Bundy’s Week 12 Player Evaluations: Wings
In this article:
This week, I saw four high-level basketball matchups featuring some of the top talents in the state. On Monday night, I saw New Palestine go on the road and take down a good Guerin Catholic squad, 66-60. Then, on Tuesday,…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis week, I saw four high-level basketball matchups featuring some of the top talents in the state. On Monday night, I saw New Palestine go on the road and take down a good Guerin Catholic squad, 66-60. Then, on Tuesday, Brownsburg went on the road to Pike and showed why they are a true state championship contender. They would dominate the second half and cruised to a 73-57 victory. Friday night, Bloomington North came back from down 10 to take down Terre Haute North, 59-55, thanks to an 18-3 run in a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter. Then, on Saturday, New Castle went on the road to Eastern Hancock for the first time ever, and this was the first meeting between these schools since 1980. New Castle’s size would prevail, and they would hold on for a fairly simple 63-50 victory. Now, let’s take a look at the top wings from these four games.
Player Evaluations
Steele Brasfield Steele Brasfield 6'5" | SF New Palestine | 2022 State IN (New Palestine) – 6’5” 2022 SF
Brasfield is the top scorer on this ball club, and he should have a very big career at Indiana Tech ahead of him. He did struggle in this one though. Despite a 21 point performance, Brasfield shot just 6-20 from the floor. He can stroke it from the outside on the catch and shoot, but he did struggle to finish around the rim. This was definitely an anomaly for Brasfield, but he will need an impressive showing in Sectional if New Palestine can pull off the upset.
Kanon Catchings Kanon Catchings 6'8" | PF Overtime Elite (GA) | 2024 #31 Nation GA (Brownsburg) – 6’4” 2024 SF
Catchings is another long, athletic wing who set the tone for Brownsburg in this one. He was lights out from the three-point line, going 4-5 from the outside for 18 points in the win. It seemed like whenever the Bulldogs needed a bucket, Catchings was there. In the coming years, I would like to see him work on his creating, but he has a ton of potential for the Bulldogs.
Elhadj Diallo (Brownsburg) – 6’4” 2023 SF
Diallo is a very athletic wing who does a little bit of everything well for Brownsburg. He shot the ball extremely well at 7-10 from the floor. He was also a menace on the glass on both ends of the floor. Additionally, Diallo plays with a ton of heart, confidence, and hustle which makes him a fun player to watch. He ended with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists in the win, and there is no doubt that he is one of the biggest stock rosters in the state.
Mark Hankins (Terre Haute North) – 6’5” 2022 SF
Hankins is a bigger wing who is an extremely skilled scorer. He did not miss a shot in the first quarter of this one, going 6-6 and 5-5 from three. He seemed to confidently take every single shot, and you just knew that when he let it fly that it was going in. After the first quarter, he was face guarded by JQ Roberts, a 6’7” wing with a plus wingspan, and he was still able to get to the rim and finish. Hankins would finish with 31 points on 10-17 from the floor. He also grabbed 8 boards and dished 3 assists in the win. Hankins should no doubt be playing college basketball, and he puts Terre Haute North in serious Sectional 12 contention with Brownsburg being their only competitor.
JaQualon Roberts JaQualon Roberts 6'8" | PF Bloomington North | 2023 State IN (Bloomington North) – 6’7” 2023 SF
Roberts is one of the top players in the 2023 class, and he showed why on Friday night. Roberts went for 19 points and 9 boards in the win, and he was 6-8 shooting and 4-5 from three. He does not take bad shots and uses his size and strength to dominate the offensive glass. On defense, he was able to lock down Terre Haute’s Hankins after a big first quarter. Look for Roberts to have a ton of High Major offers going into next year.
Ian Stephens Ian Stephens 6'5" | PF New Palestine | 2023 State IN (New Palestine) – 6’5” 2023 SF
Stephens is a good-sized forward who dominated the paint for the Dragons in this one. He is aggressive on the glass and can finish well through contact. On the offensive end, he grabbed so many offensive rebounds and either finished at the rim or drew contact to get to the foul line. Stephens ended with 17 points and 12 boards in the win, and he got to the foul line seven times. Stephens will play a huge role in New Pal’s run at a Sectional title.
Gavin Welch Gavin Welch 6'6" | SF New Castle | 2023 State IN (New Castle) – 6’4” 2023 SF
Welch is a wing with good size and a lot of lengths. He scored the ball extremely well early on, getting to the rim and knocking down jumpers. He seems to always be looking for his shot, and he also seemed to make the right play every single time the ball was in his hands. His vision and the attention he draws allow him to set up his teammates for open buckets. Welch didn’t shoot great from the outside, but he was 7-10 from inside the arc for 17 points and 5 assists. He should be on Division 3 coaches’ radars for sure.