Monday, August 15, 2011

Top Un-Committed Seniors, DII/DII/NAIA Level

Here is another installment of the Indiana Recruiting Guide's look at the top prospects left on the board. In this article we will be looking at players that would fit in at the Division II, Division III, and/or NAIA level. As with the players who are looking to land at a Division I program, there are many prospects left in Indiana that college coaches at these levels could sign to help their team.

Division II

1. Steve Hawkins: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Steve is pretty raw overall, but he is a good shot blocker and rebounder which, along with his size, will grab the attention of schools at the college level. His best bet may be to go the JUCO route so he can get stronger and polish his offensive skills, then he could contribute right away at the DII or possibly even low DI level. However, coming straight from high school I think that he is a Division II prospect based on his size and athletic ability.
2. Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S.
Brad is an athletic big man who runs the floor well and has a nice soft touch around the basket. He can extend the defense with his mid-range game which features a consistent shot out to 15-17 feet. Brad needs to get stronger to be more of a force on the glass and defensive end of the floor, but he has the overall tools to be a very good player at the next level. He has a Division I offer from Jacksonville, but I do not see him being a contributor at that level. I do like him at a DII/NAIA program though.
3. Tyler Corey: 5'11'' Lawrence North H.S.
Played with and against some of the most talented players in the country in July with his AAU team, Indiana Elite/Team Indiana. Tyler is a strong point guard who can handle the ball well and makes smart decisions, does not try to do too much. I would like to see him look to score a little bit more at times because he has the strength to get to the basket and finish inside. Could contribute some minutes right away at the DII level.
4. Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.
Rashad had a very good showing at the Top 100 Showcase. I like his length and athletic ability. He is an pretty good shooter, but could improve in that area. He is another guy who could become a much better player if he went to a Junior College for a couple years, but either way is probably no more than a DII prospect.

Division II/NAIA Prospects
These players are right on the line between these two levels.

1. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.
Adam is strong for his size and a very good leaper as well. He surprised me this summer by throwing down dunks in warmups. I think he will be ready to play right away at the college level, and his height will be the only thing that makes college coaches at the DII level think twice before grabbing him up.
2. Riley Rapp: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Guerin Catholic H.S.
Rapp is a great student and a very hard worker. He is a good outside shooter which college coaches can never have enough of. He isn't the greatest athlete and isn't too big either which keeps him from being a bigger prospect. However, he has visited Yale and I suspect that many programs at the DII/NAIA level would love to have a kid like this.
3. Keith Cochran: 6'10'' Center, Bluffton H.S.
He has garnered some interest from low-Division I programs such as Western Michigan and Mercer, but that is mostly based on his size. I think that he is more of a DII/NAIA prospect. Coaches at that level should get on him right away as it isn't too often that a kid of this size comes to that level.

NAIA Prospects

1. Petey Balls: 6'0'' Point Guard, Lawrence North H.S.
I really like this kid as an on-ball defender, he will be a lock down type of guy at the next level. Petey handles the ball well on the offensive end and is a good passer too. Just a solid all-around point guard for an NAIA program.
2. Cody Woodbury: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Winchester H.S.
Cody is strong and a good athlete. He has a good mid-range game. Needs to improve his ball handling, but seems to be getting better each time I see him.
3. Trevor Thompson: 6'10'' Center, Ben Davis H.S.
Another guy that demands attention based on his size alone. He just doesn't move well enough or have the skill to go much higher than the NAIA level. Still, because of his size I think he would be a good player at that level.

Division III

1. Michael Lenz: 6'0'' Point Guard, Brebeuf Jesuit H.S.
I got to see Lenz play at the Adidas Invitational and was very impressed. I like his decision making and ball handling ability. I think he is the best of the guards that I have listed at the Division III level.
2. Grant Meyer: 6'0'' Point Guard, Silver Creek H.S.
Fell in love with watching this kid play this summer. He is super quick and one of the best defenders in the state. Great ball handler also. Has good strength, may be able to even play at the DII/NAIA level, but would be an instant impact player at a DIII program.
3. Ben Gardner: 6'0'' Point Guard, Carmel H.S.
Nice lefty shooting stroke. Good outside shooter, one of the games I watched this summer he went for around 25 points. He will be very good player at this level.
4. Keegan Kincaid: 6'1'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S.
Another guy that I really enjoyed watching play. He was on the same Team Southern Indiana AAU squad as Grant Meyer, and is a similar player to the extent that they are both quick and very good defenders. Keegan is a better 3-point shooter, but can be a little loose with the ball sometimes.

All of these prospects are very talented and it was tough to decide what level they would best fit at. Take note that guys that I put at the DIII level for example could play at a DII or NAIA school if the right fit came along, but I think that they will get the most interest from the DIII level and could contribute right away at those schools. Please contact me if you would like more info at ramseyb14@hanover.edu.

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