Weakness= not polished offensively. Commit to Indiana State
5. DeArmond Davis 6’7 Mount Vernon L Okay motor, good athlete, but not a great athlete, raw. Improved since the summer still a lot of skill development to do
6. Greg Miller 6’6 North Miami L- Good motor, strong, smart, range to 16 feet. Weakness=Height and doesn’t play AAU. Commit to Grace College
7. Mike Kibiloski 6’7 Elkhart Memorial L- Solid in the post, good motor/toughness, limited athleticism Commit to IPFW
8. Jake Browne 6’6 Hamilton Southeastern D2 Solid springs, pretty long, has a mid-range jumper, rebounds well.
9. Thomas Anderson 6’7 Terre Haute North D2 Solid frame, decent inside
10. Pete Nicksic 6’6 Andrean D2
11. Reed McLaughlin 6’5 Zionsville D2 Good set shooter, good rebounder
12. Patrick Cutter 6’6 Harrison D2 Great mid-range jumper, long, good weak side defender
13. Zach Vega 6’5 Munster D3 Aggressive rebounder and good defender
14. Billy Clark 6’5 Andrean D3

2010 Small Forward Rankings

2010-01-02T23:01:00.001-05:00

The small forward position would be very deep in this class if Domnique Ferguson and Justin Martin would not have transferred. Even with their departure, it is still a deep position for low D1 players and D2 prospects.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Russell Byrd 6’7 Blackhawk Christian H Long-range shooter, solid quicks. Weakness=handles. Commit to Michigan State.
2. Jordan Manual 6’8 Howe M+ Long, streaky shooter, decent athlete. Weakness=motor Commit to Detroit
3. Daniel Turner 6’6 Mount Vernon M Strong, decent athlete, good touch around the basket, good motor. Weakness=range. Commit to Wisconsin-Green Bay
4. Khristian Smith 6’4 Pike M Long, good athlete, streaky shooter. Improving especially since the summer.
5. Neal Beshears 6’6 Winchester L Slasher, good motor, rebounder, solid shooter, very long. Weakness=strength and finishing strong in the lane.
6. Chris Welker 6’4 Zionsville L+ Strong, good motor, fundamental in the post. Weakness=quickness. Commit to Army.
7. Christopher Bond 6’4 Bowman L Can guard a 3 or a 4 because of his length and jumping ability, quick laterally, good off the dribble.
8. Robert Kitzinger 6’6 Carmel L Shooter…ability to handle the ball, but he doesn’t look to attack off the dribble very often.
9. Leland Brown 6’4 Noblesville L- Solid athlete, good penetrater and finisher.
10. Andrew Rudakas 6’5 Wheeler D2 Strong, physical, good motor, decent set shooter. Weakness=quicks, handles.
11. Scott Lascowski 6’4 Carmel L- Kind of long, decent motor. Weakness=handles, shooting..
12. Justin Gill 6’6 Munster D2 Overall solid game, will mix it up, good rebounder
13. Giovantae Hazelett 6’6 Howe D2 Athletic, good finisher around the rim, can rebound out of his area, strong
14. Dzenan Mrkaljevic 6’7 Hamilton Southeastern L/D2 Good jumping ability, good laterally, can handle the ball a little bit, good form on shot, not very aggressive looking to score. Overall good skill set though.
15. Michael Deines 6’3 Noblesville D2 More explosive off the dribble than he looks, strong, can finish inside with power or finesse
16. A.J. Adams 6’4 Jeffersonville D2 Strong body, solid athlete. Needs to improve offensive game.
17. Zach Apolos 6’4 Knightstown D2
18. Dustin DeMuth 6’3 LaPorte
19. Rich Leslie 6’4 LaPorte D3

2010 Shooting Guard Rankings

2010-01-01T18:16:00.002-05:00

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Terone Johnson 6’3 North Central H- Great shooter, strong, improving slashing game. Weakness=handles for PG or height for SG. Commit to Purdue
2. Chrishawn Hopkins 6’1 Manual M+ Athlete, quick, consistent shooter to 23 feet. Weakness=Decision-making although he finds people well, he forces the pass at times. Commit to Butler
3. P.J. Hubbert 6’5 Mount Vernon M- Shooter, long, good rebounding guard, solid one dribble pull-up game. Weakness=handles Commit to IUPUI
4. Michael Harris 6’3 East Chicago M- Good shooter, can get to the rim, tough defender
5. LaTroy Taylor 6’2 Gary Wallace M- Good body control while finishing against contact, good court vision/passer, good mid-range shooter. Probably more of a point guard.
6. Jeremiah Jones 6’3 Merrillville M-
7. Julian Boatner 6’3 Bloomington North M-Quick, long, solid shooter. Weakness=handles and rail thin. Commit to William and Mary
8. Kegan Clark 6’4 Jeffersonville L+ Very good defensively, long wingspan, finishes well although not a super athlete. Commit to Wright State
9. Roddy Richardson 6’2 Lafayette Jeff D2 Scorer, great motor, very tough. Weakness=consistency shooting.
10. Jordan Weidner 6’1 Danville D2 Slasher, strong, decent shooter from the perimeter, finishes well at the rim for a small guard. Weakness=handles, decision making. Committed to Indiana Wesleyan
11. Willie Rhodes 6’2 Warren Central D2 Quick, good motor, good slasher, good defender. Weakness=range
12. Cyllk Joesph 5’11 Bowman D2 Good shooter, great jumping ability, decent handles
13. Matt Trimnell 6’3 SeymourD2 Shooter
14. Brad Karp 6’2 Valparaiso D2 Shooter, motor, rebounds well for a guard, smart player. Weakness=handles, quicks
15. Trip McFall 6’3 North Central D2 Shooter that is a solid defender
16. Zach Starr 6’1 Hamilton Southeastern D2 Good shooter, main ball handler although not a true point guard, finished against contact when I saw him.
17. Steve Malone 6’2 Arlington D2 Solid spot up shooter, good defensively
18. Matt Trimnell 6’3 SeymourD2 Shooter
19. Cody Rohrer 6’2 Arlington D2Power guard that uses his strength to get by defenders and finishes at the basket, good spot up shooter, not very good laterally.
20. Pedar Todorovic 6’3 Wheeler D3

2010 Point Guard Rankings

2010-01-01T18:06:00.004-05:00

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Jesse Berry 6’1 Lafayette Jeff H Scoring PG, quick, good range. Weakness=decision making and defense although he has improved both areas lately. Commit to Dayton
2. Tyrae Robinson 6’1 Bowman Academy M Quick, strong, good vision. Pretty good lefty shooter.
3. Jack Isenbarger 6’2 Zionsville M Long, smart, solid shooter, leader. Weakness=quickness to guard PG’s at high or mid-major level.
4. Brandon Demmings 6’1 Washington M- Slasher, good mid-range game, long. Weakness=shooting range
5. Andre Hampton 6’1 Howe L+ Scoring/Shoot first PG that is basically a SG. Weakness=handles and motor Commit to Stillman
6. Zach Yeagy 5’11 Alexandria L
7. Jon Michael Jarvis - Terre Haute South L- Penetrating PG, good shooter
8. Aaron Bluitt 6’1 North Central D2+ Scorer, finishes well, shooting range. Weakness=handles, defensive intensity
9. Brad Elam 5’10 Ben Davis D2 Good range, solid pull-up game. Weakness=height and handles against pressure.
10. KeVan Ford 5’11 Bowman D2 Good handles, quick playmaker
11. Kyle Ritz 6’0 Munster D2 Heady point guard with a good pull up game. Strong, pass first PG
12. Taylor Wayer 5’11 Bishop Chatard D2 Good range, strong, solid defender. Weakness=more of a SG in a PG body.
13. Jeff Sustarcic 6’1 Union County D2 Good spot up shooter to 20 feet. Also, a solid defender.
14. Freddy Price 6’0 Chesterton D2 Quick to the rim, very good defensively
15. Cortez Lee 5’11 Mishawaka

2010 Overall Rankings

2009-12-30T20:48:00.002-05:00

I do not have the knowledge of the 2010 class as I do for the 2011 and 2012 classes. The 2010 class has seen a lot of top players transfer to prep schools. I feel confident in my rankings although I haven't seen a couple of players that would be ranked if I had seen them play in person.

H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
D2=Division 2/NAIA /High Level D3
D3=Division 3

1. Deshaun Thomas 6’7 Bishop Luers H
2. Terone Johnson 6’3 North Central H-
3. Chrishawn Hopkins 6’2 Manual H-
4. Travis Carrol 6’8 Danville H-
5. Jesse Berry 6’1 Lafayette Jeff H-
6. Erik Fromm 6’8 Bloomington South M+
7. Ethan Jacobs 7’0 Tipton H-
8. Russell Byrd 6’7 Blackhawk Christian M+
9. Donnie Hale 6’7 New Albany M+
10. Tyrae Robinson 6’1 Bowman Academy M
11. Jordan Manual 6’8 Howe M+
12. Khristian Smith 6’3 Pike M
13. Jack Isenbarger 6’3 Zionsville M
14. Daniel Turner 6’6 Mount Vernon M
15. P.J. Hubbert 6’5 Mount Vernon M
16. Jake Kitchell 6’8 South Central M-
17. LaTroy Taylor 6’2 Gary Wallace M-
18. Michael Harris 6’1 East Chicago L+
19. Julian Boatner 6’3 Bloomington North L+
20. Kegan Clark 6’4 Jeffersonville L+
21. Brandon Demmings 6’2 Washington L+
22. Chris Welker 6’4 Zionsville L
23. Andre Hampton 6’1 Howe L
24. DeArmond Davis 6’6 Mount Vernon L
25. Christopher Bond 6’4 Bowman L
26. Greg Miller 6’6 North Miami L-
27. Mitchell Patton 6’9 South Knox
28. Mike Kibiloski 6’7 Elkhart Memorial L-
29. Neal Beshears 6’6 Winchester M
30. Robert Kitzinger 6’6 Carmel L
31. Jake Browne 6’6 Hamilton Southeastern D2
32. Thomas Anderson 6’7 Terre Haute North L-
33. Andrew Rudakas 6’5 Wheeler L-
34. Scott Lascowski 6’4 Carmel L-
35. John Michael Jarvis - Terre Haute South L
36. Roddy Richardson 6’2 Lafayette Jeff L-
37. Leland Brown 6’4 Noblesville L-
38. Brad Elam 5’10 Ben Davis L-
39. Jordan Weidner 6’1 Danville L-
40. Willie Rhodes 6’2 Warren Central D2
41. KeVan Ford 5’11 Bowman D2
42. Cyllk Joesph 5’11 Bowman D2
43. Brad Karp 6’2 Valparaiso D2
44. Parker Staufer 6’6 Southridge L-
45. Justin Gill 6’6 Munster D2
46. Kyle Ritz 6’0 Munster D2
47. Zach Starr 6’1 Hamilton Southeastern D2
48. Trip McFall 6’3 North Central D2
49. Jeff Sustarcic 6’1 Union County D2
50. Aaron Bluitt 6’1 North Central D2

New Rankings

2009-12-24T16:34:00.003-05:00

New rankings for 2010, 2011, and 2012 will be posted after the New Year holiday. I will then update them again after the high school season is complete before the AAU season starts.

I'm working on a preliminary 2013 rankings list so if you know any that I should look for leave me a comment.

The basketball season is going quickly (too quickly) and I'm trying to make it to as many big games as possible. I've added a good amount of players to my database and many will make their debut on my rankings when they come out.

Happy Holiday! I hope everyone has a safe holiday season!

IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge-Detroit Country Day/Luers

2009-12-23T01:18:00.002-05:00

The main event of the IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge...Detroit Country Day against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. Ray McCallum against Deshaun Thomas. Two potential All-Americans.

Well, the team match-up didn't live up to the hype. Ray McCallum certainly did. McCallum finished with 36 points including 3 dunks that made the crowd go crazy. He was impressive. Great quickness, crafty moves, superb shooting from the outside, tough rebounds, strong defense. McCallum was good in every phase of the game. He should definitely be an All-American candidate.

Deshaun Thomas was met with double and triple teams right from the tip. Detroit Country Day didn't let him catch the ball and if he did then they made sure he had no choice but to pass. DCD decided to make another Luers player beat them other than Thomas. No Luers player was able to step up.

DCD stretched their lead to 30 points in the third quarter. I believe the final margain was 17 points. Thomas did most of his damage in the final minutes of the third quarter and in the fourth quarter. He ended with 33 points by my count.

Ken Mullen 5'9 junior point guard impressed me with his quickness. He was able to get around DCD defenders and into the lane most of the night. He finished with 22 points on 9-12 shooting. He never looked for his outside shot until the game was decided. He is probably a stretch for mid-majors, but definitely is a D1 player.

Amir Williams 6'10 junior center controlled the paint and boards for Detroit Country Day. He was really impressive with his outlet passes. He started most fast breaks for DCD. He allowed the guards to leak out and he could hit them on the move with a 40 foot outlet pass. I had him down for 10 points and 9 rebounds.

IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge-Munster/Cathedral

2009-12-23T00:52:00.003-05:00

The Munster vs. Indianapolis Cathedral game was the one I looked forward to the most. I wanted to see how the much hyped Collin Hartman was and I wanted to see how good Munster was when they played outside of the region. Well, both passed with flying colors. Munster was impressive as was Hartman.

Munster jumped out early by hitting 3's against Cathedral's zone. When I say Munster I should say Brian Stolarz as he went 4-4 from 3 in the first quarter. Munster led 17-7 after the first and 29-15 at the half. It always seemed like Munster was up by more since their defense was so good. Munster plays really hard and they are physical. A guy in front of me said something that was very true..."if you are going to beat Munster you are going to have to be tougher than they are." Not many teams can match Munster's toughness.

Collin Hartman is counted on to do a lot for Cathedral. They have totally rebuilt from last year's team. Hartman is very good, but he can't carry them to wins against teams like Munster. His shooting form is great and he cuts really hard. Most seniors don't cut as well as he does. He handles the ball very well and can lead a fast break. Once he adds muscle he will be very tough to handle.

Joe Crisman 6'4 junior guard is more of a small forward right now. He can shoot it, strong, rebounds, a good defender. He doesn't handle the ball to well right now. It also looked shaky when he was dribbling like he could lose control at anytime. In order to be a D1 player he will have to tighten that up immensely as well as working on getting his shot off quicker. It seemed like it took him a decent amount of time to get off his shot.

Brian Stolarz 6'4 junior small forward had the fast start and didn't do much after the first quarter. If he can shoot it like he did against Cathedral than he can play at the mid-major level. He is strong, a good rebounder, and tough. He doesn't have guard like handles though and he is still not a great defender although it seems like he is making a great effort to get better defensively. I still think he is a low-major player unless he becomes a lights out consistent shooter.

Kyle Ritz 6'1 senior point guard is a true point guard if you will. He is Munster's leader, he is the floor general. He is very sure with the ball and has very good court vision. He did not look for his shot at all. I only had him down for two shot attempts. I think he would be a good NAIA point guard. He can score if he needs to. I think he just understands his role as the distributor on a good team.

Kevin Owens 6'9 senior center had some solid post moves. Owens could probably be a very good player if he was more aggressive and assertive. It seems like he has the physical tools to be very good.

IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge-Howe/ECC

2009-12-23T00:25:00.002-05:00

The Howe/East Chicago Central game was the closest game of the day. Early it looked like Howe was going to run away with it. Howe let ECC back into the game during the 2nd quarter though and it was back and forth from there.

PJ Boutte scored a go ahead basket with around 30 seconds left in the game. ECC attacked and Howe fouled Anthony Williams. Williams,who was hot most of the day, knocked down both free-throws to give ECC a one point lead. ECC came out of the time-out in a 2-2-1 press and Howe throw right over the top to Jordan Manuel. Manuel drove to the hoop and was unsuccessful on this attempt. After many tips and a scramble later the game was over. ECC escaped with a 62-61 victory.

Anthony Williams 6'1 junior forward for ECC impressed me. I had never heard of him before but he made a lot of big shots for the Cardinals. He was a tough defender and scrappy player all game. I hope to see him more in the future.

Michael Harris 6'3 senior guard was only 5-11 from the field, but he easily could have been 8-11. He made numerous nice plays and great moves. He hit the open shot and was the leader for ECC. He is definitely a D1 player...how high is the question though. I think he could play major minutes early for most mid-majors depending on the system.

Isiah Hill 6'10 junior center has lost a lot of weight and has gained a lot of mobility from it. He still has some work to be done in the conditioning department, but he has made great strides. I had him down for 10 points and 5 rebounds. He could be a very good post for mid-majors if he continues to lose weight. As of right now, he is a low-major prospect.

Giovantae Hazelett 6'7 senior forward showed glimpses of a very good player. He might only be 6'5 or 6'6 though. He had some athletic finishes while showing good free-throw form going 4-4 so he has a base to develop. He appears to be more of a D2 type of player, but this is the first time I have seen him.

Jordan Manuel 6'8 senior wing is committed to Detroit. He didn't play until the 4th quarter. He came in cold to start the 4th quarter with the game tied. I'm not sure that is a great situation to put a kid into. Even if he sat out for discpline reasons I think I might have just held him out the whole game or gotten him in during the 3rd quarter. He could be a big-time player for Detroit if he gets after it...that is a big if though.

PJ Boutte 5'9 junior point guard is also committed to Detroit. He was questionable due to spraining his ankle last week. He played major minutes though. I had him with the stat line of 1-4 from 2pt, 1-4 from 3pt, 3-6 from the free-throw line with 1 assist to go along with 4 turnovers.

IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge-Bowman/Broad Ripple

2009-12-22T23:49:00.003-05:00

The Bowman Academy/Broad Ripple game was fast paced from the start. Both teams were pushing the ball, creating turnovers, forcing passes, and looking to attack the rim. Bowman led 27-19 after one period to give you an idea of the pace.

In the second quarter, Bowman increased the gap. Cyllk Joesph had a big first half. Joesph had a couple of 3's and a couple of dunks. Not to be out done, Chris Bond also had great success around the rim including a monster dunk. Bowman was up 14 at the halftime break.

The second half was mainly the Tyrae Robinson show. Robinson got to the rim nearly anytime he wanted. Most of the time he would finish the basket and the rest of the time he found open teammates for easy baskets. Robinson ended with 18 points on 6-10 shooting from 2point range and 2-4 from 3.

The game became a true blow out in the third. DeJuan Marrero dominated the paint getting multiple blocks and clearing every rebound. Marrero ended the night with 15 points and 14 rebounds. I did not keep track of his blocks.

In the fourth quarter, Broad Ripple made the game respectable. Steven Jamison started to be really aggressive and capitalized on it. He ended the night with 27 points. Ron Patterson was quiet for most of the night other than 2 big first half dunks. Patterson finished with 16 points.

Tyrae Robinson 6'1 point guard might have turned the most heads of college recruiters. Robinson did a little bit of everything. He showed his quickness and explosiveness getting to the basket. He consistently made the correct play while leading his team. Robinson also displayed a smooth jumper. Robinson looks like a solid mid-major point guard.

DeJuan Marreo 6'6 small forward is the most hyped player for Bowman. He is and will be a very good high school player. I'm not sure how that will translate to the next level for him. At the high major level, he will have to be a 3 and I'm not sure he has those skills in order to handle the ball, shoot from the perimeter, or the quickness to guard a small forward in the Big Ten for instance. He's not big enough to be a power forward unless he grows which I think is unlikely. I think he projects to be a very good mid-major player, but would struggle in the major conferences.

Cyllk Joesph 5'11 shooting guard was 3-6 from 3 and 2-2 from 2 including a dunk off a nice alley-opp. His shooting form looked really good...smooth and quick. He didn't handle the ball very much because Robinson handled those duties. He might be an undersized shooting guard but he can make up for that with his athleticism.

Christopher Bond 6'4 forward showed great atleticism and ability to finish in the paint. He has great springs and very good lateral quickness. He is more of a power forward, but he can handle the ball a little bit and is quick enough to guard a small forward at the mid-major level. He would be really good at the low-major level.

Steven Jamison 6'7 small forward was the main bright spot for Broad Ripple. He is a legit 6'5 and maybe 6'6. He is a streaky outside shooter and he will take some shots that leave a lot to be desired. He is long and is a good finisher especially above the rim. I see Jamison as a solid mid-major prospect. I think he would be really good in a style like IUPUI's.

Ron Patterson 6'3 shooting guard is a big time player. Today was not his best game though. In the first half, he wasn't real aggressive looking for his shot although he had 2 dunks including 1 over the top of a Bowman player. He is explosive off the floor while also being a good shooter from the outside. I saw him play in a D1 open gym this year that featured NBA players and he fit right in.

Aaron Payne 6'1 point guard is a promising young player for Broad Ripple. He struggled with decision making against the Bowman pressure but a lot of good senior guards would struggle too. He did have 6 points on 3-6 shooting. He got to the rim a few times and had shots rim out.

IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge

2009-12-22T23:37:00.002-05:00

The first game of the day due to Gary Roosevelt not showing up was Lew Wallace against Indianapolis Tech.

The game was only close for the first quarter. In the second quarter, Wallace started to pull away and they never looked back. Wallace was led by Branden Dawson and LaTroy Taylor. Everyone knows Dawson, but Taylor might be a new name for people.

LaTroy Taylor 6'2 guard was the game's MVP finishing with 27 points and 7 assists. He played mostly the off guard in this game, but it looks like he could play the point at the next level. He showed very good vision while getting to the basket constantly against the Tech defense. He might be a stretch for the good mid-major programs because I'm not sure about his outside shooting. His free-throw form looked good though.

Branden Dawson 6'7 forward was impressive with his length and athleticism. He is listed at 6'6 but looked taller than that and taller than he looked in the summer. He is still developing his shot and it was very inconsistent this game. He dominated around the rim though and showed good quickness. Dawson handled the ball a little bit, but not where you would want to put the ball in his hands all the time. He was better than my first impression of him last year.

Isaac Mack 6'1 guard was the main bright spot for Tech. He hit numerous 3's although he also took a lot of them. He wasn't on fire by any stretch. He has a nice lefty shooting form though.

Mo Cross 6'3 forward was in foul trouble the whole game. He actually picked up his fourth foul in the first half...fouling a jump shooter to make things worse. It was disappointing not to get a better look at Cross.

Beecher Ward 6'4 forward looked like he could make a good post at the NAIA/D2 level with his athleticism and quickness. He could guard a 3 or 4 at that level.

Hamilton Southeastern @ North Central

2009-12-19T23:23:00.002-05:00

The first quarter was highly competitive...that was about it. Hamilton Southeastern led after one quarter 25-23. The Royals were led by Zach Starr. Starr had 7 of HSE's first 9 points and didn't stop most of the night. I had him down for at least 17 points on the night. I wasn't planning on keeping his stats so that number might be low.

Not to be out done by Starr, Terone Johnson had 19 points in the first half. Johnson and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera dominated the second quarter which helped North Central open up a 49-30 halftime lead.

The second half was much of the same. Gary Harris got a little more aggressive for HSE. Harris had a nice breakaway dunk but he only finished with 11 points on the night.

North Central ended up winning with a score of 88-61. Johnson led North Central in scoring with 23 points. Smith-Rivera had 21 points on 9-17 shooting. Patrick Ingram had 9 points by going 4-5 from the field.

Hamilton Southeastern was without Jake Browne. I'm unaware of why he was not in uniform for this game.

