Indyball: Saturday Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | The AAU season is underway and we were out at North Central High School for IndyBall 2018. Checking in on some of the better teams in the state, we were able to find some solid performances including Vincent Brady, Mason Gillis, and IE Central 2021. Here is our breakdown from Saturday.
Vincent Brady Is A 2021 Guy To Watch This Summer
A lot of people don’t know the name Vincent Brady as he was a bit shielded at Lawrence North with the plethora of upperclassmen they had. Brady is a legit 6’2 shooting guard who plays well above the rim and is able to score the ball in a few different ways. He didn’t throw one down that I saw, but tried to a few times. Last year, he got a bit of run with LN’s varsity, but this year he could play a big role off the bench as the second or third guard in the rotation.
He loves to get out in transition and look for the outlet pass where he attacks the basket hard. He has a solid body and should grow a few more inches. Running with George Hill Rising Stars, he should be able to shine. He is the go to offensive player for the squad. Supremely athletic and energized guard that will turn some heads in the gym this summer.
Mason Gillis Is Better Than Advertised
Having (surprisingly) never seen Mason Gillis play before, I was intrigued by what I saw when I caught a IE 2019 game. He is bigger than I thought and doesn’t hesitate to knock down the open jumper. He is built well and can defend a few different positions. Gillis likes to run and is much stronger than I thought he would be. An active rebounder who grabs the ball and looks to outlet it to push it down the floor.
It’s a little crowded at this position for him but he should get extensive run. He will be able to showcase his skills this summer really well after his breakout high school season. Gillis looked solid in the game I saw and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some very recognizable coaches watching him in addition to the ones that have already offered him.
Indiana Elite Central 2021 Has The Ability to Beat Some Solid Groups
This was one of the best teams that I saw that perked my interest. There were a ton of guys that I thought played really well in the game that I saw. Gus Etchison, a 6′ PG from Hamilton Heights (IN) set the pace. He was able to get the ball to the rim and finish and on defense he had active hands stealing the ball and then pushing it in transition. Michael Eley, may have been the most impressive guy to me on the day as he constantly was grabbing offensive rebounds and then scoring. He had a few drives to the basket that resulted in dunks and was playing pretty freely. A guy to keep an eye on this summer. Eley is a 6’2 guard who is full of athleticism.
Two other guys I really liked on this team were Loogootee’s Silas Bauer and Crispus Attucks’ Jaylen Carson. Both are 6’5 power forwards but their game differs in many ways. Bauer is a ground and pound four man you can stretch it out a little but mainly gets the ball and finishes at the rim. There aren’t many 2021’s as strong as him. He rebounds the ball well and finishes through contact. Carson tends to try and stretch it out a little bit more. In this game, he hit a couple of three-pointers and showed me that he had a little bit of handle in the open floor. You also have guys like Sean Black and Braden Baker who are both guards that can score and run the offense.