Five Takeaways: Greensburg vs. Hauser
With only one game in the state on Monday, there was only one place to be and it ended up being a good one as Greensburg defeated Hauser, 80-70. Greensburg struggled in the early going but Drew Comer got going as did freshman Lane Sparks. Comer finished with 32 points and 3 rebounds. Freshman Lane Sparks dropped 23 points while Hauser was led by Mason Sherman with 20 points.
Lane Sparks Is Going To Be Special For Greensburg
While bringing in freshman standout Lane Sparks in for our PHI Freshman Showcase this past fall, we saw that he could be really good pretty quick. Confident guard with some scoring ability and handles. However, our viewing on Monday made us look at things a little differently. He’s really good, able to get buckets like a more veteran player would. His ability to shoot it as well as he does allows him to do other things off the bounce and that is where he begins to look better. He’s as confident a freshman as you will find and he is the closest thing to Bryant McIntosh that Greensburg has had since he graduated. Not saying they are the same player or same level but Sparks has the ability to make scoring plays with a confidence that doesn’t look to shake him which was all McIntosh did for four years in high school. This is the start of a big career for Sparks.
Alex Gross Is Still Developing
There is still some room to grow for Hauser’s senior Alex Gross. The 6’8 post player is one of just a few talented posts in Indiana in 2018. This wasn’t Gross’ best game but he finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds and was really effective in the paint. Where Gross has something that others don’t is in his ability to shoot the ball. He didn’t do it that well in this game, his shot was flat and wasn’t able to figure it out. However, he was smart enough to play more in the post in the second half and was more successful there. And, at the end of the day a 14 and 13 game is what we would consider just average for him. He’s still developing and he has time to put together a senior season that could set him up for a successful college career. Worth getting a look this season.
Greensburg Has A Couple Run Stretch Coming
Greensburg is loaded this year but the reality is, they are really young. Their best players go like this: Mason McLeod (Junior), Drew Comer (Junior), Andrew Welage (Sophomore), and Lane Sparks (Freshman). They have this year and all of next year before McLeod and Comer graduate. Then, probably their most talented players will still be Welage and Sparks who would end up as Senior and Junior. That gives this group three years without any other big time players coming in where they can be special. Not as if this is a bad program but they have the capability of being a really special group the next few years.
Drew Comer Among Top Shooters In State
As we saw in this game, Comer is really good with his shooting ability. He also showed that he can be more as he spent most of the first half driving and trying to create into the middle of the floor. However, where Comer really excels is as a catch-and-shoot guard and in the second half he went off. He went 5/6 from deep and most of that came in the second half where he put the game out of reach. Maybe the driving action early in the game opened some things up but either way, Drew showed just how lethal he can be. Not too many know about him yet but he could be a key piece for a team that can go a ways into the postseason.
Hauser Could Be Factor In Postseason
Hauser is an interesting team this year as they were able to knock off Morristown last week and played a really good 3A Greensburg team close for most of the game. They have some pieces in 1A that are going to be factors. Obviously a 6’8 post player in Alex Gross is good but Mason Sherman was absolutely unstoppable in the second half drilling long and mid-range jumpers. Justin Compton showed he could really shoot. In the first half of the game, Hauser was really ripping it from deep and to pair that with a physically imposing post, for a 1A team that is very difficult to stop. Could be a bigger factor come March as they already beat the one team in their Sectional that stands in their way in Morristown.