Superlatives: Live Period I
The first of five live periods gets underway tomorrow and we are really looking forward to having Adidas back in Indianapolis along with Nike and Under Armor next. For a fun look at this big week in the recruiting calendar, we have put together a list of superlatives heading into this first week.
Most Likely To Get Their First High Major Offer: Brandon Newman (Valparaiso/Meanstreets 2019)
As we will talk about later on, a high-major offer is pretty much a given and this will be more about how many he gets. He’s in a position where many have been in to see him or have him high up on their list to the point where they just want to see him play on the EYBL to cut down on some of the fears. Guess is he gets his first one before he makes it to his house on Sunday night.
Most Likely Team To Go Undefeated: Indiana Elite 2019
They don’t play many great Adidas Gauntlet teams this session. I think of their four games, Barnstormers will give them the most trouble just from past experience. However, Team Rose has looked solid this spring we have heard. With only four games, I think they have the best shot. They are likely one of the best, if not the best Gauntlet team this year.
Most Likely 2020 Player To Get Their First Offer: D’Andre Davis (Lawrence Central/IE 2020)
A few of the top players in 2020 already have offers and I would see it be a hard time for anyone that isn’t already on a shoe company team at this age level to get their first offer. However, I think Davis has made enough strides and his upside looks as such that he’s going to have a handful of Low-Major teams show quite a bit of interest. I think if he plays well, he could nab a couple of them.
Most Likely 2021 Player To Get Their First Offers: Caleb Furst (Blackhawk Christian/Indy Heat 2021)
Not many are worthy at this point and as I’ve spoken on many times, size plays early on. Furst has the size, the body, and the skill as well as the production to draw a lot of early interest. He should be the player with the most offers in his first two years of high school because of that. Not sure that will be the case at the end of their senior seasons but he should have a head start.
Most Likely Player To Rack Up Offers This Month: Brandon Newman (Valparaiso/Meanstreets 2019)
I think with the way his recruitment has gone to this point and playing for Meanstreets, it wouldn’t shock me at all if a lot of teams outside of the Midwest decided to offer him. He’s a bigger guard with tons of strength and scoring ability and if that shows consistently, I think a lot of programs will decide to offer. Purdue and Indiana have basically been waiting to see him play in the first live period to see how he plays against a higher level of competition.
Most Likely To Score The Most Points In A Game This Weekend: Jared Hankins (Lawrence North/IE Fastbreak 2019)
Thinking about those that are the most potent, this comes down to a few choices but I think Hankins on the big stage, if he catches fire he could put up some massive numbers. He’s been there for some 40+ point games in AAU already so that is definitely within reach.
Most Likely To Dunk On Someone This Weekend: Keion Brooks Jr. (Fort Wayne North/Indy Heat 2019)
There are a few options here as well and if Armaan Franklin was fully healthy, I would say he could be in this mix. However, Keion is the easy pick here. Up and down style of EYBL mixed with his elite athleticism and he’s going to be my pick for the first.
Most Like To Get Hot And Take Over A Game: Spencer Piercefield (Center Grove/IE Metro 2019)
Seeing as how he just got done doing it last weekend, I think Piercefield will have the tools to do it again. His game is much more free in the AAU circuit and his jumper looked stellar last weekend. He may not put up the most points in a game but he could easily be the most potent in the second half of a game to take it over.
Team With The Most To Prove: UA Grind 2019
Losing key players this offseason in Armaan Franklin and Mason Gillis are tough. However, this roster has quite a few pieces and they have a guy leading this group in Pat Mullin who is well equipped to make this team flow. They still have Luke Bumbalough, Sam Devault, Aaron Etherington who all hold DI offers and De’Sean Allen-Eikens should be an impact guy. This team will shoot the ball at a high level and could surprise. However, this is a shoe company team and they need to have a good year.