Eric’s Midweek Evaluations: Week 13
The season is heading towards the finish line but there are still some players motoring along. This week, we saw Northwestern vs. Blackford, Greencastle vs. South Putnam, and North Putnam vs. Cloverdale. Here are my evaluations from the week. #2…
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Continue ReadingThe season is heading towards the finish line but there are still some players motoring along. This week, we saw Northwestern vs. Blackford, Greencastle vs. South Putnam, and North Putnam vs. Cloverdale. Here are my evaluations from the week.
#2 Logan Bowser – 6’0 PG 2019 – Northwestern (IN)
Bowser is a solid lead guard that has a great frame and toughness on the perimeter. He was built more for playing on the wing and shot the ball well from there. He’s got a quick release and elevates pretty well to give him some more separation. He’s a guy that is more of a 3-and-D guy and could fill that role really well for a small school program. His ball handling is good but isn’t really a guy right now that is going to drive to create, more get the ball up the floor and set the offense.
#22 Tayson Parker – 6’1 PG 2020 – Northwestern (IN)
**41 points against Blackford (IN)**
Parker continues to fine tune his game as he was excellent in this one making every shot he needed to. He was pulling up from distance and in the mid-range. Good touch and elevating well. This year he has shown the ability to be more under control with his momentum which has made his release and touch more consistent and reliable. He’s still using his athleticism at a high-level. At this point, he’s producing at such a high-level, he’s probably due for a jump in the rankings next time around.
#25 Luke Brown – 5’10 PG 2021 – Blackford (IN)
**34 points against Northwestern (IN)**
Luke is a really good scoring guard that should continue to play on the ball. He’s smaller and will need to add some strength and if some height would come to that would go a long way. He’s so creative and can play pretty much in and out of the lane at the high school level. Has good body control in the lane as well. He does struggle with length and athleticism a bit but if he can gain some more height that would go a long way. Probably one of the more diverse and potent scorers in the state already.
#5 Brandon Stroble – 6’2 SG 2020 – Blackford (IN)
**17 points against Northwestern (IN)**
Stroble is a tall guard that should be setup to take a jump soon. He was great as a wing shooter in this game but thought he has the ball handling to do a little more in the long term. He’s thin and will need strength but has size and some solid length. Liked his shooting ability and if he can get to where he can drive to finish, his game could go a long way in the next year.
#24 Jake Wilkes – 6’3 SG 2019 – Cloverdale (IN)
**11 points against North Putnam (IN)**
Wilkes is a tall guard that plays with quite a bit of toughness. He was really good in the lane this game, showing a nice little floater and a couple other layups at the rim against contact. His jumper continues to be a part of his game as he hit a 12’ pull-up and three off the catch. While more of a football prospect at this point, he could find himself producing well as a small school basketball prospect that can score at all three levels and plays with some toughness.
#10 Nolan Kelley – 6’0 PG 2021 – Cloverdale (IN)
**10 points against North Putnam (IN)**
Kelley is a solid lead guard that is built more now for a complimentary role. He’s a guy that can handle the ball, keep possession and give you a little bit of offense. He’s a solid shooter when he looks for it and in this game he added a couple nice right-handed drives to the rim. Good build and should add some strength pretty quickly. Want to see if he speed and deceptiveness in the lane improve as that seems like the next logical development for the young guard.
#32 Kyle Thomas – 6’1 SG 2022 – Cloverdale (IN)
**15 points against North Putnam (IN)**
Kyle is a tall guard with solid handles and the looks of a stellar passer. He was really good in this game finding his teammates and making plays off the dribble. He’s not a big time scorer yet where he can pull-up from anywhere but he did look better than earlier in the year. He was really good as a driver and can see the floor to pass but did finish better than the last time around. He hit a nice pull-up three and a mid-range pull-up as well. He will need to refine that jumper a little bit and if he can, that would really help to put more versatility on that side of the ball.
#32 Aaron Pickel – 6’0 SG 2022 – North Putnam (IN)
**6 points against Cloverdale (IN)**
Aaron is a long guard who could be ready to sprout up at any time. He’s got good handles and some solid length and was good today as a shooter from deep hitting a few catch-and-shoot threes. He was also good as a rebounder at times, a guy that can mix it up in the lane. His older brother is 6’6 and he looks like he will go that direction as well. Pretty agile and has some athleticism in him that you can see when he looks to drive.
#21 Andrew Pickel – 6’6 PF 2019 – North Putnam (IN)
**14 points against Cloverdale (IN)**
Pickel is a big forward that has really solid handles and quite a bit of length. He’s more of a wing forward that can play one the wing and running at the rim. Didn’t show much as a shooter but had a handful of post finishes and rebound putbacks. He’s really good as a driver from the wing as he owns the size advantage and while thin, plays tough and can be physical. He’s a guy that in college could develop into a useful forward, especially if he can add more of a jumper from three.
#11 Allen Plunkett – 6’5 SF 2019 – South Putnam (IN) [Committed to DePauw]
**13 points against Greencastle (IN)**
Plunkett is a solid wing and looked more like that in this game than we have seen before. He didn’t finish as well as he should have, missed a ton at the rim with quite a bit just being bad luck. He’s more comfortable with the ball in his hands and looking to drive. He’s tough and really good in the mid-range and if he can really lock in and finish at the rim better, that will go a long way in college. The jumper looks more under control but will still be his area of development at DePauw. However, he’s probably more suited to get to his ceiling now than he was a year ago with his ball handling and comfort on the wing improved as much as it has.
#12 Brody Whitaker – 6’2 SG 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
**18 points against South Putnam (IN)**
Brody is a really interesting scoring guard who looks like he could develop really well over the next few years. He has great size and strength already and is mentally setup for success. He’s a guy that is willing to give up a shot at the rim for an easy one but at the same time, you could see him in the second half lock in and take over the game. He’s a really solid shooter and could still improve from behind the arc a bit. He’s got the handles to create into the lane and will finish with either hand if he needs to. His decision making is pretty good for his age. He’ll need that jumper to really lock in but with his frame and mental makeup already really solid, he’s likely to get quite a bit better.
#14 Benton Parmely – 5’9 PG 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
**15 points against South Putnam (IN)**
Parmley is a small guard but has a really high-end jumper and some toughness. While he does push his jumper a bit, he’s really consistent and can hit if fading or with his momentum going at the rim. Can drive a bit but that will be where he can improve is with the finishing as a smaller guard and keeping his space on the perimeter. He’s pretty strong right now and has quite a bit of speed so it might be more about technique and picking his spots to drive.
#44 Cade Plew – 6’6 PF 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
**12 points against South Putnam (IN)**
Cade is a long, lanky forward that was impressive in this game. He’s pretty mechanical with his movement and will need to loosen up and get a little more athletic. However, he’s really solid finishing at the rim with his right hand and uses his length and height well. He also showed he could be a solid shooter in time. He hit a three and the release on his free throws was solid. May take time but looks like it is in the cards for him. He’s pretty agile and can post up and move around the floor well
#30 Nick Sutherlin – 6’2 SG 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
**8 points against South Putnam (IN)**
Sutherlin is a tall guard who was able to hit well from behind the rim. He wasn’t a guy that showed a ton of diversity but his perimeter jumper is really good and he’s got the size and build to really grow into it. Handles looked okay but not at a point right now where he is going to be a drive-first guy but when he looked to do it he was pretty good and drew a big and-one early in the game. At nearly 40% from three, he’s got a high-level school as just a sophomore with a game that can still develop.