Monday, July 11, 2011

IBCA Underclassmen Recap

Had a really good time at the Top 100 Underclassmen workout at Ben Davis High School today. Many of the states top players took a day off from the AAU circuit to show off their skills in this showcase setting. The players began by running through a series of drills including some 1-on-1 competition, a shooting station, and ball-handling. That was neat to see players participate in those type of workouts. A few observations after watching the station work...

Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S. 2012 (Stetson commit)
I have never seen somebody do 2-ball dribbling exercises the way this kid can. He keeps the ball very low to the ground and dribbles faster than anyone I have seen do the drill. That alone was fun to watch.
Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S. 2013
He was maybe the most impressive player in the 1-on-1 station. Not only was he locking down everyone when he was the defender, but he seemed to score at will on the offensive end. Very quick, and can create space between him and the defender so he can get off an open jumper.
Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S. 2012
He had a ferocious dunk to begin his day. In the 1-on-1 station he took the ball at the left wing, made two or three hard dribbles to his right, then just took off and threw down a two-handed slam that left the defender on his backside.
Noah Shooting: This was one of the stations that the players went through. It was some high-tech device that measured the arc of your shot among other things. I am not even going to attempt to explain it, but if you like that kind of stuff look it up. It was pretty interesting.

After about 30-45 minutes of the drill work the guys broke into 12 different teams and played games for the rest of the evening. I will break the teams down by color.

Columbia Team (Numbers 1-10)
No player really stood out to me on this team today, however this squad did features the states leading scorer in Zach Richie from Oregon-Davis H.S.

Forrest Team (Numbers 11-20)
Austin Burgett: 6'8'' Power Forward, Avon H.S. 2012 (Notre Dame commit)
At the risk of sounding like ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, I really like his length. Also, he is a good outside shooter and has a good mid-range game. Good shot blocker defensively.
Glenn Robinson III: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lake Central H.S. 2012 (Michigan commit)
Very impressed with him today, this was my first look at Glenn this month. I like his athleticism and strength. He rebounds the ball well on both ends of the court and can handle it well enough to bring the ball up himself. Needs to continue to work on his shooting.
Keegan Kincaid: 6'2'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S.
This is kid is becoming one of my favorite players to watch this July. He plays very hard, is great defender and handles the ball really well. Just an all-around solid point guard.

Purple Team (Numbers 21-29)
V.J. Beachem: 6'6'' Small Forward, New Haven H.S. 2013
I really didn't watch a whole lot of him today because I had seen him a few times already this month, but when I did watch he knocked down a few nice outside shots. Without a doubt on of the top handful of players in the state for the class of 2013.
Mike Crawford: 6'5'' Small Forward, Tipton H.S. 2013
He didn't have quite as good of a day as I thought he might, but he certainly still played well. I like the way he handles the ball, he has the ability to grab rebounds and then go coast-to-coast and finish.
Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy 2012
Very strong and a big body down low. Rebounds the ball well, just may be a little undersized to play as a 4 man at the DI level. Still I was impressed with him today and is at least a very good DII player, and could probably play at a lower level DI.
Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S. 2013
Each and every time I watch Zavier play I end up liking him more and more. He is quite possibly the quickest player in his class. Also shoots the ball pretty well. Obviously he is short, but that will not keep him from being a very effective point at the mid-major level.

Teal Team (Numbers 30-39)
Logan Jaehnen: 6'6'' Power Forward, East Central H.S. 2012
I have had the chance to watch Logan play a couple of times in the last week now, and each time he just keeps looking better. He is a tireless worker on both ends of the court. He has very good post moves and is good rebounder. Interest around him is beginning to pick up as he continues to impress many college coaches.
Zak Irvin: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2013
Zak has had just as good of a July as anybody in the state of Indiana. He is a great shooter, especially from mid-range. He length and athleticism allows him to get shots off on anyone, as well as guard 3 different positions. Definitely a high-major prospect.

Royal Team (Numbers 40-48)
Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2012
This was my first look at Gary, one of the nations top prospects, this month. He is just an all-around scorer. He can shoot it pretty well, take the ball to the basket, or score off of offensive rebounds. Whatever court he was on he was followed by most of the big name coaches at the event. I look forward to seeing where he decides to go.
Edward Seay: 6'8'' Power Forward, Merrillville H.S. 2012
Of anybody at the Underclassmen event, Seay may have turned the most heads. A tall, long post player with good athleticism, he can fill a need for any mid-major that needs a 4 man. He is a good shot blocker and has a pretty good shot out to 15 feet. Look for a late surge of interest to pick up around him.

Gold Team (Numbers 51-59)
Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S. 2012
Drew had a very good day. He is very active on the offensive glass, great athlete. He has a good pull-up jump shot that he can shoot out to 3-point range. Has the ability to defend multiple positions. Still would not surprise me if he picks up a few more offers before July is over.
Blake Simmons: 6'5'' Small Forward, Castle H.S. 2013
Good outside shooter, Blake isn't an overwhelming athlete but he is very effective on the offensive end. He has a high basketball IQ and I think he will be a solid low to mid-major player.

