State Finals Prospects (Part 1)
After taking a couple of days to sit and digest what I saw Saturday in the State Finals, I wanted to take the time to touch on eight prospects in the Class 1A and Class 2A games who stood out…
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Continue ReadingAfter taking a couple of days to sit and digest what I saw Saturday in the State Finals, I wanted to take the time to touch on eight prospects in the Class 1A and Class 2A games who stood out to me. These aren’t necessarily the highest point producers, or the kids who played the best in this one game, but these eight individuals stood out to me from a recruiting standpoint. They are organized in order of graduating class, then alphabetically by last name.
John Carrothers, 2019, 6-2 G, Andrean H.S.
John is a prospect who I’ve known since his freshman year. He has been a Varsity regular for that time, and he has made regular appearances on the grassroots circuit. But it wasn’t until this December at a shootout at Emmerich Manual High School that I thought his game just looked much-improved. His play this past Saturday only confirmed that, and he has really solidified himself as a nice small college wing guard who more schools probably should have recruited earlier. He has length, good athleticism in all directions, and he plays with a great motor. He has a solid basketball IQ, and he has the skill to do most things comfortably offensively. He could stand to be a bit more dynamic offensively and create his own shot better, but he does shoot it reasonably well when he’s open and in rhythm, plus he can attack the basket for scores. He’s just a nice all-around basketball player.
Frank Davidson of Blackhawk Christian
Frank Davidson, 2019, 6-5 W, Blackhawk Christian School
Frank is the next in a line of Davidson brothers to lace them up in Northeast Indiana, and he’s quite possibly the best one. Frank has really good length, deceptive vertical athleticism, and he moves fluidly around the floor. He can handle the ball and run offense, hit perimeter jumpers with range, or slice to the basket for scores. But as he’s added strength, he has started to take smaller defenders down to the block. He’s also a versatile defender who can use his combination of length and athleticism to defend multiple types of players. Frank blew up in mid-July, and he began earning Division-I offers & interest throughout the late-Summer and early-Fall. At the end of the day, though, he decided to commit to the University of Indianapolis, where he should fit in very well.
Kip Fougerousse, 2020, 6-3 W, Linton-Stockton
Kip is a baseball player first, multisport athlete second, so this season was my first time seeing him on the hardwood. He has, in fact, already committed to play baseball at Indiana University. Kip has good length, wiry strength, and solid all-around athleticism. He has a decent handle, but he’s more of a shooter/scorer for this team, and he is looking to score it on every catch. He has a nice-looking shot, but he can put it on the floor and attack a little bit as well. I really like his competitive side and his motor, plus he brings a lot of intangible qualities and leadership to this team. If he wasn’t playing baseball in college, he could certainly play basketball somewhere.
Keegan O’Neill, 2020, 6-8 C, Barr-Reeve H.S.
Keegan is a big-bodied true post, and while he probably didn’t have the greatest game of his career on Saturday, he is someone who small colleges will likely offer full scholarships to over the course of this Spring and Summer. He has size, physicality, power, good hands, and decent feet, and he does a nice job of keeping the ball high and finishing in multiple ways around the basket. He also has some touch to about 15-feet, so I think he could be a versatile post who forces defenses to play him at a couple of different levels. If he could improve anywhere, it would be to just learn how to play a little lower and to work on his lateral mobility. Otherwise, he’s a true big in a class that doesn’t have many bigs to offer colleges.
Zane Burke, 2021, 6-2 G, Blackhawk Christian School
Zane enrolled at Churubusco last season, but he then transferred to Blackhawk Christian and was an instrumental third scoring option for them this time around. He has a wiry and athletic frame, he’s a solid athlete in all directions, and he’s a skillful scorer. While he might not be elite at any one thing, he is pretty balanced at most things and can hit shots from the perimeter when in rhythm, attack the basket for scores and finish through contact, or occasionally handle the ball and run offense. I also like that he’s a tough-nosed kid with a good motor, and he’s willing to defend a variety of opponents. He still might grow another inch or two, but he’s already a really nice guard prospect.
Caleb Furst, 2021, 6-9 F/C, Blackhawk Christian School
Caleb is currently Prep Hoops Indiana’s #1 prospect in the 2021 graduating class, and for good reason. He has a wiry strong, athletic frame, he can play physical around the block and dominate with his ability to jump above most defenders and finish through contact, plus he has a nice little 15-foot lefty jumper that is most effective in the short-corners or around the elbows. Caleb plays with a very good motor, his game is somewhat mature for his age, plus defensively he can get out on the floor and defend some. He’s also a nice shot-blocker and rim protector. Last Summer, Caleb’s interest really began to take off, and he is currently drawing a lot of mid to high-major Division-I interest and offers. He’ll be a hot commodity until he finally commits.
Lincoln Hale of Linton-Stockton
Lincoln Hale, 2021, 6-4 W, Linton-Stockton H.S.
Lincoln is far from a finished product, as he is likely still growing and developing his frame. He is very long and fluid, but he is still thin and has steadily gained an inch or two each year. He has ball skills and can handle the ball in transition or initiate the offense like a point forward. He has solid shooting mechanics and can hit shots from the perimeter when in rhythm. I also think he’s much tougher than he looks, and he’s willing to seek contact as he attacks the basket or tries to rebound against bigger guys. Defensively, he is a mismatch as well, as he has fairly quick feet to go along with his tremendous length, so he can guard multiple types of perimeter players effectively. He has a lot of upside based on his physical potential, but he’s already such a skillful wing as well.
Kyle Ross, 2021, 6-7 F, Andrean H.S.
Kyle is a player who has grown on me over the past year and a half. He has a strong frame and is capable of over-powering defenders inside, but it’s his combination of perimeter skill and deceptive athleticism for his size that is really intriguing to me. He has a soft touch from the perimeter, and he can hit shots with range beyond the 3-point line with ease. He is also okay putting it on the floor 3-4 dribbles and getting somewhere productively or attacking the basket off the bounce. If he can continue to get quicker and prove he can defend perimeter forwards as well as interior players, I think he’ll draw his share of Division-I offers in the very near future. He’s a really nice, productive, inside-out face-up ‘4’ with a variety of tools to work with.
Header photo of John Carrothers of Andrean High School; photo courtesy of the Andrean baseball Twitter account. Photo of Frank Davidson courtesy of Justin Kenny of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. Photo of Lincoln Hale courtesy of Terry Schwinghammer of the Greene County Daily World.