Eric Gardner
One part of our new updated 2021 Prospect Rankings is that we are going to take a look at how the class as a whole is developing and things to look at moving forward with this group. This is built to be more of a general outlook rather than specific players.
High Major Talent Could Be Deeper Pretty Quick
We knew going in that guys like Pierce Thomas, Caleb Furst, and Jalen Blackmon were going to be very good and draw a lot of high major attention. But with some of the development of these guys this season already, we could be seeing more players draw interest from that level much quicker than we thought. Just looking at our Top 10, all of those guys could and probably should start to be on the radar of some local high major programs. Colson Montgomery we have yet to see this season but he’s playing excellent from all accounts. Curt Hopf from Forest Park as well. Even outside the Top 10, guys like Lane Sparks, Douglas Koniezcny and Gus Etchison should be apart of that group as well. This isn’t to say they will end up at that level but you need to be aware of these guys.
Southern Indiana Is The Place To Be
We have made mention of this before but the 2021 class in Southern Indiana is loaded but I don’t think people outside of the area understand just how good it is. Khristian Lander, Curt Hopf, Colson Montgomery, Blake Sisley, Brett Bosley, Langdon Hatton, Lane Sparks, and Trevor Taylor are all listed in our Top 20 players in 2021 and all play in Southern Indiana. That is just the top players in a loaded class. There are plenty more that will provide some good depth. A lot of these guys are from the Evansville area and it will help build it up a built like it was when Evansville Reitz was strong a few years back. Should be fun to watch.
More Developed Size Than I Can Remember
Going into the high school season, we had a ton of post players and forwards that we knew of but as it is nearly every time, they usually don’t get as much run as a guard with the same talent level because it is difficult to get them used to the speed of the game. Takes more time. But this season, we see a ton of guys getting a lot of early run and doing pretty well with it. Caleb Furst has been nothing but excellent for Blackhawk Christian. Curt Hopf and Blake Sisley have really played at a high level for their teams. Kyle Ross has been a starter from day one for Andrean. Even down the list, guys like Langdon Hatton, Silas Bauer, Jacob Moynihan, and Miles McGowen are making an impact. This will do a lot for them in their development and could make for a ridiculously talented senior group in four years.
PHOTO: Jared Rigdon