Indiana High School Preview: Class 2A North

<p>In 49 states it is just basketball, but this is Indiana. There is no better time of year than high school basketball season in the Hoosier state. Here at Prep Hoops Indiana, our staff will set out to bring the very best coverage from throughout the state. Evansville, Gary, South Bend, Terre Haute, we will leave no corner of Indiana unturned.</p> <p>Now that official practices are quickly approaching and we are just weeks away from tipping off the first game, it is time to dive head first into previewing the upcoming season. Over the coming weeks you can expect breakdowns of each class along with teams and players to watch, a look at the top Mr. Basketball and Indiana All-Star candidates, preseason team rankings, and much, much more. For even more coverage, make sure to follow our staff on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BRamseyKSR">@BRamseyKSR</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kylerstaley">@kylerstaley</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HSIndianaBball">@HSIndianaBball</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisMills37">@KrisMills37.</a></p> <p>We began our preseason coverage in Class 1A with a look at a few of the best teams coming out of the <a href="https://prephoops.com/2021/10/indiana-high-school-preview-class-1a-north/">north </a>and <a href="https://prephoops.com/2021/10/indiana-high-school-preview-class-1a-south/">south</a> brackets. Now, we turn our attention to Class 2A beginning in the north. We will highlight the preseason favorite, a traditional power to keep an eye on, a sleeper team, and then name an honorable mention that we will look forward to watching this year.</p> <h3>Favorite: Central Noble High School</h3> <p>On the surface, this is an easy selection for the favorite to come out of the Class 2A North. It isn't often that a 2A school that went 24-2 the prior season returns a Big 10 commit and Mr. Basketball candidate. That is the case for the Cougars as future Wisconsin Badger [player_tooltip player_id="769682" first="Connor" last="Essegian"] returns for his senior season. The 6'4" shooting guard scored 24 points per game as a junior to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. The sharp-shooter is currently sitting at 1705 career points and is poised to blast right through that 2000 point milestone. Essegian should settle into the 15-20 range on the all-time Indiana scoring list when all is said and done. Just his talent alone would be enough to make Central Noble a top five team in the class.</p> <p>Luckily for the Cougars, despite having a Mr. Basketball candidate that will average close to 25 points a game, it isn't just a one-man show. Also returning in the senior class for a run at making it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse are 6'6" senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="870256" first="Logan" last="Gard"] and 6'2" guard [player_tooltip player_id="1269905" first="Ryan" last="Schroeder"]. Each of these players will be able to take a little bit of pressure off of Essegian who is guaranteed to attract all of the scouting attention from opposing coaches and defenses. Gard is a mobile forward that will provide size and rebounding around the basket for the Cougars. On the perimeter, Schroeder will be the beneficiary of the attention paid to Essegian. Schroeder should be able to knock down a bunch of open shots this season.</p> <p>6'2" guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158220" first="Jackson" last="Andrews"] had a big freshman season for Central Noble and should really blossom as a name to follow this winter. Andrews is another legitimate threat on the perimeter that can be a secondary scoring option next to the firepower provided by Essegian. Another sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="1158228" first="Sam" last="Essegian"], is also a solid player that should take on a larger varsity role this year.</p> <p>Overall, Central Noble has the top end talent and depth to deserve recognition as a favorite in Class 2A. However, despite a 61-15 record in the [player_tooltip player_id="769682" first="Connor" last="Essegian"] era, the Cougars have yet to win a sectional. That will be the first major postseason hurdle for this group to overcome. They definitely have the pieces to do it and led by their Mr. Basketball candidate there is a lot of optimism that this is their year to get it done. </p> <h3>Don't Count Out: Blackhawk Christian School</h3> <p>During the [player_tooltip player_id="529561" first="Caleb" last="Furst"] era at Blackhawk Christian, Coach Marc Davidson lost only 11 basketball games. There were two state titles in that span and they probably would have a third if not for the 2020 tournament getting cancelled. The Braves graduated a historic class of Mr. Basketball Frust (21.4 points and 14.1 rebounds per game), point guard [player_tooltip player_id="569345" first="Zane" last="Burke"] (17.