Open Gym Notebook: Avon
The month of September brings with it the beginning of open gym season. Over the next month-plus, we will be out on the road checking in on different high school programs from around the state. Here are our notes from our trip to Avon.
Last Season: This past season, Avon struggle early in the year with a 5-game losing streak and having a 4-8 record in the middle of January. However, they picked it up in the second half of the season and finished with a 7-4 record to finish one game below .500. They were in a transition period as they were trying to find more talent.
Biggest Changes: The biggest changes is veteran presence. They had players last year that were talented and seniors but it was a team just in flux and never really came together. While they lose Hayden Crowder, Evan Lowden, Gavin Collier, and Andrew Short, they make way for a younger group of players with new hope of being able to develop. They also have a new head coach in Jeff Holloway who comes from Muncie Central. Different roster and different coach could do this program wonders. They also lose sophomore Nathan Vernon who has moved to Georgia.
Player To Watch: Zach Rinehart (Jr.) – Rinehart had a few years to develop but with the roster essentially turning over, he’s one of a couple of people that actually have Varsity minutes. Now, he’s going to be the guy to watch as he’s now capable enough to score a ton as a post forward. He’s going to be a guy that Avon relies on a bit to set the tone and he has the ability to do just that.
New Face On Roster: Jayden Brewer (Fr.) – Brewer is a big coup for Avon as he was set to head to Ben Davis to follow his older brother Josh Brewer. Instead, Jayden will be a guy that could be the face of this program in a couple years if all goes right. He’s tall and long and can provide a different element that this team hasn’t really had in the past years. Expectations are low right now but he’s plenty skilled enough to make an impact right now.
Expectations: The expectations for this season are low and that is expected as they lost a ton of senior depth and have a new head coach. Everything about this program is new and different minus a few roster holdovers. Now, with the talent that they do have, they should be able to win some games and if things click, they have a chance to be as good as they were last year. Their schedule is easy enough that if everything came together this season, they could match their record from last year but do it with more optimism moving forward. Good group of young players with their top players all being Juniors or younger.