The Recap: In a game with 21 made 3's this game did not disappoint with scoring. The scoring started early and happened often. LaPorte had a 28-27 lead after the first quarter but found themselves down by 9 at the break. The Slicers fought back and the charge was led by 6'3" senior Garrott Ott-Large and his game high 38. This was not enough as Jeff was able to hold off LaPorte and win 96-83.

Six Takes:

• Garrott Ott-Large played the best all around game I've seen him play. He came out and scored 11 of his 38 in the 1st quarter, hitting 3 of his 7 threes. In the second half he attacked the basket more and was able to finish at the rim. Also was a perfect 5/5 from the line. Hard nosed competitor who gets after it. Didn't turn the ball over and added a handful of rebounds.
• 6'3" sophomore Grant Ott-Large battled inside against Jeff senior big man 6'7" Matt Jones, and didn't back down. Grant showed he could step outside and knock down the 3, and he also showed some of his inside skillset. Showed great toughness and some good moves with his back to the basket. Finished with 17.
  • Matt Jones finished with 20 and 8. Soft touch around the rim, good at using his body to get himself into good post position, and can be a capable passer. Good feet. Would like to see him play through contact a little more and finish when fouled.
• Braxton Barnhizer came out guns blazing in the first quarter, matching Garrott's 3 threes with 3 of his own. The 6'3" senior had his range on display in this one as he hit a few deep 3's. Also did a nice job attacking the basket, and was leaned on to close this one out as his brother fouled out with just under 5 minutes to go. Finished with a team high 25.
• Brooks Barnhizer finished this one with 20. Brooks has good length and is smooth with the ball in his hands. Was able to get to the basket in this one and finish at the rim with ease. The 6'6" juniors game will translate well to the next level.
• Avery Beaver started off slow but came out and had a big second half scoring. He turned it up and dropped 19 of his 24 in the 3rd and 4th quarter. He hit a couple big 3's when LaPorte was cutting it close, and converted on all 9 of his FTs. Solid effort from the 6'2" senior.
• Jeff had the 4 headed monster working in this one and it was too much for LaPorte. They were just never able to get over the hump. With 4 players scoring between 20-25 points they showed their firepower. Defending was the issue as they still gave up 83 points. They have a couple tough games coming up that should test that as well.

Top Prospects

LaPorte

Garrott Ott-Large - 6'3" Senior

Grant Ott-Large - 6'3" Sophomore

Lafayette Jeff

Avery Beaver - 6'1" Senior

Matthew Jones - 6'7" Senior

Braxton Barnhizer - 6'3" Senior

Brooks Barnhizer - 6'6" Junior

Ashton Beaver - 6'1" Junior

Up Next:

LaPorte - vs Lowell - Jan 7

Lafayette Jeff - at Fishers - Jan 7

This was the second game of the Baird Winter Classic hosted by the Southridge Raiders at beautiful Memorial Gym.

For a game that had at least the Southern half of the state talking, it delivered.  As expected Linton came out on fire and was able to capitalize on any shot they wanted.  The Miners shot 7/10 from 2 and 6/10 from behind the arc to take a 32-21 lead into the locker room.  Much like the first game of the day this game was also the tale of 2 halves.  After the first half of settling for shots behind the arc the Vikings came out of the locker room at half and got back to basics.  6'4" Sophomore sensation Hagen Knepp and 6'8" Senior Keegan O'Neill went to work in the paint.  After going 1/6 in the first half Knepp finished 3/3 from 2 and 4/4 from the charity stripe.  O'Neill only touched the ball two times in the first half but went 4/5 in the second half.  The duo also combined for 13 rebounds and stole the momentum from Linton for the Vikings 10th win.