Zach Starr 6'1 senior did most of the ball handling for HSE and was the Royals main scoring option. He has a good looking shot and also finished inside the lane against contact a few times. I think he is a shooting guard in a point guard body. He looks like a NAIA/D2/D3 prospect.

Gary Harris 6'4 sophomore is a highly rated player for the 2012 class in Indiana. He didn't look for his shot much at all in the first half. Harris was especially passive when North Central was in a zone (they played zone most of the game). He has the skills, but I think he needs to be more aggressive trying to score. His team needs him to do it that in order to be successful. Harris is definitely a mid-major or higher prospect at this point.

Dzenan Mrkaljevic 6'7 senior...don't ask me or the public address announcer at North Central how to say his name. He didn't do much scoring, but he looks like he can. He has small forward skills with good mobility and athleticism. He had 5 rebounds and a couple of blocks, but only 4 points. I only had him down for 1 shot attempt although he play a majority of the minutes.

Terone Johnson 6'3 senior is very good. He will give Purdue another scoring option with his outside shooting next year. If DeShaun Thomas wasn't in his class, he would be in the discussion for Mr. Basketball this year.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 6'4 sophomore is listed at 219 lbs. He is a tank and he knows how to use his body. He is crafty with the ball using hesitation moves and head fakes to get defenders out of position. He is definitely a mid-major or higher prospect and I'm not doubting his determination to be able to play at the highest level.

Trip McFall 6'3 senior showed his ability to defend, get to the rim with the dribble, and to shoot from the outside in this game. I think he has the skills and athleticism to play at the NAIA/D2 level. He seems like a competitor and most teams need those type of guys.

Lafayette Jeff @ Noblesville

2009-12-18T22:02:00.002-05:00

This game was not as crisp or as well played as I expected it to be. Noblesville jumped out to a early lead by attacking the basket, but then Lafayette Jeff switched to a 2-3 zone which really changed the game. Noblesville wasn't getting many good looks against the zone and when they did get the looks...they weren't making the shots.

Senior guard Roddy Richardson looked to be pressing a little too much. He was 3-10 for the half and most of the shots were closely contested. Richardson did a good job defensively all-night though.

Fellow senior Jesse Berry also struggled most the night. Berry struggled to finish plays in the lane that he normally does. He did get to the foul line 14 times, but went 1-4 down the stretch that could have made the game closer. Berry ended with 23 points on the night.

In the second half, Noblesville started to attack the Jeff zone more and started to knock down outside shots as well. The Millers scored 26 points in the third quarter after they scored 24 points in the whole first half. Andrew Lively hit some big 3's and had a big second half. Jake Yeary consistently got great post position and scored down low. Yeary has very good post moves and was even better at sealing his defender. Yeary scored over bigger guys all night. Michael Deines had some very good drives to the rim and finished them each time. All of the Noblesville players mentioned are seniors.

Noblesville ended up controlling the 4th and was helped by Jeff's inability to make free-throws when it counted most. Noblesville got extra possessions by back tipping missed free-throws.

Rashad Richardson is a 6'4 sophomore small forward for Lafayette Jeff. He handled the ball, but definitely needs to tighten up his handles. He was also 1-2 from outside the arc. He looks like a potential college prospect with some skill development especially if he grows a little bit more.

Leland Brown had a very quiet night for Noblesville. He finished with 8 points and I only had him down for 3 shot attempts.

Upcoming Games

2009-12-16T17:47:00.002-05:00

I plan on going to the Noblesville/Lafayette Jeff game on Friday night. Then on Saturday I plan on attending the North Central/Hamilton Southeastern game. Both games feature one team I've already seen this year and one team I want to see.

Lafayette Jeff features Dayton commit Jesse Berry and senior shooter Roddy Richardson. Hamilton Southeastern has a pair of sophomore guards. The more hyped player being Gary Harris who is a 6'3 versatile guard. The other being Jacoby Bledsoe who is a point guard that can score the ball.

I think both games will be competitive while showcasing a good amount of talent!

North Central @ Carmel Game Report

2009-12-12T00:27:00.003-05:00

No, I am not a Carmel fan. They have just played two teams I have wanted to see play so far. I will see more teams than just Carmel.

Game Report

Carmel stormed out and control the first few minutes. There were a ton of foul calls especially in the first half. It really hurt the rhythm of the game. North Central benefited from Carmel turnovers through full-court pressure applied by North Central. After one quarter, the score was tied at 17.

The second quarter was dominated by Carmel. They scored 31 points in the quarter. Eleven of those points were scored by junior Josh Baldridge who connected on 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Carmel was up 48-36 at the half.

After halftime, North Central had the same type of quarter that Carmel had in the second. Ronnie and Terone Johnson really picked up the scoring for North Central. They both hit multiple 3's in the quarter. North Central fought back to have the game tied at 63 heading into the final quarter.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera battled foul trouble all night and wasn't very aggressive when he was in the game. They may have been because of the foul trouble or the fact that he was unable to get into a rhythm from all the fouls being called. He ended up with just 10 points on the night.

The final quarter was back and forth. Terone Johnson hit some big shots in the quarter. No shot was bigger than Baldridge's 3-pointer with under a minute to go that put Carmel up 3 points. Trip McFall had a 3-point attempt go half way down and come out that would have tied the game up. Carmel ended up winning 83-79.

Terone Johnson, 6'4 SG commit to Purdue, ended up with an unofficial 30 points by my count. He was 5-9 from 3-point range and 5-8 from 2-point range. He didn't look as explosive as he did over the summer. He had his calf taped and that might have had something to do with it.

Darius Latham, 6'4 PF freshmen, started and had a solid game inside for North Central. He is not built like a freshmen just like DSR wasn't last year. He also had a big 3-point play the old fashioned way when he took contact from A.J. Hammons and finished over him.

Robert Kitzinger, 6'6 SF senior, shot very well this game. I had him 4-5 from 3 and 2 for 2 from 2-point. He is good at catch and shooting. His height allows him to get his shot off over people. I haven't seen him come off a screen and bury a shot or a 2-dribble pull-up over someone.

Ben Gardner, 5'11 PG sophomore, is very good with the ball. He is quick and can finish at the rim. He is pass first and get to the rim second. He doesn't look for his outside shot too much. I like what I have seen from him in the two games I have seen.

AJ Hammons, 6'10 C sophomore, doesn't get enough touches and he gets pushed out away from the basket by smaller guys. He has great footwork and great touch when he catches the ball on the lane line. He also is very good at passing out of double teams which is why I would like to see Carmel get him a touch every possession because he makes good things happen for them.

Alex Payne, 6'0 PG senior, just gets the job done. It is ugly and the defense knows he is going to the basket, but he still finds a way to score or to find the open guy. I had him down for 17 points. He uses the glass well when he gets to the rim.

Ronnie Johnson, 5'10 PG sophomore, is Terone's younger brother. Ronnie is a quick point guard that can shoot from the outside. I would have liked to see him attack the basket more against Carmel. He ended up fouling out of the game with 8 points. He had 27 earlier this year against Pike.

Carmel Vs. Noblesville Report

2009-12-04T23:54:00.002-05:00

I went to the Noblesville/Carmel game Friday night at Carmel. Noblesville controlled most of the first half, but Carmel ended the half well and was only down 24-23 I believe. Noblesville really attacked A.J. Hammons in the first half and if they didn't finish the first attempt they got a lot of put-back points.

In the third quarter, Carmel dominated and took a 49-37 lead into the 4th quarter. Carmel used a 2-3 zone and looked to run when they got the ball which led to lay-ups for Carmel. Scott Laskowski finished a bunch of shots in the lane in the second half.

The fourth quarter was a completely different story. Noblesville chipped away and had a 3 point lead with 9 seconds left. Laskowski ended up taking and hitting an open 3 from the wing as time expired. It would have been a great spot to foul for Noblesville, but they elected not to just like Memphis elected not to against Kansas in the 2008 National Championship game.

Overtime was back and forth until it was tied with 3 seconds left when Noblesville took a shot that was rebounded and tipped towards the rim by Daniel Purvlicis that missed, but there was a foul called on the play. Purvlicis rolled the first free-throw in and missed the second on purpose so Carmel couldn't throw an inbounds pass long.

Leland Brown was very impressive for Noblesville. He was the main Noblesville player attacking the rim and Hammons. Brown was taking body contact and finishing over the 6'10 Hammons. He also knocked down a couple of 3's and really got after rebounds. I would rate Brown as a low-major/D2 recruit.

A.J. Hammons did not get many touches in the post, but when he did...good things happened. He showed some very good post moves and good touch around the basket. He also passed well out of double teams. Carmel just didn't look for him enough for my liking.

Robert Kitzinger is a 6'5 senior wing for Carmel. He showed the ability to put the ball on the floor but he didn't finish well in the lane especially if there was any contact. He is a good shooter, but not an elite shooter from what I have seen. Probably a D2/NAIA prospect.

Season in Full Swing

2009-12-02T00:04:00.002-05:00

Well it is December and basketball is officially in full swing. I finally made it to my first few high school games this past weekend. I have been preoccupied with my season to make it to many high school events.

I went to the Hinkle Showcase Saturday night. I was in attendance for the Zionsville game against Guerin Catholic and also the Lawrence North/Brebeuf game.

Zionsville returned basically everyone from their 18-3 team last year. Senior Jack Isenbarger led Zionsville to victory 80-70. The 6'3 point guard is as steady as they come. He can get to the rim while also having good range. He is their leader and is rarely out of control.

Chris Welker is a 6'5 senior who is committed to Army. Welker is very polished in the paint with a variety of moves. He has range, but it is usually of the catch and shoot variety...not off the dribble or coming off screens. He is solid and should be a good player for Army.

Guerin Catholic was scrappy and fought Zionsvile down to the end. The Rapp brothers really stood out. Jordan Rapp is a 6'4 lanky senior. He showed a full game from posting up to shooting the 3 to crashing for offensive rebounds. He looks like he could be a solid NAIA player. Riley Rapp is a 6'0 sophomore that can really shoot the ball. He drove only a few times, but it looked like he was quick enough to do it more and a good enough ball handler to do it more. I would like him to become more of a point guard that shoot than a shooter that can handle it if needed.

In the second game, Brebeuf battled Lawrence North for 3 quarters before LN pulled away. Brebeuf was definitely undersized in the match-up but they put a good effort out.

Mike Lenz is a 6'1 sophomore guard for Brebeuf. He really impressed me with his ability to drive and finish in the lane against LN. He is very thin right now and needs to put on some muscle. He showed toughness and good quickness.

Aloyis Gray was out with an injury which was disappointing. I wanted to see what he could do against the talent of LN. Gray is a 6'3 sophomore.

Brad Altum and Alex Kugar both looked like NAIA/D2 prospects. Altum is a 6'3 senior guard that showed a good dribble pull up game. While Kugar is more of an undersized post that battles and competes.

Saying Lawrence North is talented is like saying the sky is blue. The question is if they will play well as a team or play hard enough to win big games.

They have two Louisville commits in 6'5 Ryan Taylor and 6'10 Michael Chandler. Taylor is transitioning from a power forward to a small forward for college and it is still a work in-progress. Chandler runs very well for a guy nearly 7 feet tall. He also has good timing for blocking shots. He has a soft shooting touch although he is on the block most of the time.

Farooq Davis might give LN the needed guard play they need to go along with their talented big men. He showed very good lateral quickness hounding Brebeuf ball handlers all over the floor. He also knocked down a couple 3's and if he can do that all year LN will be really tough.

Metro Indy Fall League Wrap-Up

2009-11-07T23:02:00.002-05:00

Well the Metro Indy Fall League has been completed. I thought the games were very competitive and hard fought for the most part. There is nothing to win except pride so at times effort will be less than desired. I saw a lot of people playing hard this year especially the "big name" players. When the best players are playing hard than the less talented guys see they must put their best effort out there.

