IPSAC Midwest Basketball Challenge

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.