Navy Team (Numbers 60-68)
D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S. 2012
I love his strength as a point, big body but still quick enough to guard the position. Also a very good shooter. He continues to impress me this summer and the interest around him keeps picking up.
Tyler Wideman: 6'8'' Power Forward, Lake Central H.S. 2014
It must be very hard for college coaches to not fall in love with him. He is a force in the post, a huge frame for just a Sophomore-to-be. He also moves pretty well for a big boy, and has great hands. Tyler keeps improving his offensive skill set. The most impressive play I saw from him yesterday was when he pulled down a rebounder, dribbled the ball up court, then pulled up for a 3 and drained it. Definite high-major player.
Jordyn Coon: 6'3'' Small Forward, Warsaw H.S. 2012
I have watched Jordyn play a couple of times before, but this was my first look at him this summer. He had a great day, showcasing good athleticism and long arms. After his showing yesterday he should get some interest from DII and NAIA schools.

Red Team (Numbers 70-79)
Sean Sellers: 6'5'' Small Forward, Greensburg H.S. 2014
I really likes Sean's overall skill set. He is long and athletic, can do score in many different ways on the offensive end. I saw him shoot the ball well from the outside, as well as have a few nice drives to the basket. Will really need to work hard in the weight room over the next year.
Collin Hartman: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Cathedral H.S. 2013 (Indiana commit)
Great outside shooter with some serious range. He also rebounds the ball well on both ends of the court. One of the top 5 players in Indiana in the class of 2013, really like his all-around game.
Mark Mercer: 6'8'' Power Forward, Plymouth H.S. 2014
I saw him for the first time down at the Kentucky Hoop Fest on Saturday and was impressed and wrote his name down. Then yesterday he looked great again and I heard a few big Division I coaches talking about this kid. He needs to get stronger, but the length is there. He has good offensive skills, he can score down low and is a good outside shooter as well. Look for him to really blow up in the near future.
Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S. 2012 (Stetson commit)
Logan didn't have his best day (well, after two-ball dribbling that is) but he still finds a way to get others involved and be effective. He is a great on-ball defender and very good passer. Quickly has become one of my favorite guys to watch.

Kelly Team (Numbers 81-89)
No big time prospects at this time, and nobody really stood out to me as having a great day from this team.

Black Team (Numbers 90-99)
Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'10" Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2012
Very good passer and ball handler, however he tries to force the action a bit too much sometimes. He is very quick and can also shoot the ball pretty well from the 3-point range. I like him as a low to mid-major point guard.
J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S. 2012
Very good size for a guard. Great rebounder, can play anywhere from the point to a forward spot. Like his all-around game.
Basil Smotherman: 6'5'' Small Forward, Lawrence North H.S. 2013 (Purdue commit)
Smotherman played better today than I have seen him play all month. He showed his entire offensive game, knocking down some 3-pointers, as well as scoring in the paint. He will continue to develop into a very solid player at Purdue.

Maroon Team (Numbers 100-109)
Troy Spears: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S. 2014
Has a nice shooting stroke and handles the ball well, he could play some point as well as 2-guard. I like him as a defender as well. Already a very good player, I expect him to do nothing but get better and better.
Ryan Weber: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S. 2012
Very good outside shooter, can handle the ball well and pull up for a jump shot. His size lets him shoot over the top of many defenders. Good strength as well. Definitely could contribute to a low DI program.
Markese McGuire: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S. 2013
Had as good of a day as anybody else at the showcase. Good all-around offensive player, can score from 3-point range, as well as off the dribble attacking the basket. He is a good athlete also and can grab some offensive rebounds. I was very impressed, Division I prospect.
Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S. 2012
Kellon is very, very strong. He is very tough to guard and when he gets into the paint he absorbs a lot of contact and finishes. He proved at the Top 100 that he is nearly unstoppable in 1-on-1 situations.
Grant Evans: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Wapahani H.S. 2014
He may well be the best shooter in the 2014 class in Indiana. Sweet lefty stroke. Also, Grant is continuing to develop more of a game off the dribble. He is quickly becoming a true scorer, not just a shooter. Expect interest around him to continue to grow.

Orange Team (Numbers 111-119)
Trevon Bluiett: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S. 2014
Great ball handler and outside shooter for his size. He is very good at taking a couple dribbles and pulling up from mid-range. Trevon's size allows him to play and defend 3 positions. He will be a big time Division I player.

That is a look at the top players and performers from each of the 12 teams. Besides these guys there were plenty of other very good players, many guys that I will be following (along with college coaches) as they continue with the AAU circuit. Here are some more names that deserve to be on the "Watch List."

Adam Miller: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Hauser H.S. 2012
Steven Bennet: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, New Castle H.S. 2013
Keegan Kincaid: 6'1'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S. 2012
Joe Reed: 6'8'' Power Forward, Center Grove H.S. 2012
Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S. 2012
Leo Svete: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S. 2013
Isaiah Jones: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, New Albany H.S. 2012
Aaron Brennan: 6'5'' Power Forward, Guerin Catholic H.S. 2014
Todd Johnson: 5'7'' Point Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S. 2012
Nathan Rich: 5'10'' Shooting Guard, Columbus East H.S. 2013
Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S. 2012
Keith Cochran: 6'10'' Center, Bluffton H.S. 2012
David Heckman: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S. 2012
Caleb Begle: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Jasper H.S. 2012

The Top 100 Underclassmen Showcase was a great event. Even though some of the top players did not attend there was still a lot of talent at Ben Davis High School, and many coaches were in attendance. Hopefully some players benefit from being there!

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