Christmas Break Evaluations: 2021 Posts
The holiday break is over and we are playing major catchup as we have been on the road for the last three weeks. There are a ton of evaluations to get to and we are breaking these up as we…
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Continue ReadingThe holiday break is over and we are playing major catchup as we have been on the road for the last three weeks. There are a ton of evaluations to get to and we are breaking these up as we have more than 150 from the break. Today, we are focusing on 2021 posts we saw.
D.J. Hughes – 6’7 PF 2021 – Lawrence North (IN)
***19 points, 9 rebounds against Lawrence Central (IN)***
While foul trouble haunted him a bit, when he was in the game, D.J. was so good. He was really aggressive and slashing and getting to the rim constantly. He’s a faced-up forward who has power and speed so if he can get the ball in the lane, he isn’t going to be stopped. He had a ton of dunks in the first half, just dominating transition and down low. He had 12 of his 19 in the first half with 8 of those coming off dunks.
Mason Nicholson – 6’8 C 2021 – Gary West (IN)
***4 points on 2/3 shooting, 3 rebounds against Hamilton Southeastern (IN)***
Mason is a big, bruising post player who has great size and enough strength to play with anyone. He’s not the most mobile guy but does get up and down the floor really well. He only had a couple plays but did well when he got his chances. Thought he had pretty solid touch around the rim and wasn’t a guy that forced shots with his strength but had a little finesse in it. Wanted to see a little bit more with his rebounding as he had that elite size.
Caleb Furst – 6’9 PF 2021 – Blackhawk Christian (IN)
***23 points against Silver Creek (IN)***
Caleb had a matchup that was great for him as he matched up against Trey Kaufman. Both top power forwards, nationally, in the 2021 class and Furst won this matchup as they defended each other for most of the game. Caleb showed that he is more athletic and aggressive early on, looking to take advantage of his speed and athleticism by driving to the rim and then stepping out for mid-range shots. He hit some really tough shots with a couple turnaround jumpers, near-three pull-up, and a catch-and-shoot from 12’. He’s got some advantages right now to make him a little more productive but this compare and contrast between the two is so fun because of the high-level abiliities.
Trey Kaufman – 6’9 PF 2021 – Silver Creek (IN)
***17 points against Blackhawk Christian (IN)***
Trey is a stellar power forward that has a ton of skill and finesse to his game. He went up against another top power forward in the country and after a slower first half, he really stepped up later. His game is more built around that ball handling ability and creating space to make a play. However, early on it was all about his post game which is a little more productive right now. He is adding on strength and really taking advantage of his length. It was a tough matchup for both but they excelled in different areas. For Kaufman, it showed that he is a little more advanced in the low post right now than we might have thought heading into the game.
Blake Sisley – 6’8 PF 2021 – Heritage Hills (IN)
***21 points on 9/14 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists against Brownsburg (IN)***
Sisley looked as good as ever and it was do to his motor and ball handling. He’s been great as a post scorer and a guy that can stretch the floor but he’s never been a guy that can go and do it all on his own. He was stellar getting the ball and making a play on his own. He was able to dribble into shots, drive from the wing, and get to the rim. The mobility was a difference maker against the defenders in the post as they couldn’t quite keep up with him. The assertiveness was the key factor here though, needs that to take his game up a level.
Jordan Thomas – 6’7 PF 2021 – New Albany (IN)
***10 points against Andrean (IN)***
Jordan is a big post has shown some big scoring prowess down low. He’s not a guy that looks to do much out of his comfort zone so he’s always come off as very efficient. He had 10 points in this game and all came right at the rim on straight post ups. He’s the type of post that as long as you keep him fed, he will keep producing.
Caleb Furst – 6’9 PF 2021 – Blackhawk Christian (IN)
***22 points against Columbus North (IN)***
Caleb started off the game really slow, unable to get much to fall but as soon as he broke through, he went off scoring 8 in the second and 8 in the third. He had to do it this time with his free throw shooting because Columbus North was so tough and scrappy that he just had to overpower them and start to grind it out. This is a different way for me to watch him as he’s never really had too much difficulty find some scoring early and using that finesse and strength together to weave his way through a game. This was a grind for him and was kind of impressive.
Stephen Atkinson – 6’5 PF 2021 – Owen Valley (IN)
***31 points against Marshall (IL)***
Atkinson is a big, bruising forward who can split outside and create some matchup issues. He has just enough speed, handles, and size to make guards and wings struggle to defend him on the wing where he can drive to hit a pull-up or a floater but also has that range to hit from three. Definitely more than enough handles for his natural position of a 4-man. In the post, he’s got some legit strength and size that he can back his defender down but needs to polish it up a bit, mostly with his positioning. Has some decent length and with his agility, defensively, he should really develop into a good defender for specific college programs as a 4/5 defender.