Adidas Invitational: Wednesday
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | The first day of the July Live Periods is concluded and there was plenty to talk about following a three-game set on Wednesday night. The Adidas Invitational is a long-standing event in Indiana that has some solid talent this year to see and it was led last night by performances by Dayton Metro’s Ethan Conley and Gametime-Thomas’ Jacob Laravia.
Laravia Is Setting His New Standard
Lawrence Central’s Jacob Laravia is coming into his own. You probably have never heard of him unless you are deep into the recruiting and scouting angle but his play over the last few months has sparked himself into a known commodity among college coaches and scouts. The 6’7 forward went from just a role player who lacked scoring prowess just this past high school season to one of the must watch players this summer.
On Wednesday night, Laravia went off for 21 points in the first half and 27 points overall in a victory over Ohio Crossover 2019. He showed off a little bit of everything, a capable jumper, slashing ability, and strength and finesse around the rim. He’s grown over the last six months and that 6’7 and long frame plays like more of a guard on the perimeter but he’s done very well adapting to being a low post scorer and done it quickly. He’s a guy that is going to draw interest because of that versatility and the upside. Laravia is far from a finished prospect and being a hot name in July is the perfect storm for him right now.
He’s setting a new standard of play for himself, going from a borderline college player at any level to a coveted 6’7 forward with a 4.2 GPA and a guy that just dropped 27 points on the best court at Warren Central on the first night of the live period. Things are going strong for Laravia this summer.
Conley Proving To Be A Highly Coveted Wing
One of the best players at the Adidas Invitational on Wednesday night was Dayton Metro 2019’s Ethan Conley. The Franklin-Monroe (OH) native is a big, bruising 6’5 wing that looks ready to go for the next level. Physically built and tough but a great inside-out game that is going to cause nightmares for defenders at whatever level he ends up at.
Conley was playing at a high level on Wednesday night as he was hitting deep threes and among the more physical rebounders and paint scorers we have seen all spring and summer. The 6’5 wing provides a DI body with a borderline game that is going to attract every non-DI program and quite a few low and mid-major programs. Ethan already has offers from Tiffin, Ashland, Urbana, Findlay, and Cedarville.
One of the best things we saw from Conley was his ability to impact the game physically. He takes over and really asserts his style of play where most don’t and can’t. That sort of tone-setter can change the look and feel of a team and for those programs looking for a wing at the next level, Ethan might be a guy you should throw on the top of your list.
Noah Pack A Sneaky Name To Remember
Post players are the ones you want to have but almost never seem to have enough of and so guys that come into the picture late are guys that can go from off the radar to firmly on the radar in no time. Georgetown (OH) post Noah Pack was a guy that showed his face on Wednesday night and is now firmly on our radar.
The 6’7 post was excellent against Gametime-Thomas 2019 showing off his ability to run and get up and down the court and finish at the rim in transition. Lacks a bit of strength and will need to become a little more efficient but was still finishing well through contact and causing issues for those on the defensive end. Having a post with his fluid ability in the open floor is going to draw interest from quite a few schools. For the rest of July, you might want to keep Pack’s name in the front of your mind.