Eric’s Week 2 Evaluations: 2020s
The second week of the season has come and gone and now most if not all of the teams in the state have played a game. But, we have been all over the map so far and have nearing 20…
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Continue ReadingThe second week of the season has come and gone and now most if not all of the teams in the state have played a game. But, we have been all over the map so far and have nearing 20 games so far. Today, we have our evaluations up from the second week of the season as we look at the class of 2020.
Dillon Ware – 6’7 PF 2020 – Danville (IN)
***13 points against Greencastle (IN)***
Dillon had one of his better games we have seen from him as he was effective and efficient and looked pretty well rounded. He’s a guy that doesn’t really have a perimeter jumper right now but the form is looking better, just going to take time. He can, however, really attack. He was stellar when looking to drive baseline having a dunk and an athletic up and under finish. He slashes so well and has the length and agility to catch and finish that he almost always has a mismatch in his favor. His energy level, when it was like that on Saturday, seems to show up a lot in his defense. Drawing that out of him will be a big coup for whichever college lands him.
Sincere McMahon – 6’0 SG 2020 – Crispus Attucks (IN)
***37 points against Tri-West (IN)***
Sincere had about the best game we have seen from him so far in his career. He was good in every aspect of his game, providing some tough defense and really locking in on his shooting. He had 2 breakout quarters when he put up 10 in the 3rd and 18 in the second quarter. He had quite a few points on transition breakaways but he hit 6 triples in the game. He’s always been a guy that has that potent scoring ability but does need to have some breakout games. He had a couple pull-up threes, a step-back triple, and three off the catch.
Tyran Rodgers – 6’5 PF 2020 – Crispus Attucks (IN) *
**11 points against Tri-West (IN)***
Rodgers is a big bruising forward who can step out and knock down some shots. He has a really quick and stellar release on his jumper and hits enough to cause issues for defenders. Does a lot of driving out from just beyond the paint and kind of bangs his way to the rim. He’s pretty mobile and doesn’t have any issues when needing space on the perimeter. However, it might help him even more down the road in the post. Should be a breakout type guy in college as he develops more scoring ability down low.
Chris Chin – 5’10 PG 2020 – Crispus Attucks (IN)
***10 points against Tri-West (IN)***
Chin is a small lead guard with a ton of speed and strength. He’s developed more into a tough driver, showing the ability to take a knock and still finish at the rim. He’s a guy that will be able to knock down a triple at times. Was really good in the second half of the game when they were trying to pull away, Chin was able to be a little more effective defensively. Should provide a good amount of offense and defense at the next level once integrated into the system.
Jason Hall – 5’8 PG 2020 – Crispus Attucks (IN)
***10 points against Tri-West (IN)***
Jason is a small lead guard who can really get up and down the court. He’s not the biggest guard but he has quite a bit of explosion and strength. Had a couple kind of acrobatic finishes at the rim and some and-ones. Does most of his works in the lane but did have a really impressive step-back jumper from about 16’. If he can mix in a few different looks like that, it would go a long way to opening up the lane a little more for him. Defensively, because of his size and speed he can really get into guys causing a ton of turnovers on the ball.
Taylor Gardner – 6’4 SF 2020 – Tri-West (IN)
***16 points against Crispus Attucks (IN)***
Taylor is a tall wing that has a lean, but strong frame. He was really good in the lane an in the paint. He’s so mobile and tough around the rim, agile enough to avoid contact. He did show more of a perimeter game in the second half, hitting a triple and slashing a bit more. A little bit of a mixed bag but does everything fairly well.
Tyler Boyle – 6’2 PG 2020 – West Lafayette (IN)
***4 points on 1/6 shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists against McCutcheon (IN)***
Tyler looks a lot stronger and a little taller. Great build for a lead guard and should be able to defend a few different styles and sizes of guards. He looked off on his jumper, not elevating enough right now with a low release. Tyler did have a nice post-up where he had to finish through contact. He’s big enough to mix it up like that. He might be one of the stronger guards in the class. If he can get to where that jumper is looking good again, he will be a steal for a small school program. His passing and rebounding are pretty goods it stands right now.
Will Lasater – 6’8 PF 2020 – West Lafayette (IN)
***5 points on 2/10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists against McCutcheon (IN)***
Lasater is a tall forward who can stretch the floor and really make plays when looking to shoot. He’s a guy that needs the three to go down to bring a lot of value. Can get stretched too far from the basket at times. However, he’s got a frame that should add in quite a bit of strength. He had a nice weak-side block and has shown that kind of a defensive presence.
James Mallett – 6’1 SG 2020 – McCutcheon (IN)
***8 points on 3/6 shooting, 2/3 from three, 2 rebounds, 2 assists against West Lafayette (IN)***
James is a big guard with a ton of strength and has found his niche with his ball handling. Not the shiftiest guy but can get past his man and if he gets a step he is finishing at the rim. He’s so strong that you really can’t stop him. Did show that he could knock down a jumper if left open, he got a couple to fall. But he was the most impressive in the first half when he was putting his head down and using his body.
Camden Smith – 5’11 PG 2020 – Harrison (IN)
***14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists against Lafayette Jeff (IN)***
Camden is a solid lead guard with some strength on the ball and toughness in the lane. He had 14 points in the game and 10 came basically at the rim on drives. He has the size and handles to provide help on the ball and be a little bit more of an opportunistic scorer. Would need to see if he can become more of a perimeter shooter but definitely aggressive enough to take advantage of chances.
Jordan Walters – 6’7 PF 2020 – Harrison (IN)
***5 points on 2/9 shooting, 11 rebounds, 3 assists against Lafayette Jeff (IN)***
Walters is a long, lanky forward with some solid athleticism and stretch ability. He’s pretty comfortable on the wing and has no issues handling the ball if needed. He didn’t have a great game, missing a bunch of shots but was also in a bad matchup with guys like the Barnhizer’s who can stick with him well and Matt Jones down low who you can’t move. However, his effort generated a very competitive and close game and he landed 11 boards on the night. Did show a great faced-up block in the paint and had a tough drive late in the game. As he adds more strength, he should really blossom and become a high-level producer once he can take advantage of those mismatches.
DeAndre Alsup – 6’4 SF 2020 – Harrison (IN)
***10 points on 4/5 shooting, 7 rebounds, against Lafayette Jeff (IN)***
Alsup is a long, lean forward who might be a bit undersized but was really impactful in this one. He’s got the mobility and athleticism to play all over the floor and showed off some solid bounce to not only reel in some boards but also have a clean block that he had to get up for. Drive to the rim a bunch from just outside the paint and was really effective when Harrison needed a bucket. Nothing flashy but just seems to have a knack for scoring around the rim.
Avery Beaver – 6’2 SG 2020 – Lafayette Jeff (IN)
**9 points on 2/7 shooting against Harrison (IN)***
Beaver is a tall guard who can really shoot the ball. But, on this night he wasn’t able to get anything to fall. He only hit 1/3 from deep and 2/7 from the field. He has improved as a guy looking for balance. He does a good job now of finding ways to impact and did so with his passing. Thought he looked a little more for his teammates this game when the shot wasn’t falling as well.
Matt Jones – 6’8 C 2020 – Lafayette Jeff (IN)
***8 points on 4/5 shooting, 4 rebounds against Harrison (IN)***
Jones is a big body post player who has really developed his touch over the last year. He’s a guy that can really finish well around the rim and has done it with either hand. Will need to work to get the body into shape but he has a pretty good motor and can go for longer stretches. He did have a nice little turn in the post to take a dribble and finish inside which is a newer move for him.
Braxton Barnhizer – 6’2 SG 2020 – Lafayette Jeff
***12 points on 4/10 shooting, 4 rebounds against Harrison (IN)***
Braxton is a tall guard who has range once he is inside the building. He had foul issues early in the game picking up four in the first half, two coming off of charges. That does go to his nature a little bit as an attack-oriented scorer. Although, even after he picked up his fourth foul, he wasn’t really slowing down or not diving for balls. He only knows one speed. His jumper wasn’t as crisp as you want but he has the range and big play ability even when things aren’t going well. Loved the all out effort even on defense. Showed him in a little bit of a new light for me.