Five Take Aways:

1. Linton 6'3" Freshman Joey Hart is going to be a great player.  The young man went 3/4 from behind the arc.  He does a nice job defensively and didnt make the typical freshman mistakes.  11 pts.
2. Linton 6'4" Indiana State commit Lincoln Hale has a very high ceiling.  He can pull up from any where and has a nice stroke.  13 pts
3. Barr-Reeve 6'4" Sophomore Hagen Knepp is a manimal.  The lefty can shoot from out side, has a nice mid range game and can get to the rim. 14 pts 8 reb
4. Linton slowed the game down which I think led to the loss.  They are built to get up and down the floor with a ton of possessions.  After shooting lights out in the first half they struggled to get good looks and were limited in possessions in the second half.
5. Barr-Reeve took advantage of Linton in the paint in the second half.  The Vikings scored 14 points in the paint in the second half.  These points were in a large part due to the play of PG Brycen Graber.  When BR moves the ball and looks for the open shot they are hard to stop.

This was the first game of the Baird Winter Classic hosted by the Southridge Raiders in beautiful Memorial Gym.  In a game that was very evenly matched and it was Southridge that rode the late game momentum to the win.

Neither team shot well in the first half but it was 6'8" Senior Bailey Conrad who put the CAI Warriors on his back and walked into the locker room with a 19 to 14 lead.  Conrad scored at will from all over the court and had 15 in the half.  Southridge Junior sensation Colson Montgomery continued to struggle shooting the ball and ended the half with 1 point.

What ever Head Coach Mark Roher said to the Raiders in the locker room at half worked.  Montgomery and Senior Garret Vogerl came out in the second half and dominated.  Montgomery finished the game with 20 (19 in the second half) and Voegerl finished with 15.

FIVE TAKE AWAYS:

1.  6'8" Bailey Conrad moves very well for a big.  He has a very smooth shooting motion and finished the game 4/5 from behind the arc.  He also has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.  25 pts 4 reb
2. 6'5" Colson Montgomery of Southridge has a very short memory.  I have watched him in 4 games now and he has shot dreadfully, until today.  In the second half of the game he was 5/5 from 2 and 3/5 from 3.  That is what you want out of your floor leader and he delivered.  He can score from any where on the floor. 20 pts 10 reb
3. 6'0" Garret Voegrel was with out a doubt the best athlete on the floor.  Garrett finished 5th in the state in the high jump last year.  During today's game he took 3 dribbles on the baseline and punished the rim with authority.  He likes to take the ball to the hole and is not afraid of contact.  15 pts
4. Christian Academy of Indiana has limited options on the offensive end.  Outside of Conrad who had 25 only one player scored significantly and that was senior TJ Proctor with 10.  If CAI expects to make a deep tournament run they will have to get production from others.
5. Southridge is starting to turn a corner.  Montgomery and Voegerl are the main scorers for the Raiders with others starting to find rhythm and contribute at the right time.  South ridge got back to the basics and was able to find open players on the back cut for easy baskets.

The Recap: The Warsaw Tigers were down the entire game, and used a 3 midway through the 4th quarter by senior Jaylen Coon to go up 1 and never looked back. The Tigers overcame a 9 point 3rd quarter deficit, and outscored Valpo 19-10 in the final frame to take the win at home by a score of 43-40.

Five Takes:

• • Valpo's future is bright. This team starts 2 juniors, a sophomore, and legit freshman wing to go with one senior.
    • 5'11" Sophomore Breece Walls had a solid game tonight. Finished with 9 points, 3 rebs, and 3 asts and did a nice job of playing alongside 6'2" junior Colton Jones. Walls attacked the basket for his points and is a capable shooter. Colton Jones did a little bit of everything finishing with 5 points, 4 rebs, and 2 asts,
  • Valpo freshman Mason Jones finished with 6 points and 2 rebounds in this one. He played around 11 minutes and had a tough time getting going. Finished with 4 turnovers and was 4/8 from the line. Has a good build for a 6'7" freshman and will get stronger. This kid should be on all radars.
  • Cooper Jones was a load inside for Warsaw to handle scoring his first 3 baskets before the 6'6" sophomore went cold. He finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Big time football recruit.
  • Warsaw made Valpo pay for their turnovers down the stretch and hit some big shots, including the big 4th quarter 3 by senior Jaylen Coon who finished with 7. Fellow senior Blake Marsh added a game high 10.
  • Juniors Luke Adamiec, 6 points, and Brock Poe, 5 points, were key down the stretch for Warsaw. Their motors and defense really helped lock down the Valpo attack. Prototypical Warsaw guards that get after it!

