Charlie Hughes Shootout: 2022 Standout Forwards
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It was a live period, and college coaches were out in full force at Carmel and Westfield for the Charlie Hughes Shootout. 101 high school teams competed with one another in a preview for the upcoming season. Several teams and…
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Continue ReadingIt was a live period, and college coaches were out in full force at Carmel and Westfield for the Charlie Hughes Shootout. 101 high school teams competed with one another in a preview for the upcoming season. Several teams and players looked very impressive and caught the eye of scouts and coaches. Here are the 2022 forwards that caught my attention during the weekend.
Bryson Bond – 6’3″ – Lawrence North
Bond is an athletic wing who can play many positions on the floor. He attacked the offensive glass well which led to several second-chance opportunities. He also seemed to always take it strong to the rim, and he knocked down a nice little mid-range jumper. Lawrence North is in desperate need of a second scorer behind CJ Gunn, and Bond may be able to be this. If he can, their schedule is tough enough that he will be seen by some Division 3 coaches. Bond is a player who has a lot to play for during his senior season.
Javan Buchanon – 6’6″ – Lafayette Jeff
Buchanan is a bigger forward who knows how to use his size to his advantage. He is physical inside and seemed to be able to get to the hole with ease in this one. He also showed some nice footwork in the lane with a nifty spin move inside, and to round out his game, he knocked down a triple. Buchanan is one of the many new pieces to this Lafayette Jeff squad, but I was impressed by him by the first impression.
A.J. Dixon A.J. Dixon 6'5" | SF Merrillville | 2022 State IN – 6’5″ – Merrillville
Dixon is a long and lengthy wing with good size. He uses his size to his advantage and knows how to finish well. This was a tough matchup for him with Homestead, so his weaknesses were pretty glaring. He seemed to leave his feet a little bit too much and he can become over-aggressive driving the ball. This was nowhere near his best game, but when he is at his best, he is a very good NAIA prospect who can do so much well.
Jackson Hills Jackson Hills 6'5" | PF Sullivan | 2022 State IN – 6’6″ – Sullivan
Hills is a good-sized post player who is extremely physical inside. He dominated the lane on both ends of the floor, grabbing rebounds and scoring it consistently. He is a smooth finisher around the rim and has great footwork. He has a nice spin move in his arsenal, and he has a good drop step move to his left hand. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot which could hurt him down the road, but it was an impressive performance for Hills in the opening game of the weekend.
Aaron Humphrey Aaron Humphrey 6'6" | PF Indianapolis Tindley | 2022 State IN – 6’7″ – Tindley
Humphrey is a big post player inside who can also step out and knock down shots. He was probably the biggest surprise performer of the weekend, as he has improved his game in a major way. Humphrey has lost some weight and put on some muscle, and he has improved his footwork on the inside. He was also very aggressive on the glass in this one. Humphrey picked up his first offer from Trinity Christian, and he should see many more over the next couple of months.
Sam Jacobs Sam Jacobs 6'4" | SF Hamilton Southeastern | 2022 State IN – 6’4″ – Hamilton Southeastern
Jacobs is either going to be a bigger 3 or an under-sized 4 at the next level, and it is hard to say which one. He is a physical presence down low and knows how to get into the right positions on the inside. He can also finish through pretty much anything. He also sees the court well and can make plays with his dribble. He should see a good amount of Division 3 interest, and he will be an interesting player to watch this season.
Jahsiah Kirk-Williams – 6’2″ – Lafayette Jeff
Kirk-Williams is a lengthy wing who plays bigger than his 6’2” frame. He is smooth and attacks with speed and power, and he can score it in many different ways. Against Center Grove, he hit a couple of mid-range and a catch-and-shoot triple. Kirk-Williams was incredibly impressive for my first time seeing him, and he is going to be a crucial piece to this redesigned Jeff squad this season.
Andrew Leeper Andrew Leeper 6'6" | PF Homestead | 2022 State IN – 6’6″ – Homestead
Leeper is either a bigger wing or a smaller post player who can do a lot in his game. He is an aggressive rebounder and seems to always read it well off of the rim. He also finishes it well inside. He hasn’t quite developed the outside shot to make him a next-level wing, but he can hit the mid-range jumper which is a nice addition to his game. Leeper has 3 offers at this point from NAIA programs, and he should be in store for a good senior season with Homestead.
Christian Nunn Christian Nunn 6'3" | SF L'anse Creuse North | 2022 State IN – 6’4″ – Crispus Attucks
Nunn is a smaller wing who seems to always play hard. He hustles on the glass and is always looking to be aggressive, though this can cause him to be out of control at times. Nunn can score the ball well from all areas as he was knocking down threes and mid-range jumpers as well as throwing down powerful dunks. Nunn is also the type of player who isn’t afraid to put his body on the line by diving on the floor or taking charge which makes him even more intriguing to a college coach. Look for his recruitment to pick up with his tougher schedule during his senior season.
Matt Spears Matt Spears 6'7" | PF Arsenal Tech | 2022 State IN – 6’7″ – Arsenal Tech
Spears is a stretch 4 who can really play anywhere from the 2 to the 4. At 6’7”, he has good height and a ton of length. He can also shoot the ball incredibly well from both the mid-range and outside. Spears did get a little careless with the ball at times, and he was way too passive in the offense in my opinion. Tech has a talented lineup this season, but if they are going to excel, they will need Spears to play to his full potential which is Division 1 caliber as shown by the offer from Tulane that he has received.
Jordan Vaughns – 6’5″ – Center Grove
Vaughns is a long and athletic forward who looked good against Jeff. On the offensive end of the floor, he moves well without the ball in his hands, and he seemed to always find open spaces. He also showed off his athleticism with a fast break jam. However, he didn’t really have a jump shot or a place on the defensive end of the floor. He has tons of length which led to a couple of steals, but that was about it. He is going to need to do a lot for this young Center Grove team this season.
Jalen Washington Jalen Washington 6'10" | PF Gary Westside | 2022 State #32 Nation IN – 6’9″ – Gary West
Washington is a long, forward with a lot of length, and he had a plethora of major college programs in the building to watch him on Sunday. Despite his size, Washington likes to spend most of his time out on the perimeter, and he struggled in this one. He is a great shooter, but they just weren’t falling on Sunday. He does have extremely good vision for a big man and has nice touch on his passes. He also can finish through contact. Washington is going to need to do a lot for Gary West this season as everyone anxiously awaits his looming college decision.
Armoni Williams – 6’2″ – Lafayette Jeff
Williams is a bigger forward for Jeff who played the post really well. He is a physical player and knows how to use his size to create space. Williams also showed he could shoot the ball by knocking down a couple from the outside. He does not move very well, and he needs to make sure that he doesn’t try to put the ball on the floor in the post as this resulted in a couple of turnovers. However, when Williams stuck to his strengths, he did play pretty well for Jeff.