Weekly Review: Class of 2019
I wanted to take the opportunity and write about a few prospects from the Class of 2019 who I saw over the course of this past week. These aren’t all of the 2019 prospects I saw, but they are…
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I wanted to take the opportunity and write about a few prospects from the Class of 2019 who I saw over the course of this past week. These aren’t all of the 2019 prospects I saw, but they are a handful who I thought stood out for one reason or another.
Austin Ainscough, 6-5 F, Barr-Reeve H.S.
Austin is a fairly long and very active forward who does a variety of things for Barr-Reeve. He’s okay around the perimeter, he can post a little around the block, but he’s probably most comfortable in the mid-post. He has a solid mid-range face-up game, and he can go off the bounce two to three dribbles productively. He’s a solid pursuing rebounder, and I like how he creates extra possessions for his team on the offensive boards. He’s a really nice small college forward who could fulfill a multitude of roles and probably help someone almost immediately next year.
Jesse Bingham II, 6-5 W, Warren Central H.S.
Jesse was always dripping with potential, and over the last year or so he has really put together a nice, complete package. He’s extremely long, very bouncy and fluid, and when he’s assertive, he can score the ball in bunches. His frame should be able to put on more weight, and as he gets stronger, I have a feeling we’ll see him become an even more effective scorer at the next level. He can attack the basket, score it in the mid-post, and he can knock down a 3-point shot when in rhythm. Yesterday against Zionsville, he even caught a nice tip-dunk in traffic. He has a lot of tools and is just starting to showcase them regularly. He has committed to the University of Indianapolis.
Isaac Cooper, 6-5 F/C, Madison-Grant H.S.
Isaac has returned to the hardwood after taking last year off. He is strong and built like a defensive end, but he’s very mobile and somewhat bouncy. Offensively, he is probably more of a back-to-the-basket ‘4′, but once he catches it, he explodes to the basket and can finish at odd angles through contact. He will need to stretch his game a little to the mid-post, but his combination of strength and athleticism allow him to defend both forwards and posts. He could develop into a really nice small college post player with some polish to his game, but right now he’s definitely talented enough physically to step in and help in some capacity.
Gabe Gladish, 6-0 G, Barr-Reeve H.S.
Gabe is a very interesting off-guard who does a lot of different things for his team (which seems to be a theme for most of the Barr-Reeve kids). He’s a wiry strong kid with solid athleticism in all directions, he can handle it a little and run offense, he’s a good perimeter shooter, and he’s also solid at driving it to the basket and either finishing or drawing contact and earning trips to the free throw line. He’s one of those small school kids who understands who he is as a player, and he utilizes every bit of his ability to be a highly productive scorer. His on-court intelligence and understanding of the game has earned him a lot of small college interest over the past year.
Jaden Hayes, 6-5 F/C, Southridge H.S.
Jaden seems like a very happy-go-lucky player who almost needs to play with a little more sense of urgency. Don’t get me wrong, he does play with a good motor, but I think he could be even more dominant around the paint than he is right now. He has a strong, thick frame, he has some length, and he’s a solid athlete for his build. Yesterday he showed the ability to step outside and knock down a couple of 3-pointers, and his face-up game is attractive to small colleges, because it just makes him that much more versatile offensively. Defensively, he probably won’t block many shots at the next level, but he can be a bruiser and an effective block-out rebounder.
Joe LaGrange, 6-0 G, Southridge H.S.
When Joe was younger, I considered him more of a point guard, but after watching him again yesterday, I think he’s at least a combo guard, and probably more of a ‘2′ with good ball skills and understanding of the game. He has length, wiry strength, and fluid athleticism in all directions. He can knock down an open perimeter jumper, attack the basket and change directions, and he’s a willing and capable passer. I would like to see him be a little more assertive offensively, but with Colson Montgomery (2021) and Jaden Hayes (above) both on the team, there are a lot of weapons for Southridge to utilize. I do think he’s a nice, versatile, small college prospect as a guard.
Jakobie Robinson, 6-6 F, Warren Central H.S.
Like Jesse Bingham (above), Jakobie is another Warren Central Warrior who had always oozed talent and potential, but it was just recently that he started to put it all together. This season, Jakobie has done so many new things that Division-I schools are starting to take notice. He is handling the ball a lot more in transition and even initiating the offense, he is confidently shooting the 3-point shot when in rhythm, and he’s looking more like a versatile face-up ‘4′ instead of a back-to-the-basket ‘4′. Considering he’s still a little slight of frame, that’s a good thing. He does have a little room to add some muscle, and that will be a must for him, but from a talent standpoint, he’s one of the better uncommitted prospects left on the board.
Wyatt Rudy, 6-1 W, Madison-Grant H.S.
Wyatt is a solid, small school wing forward who does a lot of different things to help his team win. In fact, earlier in the week he eclipsed the 1000-point mark. He is a fairly strong, tough-nosed kid with a solid motor. He does a lot of his work in the mid-post, but he’s a very good finisher around the rim, and he can finish through contact with either hand in a variety of ways. He also has solid shooting mechanics and can knock down the perimeter jumper when left alone. For the next level, especially at 6-1, he’ll need to continue developing his guard skills, but his understanding of the game and his balanced skillset should draw him some small college interest.
Isaiah Thompson, 5-11 PG, Zionsville Community H.S.
I go back and forth trying to decide if Isaiah is a scoring point guard or a set-up man who needs to score for Zionsville to be successful. He has stretches where he takes care of the ball, runs offense, and gets others involved. Then he has stretches where he pours in 15 to 20 points in a quarter and is incredibly difficult to defend. He uses the free throw line as a weapon big-time, and he’s a capable perimeter shooter with deep range. I also really like his length and his ability to defend the ball when he’s determined. Isaiah has followed in his older brother’s footsteps and signed with Purdue, and it will be interesting to see how the Boilers use him next season, but he must continue to gain strength.
Isaac Wagler, 5-10 PG, Barr-Reeve H.S.
Yesterday was my first time seeing Isaac, and I think he’s someone who can help a small college program. He is a wiry strong kid, he seems to be tough-nosed and gritty, and he plays with a good motor at both ends of the floor. Early in the game, he was tasked with defending North Daviess’ leading scorer, Jack Townsend (2020), and he did a nice job of chasing him around and making his presence known. Isaac got several buckets by sprinting in transition, and he ran offense confidently. I would like to see him shoot it a little more consistently, and by the way North Daviess was sagging off of him early, I don’t know that he even attempts many shots outside. But he’s a nice athlete, and a solid all-around ballplayer.
Jack Wininger, 6-6 F/C, North Daviess H.S.
Jack is probably one of the more undervalued small college prospects in the state. He has a fairly strong frame, he’s tough-nosed and will play physical, and he plays with a really good motor. He’s willing to do a lot of the things other players don’t want to, but he also has good skill and a solid understanding of what he is and isn’t. Defensively, he battles on the interior, boxes out well, and he rotates to help and communicates on the back end. Offensively, he can score with his back to the basket or knock down the occasional 15-footer. I think he’s just all-around solid, and he could make a small college program better.
Header photo of Gabe Gladish of Barr-Reeve High School; photo courtesy of wthitv.com. Photo of Jesse Bingham of Warren Central is part of the prephoops.com archive. Photo of courtesy of .