After missing week two, it was good to see the top players of the MIB Fall League still participating and competing hard.  This week we'll try to talk more about players not covered in week one, but there were some performances hard to bypass.

Week three was broken down into cross pool games, as much according to record as could be.

The battle of the Undefeateds

Three undefeated varsity teams entered week three, and they played each other.  The first was Team Avance I2 vs. Team Kurowski G2.  Kurowski's team made up primary of sophomores from the South Bend/Mishawaka area kept the game tight through the first half and three minutes into the second half.

Team Avance, mostly made up of juniors and seniors from the Indianapolis area pulled away in the second half, over powering the sophomores on loose ball situations.

As the week before, Team Kurowski was balanced in scoring, but Tyler Schmidt really stood out this game.  The senior guard from Victory Christian Academy was able to get to the paint and basket and finish. Cole Hatkevich (Mishawaka Marian) and Lincoln Thomae (Victory Christian Academy) scored well too.

This was my first time getting to see DJ Hughes, and he was impressive in his ability to guard and play on the perimeter.  The junior forward from Lawrence North didn't hit from outside, but his shot looks smooth.  He was excellent getting to the basket and didn't mind taking his defender into the low post.

Jaylen Carson, a junior forward from Crispus Attucks, was huge in the second half, especially on the glass.  He's athletic and active!

Tony Perkins, the Lawrence North guard who recently committed to Iowa, dominated the second half.

Team Kurowski turned around and faced another undefeated team, Team Luce.  Even though Victor Young, guard from Muncie Central, tried to put Team Luce on his back, Team Kurowski pulled out the win with an impressive second half.

Some new faces stood out for Team Kurowski, Tyler Schmidt (senior, Victory Christian Academy), Richard Brooks (sophomore, Mishawaka Marian) and Jack Futa (junior, South Bend St. Joseph's) all had double figures.

Brooks' ability score in various ways stood out this game.

Team Luce then matched up against Team Avance, and one of the final games of the day led was entertaining until the end.  It looked like Team Luce might give Team Avance a loss, but a nice second half comeback powered by the Lawrence North trio was too much.

Shamar Avance got everyone involved, but the rebounding of Hughes, Carson and Perkins is what tipped the tide.

Young had 26 in the game, and he battled back and forth with Perkins.  Ricky Wedlow, senior guard from Mt. Vernon, had a strong first half but appeared to tire down the stretch.

Seniors that stood out:

Davion Bailey, 6'4" guard from Pike, was a stud today, really scoring at all levels.  He can score in bunches and does a great job of find teammates in the half court.  His Pike teammate Jalen Love was solid today, battling on defense.

Dillon Ware, 6'7" forward from Danville, continued to show a versatile skill set, and while he relaxes some on defenses (for a fall league, not bad), he's still very capable of making big plays on that end.

Alex Szilagyi, 6'2" guard from Fishers, shot the ball extremely well on the day, as did Luke Dunn, 6'3" guard from Yorktown.  Both have quick releases!

  • Noah Hedrick, 6'3" forward, Covenant Christian
  • Taylor Gardner, 6'3" forward, Tri West
  • Jackson Hughes, 6'5" forward, Zionsville
  • Keenan Lewis, 6'2" guard, North Central (might've transferred)

Juniors that stood out:

Jayden Brewer, 6'5" wing from Avon, was as impressive this week as he was in week one.  It's the combination of his athleticism, length and playmaking that make him unique.  His shot mechanics still need work, but the rest of his game is there.  Hard working defender too.

Sean Black, 5'10" guard from Warren, is lightning quick, and while he could be a better playmaker and make safer decisions off the dribble, he certainly can score.

  • Andre Long, 6'3" forward, Bishop Chatard
  • Antoine Hurns, 6'6" forward, Manual
  • Alex Totten, 6'3" wing, Hamilton Southeastern
  • Tyler Bowlby, 6'1" wing, Waldron

Sophomores that stood out:

Chandler Jackson, 6'5" forward from Warren Central, continues to impress.  He's active on the glass and has scored well off the dribble and from the 3pt line.  A true sleeper in the 2022 class.

Paul Stubblefield, 6'2" guard from Brebeuf, was more aggressive today than he was two weeks earlier.  He pushed the ball hard in transition, as did his teammate Darren Roach, 6'1" point guard from Crown Point.  Both put in a lot of effort on the defensive end, turning defense into offense.

  • Ethan Knopf, 6'2" guard, Lake Central
  • Antonio Lisenbee, 6'5" forward, Avon

Freshmen that stood out:

The consensus top player in the 2023 class out of Indiana is Jalen Hooks, 6'7" forward from Franklin Central.  He was excellent this week in scoring off the dribble, getting fouled and converting.  His outside shot needs work at his stage, but his mechanics are good off the catch.  The rest of it will improve over time as he works on it.

  • Thomas Ruffin, 6'2" wing, Lawrence North
  • AJ Dancler, 6'0" guard, Southport
  • AJ Lux, 6'1" guard, Crown Point
  • Lucas Parker, 6'4" wing, Carmel
  • Spencer White, 6'4" wing, Carmel
  • Billy Brown, 5'10" guard, Tindley
  • Dylan Moles, 6'0" guard, Greenfield Central

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR