Eric’s Week 2 Evaluations: 2021s
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…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
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 2021.
Brody Whitaker – 6’2 SG 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
***14 points against Danville (IN)***
Not the best game from Brody who missed a ton of jumpers in this one. Just really bad luck more than anything as he has proven he is a big time shooting guard. Wasn’t as aggressive early on but picked it up as the game wore down. Drove a little bit but did need to be more effective there. Showed a post up score as well as a couple easier layups and a pretty little floater. He scores it so well from all areas of the floor but is at that point where he just needs to take things up a notch because he has that ability that not many do right now.
Cade Plew – 6’6 PF 2021 – Greencastle (IN)
***14 points against Danville (IN)***
Cade is a growing big man that has added a ton of strength in the last year. He’s now more confident and effective and showed that he is going to be able to finish strong around the rim. He also showed that he has a little mobility to him where he can get creative and spin in the lane or duck under a defender to get off the post finish. He’s a little more geared to his right hand right now which can be easy to read at times but he’s effective, nonetheless. Strictly a post forward at this point but the mobility is there he could learn to stretch out to the arc with time.
Donavon Barnett – 6’5 PF 2021 – Crispus Attucks (IN)
***5 points against Tri-West (IN)***
Barnett didn’t have his best game but he was tough when he needed to be and showed some sparks at times. He had a pair of really stellar blocks, one that just came into him on a drive and the other he had to chase down in transition. He has a good offensive skill set but he seems like he is still searching to find out where to incorporate it. He knocked down a three and had some FTs but didn’t take too many shots. Should have a chance to breakout when he locks in.
Joseph Phinisee – 6’0 PG 2021 – McCutcheon (IN)
***14 points on 6/13 shooting, 7 rebounds against West Lafayette (IN)***
Phinisee is a long lean guard who has had some injury problems but now looks pretty good for the first time in a while. He’s an off-guard but his handles are pretty good and if he wants to drive to the rim, he’s beating you every time. Did show he can can shoot a little bit but is much more of a driving threat. Has good size and length and might be a guy that stays on the ball now that we have gotten a better look at his upside.
Brooks Barnhizer – 6’5 SF 2021 – Lafayette Jeff (IN)
***20 points on 6/14 shooting, 1/5 from three, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks against Harrison (IN)***
Barnhizer is a big wing with great handles and some high-end scoring ability. He was a little passive early on but stepped up big to start the second half. He provided some good defense and rebounding ability which seems to come pretty naturally to him. But when he looked to drive, he was at his best on this night. Jumper wasn’t really falling so he started to attack more and more, drawing fouls and finishing using his size. Honestly, not close to the best game we have seen from him but still showed a little bit of everything and dropped a double-double. Just impressive.
Logan Pinkerton – 5’11 SG 2021 – Covington (IN)
***26 points on 8/12 shooting, 5/7 from three, 4 rebounds against Central Catholic (IN)***
Logan is a solid guard who lit it up all game. He was great off the catch from three. Whenever Covington needed a big shot, he was the one knocking them down. Not sure if he is a guy that will be asked to play on the ball in college but he can handle it enough for stretches. He’s best coming off screens. Did show that he can mix in a floater with space available.
Connor Hall – 6’4 SF 2021 – Benton Central (IN)
***10 points on 3/6 shooting, 9 rebounds against Twin Lakes (IN)***
Hall is a lean wing player who can play inside and out. Had a couple plays on offense that were pretty good, one where he was able to spin on his defender and finish quickly with his right hand. Had a couple plays that pushed him near the top of the paint and he had to make a shot and looked solid with a little “hook.” Wants to be involved in plays but physical will need more strength. Did show with his free throws that he has a nice stroke.
Jeremiah Lovett – 6’2 SG 2021 – Munster (IN)
***15 points against Portage (IN)***
Lovett is a big guard that has a pretty diverse game right now. He was mixing it up a ton down low where he could really do damage as a low block scorer. He’s creative and tough with a lot of strength so he isn’t the easiest to gameplan for or defend. However, would like to see him have a good balance throughout a game where he could stretch out and shoot. At 6’2, he has the harder parts of scoring down pat but still want to see that wing presence.
Luka Balac – 6’3 SG 2021 – Munster (IN)
***18 points against Portage (IN)***
Luka is a growing wing who looked about as good as ever. He was aggressive from the jump and really did a number attacking the rim. Had a few nice finishes in traffic with his left hand and even caught a solid alley-oop, too. His athleticism was on display as he looks more vertically impactful. He’s a bigger 2/3 but does move well, carries the strength well. His perimeter jumper was great hitting a trio of catch-and-shoot jumpers. Want to see if he will be able to develop more of a pull-up game which was really the only part we didn’t see.
Xavier Aponte – 5’10 PG 2021 – Portage (IN)
***30 points on 8/12 from three, 5 rebounds against Munster (IN)***
Xavier is a smaller guard but he is one that can really shoot the ball. He was on fire this game, hitting 8 triples and all coming off the catch. He is the type of guard who will play on or off the ball but you get him in the lineup because he can get hot. He did have a couple nice rebounds and that could be a bigger part of his game with some direction. He was also good looking to score in the lane if things allowed but really was more of a perimeter player. Big time game from the junior.
Brady Hunt – 6’6 PF 2021 – Delta (IN)
***18 points on 7/15 shooting, 9 rebounds against Winchester (IN)***
Brady is a tall forward who has really developed into a shot maker and a guy that is just tough to defend. We saw him really show off that deep and mid-range pull-up in this one. He was really good getting to his spot and creating against mismatches. The high and consistent release is locked in and he had it really working. He’s more aggressive and physically imposing now and it makes life tough because bigs can keep up and wings are too small for him. He’s pushing himself up a level here with this change in his game. If he can have a few breakout games this year, that would go a long way.
Payton Sparks – 6’8 C 2021 – Winchester (IN)
***21 points against Delta (IN)***
Payton is a growing post prospect who is still going to need a little time here. He’s bigger and stronger but will need to become a little more comfortable with his moves. He hesitates a little bit too much and he just takes a little too long to finish a play right now. Physically, he’s getting taller but has a lot of mass to turn into muscle and it should sit really well on his frame but might take a while to get there. With that, his stamina and motor will take steps forward and he already shows signs of that being a strength down the road. Just getting more fluid will help a ton and he already has a few different post moves along with the ability to stretch the floor. Still a high amount of upside.