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game), and [player_tooltip player_id="874187" first="Marcus" last="Davidson"] (12.6 points per game) along with three other contributing seniors. It goes without saying that this team will look very different and those pieces are impossible to replace.</p> <p>You still can't, or at least shouldn't, count out the Braves though. 6'5" junior [player_tooltip player_id="1042496" first="Gage" last="Sefton"] will be ready to step into a primary scoring role this season. He is ranked as the #53 prospect in the Class of 2023 by Prep Hoops Indiana coming off of averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Blackhawk Christian also brings back 6'4" Jacob Boyer who scored 14 points in the state championship game last season. Boyer is a good right-handed pitching prospect for the Braves baseball team, but also scored 8.0 points and pulled down 6.1 rebounds per game on the hardwood. He will be be a nice inside presence. The other returning contributor will be senior Lewis Jones. Expect to see 6'6" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1042499" first="Josh" last="Furst"] have a breakout season as well.</p> <p>It is hard to expect too much out of a team that lost 62.4 points per game, including Mr. Basketball, from one of the most dominant Class 2A teams we have ever seen. However, the one-two punch of Sefton and Boyer give the Braves a solid starting point. They should be the favorite to win Sectional 36 for a fifth straight season. At that point, with their winning pedigree, anything could happen.</p> <h3>Sleeper: Carroll (Flora) High School</h3> <p>The Cougars went 21-4 a year ago before being tripped up by one point against Rossville in the sectional championship. Now, they return their two best players and a promising sophomore that will create one of the best trios in the Class 2A North. Four seniors graduated from last season's team, but with their returning production, Carroll (Flora) should be a preseason Top 10 team in the class.</p> <p>Coach Bodie Bender brings back two of the top players in the area in dynamic junior duo Owen Duff and Jake Skinner. Duff is a 6'3" guard that averaged a team-leading 16.8 points per game last season to go with 4.7 points and 2.5 assists. Skinner, a 6'3" wing, that contributed 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as well. Their one-two punch will make them a sneaky contender coming out of the northern bracket. Expect for both of these athletes to have standout junior seasons.</p> <p>Keeping with the youth movement in Flora, 5'10" sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158240" first="Chris" last="Huerta"] is back as the Cougars floor general. Huerta had a solid freshman season on varsity averaging 4.3 points per game. That valuable experience on a winning team will pay dividends this season.</p> <p>Filling in the depth lost by four seniors that combined for 23.1 points per game will be the key for determining just how far Carrol (Flora) can go this season. However, having players like Duff and Skinner back creates a great baseline at the Class 2A level. Expect for the Cougars to make some noise come March.</p> <h3>Honorable Mention: Wapahani High School</h3> <p>Wapahani is a perennial contender in Class 2A under head coach Matt Luce. Luce is 239-87 through 14 seasons, but the Raiders have only been able to capture four sectional championships during that span. A regional championship game in 2013 marks their deepest tournament run. Now, after back-to-back sectional titles and returning over 65% of their scoring output from a year ago, expectations in Selma are high once again.</p> <p>Last season, Wapahani was led in scoring by freshman [player_tooltip player_id="1158181" first="Isaac" last="Andrews"] at 16.8 points per game. The 6'1" shooting guard is ranked as the #13 prospect in the Class of 2024 by Prep Hoops Indiana. He is an elite shooter, making 40% of his three-pointers last season, and is an all-around playmaker with the ball in his hands. Averaged 3.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds along with his 16.8 points per game. He should become a name everyone knows around the state this season.</p> <p>Joining Andrews in the backcourt is another dynamic scoring threat in junior [player_tooltip player_id="1150871" first="Aidan" last="Franks"]. The 6'1" Franks is ranked as the #70 prospect in the Class of 2023 by Prep Hoops Indiana. He averaged 15.8 points per game and made 39% from deep. The shooting duo of Franks &amp; Andrews will make the Raiders a very tough out in the Class 2A North.</p>