The Recap: Off to an early lead, Zionsville led the entire game until Carmel finally tied it at 32 with under a minute to go. Carmel's only lead was 35-32 after a Will Leary, 6'3" junior, 3pter with :02.3 returned to the clock for the final possession. Then this happened...
Carmel 35-32:02.3 https://t.co/stlfWCpYjw — Jim Reamer (@JWReamer) November 27, 2019
Carmel 35-32:02.3
https://t.co/stlfWCpYjw
— Jim Reamer (@JWReamer) November 27, 2019
...6'1" senior, Ben Weidner with the honors for Zionsville to send it into OT. Zionsville scored first, then took advantage of a turnover and offensive rebound, both leading to baskets, and they scored the first seven points of OT, winning 46-41.
Five Takeaways:
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Vs. Noblesville (scrimmage)
Evident from watching Leland Walker is how much more in control he is on the court. Walker was able to pick his spots and was decisive in transition and in the half court. He finished well in traffic and did a great finding Charlie Peterson (6'8" senior - Army commit).
Walker shot well on pull ups, and while he didn't step back into any shots there isn't a reason to think it's not in his bag of tricks. He was equally impressive coming off screens, getting shots off or driving.
North Central doesn't have much shooting outside of Walker (or didn't show it). Walker along with Peterson will have to bear much of the scoring load, while Mike Elliott, 6'2" junior, is primarily a slasher. The point is, Walker should face a lot of defenses loading up on him.
Defensively, he was good on the ball, disruptive at times, but he was the quickest player on the court. Off the ball he made plays to force or clean up turnovers.
While the short term future of junior Curt Hopf is still up in the air, his long term future should be at the D1 level. The 6'8" forward has a developing skill set that pushes his game to the 3pt line. At that range, he's still a spot up shooter and a straight line drive to the rim, but it compliments his post play.
His biggest issues are guarding quicker players on the perimeter and a mid-range game off the dribble. The defensive side, it's really about does he have the footwork for hedging, doubling or switching screens. Offensively, he's better on a stationary catches in the half court than catching on the move.
His eligibility is at issue after transferring from Forest Park to Barr-Reeve, and it will be interesting to see his approach should he be relegated to the JV.
Watching Jayden Brewer for the first time in the first of the MIB Fall League, his overall athleticism and length was most notable. He popped on the court full of players who are athletic. As that night and week three games went on, his overall skill set was evident and impressive.
The negative? His shot mechanics need work. Brewer certainly elevates on his shots, and he will hit his share off the catch. Off the dribble is where it will need to improve the most. That said, he does have the requisite touch and varied ability to finish in the paint, not just at the rim, but floaters and scoops shots too.
The rest of his game is high major caliber. Defensively, he's a terror on the ball, and he has great instincts off the ball too. He didn't get drawn into trying to falling for ball fakes, as opponents figured out he was going to contest every play he could. He still showed good discipline.
Most impressive was his playmaking, especially in the half court. It's easy to make plays with positive numbers, but his half court reads were equally impressive. That means Brewer is a 6'5", freakishly athletic playmaker.
He may never be a great shooter, but he can change the game in a lot of ways on both sides of the ball.
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!
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.
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.
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.
The opening night of the Metro Indy Basketball Fall League produced outstanding performances. My first experience with the league, and it was good to see how competitive the players were.
Here are some performances that stood out:
Team Avance - I2
Guard play dominated this game (most games really), and they have three really good guards. Tony Perkins a senior from Lawrence North is the headliner, who has offers from Iowa, as well as Ball State, Bradley, Fort Wayne and Miami (OH). He was physical with the ball, finishing through people. He's a tremendous rebounder for a guard.
Shamar Avance a junior from Lawrence North is lightening quick, shifty with the ball and was a stud defensively. He shot well from outside but looked to get to the paint.
Leland Walker out of North Central is going to be a great point guard. Just a sophomore, he shot really well and got the basket anytime he wanted.
DJ Hughes, a 6'7" junior from Lawrence North was supposed to be here, but he was out on a college visit.
Team Bembry - I3
Jayden Brewer, junior from Avon, was the most exciting player on the day. Maybe because he just tried to dunk everything, but at 6'5", he's a true playmaker! Brewer was finding people all day, including a couple of good shooters from Fishers, Justin Long and Alex Szilagyi.
A true big man who thrives in a league can be a risky proposition, but Fishers Isaac Farah was great! He runs the floor well and finished in transition and in traffic. He handles well for a 6'9" post, but nothing too tricky.
Team Luce - H1
Two big scorers from Muncie Central were impressive on opening day, both seniors. Victor Young and Dylan Stafford. Stafford can really light it up from outside. Young is very athletic, more versatile of a scorer.
Team Konieczny - H4
With JR Konieczny already committed to Notre Dame, this was a team I was really looking forward to seeing. He didn't disappoint. He scored a little bit from everywhere, including in the low post. From a ACC perspective, he's thin, but at the high school level, his length and skills in the low post make him a tough matchup.
The most surprising was how athletic Gus Etchison is. (OK...I'm new to Indiana, so I'm sure most already know this.) The guard from Hamilton Heights didn't disappoint either. His court vision was impressive. He made this group go!
Leading this team in scoring was Curt Hopf. The forward from Barr-Reeve isn't just a post player, and while he has a ways to go on his ball handling, he was finish on straight line drives. He's a physical rebounder too and did well defending the perimeter.
Team Burtron - H2
If you're looking for length and a combination of skills, Dillon Ware from Danville, is your guy. He's forever long and handles the ball at 6'7". His outside shot needs work, but with his feet set he shot it well. He looks to finish strong in transition, and while there wasn't much defense played in this game, he was made a lot of plays on that end of the floor.
Team Kurowski - G2
This group was the most fun to watch on the day, as it was apparent they were a team coming in. They were balanced, but two players who stood out due to their shooting and play making were Kole Hatkevich and Lincoln Thomae.
Hatkevich, a sophomore guard from Mishawaka Marian. Thomae, a sophomore guard from Victory Christian Academy.
Team Reamer - F1
This was a full team of freshmen, so watching them battle older teams was fun. Preston Roberts looks the most ready of the bunch to get varsity minutes. The 6'2" guard from Noblesville shot well from outside, mostly off the catch, and can really finish at the rim.
Spencer White, 6'4" forward from Carmel, has smooth stroke from the perimeter, scored a little in the post and off the dribble.
AJ Lux, a guard from Crown Point, shot it extremely well in their second game.
Other Players Standing Out
Seniors:
Juniors:
Sophomores:
Freshmen: