Most Likely 4A Team to Lead the State in Scoring
As we get into the swing of previews, we will track each class with teams that we are interested in. Up next in our list of superlatives are the 4A teams that we think have the best chance to lead the state in scoring. Next will be the five 3A teams who will have the best chance to lead the state in scoring.
Warren Central
Warren Central went defeated last year and even though they lose both of their starting guards, I think that they are going to be able to score more points this year. David Bell, Jakobie Robinson, and Jesse Bingham all return to the starting line up and they will most likely look to play a little quicker this year. Transfers Isiah Moore and Manuel Brown will look to bring scoring and will bring a different dimension than the two guards last year did. This team is going to be tough to beat with how good their defense is going to be and their potential scoring output.
Zionsville
Zionsville scored a ton of points last season and this year will look to be the same. Zionsville does lose their second and third leading scorer but they should be in a position where the guys underneath them step up and score points. Isaiah Thompson, a Purdue commit, returns with his 23.1 points a game and so does Nate Childress with his 12.2 points a game average. Hogan Orbaugh, Anthony Scales, and Mark Smith should be able to step up this year and contribute more points. This is going to be the year for Zionsville to do a lot of damage and have the pieces to do so.
Indianapolis Cathedral
Cathedral lost their second leading scorer to graduation last year but return Armaan Franklin to their team. Franklin, an Indiana commit, averaged 23.0 points a game last year and this year should be able to increase that even more after his breakout year last year. Justin Hensley, James Franklin, and Haven Montefalco are the other leading returning scorers and they should al see more floor time. Hensley had a big summer and his three-point shooting has gotten a lot better so he will most definitely score more than 8.8 points a game this year. Cathedral also has an a freshman who will come in a contribute right away.
Fort Wayne Wayne
Fort Wayne Wayne is a team that is going to put up a lot of points this year with the players that they have returning. Their leading scorer from last year, Craig Young, returns as does their second leading scorer Dillion Redding. Young is going to have a big year this season and will probably push his scoring total north of 20 points a game. Demarea Dial is a guy who should breakout this year and have a solid year as a scorer for Fort Wayne Wayne. They are going to need to find a guy to be a third scorer and Dial’s game sets up for just that.
Valparaiso
With the return of Brandon Newman, a Purdue commit, Valparaiso will surely increase their scoring output this year. Nathan Aerts is going to be a key player for Valparaiso as he looks to make an impact after having a huge year on the summer circuit. They do lose a few key players but return a core of young players who saw a lot of action as freshmen and sophomores. They will be able to run through a pretty soft schedule in the north due to the amount of high level players who have moved on to college. Look for Valparaiso to post some gaudy scoring totals.