I'm going to do a breakdown by class of the league. The junior class had the most representation so some good players might be left off that list.

2013

There were only 3 freshmen in the league. The one that stood out for me was Alex Etherington 6'1. Yes, he is Austin's younger brother. He's not quite where Austin was at the same age, but Alex can definitely play. He plays hard and can shoot it pretty well. I expect him to get quality minutes for a solid Hamilton Heights team.

2012

The sophomore class was well represented in the league and a few really stood out against the older competition. DJ Ballentine 6' of Kokomo was a big time player in the league. Ballentine can really score mainly through outside shooting, but also has a good mid-range game. Mitchell Paige 5'10 (Guerin) really impressed me. Paige can shoot it very well to about 22 feet consistently and when players closed out recklessly he drove to the rim creating plays for others. I would say his biggest knock is that he is probably only 5'8 although listed at 5'10. He is quick, but to play at the D1 level you have to be ultra quick to make up for that lack of size.

Brad Hartman 6'6 (Union County) had some very good performances. He showed that he was more than a post-up and rebound type of player. He shot very well from 3 when he got his feet set. He is getting a little more bounce in his legs with his strength training that should help his game. I would say he is a mid-major prospect at this point.

Eron Harris 6'1 (Lawrence North) caught my eye with his defensive ability. Aggressive, long, smart defensively. He, also, was very good getting to the rim and finishing. His shot needs work.

2011

The junior class is going to be hard to mention everyone I need to without making this go on for pages.

Surprises

Greg Dickey 5'10(Tipton), most are probably wondering how Dickey can be a surprise since most people who follow Indiana basketball know of him, well he surprised me with how well he shot it from distance and with his ability to beat guys off the dribble then most importantly finishing at the rim. He finished at the rim consistently when people came to contest. He was very good the whole time.

Robbie Howell 6'5 (Tri-Central) played very well in the mid-range game. I had watched him over the summer a few times, but he was also in the post and didn't do too much. When he was away from the basket he showed a nice shot and the ability to beat guys off the dribble at a strong 6'5. I would rank him as a low-major prospect at this point. For sure, NAIA/D2-type of prospect with his ability to play multiple positions.

Brandon Burtner 5'11 (Western Boone)played a solid game every time out. He doesn't pop out at you, but he takes care of the ball, plays good defense, knocks down the outside shot, and isn't afraid to get after the ball. Probably a small college prospect with a chance to be a low-major prospect if he continues to improve.

Seth Small 5'10 (Hamilton Heights) is best described by his last name. Small definitely can play though and is a great competitor. He shoots it very well and will pull-up from the mid-range. He was tough to guard throughout the league. He is definitely a small college prospect up to a low-major prospect. He is a leader and fighter that can shoot...I know coaches like those type of players.

All-Junior Team

Max Landis 6'1 (Perry Meridian)-Competitor, smart, shooting it better from long distance.
Greg Dick 5'11 (Tipton)-See above
Steven Jamison 6'5 (Broad Ripple)-I believe his only offer right now is from IUPUI. I think he would be great as a wing for any team that wants to get up and down the floor. He could be very good at the top of a 1-3-1.
Austin Etherington 6'6 (Hamilton Heights)-The IU committ hit 2 game winning 3's and really crushed the boards hard. An extreme competitor doing whatever it took to win games...in a fall league.
Tyler Greathouse 6'9 (Columbus North)-The big man that can really stroke it from 3 also showed that he has a solid post game. Aggressiveness is his key to what level he can play at in college.
Demetrius Lawson 6'1 (Zionsville)-A strong guard that has a nice looking shot. To be a solid mid-major guy I think he needs to be able to handle the ball at a point guard level and be a little more consistent from the outside.

2010

There weren't a ton of seniors in the league so I will just put my All-Senior team up.

All-Senior Team

Chrishawn Hopkins 6'1 (Manual)-Butler commit dazzled fans and players with his dunks and play making abilities.
Cody Rohrer 6'1 (Arlington)-A surprise...strong, power guard that was unstoppable at times. He would just put his head down and get to the rim.
Khristian Smith 6'5 (Pike)-More athletic than I had previously given him credit for. I think he is a very good prospect for mid-majors and lower.
Ethan Jacobs 7'0 (Tipton)-The big man played on the perimeter most of the league and did a good job. He can run the floor really well. He has a good shot from the outside, but his post game still needs to be developed.
Neal Beshears 6'6 (Winchester)-The Junior All-Star shined at times. If he was more consistent from the outside he would be a bigger prospect. I love his length...with added muscle he would be able to finish at the rim better against contact.

Hopkins Back to Manual

2009-11-01T20:46:00.002-05:00

Chrishawn Hopkins said tonight he would be transferring back to Manual High School from Herron High School after the IHSAA ruled him ineligible for this basketball season. The Butler recruit transferred to Herron to work on his academics, but the IHSAA ruled otherwise. Hopkins said the IHSAA told him he would be eligible immediately when he transferred back to Manual. He added that he was confident he could qualify academically for college at Manual.

Although there were other factors that made his transfer look scretchy, I believe the IHSAA made a mistake ruling him ineligible. That being said...I hope everything works out for Chrishawn and he is able to go on to a good career at Butler University.

Fall League Impressions

2009-10-23T18:02:00.002-05:00

I did not do a week 3 wrap-up from the Metro Fall League this past week. So, I decided to give my overall impressions of what I have seen so far in league play. I think the energy and effort as been good for an informal league. It can die off when they don't have anything to play for in theory. Most have realized that it is a good time to get better though and have used the time wisely.

Austin Etherington 6'6 Hamilton Heights has impressed me with his effort. He is one of the big names in the league, but he is also playing the just as hard as anyone. He is crushing the boards, playing defense, and taking every possession seriously on offense. He did a good job containing Chrishawn Hopkins last week which is a very hard task.

Chrishawn Hopkins 6'1 Herron has probably been the most impressive. He has done a little bit of everything. He plays defense, rebounds extremely well, is a leader on the court, a play maker on offense while being pretty unselfish. He is a competitor that puts winning first.

Point Guard play has been very good. Greg Dickey (Tipton) and Max Landis (Perry Meridian) have been two that have really stood out. Dickey is a competitor that gets after it while creating opportunities for his teammates. Landis is a little bigger and stronger than Dickey but plays the same way. Landis uses a lot of change of pace to exploit defenses. Seth Small (Hamilton Heights)was super impressive last week. Small is a heady point guard that is usually pass first, but he is really good shooting from distance. His name describes him well, but he is a player to watch for D2+.

The league is wing dominated. Most of the scorers in the league play the 2/3 positions. Khristian Smith (Pike) has had a good showing. I have been impressed with his athleticism. He is more of an athlete than I had previously given him credit for. Smith also has a good stroke from 3. Steven Jamison (Broad Ripple) is a similar player. He wants to finish at the rim or above it first, but also can hit the outside shot if left open. I would be curious how much Jamison's game could grow with some added muscle. Neal Beshears (Winchester) is another solid wing in the league. When Beshears is shooting it well he is hard to stop because he can finish at the rim. He is streaky from the outside though. I think all 3 of those guys will be D1 players.

Ethan Jacobs 7'0 Tipton committed to Ohio could very well be a pro one day. He runs the floor extremely well and becoming more coordinated everyday. He already shoots it well from 19 feet, but probably shoots it a little too much instead of polishing up his inside game. He is impressive to watch run and handle the ball on a fast break though.

That certainly isn't everyone that has played well, but those are the people that have really stood out in my eyes when I have been watching games.

Fall League-Week 2

2009-10-11T23:02:00.002-05:00

This week, I got a chance to play against the two teams I didn't see play much last week and there were a few impressive performances.

Greg Dickey 5'11 Tipton finished in the lane possession after possession and also hit a few shots from 3pt. land. He is a solid playmaker that can finish when he needs to like he did all night tonight.

Ethan Jacobs 7'0 Tipton continues to "wow" people with his range. He hit multiple 3's on the night and also ran the floor really well for a man his size.

Alexander Hutson 6'1 Tipton is streaky but he can go from cold to hot in a matter of a couple possessions and when he is on he is one of the better shooters I have ever seen.

Robbie Howell 6'5 Tri-Central might be the surprise of the team. A good spot-up shooter to about 17 feet and the ability to put it on the floor and go by a defender.

DJ Ballentine 6'0 Kokomo can really shoot the basketball. The sophomore is also good at getting into the lane and creating shots although he did not do much of that tonight.

Evan Dodd 6'5 Columbus North is similar to Howell in build and style. Dodd is probably a little bit better shooting off the dribble right now than Howell is. Dodd hit multiple pull up jumpers from about 15 feet.

Tyler Greathouse 6'8 Columbus North struggled shooting a little bit tonight, but they all looked like they were going in on the release. He also posted up well a few times. He has good post moves, but he rarely displays them.

Michael Onuorah 6'2 Brebeuf is a strong wing from Indianapolis. He rebounded well and also penetrated into the lane for a few lay-ups. I will plan to watch him more closely in the next few weeks.

Eric Harris 6'1 Lawrence North had the challenge of guarding Chrishawn Hopkins most of the game and did a good job overall. What surprised me was Harris' ability to score on Hopkins on the other end.

Eron Harris 6'0 Lawrence North hit a number of floaters and pull-up jumpers off the glass. He consistently beat defenders to the lane. It appears the sophomore needs to tighten up his range from 17 feet out.

Mark Fennerty 5'11 Carmel is known for his shooting ability and rightly so, but he uses his body really well to get defenders off of him in the lane and also has good vision to find teammates spotting up. Hopefully, he gets some good minutes for Carmel this year.

Jeff Sustarcic 6'1 Union County showed his ability to knock down open 3's in the second game of the night. Sustarcic is also a solid defender from the guard spot. He is probably an NAIA-type recruit.

Steve Malone 6'1 Arlington has played well for me the first two weeks. Malone pressures opposing point guards and is a good shooter. He takes some undesired shots at points but overall he is a good, tough player.

Cody Rohrer 6'2 Arlington is a bull/running back getting to the rim. He got to the rim and finished consistently tonight especially when baskets were needed. He is also a good spot-up shooter.

Brandon Burtner 5'11 Western Boone is a junior point guard and hit some big 3's tonight off of kick outs from Chrishawn Hopkins. Probably another D2/NAIA type of prospect.

Wade Thomas 6'8 Western Boone is a fast developing post. That being said, he still has a lot of weight to gain and a lot of skills to refine. He has a good looking 15 foot jumper, but it gets flat at times right now. He works hard and should continue to keep growing as a player. D2+ by the time he is done, he is a junior right now.

Metro Fall League

2009-10-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

Metro Fall League started Sunday night at Arlington High School and will run through the first weekend of November. There is a solid line-up of D1 commits and D1 prospects including Chrishawn Hopkins (Butler), Austin Etherington (Indiana University), Ethan Jacobs (Ohio University)along with prospects Khristian Smith (Pike), Neal Beshears (Winchester), Brad Hartman (Union County), Tyler Greathouse (Columbus North), Max Landis (Perry Meridian), Steven Jamison (Broad Ripple), and Demetrius Lawson (Zionsville).

Steven Jamison 6'5 Broad Ripple showed a full offensive game. He converted a few jump hooks over smaller defenders and also showed range to about 21 or 22 feet. Definitely a mid-major type of wing and maybe higher depending on the program.

Max Landis 6'0 Perry Meridian is vastly underrated right now. He is good with hesitation moves and was getting into the lane at will Sunday and finishing which is just important. There isn't a lack of 6'0 point guards though. I think he would be great at a low major school although he can probably play higher depending on his development.

Khristian Smith 6'5 Pike showed a little more athleticism than I thought he had on an alley-opp that was thrown too high and he went up and got it with 2 hands. It was very impressive. He, also, came over from the weak side to block some shots high off the glass. He has a good outside stroke when he is spotted up.

Austin Etherington 6'6 Hamilton Heights hit some big shots down the stretch in one of his games to lead his team to a win. It looks like he has added some muscle which will be key for his collegiate career. He can do everything on the court.

Chrishawn Hopkins 6'2 Herron blows my mind at how unselfish he is even in games like this fall league. He does take a lot of shots but he could shoot every time down the court and it would rarely be a bad shot because he can elevate over a defender for a shot, he can beat most defenders to the rim and then finish the play way above the rim. He is always screening and setting up teammates for easy baskets. Butler definitely has a good one with Hopkins.

Demetrius Lawson 6'2 Zionsville had a good night showing that he can finish at the rim and shoot the ball from the outside. I would like him to develop into more of a point guard, but he is good enough to play the 2/3 at most colleges. He uses his strength to get by people a lot right now which he probably won't be able to do at the next level.

Neal Beshears 6'6 Winchester looked really good playing against Austin Etherington. He did a good job defending him and really bothered Etherington with his length. I really think if he can add some muscle that his game will grow immediately.

Christian Ford 5'10 Ritter had a good first night. He is a solid spot up shooter that can create shots for people but struggles with shot selection. He is probably a D2 prospect right now heading into his junior year.

I didn't get a chance to see much of 2 teams. The team with Ethan Jacobs and DJ Ballentine was impressive but I did not get to see them play very much. I did not get to see much of Coach Stang's team play either which has Greathouse, Dodd, and Eric Harris. I hope to see them more this weekend.

Zionsville Open Gym

2009-10-01T23:29:00.002-05:00

I've had a chance to see a couple of Zionsville open gyms this week as I will be coaching in their program this year. Here are some of the observations that I had during the open gyms.

Chris Welker 6'5 has great footwork in all parts of the offensive game. Welker is really strong, can shoot it well to 22 feet, is a great leader, and has a very good basketball IQ. He verbally committed to Army over the summer and is planning on sticking with that. If he decides to change after the coaching change is determined, I would get on him if I was a mid-major or lower.

Demetrius Lawson 6'1 is a strong, combo guard at this point but I think he can make the transition to point guard in the future. He has great form on his outside shot and is a good athlete. He plays the game very unselfishly. Lawson is a sleeper at this point, but will probably have a big year for a very good team.

Reed McLaughlin 6'5 is an inside/outside threat from the 3/4 spot. He is really good from 3 when he gets his feet set. He is a a good small college prospect. Right now, his favorite is Williams College on the east coast for their high academics.

Will Dixon 6'1 freshmen is long for his height, good shooter from the outside, handles it and creates well for others, good defensively for his age. A very smart player for a frosh.

Andrew Dakich 5'11 freshmen is a heady, crafty, smart player. He can shoot it a little bit but in a program of good shooters he can make them look good by creating for them at this point. I think he will be more of a scorer once he grows a little bit more.

Zionsville has a very good looking freshmen class. It will be interesting how they develop over the next few years.

Jack Isenbarger (mid-major recruit), Chris Roberts, Blake Luers (football recruit) all play fall sports.

Crews Out at Army

2009-09-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports is reporting that Jim Crews will part from Army. Crews played under Bob Knight at Indiana and also was the head man at Evansville for many years. Crews always used his Indiana ties to recruit Indiana. This summer he picked up a verbal commitment from Zionsville's Chris Welker. So, Welker's recruiting might re-open depending on the outcome of this situation.

Another player has transferred out of Indiana from the class of 2010. Power guard Kennis White from South Bend Washington has moved out of state. The 2010 class has been depleted from transfers and people moving out of state. Hopefully, this trend does not continue with future classes.

Jake Kitchell to Indiana State

2009-09-21T12:54:00.002-05:00

The Indy Star's Kyle Neddenriep is reporting that Jake Kitchell of South Central has committed to Indiana State. I think it is a good fit for both parties. The 6'8 Kitchell will bring some toughness inside for the Sycamores with his rebounding and defensive toughness.

He has some work to do offensively to contribute, but I expect him to play early at Indiana State because of the other things he can provide. He needs to be more aggressive and assertive offensively. During AAU, he didn't even think about making a scoring move when he got the ball in the post against the solid teams. That should change when he moves to the next level.

Overall, I like the move by both sides.

Update

2009-09-18T15:11:00.002-05:00

August and September are slow months for high school basketball. Recruiting is heavy right now with coaches being able to attend open gyms and work outs. College coaches also have to organize and conduct individual work outs while balancing time to hit the road and recruit. So, by no means is this time of the year slow for them.

I don't have much player news right now. The annual fall league that I coach is will be starting up in the next few weeks. If there are any players with college potential in the Indy area that want to play in the league contact me or just leave a comment.

I have been to a couple sets of individual work outs so far. I plan to attend more in the near future. D1 schools are allowed one hour of team work outs a week in the preseason and hopefully I will be able to make a few of those soon.

The season is fast approaching!

More Transfers

2009-08-28T12:12:00.003-05:00

Well, two big names in Indiana high school basketball transferred to the same prep school this week. Justin Martin, the recent Xavier commit, and Ronald Ross transferred to Mountain State University Academy in West Virginia. They both have stated academics as the reason why they transferred.

All these transfers leave me thinking about the Indiana All-Star team for the class of 2010. It was already recognized as a below par class by Indiana standards, but now it is getting worse with all the transfers. It will definitely give some others a chance to fulfill a dream that many aren't able to do. It should be interesting to see how steps up and takes advantage of a great opportunity.

Out of State Transfers

2009-08-26T16:22:00.002-05:00

Indiana has avoided prep school transfers better than most states. Indiana for the most part have kept their players in the state. This year it seems to be a little bit different. Dominique Ferguson will attend Hargrave Academy this year. Ferguson is one of the highest rated players in Indiana and recently committed to Isiah Thomas' (or Thompson as his President knows him by) Florida International. Last year, Evan Gordon transferred out of North Central to attend prep school as well. Most will remember Robert Vaden leaving Pike to attend prep school...a move that received him and Mike Davis a lot of flack from the Indiana fan base.

Xavier Jones of Gary West Side announced that he will not be returning to school there because of a lack of recognition. I find that hard to believe especially since he played for SYF this past summer. He has offers from multiple D-1 programs. He will not be transferring to a prep school though but instead just a school somewhere in Ohio.

Jan Maehlen, formerly of Lawrence North, transferred to Arizona but I believe that is less basketball related than the other transfers. Lawrence North lost a lot of height with Jeff Robinson (Xavier) graduating, Chris Read graduating, Ferguson and Maehlen transferring. It should be an interesting year and LN like it is most years.

Enique Mason, formerly of Brownsburg, is also said to be transferring out of the state. He is rumored to be attending a school in Ohio. An interesting note, all the players listed in this article (Mason, Maehlen, Ferguson, Jones) all played on SYF this past summer. It may very well be a coincidence but it is interesting to me.

Winter Plans

2009-08-19T14:37:00.004-05:00

I have decided to dedicate my winter to making this site the best it can be. I have come up with a list of schools I want to see play or at least practice. The list includes these schools...
Avon
Ben Davis
Bishop Chatard
Bloomington North
Bloomington South
Bowman Academy
Broad Ripple
Carmel
Centerville
Chesterton
Danville
Hamilton Southeastern
Howe
Lake Central
Lawrence Central
Lawrence North
Luers
Merrillville
Michigan City
Muncie Central
Munster
New Castle
North Central
Park Tudor
Rushville
Southport
Tech
Valparaiso
Warsaw
Winchester
Whitko
Zionsville

I'll definitely try to make it to games where teams on my list play each other and I will try to make it to some practices and individual work outs.

I will also spend my winter going to college games and practices. I plan on attending practices at Butler, Xavier, Indiana, Purdue, University of Indianapolis, and St. Joe's College.

It should make for a good winter. I should learn a lot about players and have a lot of player reports and game reports. I strive to make this site the best in player evaluations for college potential!

Lots of Commitments

2009-08-13T00:31:00.003-05:00

This past week has brought a lot of commitments from Indiana preps. Today, P.J. Hubert of Mount Vernon committed to IUPUI. One of the best shooters in the 2010 class in Indiana, Hubert should be able to come in and contribute for the Jaguars.

Recently, P.J. Boutee and Jordan Manuel of Howe High School in Indianapolis committed to Detroit on a recent visit. Manuel is a class of 2010 recruit and Boutee is a class of 2011 recruit. Manuel is a 6'8 wing with a lot of upside. Boutee is a 5'10 point guard that should be a good fit for Detroit.

Jack Isenbarger of Zionsville was rumored to be committing to Western Michigan, but has put that off for now.

Chrishawn Hopkins committed to Butler recently and Austin Etherington committed to Indiana University.

2012 Point Guard Rankings

2009-08-10T14:02:00.003-05:00

Easily the deepest position in 2012 is the point guard spot. Especially if you put Gary Harris and Patrick Ingram as point guards. Both might be ranked as point guards in future rankings.

Again, I only rank players I have seen play so if I am missing someone that is probably the reason why they are not listed

Point Guards

1. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera 6’3 North Central H- Can play 4 positions in high school and maybe 5 because he is so strong. Point guard is the position he will play at the higher levels. Crafty and competitive he just finds a way to get it done.
2. Yogi Ferrell 5’11 Park Tudor M+ Point guard that can score. Ferrell is very good with change of pace and hesitation moves. He has a good floater when he gets into the low. Becoming a three-point threat more consistently.
3. Kellon Thomas 5’10 Southport M Solid floor general, strong with the ball. Above average shooter needs to become a lights out shooter because I’m not sure if he has any growing left.
4. Harry Willis 6’1 Ben Davis M- Quick first step, good defender. Unsure of his outside shooting.
5. Logan Irwin 5’11 L Whitko M- Heady, strong point guard. Lacks the elite explosiveness right now.
6. D.J. Ballentine 5’10 Kokomo L+ Good shooter, finishes well in the lane.
7. D.J. Neal 5’11 Fort Wayne North L+
8. Ronnie Johnson 5’8 North Central L+
9. Mitch Yeagy 5’10 Alexandria L
10. Jacoby Bledsoe 5’10 Hamilton Southeastern L

2012 Shooting Guard Rankings

2009-08-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

The guards in the 2012 class look like they could be really special. They have multiple high-major guys...Rafael Davis has already committed to Purdue.

Shooting Guards

1. Ron Patterson 6’3 Broad Ripple H Explosive, good shooter, can be a great defender when he wants to. Weakest part of his game is his ball handling although it is not bad…it needs to be tightened up a little bit.
2. Gary Harris 6’3 Hamilton Southeastern H Didn’t play in July when I saw his team playing. He is a long, solid shooting guard that can play the point.
3. Rafael Davis 6’5 Fort Wayne South M+ I’m not as high on Davis as others just because I think he is physically matured and he isn’t very explosive to me. If he grows a little bit more than he doesn’t need to be very explosive because he will be so big.
4. Patrick Ingram 6’0 North Central M Quick, water bug type with a good outside stroke.
5. Travis Britt 6’3 Culver Academy M Power guard that can really get up and down the floor.
6. Mike Ramey 6’3 Southport M-
7. R.J. Hunter 6’2 Pike M- Rail thin but can really shoot the ball also very long wingspan.

2012 Small Forward Rankings

2009-08-10T13:47:00.002-05:00

The small forward position in 2012 could also be loaded depending on who you classify as a 3. You could make a case for Ron Patterson, Rafael Davis, Austin Burgett, Dejuan Marrero, and Travis Britt all being called a small forward. I decided to rank those guys in different positions for now.

Again, I only rank players that I have watched. That is why the list is relatively small.