Carson Barrett – 6’5 SF 2020 – Lafayette Central Catholic (IN)
***22 points on 10/14 shooting, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks against Covington (IN)***
Carson was really impressive all game long, showing a little improved with his ball handling. He looked better when he wanted to put it on the floor and drive. Still doesn’t have that perimeter jumper but he was really good inside the arc scoring in quite a few ways. Had some nice pull-ups from 8-15’ along with finishing on either side of the rim on layups. Still mixing in post ups a lot but doing most of his work with the ball in his hands and faced up. His passing is still high-level and he sees the floor better than anyone else.
Colton Brown – 5’9 PG 2020 – Covington (IN)
***8 points on 3/6 shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists against Central Catholic (IN)***
Colton is a smaller lead guard with a ton of speed and a pretty quick jumper. Didn’t do a ton in this game but did try and mix in a floater a lot. Will need to keep finding those ways to score because at 5’9 it won’t be the easiest. Did like his speed on the wing and seemed to kid LCC some trouble in matchups. Thought his passing was really good. When he did look to drive, he showed that he can dish it off really well.
Nate Webb – 6’5 SF 2020 – Central Catholic (IN)
***7 points on 3/8 shooting, 4 rebounds against Covington (IN)***
Nate is a lean wing with a frame that should grow with added strength. He had some missed shots near the rim and will need to finish a little stronger down low. Did have a nice pull-up from the elbow which should probably be a bigger part of his game. His rebounding is solid as a guy that can go track one down out of his area. Does have a bit of tapped down numbers because Barrett is a monster on the boards but it isn’t from lack of effort.
Brayden Houser – 6’1 SG 2020 – Twin Lakes (IN)
***15 points on 7/11 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists against Benton Central (IN)***
Houser is a solid guard with some strength and real toughness on the floor. He’s a guy that can do everything. Good rebounder, physical defender, and can score at each level. More of a transition and slasher right now but has a lot of tools. He’s also very opportunistic as he seems to rack up second chance points and tough ones in transition.
Jace Stoops – 6’4 C 2020 – Twin Lakes (IN)
***4 points, 5 rebounds against Benton Central (IN)***
Jace is s big, tough post who can move really well. He’s more of a forward at the next level but would need to show he can shoot the ball. He does however have a great frame with a lot of raw strength. Did well on the boards, showing some improved mobility and out-of-area grabs. Got switched out a lot for defense and matchups but could and should be a bigger impact guy.
Josh Davis – 6’1 PG 2020 – Munster (IN)
***4 points against Portage (IN)***
Josh is a tall lead guard with some good handles and speed. He looks bigger and a little stronger but was a little out of things offensively. He was much more of a setup man in this game, dishing out a handful of assists and running the offense. Thought he was good looking to drive and dish a big but needs to turn his head toward the rim to finish a bit more. Like the makeup, though, and if he can balance those point guard characteristics and a little more offense, he has a chance.
Jeff Hemmelgarn – 6’8 C 2020 – Munster (IN)
***9 points against Portage (IN)***
Jeff was really good in this game, showcasing his passing and low post presence. He was really good out of the high post as a guy that could hit a cutter or find the open shooter. Thought his hands and vision were pretty good for a post option. He keeps his balance well on the block and seems to be able to take hit after hit pretty well. Does need touches there to get a lot of scoring in a game but he had a couple rebound cutbacks in this one which were impressive. His rebounding looks to have taken a step forward and seems to always be in the right position.
Zach Garner – 6’2 SG 2020 – Delta (IN)
***4 points on 1/3 shooting, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals against Winchester (IN)***
Zach is a big guard who can kind of do it all. He’s not the type of guard where you are as concerned about his scoring because he’s opportunistic enough but rebounds, passes the ball well and can contribute defensively on a few different positions. He’s a little bigger and tougher than we saw during the summer. Would like to see him find a place to take a few more jumpers so he does have that go-to scoring move but would be an interesting take late for a small school program.