Top Prospects

Valparaiso

Colton Jones - 6'2" Junior

Cooper Jones - 6'5" Junior

Mason Jones - 6'7" Freshman

Breece Walls - 5'11" Sophomore

CJ Opperman - 6'5" Senior

Warsaw

Blake Marsh - 5'11" Senior

Luke Admiec - 6'4" Junior

Jaylen Coon - 6'4" Senior

Brock Poe - 6'1" Junior

Next Up:

Valparaiso at Hobart - Jan 4

Warsaw vs Culver Academy - Jan 7

The Recap: The Archers were outmatched early in this one, and were down 21-10 after the first quarter and only scored 2 points in the second quarter, and the Knights never looked back. Marian freshman guard Deaglan Sullivan hit his first two 3s en route to his game high 24, and senior guard Jerry Bracey turned it up the second half to finish with 18 and the Knights rolled in this one winning 69-48.

Five Takes:

• 6'2" Marian senior guard Jerry Bracey excelled in this one. Taking the ball strong to the basket and finishing at the rim. Not settling for jumpers. Did a nice job rebounding as well. 18 pts 7 rebs 2 asts
• Deaglan Sullivan took this game over early and often. Scoring the first 8 points for the Knights this was his game. The 5'9" freshman guard did it all. Knocked down 3s, got into the lane and finished at the rim, and got some scrappy rebounds. He is excellent on the ball with good handles, and moves very well off the ball as well whether he's spotting up for 3 or slashing to the basket. Definitely someone to watch moving forward.
• Marian has a nice young core, as they only have 2 seniors, with some good role players that stood out in this one. 6'3" freshman Dareon Thornton and 6'4" Ky'Rell Franklin are both long players with very active hands. Very disruptive on defense and both had a solid effort. Thornton is someone to keep an eye on to improve and be a leader on this team down the road. Junior Mitchell Menting played a big part in this one as well. The 6'3" junior added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Good finisher.
• Kaleo Kakalia looked like a player that is developing nicely. The 6'4" sophomore had improved since last time I saw him. Another part of the Knights young core he will be leaned on heavily in the future. He finished with 6 points in this one. Solid inside and isn't afraid to play through contact. Was in foul trouble so didn't play much.
• The Archers just couldn't get anything going. Marian's length and pressure defense gave them trouble all game and they couldn't knock down any shots.

Top Prospects

Deaglan Sullivan - 5'9" Freshman - Marian

Dareon Thornton - 6'3" Freshman - Marian

Kaleo Kakalia - 6'4" Sophomore - Marian

Ky'Rell Franklin - 6'4" Junior - Marian

Next Up:

Mishawaka Marian vs Goshen - Jan 7

Fort Wayne South vs Pike - Jan 4 @ Marion Giants Shootout

The Recap: Game one of the Noblesville Holiday Tournament featured two teams from the northern part of the state. Caleb Furst led this game in scoring and dominated with his size and play inside. Grace commit Jake Wadding tried keeping his team in this one, but in the end Blackhawk just had too much firepower. With Furst playing so physical Chesterton just didn't have an answer. Blackhawk is led by the junior trio of Caleb Furst, Zane Burke, and Marcus Davidson. Davidson hit some big shots down the stretch and finished with 16. Blackhawk won 67-56.