Small Forwards

1. Jeremy Hollowell 6’6 Lawrence Central H Huge upside, extremely long, good outside shooter, gets to the rim from the perimeter at will. Struggles at time finishing at the rim, but strength should take care of that.
2. Rhett Smith 6’6 Sullivan M Most complete inside/outside player in the 2012 class that I’ve seen. Great post moves, very good pump fake and drive from the perimeter. A legit 6’5 if not taller, if he can get a couple more inches than his stock could really jump.
3. Mo Cross 6’3 Indianapolis Tech M
4. Jared Drew 6’4 Lawrence Central M- Good athleticism, gets to the rim at will right now, but can get out of control while driving.
5. Aloyis Gray 6’5 Brebeuf M- Extremely long, active rebounder.

2012 Power Forward Rankings

2009-08-10T13:43:00.002-05:00

2012 is very deep in the 4 spot. If you classify Rhett Smith and Aloyis Gray as power forwards, which you could, then the position is very deep. I decided to put them as small forwards.

Again, I only rank kids I have seen play. That is why the list isn't very long.

Power Forwards

1. Austin Burgett 6’8 SF Avon H Can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, passes well, also rebounds. Added strength and aggressiveness could take his game to the next level, which is a very elite level.
2. Dejuan Marrero 6’6 SF Bowman M+ Active rebounder, good defensively, good motor. Doesn’t have many offensive skills right now.
3. Nick Osborne 6’6 PF Muncie Central M
4. Joel Smith 6’5 Heritage Christian L+
5. Brad Hartman 6’5 Union County L+
6. Jordan VanTreese 6’6 Lawrence North L+

2012 Center Rankings

2009-08-10T13:37:00.002-05:00

This is basically a rough draft for my 2012 rankings. I'm confident in the guys I rank, but I haven't seen a ton of 2012 kids. I only rank kids I have seen play so the list is a bit small.

Centers

1. A.J. Hammons 6’10 Carmel H Great size mixed with a bit of a mean streak makes him a top level prospect.
2. Edward Seay 6’8 Merrillville M+ Game could really go to another level if he was more aggressive and played a little bit tougher.
3. Brent Calhoun 6’7 Warren Central M Big time potential. College coaches love lefty big men because it is easier for them to block shots.
4. Keith Cochran 6’9 Bluffton M Very thin right now, strength would boost his game a lot.

Chrishawn Hopkins to Butler

2009-08-09T21:49:00.002-05:00

Chrishawn Hopkins of Manual High has committed to Butler University. The 6'2 Hopkins blew up this spring and carried it into a good July that brought him multiple offers.

More here: http://hoosierhoopsreport.com/wpm/blog/2009/08/09/chrishawn-hopkins-cuts-recruiting-short-makes-his-choice/

Subscribe to RSS

2009-08-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

Make sure to subscribe to the RSS feed located directly to the right. It makes staying up to date on posts easier and more convenient. You just have to check your bookmark instead of going to the site itself.

Etherington to IU

2009-08-03T15:22:00.002-05:00

Apparently, Austin Etherington has committed to Coach Tom Crean and IU. The 6'6 junior-to-be was offered by IU in June I believe. He also had offers from Butler, Oklahoma State, and Xavier.

2010 Center Rankings

2009-08-01T19:27:00.002-05:00

Center position is always limited which is one reason most colleges play 4 out and 1 in motion offense now. I took Jan Maehlen off the rankings because he is living in Arizona now. It is a very short list now.

2010 Centers

1. Travis Carrol 6’8 Danville H- The big fundamental, range to 17 feet. Weakness=Athleticism and needs to grow to be a big contributor for Purdue. He can still help them at his current height, but if he grows he will be very good for them. Verbal commit to Purdue
2. Ethan Jacobs 7’0 Tipton H- Long (obviously), good shot to 17 feet, developing post game, big time potential. Weakness=Raw, not very aggressive. Verbal commit to Ohio University.
3. Parker Stauffer 6’6 Southwood L- Smart, tough, good motor. Weakness=height, not a great offensive skill set. Verbal commit to Indiana Wesleyan.
4. Enique Mason 6’7 Brownsburg L– Wide body, developing some offensive moves. Weakness=motor, skill set.

2010 Power Forward Rankings

2009-08-01T19:23:00.003-05:00

2010 has a good group of power forwards. DeShaun Thomas can broke Damon Bailey's Indiana state scoring record which is unbelievable but with another deep run in the state tournament it is within reach. Fromm and Hale are both very good players who will play their college basketball within the state.

2010 Power Forwards

1. DeShaun Thomas 6’7 Bishop Luers H Complete inside game, developing range, solid handles. Weakness=quicks as a 3 in the Big Ten, Height as a 4 in the Big Ten. Verbal commit to Ohio State
2. Erik Fromm 6’8 Bloomington South M+ Fundamental footwork, strong, finishes very well inside. Weakness=range although improving. Verbal commit to Butler.
3. Donnie Hale 6’7 New Albany M+ Quick, athletic, good rebounder, good shot blocker. Weakness=right hand and perimeter shooting. Verbal commit to Purdue
4. Jake Kitchell 6’8 South Central M- Good motor, solid athlete, can rebound out of his area. Weakness= not polished offensively.
5. Greg Miller 6’6 North Miami L- Good motor, strong, smart, range to 16 feet. Weakness=Height and doesn’t play AAU.
6. Jake Browne 6’6 Heritage Christian L Solid springs, pretty long, has a mid-range jumper, rebounds well.
7. DeArmond Davis 6’7 Mount Vernon L Okay motor, good athlete, but not a great athlete, raw. Weakness=Rawness
8. Thomas Anderson 6’7 Terre Haute North L- Solid frame, decent inside Weakness=athleticism

2010 Small Forward Rankings

2009-08-01T19:05:00.008-05:00

I have Dominique Ferguson still ranked although he is going to go to prep school next year. I will probably take him off the rankings once school starts and everything is official. Other than that, just minor changes to the small forward rankings.

2010 Small Forwards

1. Dominique Ferguson 6’9 Lawrence North(Prep School now) H Long, athletic, decent handles, improving shooter. Weakness=decision-making.
2. Justin Martin 6’7 Lawrence North H- Streaky shooter, athletic, long. Weakness=motor and consistency.
3. Russell Byrd 6’7 Blackhawk Christian H Long-range shooter, solid quicks. Weakness=handles. Verbal commit to Michigan State.
4. Jordan Manual 6’8 Howe M+ Long, streaky shooter, decent athlete. Weakness=motor
5. Daniel Turner 6’6 Mount Vernon M Strong, decent athlete, good touch around the basket, good motor. Weakness=range.
6.Khristian Smith 6’4 Pike L+ Long, decent athlete, streaky shooter. Weakness= motor and handles
7. Neal Beshears 6’6 Winchester L+ Slasher, good motor, rebounder, solid shooter, very long. Weakness=strength and finishing strong in the lane.
8. Andrew Rudakas 6’5 Wheeler L- Strong, physical, good motor, decent set shooter. Weakness=quicks, handles.
9. Chris Welker 6’4 Zionsville L- Strong, good motor, fundamental in the post. Weakness=quickness. Verbal commit to Army.
10. Leland Brown 6’4 Noblesville L- Solid athlete, decent penetrater. Weakness=motor, range.
11. A.J. Adams 6’4 Jeffersonville L- Strong body, solid athlete. Needs to improve offensive game.
12. Scott Lascowski 6’4 Carmel L- Kind of long, decent motor. Weakness=handles, shooting.

2010 Shooting Guard Rankings

2009-08-01T19:05:00.007-05:00

Some minor shifts in my shooting guard rankings. Chrishawn Hopkins is now a household name for college coaches. His grades are the only thing that could hold him back from going to a good program.

2010 Shooting Guards

1. Terone Johnson 6’3 North Central H- Great shooter, strong, improving slashing game. Weakness=handles for PG or height for SG. Verbal Commit to Purdue
2. Chrishawn Hopkins 6’1 Manual M+ Athlete, quick, consistent shooter to 23 feet. Weakness=Decision-making although he finds people well, he forces the pass at times.
3. Ronald Ross 6’3 Northwest M Strong, athletic, good finisher in the lane. Weakness= range
4. Julian Boatner 6’3 Bloomington North M- Quick, long, solid shooter. Weakness=handles and rail thin. Verbal commit to William and Mary
5. P.J. Hubbert 6’5 Mount Vernon M- Shooter, long, good rebounding guard, solid one dribble pull-up game. Weakness=handles
6. Kegan Clark 6’4 Jeffersonville L+ Very good defensively, long wingspan, finishes well although not a super athlete. Verbal commit to Wright State
7. Xavier Jones 6’2 Gary West L+ Solid athlete, slasher, decent handles. Weakness=finishing in the lane against bigger post men
8.Willie Rhodes 6’2 Warren Central L+ Quick, good motor, good slasher, good defender. Weakness=range
9. Roddy Richardson 6’2 Lafayette Jeff L+ Scorer, great motor, very tough. Weakness=consistency shooting.
10. Jordan Weidner 6’1 Danville L- Slasher, strong, decent shooter from the perimeter, finishes well at the rim for a small guard. Weakness=handles, decision making.
11. Brad Karp 6’2 Valparaiso L- Shooter, motor, rebounds well for a guard, smart player. Weakness=handles, quicks

2010 Point Guard Rankings

2009-08-01T18:57:00.002-05:00

Some minor shifts in my 2010 point guard rankings. The 2010 isn't has deep as we are used to in Indiana. The point guards are good, but not many big-time prospects.

2010 Point Guard Rankings

1. Jesse Berry 6’1 Lafayette Jeff H Scoring PG, quick, good range. Weakness=decision making and defense although he has improved both areas lately. Verbal commit to Dayton
2. Tyrae Robinson 6’1 Bowman Academy M Quick, strong, good vision. Unsure of his range.
3. Jack Isenbarger 6’2 Zionsville M Long, smart, solid shooter. Weakness=quickness to guard PG’s at high or mid-major level.
4. Kennis White 6’1 South Bend Washington M- Athlete, best post passer I have seen in class. Weakness=SG in PG body.
5. Brandon Demmings 6’2 Washington L Slasher, good mid-range game, long. Weakness=shooting range
6. Michael Harris 6’1 East Chicago L+ Haven’t seen enough for a true assessment.
7. Andre Hampton 6’1 Howe M- Scoring/Shoot first PG that is basically a SG. Weakness=handles and motor
8. Aaron Bluitt 6’1 Bishop Chatard L+ Scorer, finishes well, shooting range. Weakness=handles, defensive intensity
9. Jon Michael Jarvis - Terre Haute South L+ Penetrating PG, decent shooter
10. Brad Elam 5’10 Ben Davis L- Good range, solid pull-up game. Weakness=height and handles against pressure.
11. Taylor Wayer 5’11 Bishop Chatard L- Good range, strong, solid defender. Weakness=more of a SG in a PG body

2011 Small Forward Rankings

2009-08-01T12:31:00.004-05:00

2011 Small Forwards

1. Branden Dawson 6’5 Gary Wallace H Athletic, good motor, finishes well in traffic against contact, okay shooter. Would like him to improve shooting.
2. Ryan Taylor 6’5 Lawrence North H- Strong and athletic right now. Needs to be more consistent from the outside and has been so far this summer. His game is expanding from a PF to a SF but he still has some work to do.
3. Austin Etherington 6’6 Hamilton Heights H- Shooter, long wingspan. Good ball handler and court vision. Lateral quickness is a question but has picked up offers from Indiana, Xavier, and Oklahoma State.
4. Dontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton M+ Skilled tweener(small forwad and power forward), quick, athletic, solid body, has some range to his jumper. Gets a bit out of control at times.
5. Steven Jamison 6’4 Broad Ripple M+ Long, streaky shooter, okay handles, good motor. More consistency from perimeter shooting would make him a great mid-major or higher prospect.
6. Chandler Thomas 6’5 Howe L+ Very good post player, good athlete, strong. Needs to become a wing.
7. Brian Stolarz 6’4 Munster L+ Strong, good jumper, okay set shooter, good rebounder. Not great with the ball…needs to improve ball-handling and overall perimeter skills.
8. Brandon Muncie 6'4 Lawrence North L+ Athletic, long windspan. If he can build his game around his great athleticism he could be very good.
9. Jackson Renshaw 6'4 Columbus East L+ Strong, solid athlete, decent ball-handling skills. Needs to improve consistency on jumper and decision making.
10. Jon Trawick 6’2 Richmond L Strong, athletic, good set shooter. Needs to improve ball handling and defense
11. Levi Garner 6'4 Edgewood L Strong, good penetrating skills. Lacks a consistent jumper..
12. Dwight Cliff 6’3 Ben Davis L Strong, good set shooter, solid rebounder. Needs to improve ball handling on drives and shooting off the dribble

2011 Shooting Guard Rankings

2009-08-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

2011 Shooting Guards

1. Zac VanDeWater 6’5 Whitko M+ Good shooter, solid handles, good defender although not super quick. Had a great July, shot very well and showed his complete game. Some muscle might improve his game greatly.
2. Kendall Griffin 6’4 Avon M+ Good shooter, rebounds well from a SG/SF, very fast up and down the floor, solid athlete. Would like him to handle it better and make better decisions at times
3. Spencer Turner 6’2 Bloomington South M Best shooter in the class, strong, smart player. Would like him to develop into more of a PG unless he grows. He might still grow and he is a gym rat so I expect him to expand his game.
4. Kenny Enoch 6’3 Howe M- Solid athlete, pretty long, good motor, good set shooter.
5. Conner Rich 6’3 Tipton L+ Pure shooter with legit range to 24 feet. Lacks great lateral quickness, but has good length. I’d put him as the 2nd best shooter behind Spencer Turner.
6. Evan Blackmon 6’1 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Explosive athlete, streaky shooter. Needs to be better with the ball i.e. limit turnovers and run an offense more often to become a point guard.
7. Chris Page 6’3 Plainfield L Solid length, good finisher inside, good shooter. Needs to improve ball handling
8. Colin Lynch 6’3 Roncali L Slasher, good set shooter, okay athlete. Needs to tighten up handles and passing a bit.

2011 Power Forward Rankings

2009-08-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

2011 Power Forwards

1. Mitch McGary 6’9 Chesterton H Great touch around the basket, good shooting form to 18 feet, quick/good feet. Grades are a question mark for him.
2. Cody Zeller 6’8 Washington H- A Zeller nuff said. Runs well, shoots well, passes well. Developing quickly, but still ranked mainly off of potential. He has made huge strides since last summer and I expect him to continue that type of development.
3. Justin Gant 6’8 Terre Haute North M+ Solid set shooter from outside, good length, skilled. Aggressive/toughness on the defensive end and while rebounding will decide what level he plays.
4. Tyler Greathouse 6’8 Columbus North M Good outside shooter, good post moves. Very similar to Justin Gant, Greathouse needs to be more aggressive offensively and rebounding.
5. Tim Simmons 6’6 Pike L+ Good post moves, decent shooter, best thing going for him is his body...looks like a grown man.
6. Rontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton L+ Skilled tweener, quick, athletic, solid body. Can put the ball on the floor from the perimeter to get to the basket. Gets a bit out of control at times and more of a power forward than his brother.
7. Robert Pittman 6’7 Washington L Athletic, can put it on the floor a little bit. Needs to improve all around game.
8. Alex Prichett 6’6 Bedford North L Finishes well, solid body. Needs to improve post moves and expand range. He recently picked up an offer from Wright State
9. Brandon Herbert 6’6 Rushville L Good rebounder, good motor. Needs to improve shooting range and become more of a PF instead of pure center.
10. Colin Bowles 6’7 Franklin Central L Good motor, great timing for shot blocking. Needs to improve offensive game.
11. Matt Howard 6’5 Carmel L- Good pick and pop shooter, decent athlete. Good small college prospect if he gets playing time at Carmel.

2011 Point Guard Rankings

2009-08-01T12:20:00.006-05:00

2011 Point Guards

1. Marquis Teague 6’2 Pike H One of the top players in the country for his class. Explosive, solid shooter, good handles. Can question his focus at times
2. Dee Davis 5’10 Bloomington South M+ Great decision maker, good handles, good outside shooter, quick. Height might hold him back from being an elite PG at the next level.
3. Matt Carlino 6’2 Bloomington South H- quick, smart, strong, slasher that is looking to pass first. Not a great shooter, but has time to improve that.
4. Jalen Packer 6’2 Princeton M Slashing point guard, long, leads well. Reminds me of Verdell Jones of IU…long, good creator, but gets loose with the ball at times.
5. Nic Moore 5’10 Warsaw M Solid shooter, strong although small, finishes well in the lane. Needs to be a knock down shooter so he can run an offense and knock down 3’s if he is left open
6. P.J. Boutee 5’9 Howe M- Quick, flashy, decent shooter. I would like him to cut down on his spin dribbles…asking to be trapped at higher levels. Right now, he gets away with it.
7. Jordan Hahn 5’10 New Castle L+ Leader, good decision maker,good defender at this level, improving shooter. Needs to handle intense ball pressure better
8. Jonny Marlin 5’11 Center Grove L+ Smart, solid shooter, good ball handler. Would like him to be more aggressive offensively but he runs a team well,would like him to add some muscle.
9. Ken Mullen 5'11 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Strong, good defender. Needs some work on the offensive end.
10. Greg Dickey 5’11 Tipton L Feisty, good worker, solid with the ball. Downside is height and not a lights out shooter
11. Phil Miller 5’10 Fishers L- Good slasher, quick, finishes pretty well when he gets into the lane. Not a great shooter.
12. Brandon Ledford 5'11 Decatur Central L Slashing pass first point guard or looking to finish in the lane.
13. Christian Ford 5’10 Pike L Score first PG, very good penetrator. Will get out of control and force bad shots

2011 Combo Guard Rankings

2009-08-01T12:20:00.004-05:00

2011 Combo Guards

1. Jeremiah Davis 6’3 Muncie Central H Power guard, athletic,can get to the rim at will right now, solid set shot from the perimeter. Needs to improve his decision making.
2. Alexander Hutson 6’1 Tipton M- Shooter, deceptively athletic, solid vision. Would like better ball handling and better defense without so much unwarranted gambling.
3. Torrey Nibbs 6’1 Brownsburg L+ Athlete, great first step, strong. Needs to improve handles, decision making and shooting
4. Spencer Comer 6’3 Rushville L+ Great lateral quickness, strong, good motor, works very hard, good leader. Needs better handles and consistency from the outside.
5. Matt Schauss 6’2 Centerville L+ Lights out shooter, long, okay handles. Probably not big enough to be a pure shooting guard at the D-1 level and probably not quick enough to be a pure point guard. Lacks great intensity at most times.
6. Eric Harris 6’2 Lawrence North L+ Long, crafty, good rebounder. Needs to improve handles and more consistent shooting. I would like him to become a pure point guard.
7. Max Landis 6’0 Perry Meridian L Good shooter, finishes well in the lane, decent handles. Not a great defender, would like him to add some muscle.
8. Tyler Hall 6’2 Danville L Smart, pass first, good defender. More consistency from the outside is needed.

2011 Center Rankings

2009-08-01T12:20:00.002-05:00

Not much change in my center rankings for 2011.

Centers

1. Michael Chandler 6’11 Lawrence North H Big man with solid hands, runs pretty well, aggressive for a young big man. Will he continue to work on his game or be happy for what he has got?
2. Tony Springmann 6’7 Fort Wayne Dwenger M+ Powerful big man, great motor and rebounder, solid shot to 14 feet. A face-up game would shoot him up the rankings.
3. Isiah Hill 6’10 Howe M- Huge kid, doesn’t run too well. Has been out most of the spring.
4. Ben Davisson 6’9 Renesselar Central L+ Huge body, huge hands, decent touch around the basket. Can hit 15 foot jumper if left open, struggles when he puts the ball on the floor in the post.
5. Alec Peterson 6’9 Carmel L Long, finishes okay in the lane. Plays passively and without much energy.
6. Michael Nesbitt 6’6 Evansville Memorial L Solid body, good rebounder, needs to work on offensive skills.
7. Wade Thomas 6’8 Western Boone L Super raw, good motor, plays with energy, good form on shot to 15 feet. Just needs experience and work on post game along with added strength.

Orlando Update

2009-07-27T01:06:00.002-05:00

I've been in Orlando for a full 24 hours now. It has been pretty laid back with lots of stories being told in our "coaches suite" that we have.

I've only watched a few games and only one game involving an Indiana team. I'm in the process of re-ranking all my players and working on new evaluations if necessary. There isn't a lot of movement in my rankings, but I think there is a need for slight adjusting.

I do my rankings based on current skill set and potential for development and potential of their game translating well to the next level. Some things just do not translate well from level to level.

I'll have more updates tomorrow night as I expect to get some solid game watching in tomorrow. Tuesday will probably be a full day of observing games. Then tournament play begins in the 17U AAU Nationals.

Orlando

2009-07-25T15:55:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting in the Indy Airport as we speak on my way to Chicago and then heading to Orlando. It will make for a long evening, but that is expected when you are "ballin on a budget" as some would say.

AAU Nationals is the tournament I am going down to coach in. The actual AAU tournaments have seen a decline in attendance in recent years. The national tournament is still attended pretty well, but they fill in a lot of spots with Florida teams. The state tournament is almost dead in Indiana. Lots of teams use out of state players and too many players on their team are grade exceptions to compete in the state tournament.

Also, most teams opt to go to Vegas in July so they have no reason to play in the state tournament other than bragging rights. Most don't want to go through the paperwork to compete in what works out to be a one weekend tournament (if they aren't going to go to the national tournament if they qualify).

Orlando is a good set-up with a good amount of courts in one location. Vegas is spread out a lot and a good portion of game sites only have one or two courts. Orlando also has the Nike Showcase tournament the week before the National tournament which allows teams to stay in one location for 10 days which makes travel easier.

Time to board!

2011 Center Rankings

2009-07-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

True Centers are hard to find especially in Indiana. I tried to limit who I put into this category because most kids are more like Power Forwards than they are Centers.

2011 Centers

1. Michael Chandler 6’11 Lawrence North H Big man with solid hands, runs pretty well, aggressive for a young big man. Will he continue to work on his game or be happy for what he has got?
2. Tony Springmann 6’7 Fort Wayne Dwenger M+ Powerful big man, great motor and rebounder, solid shot to 14 feet. A face-up game would shoot him up the rankings.
3. Isiah Hill 6’10 Howe M- Huge kid, doesn’t run too well. Has been out most of the spring.
4. Ben Davisson 6’9 Renesselar Central L+ Huge body, huge hands, decent touch around the basket. No range, struggles when he puts the ball on the floor in the post.
5. Alec Peterson 6’9 Carmel L Long, finishes okay in the lane. Plays uber passively and without much energy.
6. Wade Thomas 6’8 Western Boone L+ Super raw, good motor, plays with energy, good form on shot to 15 feet. Just needs experience and work on post game along with added strength.

