Marion Classic: 2018 Evaluations
Last week, the Marion Holiday Classic was a great event to see a lot of different teams from the northern part of the state with multiple teams from Fort Wayne and the Region, it gave us a look at a new crop of teams. Here are our breakdowns of the 2018 prospects at the event.
Joshua Tufts – 6’3 SG 2018 – Liberty Christian (IN)
This was the best Tufts has looked, was more aggressive and effective than he had been the previous three years. He shot the ball well but was best off the bounce getting to the rim where he was able to use his length to score. Consistency is key now as we have yet to see this level. If he can maintain this type of scoring, it will help a ton. Finished with 18 points on 6/13 shooting along with 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
Isaiah Brees – 6’0 PG 2018 – Liberty Christian (IN)
Brees looked better than he did a year ago, a lot taller and a little more filled out. He was more active and tougher now to be able to get to the rim. He drew a lot of fouls and took full advantage of them. Where he needs to step up is with his shooting just so he can balance things out a bit. Finished with 10 points on 2/8 shooting with 5 rebounds.
Devionare Glass – 6’7 PF 2018 – Lighthouse CPA (IN)
Glass is a long, lean forward with a ton of athleticism and enough versatility to provide help on the defensive end. He’s still a little raw with his scoring ability unless it is in the post. Down low, he’s really athletic and can be creative with his finishing ability. Still lacks a little strength to finish through contact but overall not bad. Can play away from the rim as a facilitator and screener but not really a good shooter right now. When playing within himself, he looked really good. Finished with 12 points on 4/11 shooting with 9 rebounds.
Donyell Meredith – 6’4 SF 2018 – Lawrence Central (IN)
Meredith was solid in this game and was pretty balanced with his game. He was pretty good as a shooter in this one and had that touch on it. When he has that working for him, it looks like everything is coming together. He needs the ball to make some plays but he is getting better working off the ball. His versatility showed as they needed it to battle with Lighthouse’s size. He’s got a ton more skill in him and likely won’t all come out until he is in college but it’s evident. Finished with 17 points on 7/12 shooting with 12 rebounds and 4 assists.
Jaden Terry – 5’9 PG 2018 – Lawrence Central (IN)
Terry was really good in this game. He showed more ability on the ball than we had seen before. He was aggressive on both ends of the floor and really created havoc in transition. He’s a pretty good scorer at the rim. He drew a ton of fouls and went 8/11 from the line. Likely won’t do that every game but that could easily be a part of it moving forward. He’s got enough toughness to finish through contact and find points. Really good game for him and one to build on. Finished with 10 points on 1/2 shooting with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Keondre Brown – 6’1 PG 2018 – Fort Wayne Snider (IN)
Brown is a big, tough lead guard who can play well on the ball as a guy that sets the tone. Will need to work on his driving ability a bit but he’s tough once he gets a head of steam. Has a solid perimeter jumper that he doesn’t use a ton but enough to keep him defended well. Finished with 9 points on 4/8 shooting with 6 rebounds.
Jonqwell Lee – 5’11 PG 2018 – Fort Wayne Snider (IN)
Lee is a smaller lead guard but has some offense to his game. He started off ice cold from three but picked it up in the second half and when left open, he made Tindley pay. Has some speed and is very quick off the first step, allowing him to create some steals. He’s a pretty good facilitator as he can get into the middle of the floor and is able to dish out of it to his shooters. Finished with 9 points on 3/8 shooting with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Eric Hunter Jr. – 6’3 SG 2018 – Indianapolis Tindley (IN)
This was one of the best games we have seen from Hunter. He was lights out in the first half as he did well shooting the ball and was doing it against some decent defense. Some were very difficult but he had it all working. He pairs the ability to drive and shoot really well. So balanced as an offensive player, it makes him near impossible to stop when he is even about 80% on. Games like this, there might not be a chance for anyone. Finished with 43 points on 15/22 shooting, 5/8 from three, with 9 rebounds.
K.J. Coleman – 6’0 PG 2018 – Indianapolis Tindley (IN)
Coleman was pretty solid in the second half of this game. He was a little more patient in the second half and creating more offense as a driving force. He was able to create a few fouls and went a perfect 4/4 in the second. He’s not a major offensive player but contributes in many ways on the ball. He’s doing it right now as an off-ball guard. Finished with 15 points on 5/10 shooting with 2 rebounds.
Lucas Lehrman – 6’8 C 2018 – Bishop Dwenger (IN)
Lehrman showed a little more motor and a good energy level in this game. He was all over the place, grabbing rebounds, finishing around the rim, and defending the rim. Wasn’t the most efficient game for anyone but he did play with some impact. Has to be a little more efficient in the post on his scoring, being a little stronger getting the ball up but overall, you love the effort coming out of this game. Finished with 6 points on 3/8 shooting with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.
John Henry Reith – 6’4 PF 2018 – Bishop Dwenger (IN)
Reith was really impressive in this game. A bit of an undersized post player, his strength and scoring ability was on display. He’s got such a motor and the build that really makes him difficult to stop when he gets the ball. Really good mobility and showed the ability to switch on guys on the perimeter and in the post. Looks like a perfect DIII post player. Can score from 15’ and in, showed a stretch ability with an elbow jumper. Really productive player for a small school team. Finished with 14 points on 4/8 shooting with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Austin Boucher – 6’3 SG 2018 – Fort Wayne North (IN)
Lately, Boucher has been doing really well but this was a little more of struggle for him as he was forced to handle the ball more than usual. His touch on his jumper was solid but he was been closely guarded in this one and didn’t get a ton of clean looks. Like Kroft, he actually showed better when he looked to drive with his ability to draw contact and finish in the paint. His passing was solid in this one and he was able to find some nice dumpoffs for assists. Finished with 14 points on 3/9 shooting with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Tyrese Cobb – 6’3 SF 2018 – Marion (IN)
Cobb wasn’t a big offensive weapon for Marion but he was really good on the defensive end using his length and athleticism a ton. He’s really raw as an offensive player although he did have a nice drive around a ball screen athleticism the top of the key. He’s got some versatility with his length and quickness. He might need some post-grad work but if he can develop some on the offensive end he could end up a really good college player. Finished with 2 points on 1/5 shooting.
Darian Causey – 6’2 SG 2018 – Fort Wayne Wayne (IN)
Causey is a tall scoring guard with with a good perimeter jumper and a great body. He’s really well built and has a lot of strength to take hits. Not a big time ball handler but good enough as an off-guard. He’s got a good jumper and he was really effective with it today. Wasn’t big as a creator for others but showed a creation ability to score the ball. Great frame and capable of a little more offense with his efficiency he showed. Finished with 13 points on 5/7 shooting, 3/5 from three with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Dillon Redding – 6’2 SG 2018 – Fort Wayne Wayne (IN)
Dillon is a tall but thin shooter with some length. He was hot early on knocking down six triples. He’s really good off the catch but has the ability to create a little bit. Right now, he isn’t going to do much besides shoot but he proved he can light it up. He got even more in the second half, showing a little more creativity to get them off after Marion decided to defend a bit. Finished with 31 points on 9/13 shooting, 7/10 from three with 6 rebounds.