Five Takes:

• The 6'10" Furst finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The big man can do it all. Used his size inside and has great court vision. Has great feet. Played his game in this one and made it look easy. Closed this one out for Blackhawk.
• Zane Burke, the 6'3" junior for Blackhawk, showed his ball handling some in this one as he brought the ball up a majority of the time. He had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Didn't hit any three's.  I felt like he played a little stiff in this one. Chesterton guard Travis Grayson gave him some troubles bringing the ball up.
• Chesterton's Travis Grayson, 5'8" sophomore, has really improved since I saw him last year in the Michigan City Regional. Shifty player, can get to the rim as he did in this one, and isn't afraid of contact.  Solid, gritty on ball defender. Finished with 13 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals. Definitely someone to watch moving forward.
• Grace commit Jake Wadding finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds and just couldn't get going in this one. With Furst guarding him on the offensive end there wasn't much room for Jake to work. Overall tough night for him.
• The semi final matchup with Furst vs Alex Stauffer should be a good one. Guard play will be interesting in this one too.

Top Prospects

Tyler Vanderwoude - 6'5" Junior Chesterton

Travis Grayson - 5'8" Sophomore - Chesterton

Chris Mullen - 6'4" Sophomore - Chesterton

Caleb Furst - 6'10" Junior - Blackhawk

Zane Burke - 6'3" Junior - Blackhawk

Marcus Davidson - 6'0" Junior Blackhawk

Next Up:

Chesterton

Blackhawk Christian

The Recap: Saint Joe and Leo started game one of the Champions of Character Classic in Winona Lake, Indiana and it did not disappoint. Headlined by junior Notre Dame commit, JR Konieczny, the Indians snuck away late with a 68-59 victory. This was a game dominated by underclassman as four juniors led the way for St. Joe while Leo's offense runs through two juniors and a sophomore. The win was hard earned as Leo took a one-point lead at intermission led by 6'5" sophomore DJ Allen's 10 points. Konieczny would take over from there scoring 11 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter for St. Joe. In what was a great overall game I’d love to see both teams again.

Six Takes:

• St. Joe throws a solid junior-led core in their starting lineup that go 6'7", 6'6", 6'5", and 6'4". Led by JR Konieczny, this squad really plays well together. I feel like each individual knows their role and does it well. Konieczny was very solid in this one. Very smooth and under control. Took over the game when he needed to, especially in the third quarter, and asserted his dominance finishing with six rebounds to go along with his 22 points.
• 6'4" junior Jack Futa looked great for St. Joe. He finished with a double-double of 19 and 11. Leo never had an answer for him as he had it all on display knocking down 3s, defending, blocking shots, hitting free throws (7/8) and rebounding. Very solid effort from the junior and a great complimentary teammate for Konieczny.
• Junior's Will Terry and Adam O'Dell both defended well and added some tough rebounds and a couple blocks. At 6'5" and 6'6" respectively, Terry and O'Dell showed well within their roles for St. Joe using their size to their advantage.
• 6'1" Leo junior guard Blake Davison had 14 points and 8 rebounds for Leo. He was able to get to the line a few times off the drive and hit some jumpers. St Joe's length gave him some trouble.
• I was really impressed with 6’5 Leo sophomore, DJ Allen, who also added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Allen has good size and length with some athleticism. He looked comfortable around the hoop and was able to rebound and score underneath. He isn’t afraid to go to the offensive glass and is a heady passer. He can also step outside and shoot from the perimeter as well as run in transition.
• 6’5 Leo junior, Zack Troyer, chipped in 12 points for the Lions. Troyer was able to score underneath and hit a couple jumpers , but seemed to disappear in the 3rd quarter when Leo needed him most.

Next Up:

St. Joe - 12/28 - Logansport Classic - vs. LaPorte (4-3)

• JR Konieczny - 6'7" Junior (committed to Notre Dame)
• Jack Futa - 6'4" Junior
• Adam O'Dell - 6'6" Junior
• Will Terry - 6'5" Junior

Leo - 12/27 - Huntington North Tournament - vs. Jay County (2-4)

• Blake Davison - 6'1" Junior
• Zack Troyer - 6'5" Junior
• DJ Allen - 6'5" Sophomore