2011 Power Forward Rankings

2009-07-18T10:51:00.002-05:00

2011 Power Forward Rankings

1. Mitch McGary 6’9 Chesterton H Great touch around the basket, good shooting form to 18 feet, quick/good feet. Grades are a question mark for him.
2. Cody Zeller 6’8 Washington M+ A Zeller nuff said. Runs well, shoots well, passes well. If he adds a dribble game to his offense he will go high major.
3. Justin Gant 6’8 Terre Haute North M+ Solid set shooter from outside, good length, skilled. Needs to be more aggressive and improve handles.
4. Tyler Greathouse 6’8 Columbus North M Good outside shooter, good post moves. Needs to be more aggressive offensively and rebounding.
5. Tim Simmons 6’6 Pike L+ Good post moves, decent shooter, best thing going for him is his body...looks like a grown man.
6. Rontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton L+ Skilled tweener, quick, athletic, solid body. Gets a bit out of control at times and more of a power forward than his brother.
7. Robert Pittman 6’7 Washington L Athletic, can put it on the floor a little bit. Needs to improve all around game.
8. Brandon Herbert 6’6 Rushville L Good rebounder, good motor. Needs to improve shooting range and become more of a PF instead of pure center.
9. Colin Bowles 6’7 Franklin Central L Good motor, great timing for shot blocking. Needs to improve offensive game.
10. Alex Prichett 6’6 Bedford North L Finishes well, solid body. Needs to improve post moves

2011 Shooting Guard Rankings

2009-07-18T10:42:00.002-05:00

2011 Shooting Guards

1. Zac VanDeWater 6’5 Whitko M+ Good shooter, solid handles, good defender although not super quick. Some muscle might improve his game greatly.
2. Kendal Griffin 6’4 Avon M+ Good shooter, rebounds well from a SG/SF, very fast up and down the floor, solid athlete. Would like him to handle it better and make better decisions at times.
3. Spencer Turner 6’2 Bloomington South M Best shooter in the class, strong, smart player. Would like him to develop into more of a PG unless he grows.
4. Kenny Enoch 6’3 M- Howe Solid athlete, pretty long, good motor, good set shooter.
5. Evan Blackmon 6’1 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Explosive athlete, streaky shooter. Needs to be better with the ball i.e. limit turnovers and run an offense more often to become a point guard.
6. Chris Page 6’3 Plainfield L Solid length, good finisher inside, good shooter. Needs to improve ball handling
7. Colin Lynch 6’3 Roncali L Slasher, good set shooter, okay athlete. Needs to tighten up handles and passing a bit.

2011 Small Forward Rankings

2009-07-18T10:22:00.002-05:00

Continuing my update of 2011 rankings, this time I have the small forward position.

2011 Small Forwards

1. Branden Dawson 6’5 Gary Wallace H Athletic, good motor, finishes well in traffic against contact, okay shooter. Would like him to improve shooting.
2. Ryan Taylor 6’5 Lawrence North H- Strong and athletic right now. Needs to be more consistent from the outside and has been so far this summer.
3. Austin Etherington 6’6 Hamilton Heights M+ Shooter, long wingspan, still trying to get back to where he was before surgery. Lateral quickness is a question but has picked up offers from Indiana, Xavier, and Oklahoma State.
4. Dontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton M+ Skilled tweener(small forwad and power forward), quick, athletic, solid body, has some range to his jumper. Gets a bit out of control at times.
5. Stevie Jamison 6’4 Broad Ripple M+ Long, streaky shooter, okay handles, good motor. More consistency from perimeter shooting would make him a great mid-major or higher prospect.
6. Chandler Thomas 6’5 Howe L+ Very good post player, good athlete, strong. Needs to become a wing.
7. Brian Stolarz 6’4 Munster L+ Strong, good jumper, okay set shooter, good rebounder. Not great with the ball…needs to improve ball-handling and overall perimeter skills.
8. Brandon Muncie 6'4 Lawrence North L+ Athletic, long windspan. If he can build his game around his great athleticism he could be very good.
9. Jackson Renshaw 6'4 Columbus East L+ Strong, solid athlete, decent ball-handling skills. Needs to improve consistency on jumper and decision making.
10. Levi Garner 6'4 Edgewood L Strong, good penetrating skills. Lacks a consistent jumper.
11. Jon Trawick 6’2 Richmond L Strong, athletic, good set shooter. Needs to improve ball handling and defense.
12. Dwight Cliff 6’3 Ben Davis L Strong, good set shooter, solid rebounder. Needs to improve ball handling on drives and shooting off the dribble.

2011 Combo Guard Rankings

2009-07-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

I have never been a big fan of the term "combo guard" because usually it is just a scoring point guard or a shooting guard that can't shoot. 2010 has a ton of combo guard types and I decided to put everyone in that category together and rank them.

2011 Combo Guards

1. Jeremiah Davis 6’3 Muncie Central H Power guard, athletic,can get to the rim at will right now, solid set shot from the perimeter. Needs to improve his decision making.
2. Alexander Hutson 6’1 Tipton M- Shooter, deceptively athletic, solid vision. Would like better ball handling and better defense without so much unwarranted gambling.
3. Matt Schauss 6’2 Centerville L+ Lights out shooter, long, okay handles. Probably not big enough to be a pure shooting guard at the D-1 level and probably not quick enough to be a pure point guard. Lacks great intensity at most times.
4. Spencer Comer 6’3 Rushville L+ Great lateral quickness, strong, good motor, works very hard, good leader. Needs better handles and consistency from the outside.
5. Torrey Nibbs 6’1 Brownsburg L+ Athlete, great first step, strong. Needs to improve handles, decision making and shooting.
6. Eric Harris 6’2 Lawrence North L+ Long, crafty, good rebounder. Needs to improve handles and more consistent shooting.
7. Max Landis 6’0 Perry Meridian L Good shooter, finishes well in the lane, decent handles. Not a great defender, would like him to add some muscle.
8. Tyler Hall 6’2 Danville L Smart, pass first, good defender. More consistency from the outside is needed.

2011 Point Guard Rankings

2009-07-17T20:04:00.003-05:00

Updated rankings after the first evaluation period. Although, how well a guy is playing is an indication of where they will be ranked, I'm still trying to keep it to who will be the best long-term. I'm still trying to combine current skill set and potential for the rankings.

2011 Point Guards

1. Marquis Teague 6’2 Pike H One of the top players in the country for his class. Explosive, solid shooter, good handles. Can question his focus at times.
2. Dee Davis 5’10 Bloomington South M+ Great decision maker, good handles, good outside shooter, quick but not lightning quick. Height might hold him back from being an elite PG.
3. Matt Carlino 6’2 Bloomington South H- quick, smart, strong, slasher that is looking to pass first. Not a great shooter, but has time to improve that.
4. Jalen Packer 6’2 Princeton M Slashing point guard, long, leads well. Needs to get a little tighter with the ball and add a mid-range to long-range shooting game.
5. Nic Moore 5’10 Warsaw M Solid shooter, strong although small, finishes well in the lane. Needs to be a knock down shooter so he can run an offense and knock down 3’s if he is left open
6. P.J. Boutee 5’10 Howe L+ Quick, flashy, decent shooter. Needs to make better decisions at times.
7. Ken Mullens 5'11 Fort Wayne Luers L+ strong, good defender. Needs some work on the offensive end.
8. Jordan Hahn 5’10 New Castle L+ Leader, good decision maker,good defender at this level, improving shooter. Needs to handle intense ball pressure better
9. Jonny Marlin 5’11 Center Grove L+ Smart, solid shooter, good ball handler. Would like him to be more aggressive offensively but he runs a team well,would like him to add some muscle.
10. Greg Dickey 5’11 Tipton L Feisty, good worker, solid with the ball. Downside is height and not a lights out shooter
11. Brandon Ledford 5'11 Decatur Central L slashing pass first point guard or looking to finish in the lane.
12. Christian Ford 5’10 Pike L Score first PG, very good penetrator. Will get out of control and force bad shots

Update

2009-07-17T11:05:00.002-05:00

I have been gone for the last week or so with AAU tournaments and I worked another Xavier basketball camp.

I plan on finishing my Kentucky Hoopfest recap and updating my rankings. I know I have changed my 2011 rankings and my 2012 rankings. I will get these things finalized and posted later this afternoon/tonight.

Hope everyone is enjoying their July. I know I am!

Kentucky Hoop Fest Recap 2011

2009-07-12T16:23:00.002-05:00

I'm going to break my recap into classes and then by team for easier navigating and comprehension of teams and players.

Spiece Select 2011

Tony Springmann 6'8 Fort Wayne Dwenger showed numerous moves and finishes with his left hand this week. It is a given that he is going to rebound and play strong inside. Needs to continue to develop offensive game.

Zac VanDeWater 6'4 Whitko is a legit 6'4 wing that can shoot, move laterally well, very good rebounder from a guard spot. I put him as a mid-major plus right now.

Kendal Griffin 6'4 Avon is very similar to VanDeWater but faster north and south although probably slower laterally on the defensive end. Also, a good rebounder and a competitor.

Torrey Nibbs 6'1 Brownsburg had a solid weekend. Nibbs has a great body/athleticism, good defender when he doesn't reach or gamble, terrific rebounder when playing the PG spot. He must improve handles, decision making, and consistently finish in the lane to be a D-1 player.

Tyler Greathouse 6'8 Columbus North is a flat out shooter who is adding a driving game. He has good post moves, but rarely posts. Aggressiveness, rebounding, and defense is holding him from being a mid-major prospect right now.

Indiana Elite-Team Indiana

Jeremiah Davis 6'3 Muncie Central is a strong, athletic combo guard who has been consistent from 3 this spring although it is a little slow. He does have a high release on it that helps when he shoots over people. Needs to improve decision making and handles against pressure.

Austin Etherington 6'6 Hamilton Heights is a long wing that can shoot it. He has had zero impact in two games against Spiece Select now. I'm not sure if they are in his head or if it is because he is being guarded by 6'4 quick wings that are good defensively. He is a match-up problem for nearly every team.

Dee Davis 5'10 Bloomington South is borderline unguardable at this level. The Xavier commit is quick, smart, can shoot, finds people well. Only negative that I can find is his height.

Deng Leek 7'0 is big and that is basically it. He has offers from Maryland, Syracuse, and NC State I believe. He is not very skilled or aggressive.

Vinny Zollo 6'8 Lexington (KY)hasn't gotten much love after his UK commitment fell through with the coaching change. He flat out gets after on the boards and is a solid defender. Right now, he is a solid mid-major to low-major prospect.

Indiana Elite One

Jalen Packer 6'1 Princeton is not the 6'4 I have seen him listed at by other sites. At most, he is 6'2 in shoes. Packer is what he is right now...he is a slasher that is looking to get to the rim to score, but he is a little too loose with the ball.

Matt Carlino 6'2 Bloomington South have been knocked by some because he is not a great shooter or a great athlete like Marquis Teague, but he is a solid athlete, slasher, creator for others, strong, and smart. Not a sexy recruit for the IU base, but he is solid.

Marshall Plumlee 6'11 NC Prep School via Warsaw plays extremely hard and posts agressively. He appears to be a leader and that is rare from a big man. His upside is as big as his 6'11 frame.

Spencer Turner 6'2 Bloomington South is a shooter and not much else. Although, there are many guys in the NBA earning a lot of money that can only shoot. It is a matter of a right fit and right timing for what level he can play at. I think he is still a mid-major type of kid.

Johnny Marlin 5'10 Center Grove is heady, quick, good competitor, solid shooter if left open. His height and weight is what might decide if he is a D2/NAIA player instead of a D-1 player.

Cody Zeller 6'9 Washington didn't play a lot when I saw him although he had 25 in a tournament bracket game. I would like him to really play inside and outside instead of just outside.

Justin Gant 6'8 Terre Haute North is a shooter and has decent handles. His stock has dropped a lot due to lack of aggressiveness, toughness, willingness to battle down low. If he does those types of things then he is a high-major player instead of a borderline mid-major to low-major player.

Indiana Select 2011

Spencer Comer 6'3 Rushville is a D-1 athlete...explosive, good lateral movement. Needs to improve handles and shooting consistency.

Matt Schauss 6'3 Centerville is a shooter with good length to him. He can handle it a little bit, but can be shaky against pressure. Needs to pick up his intensity on the defensive end.

Jackson Renshaw 6'4 Columbus East is a combo guard with an "NBA body." That is an inside joke. He is a decent athlete, but not a great shooter or decision maker. If he improves those two areas then he is a D-1 player.

More to come soon!

Kentucky Hoop Fest Recap Coming!

2009-07-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Recap later tonight!