* Senior guard Deaglan Sullivan did it all for Marian on Wednesday morning. Fishers could not keep him from getting to the rim. He scored most of his points at the rim and from the free throw line. Sullivan ended with 29 points. This kid needs more offers!!

* Senior forward Dareon Thornton was huge in overtime for the Knights. Thornton hit a contested three to put them up by 3 in overtime and hit 2 huge free throws to put them up 3 again with 2.5 seconds left.

* Jalen Haralson was good again as usual. Most of his buckets came at the rim and from the free throw line. Marian’s zone definitely “slowed him down” even though he had 26 points. In the second half he did struggle to finish at times, but the zone had him trying to finish over 2 or 3 guys.

* Jr guard Taden Metzger was a zone buster for Fishers. His first 2 three’s didn’t hit the rim in the 1st quarter and I started to think Marian’s going to come out of the zone in a hurry but then I remembered the 2-3 zone is a staple for Coach Rob Bergen’s Knights. Metzger ended with 12 points on 4 3’s.

Michigan City 67 - Mishawaka 49

Mishawaka Marian 58 - Gary West 52

Peru 51 - Tippy Valley 41

• Jamie Hodges - 5'10 - 2023 Michigan City -- Hodges was Hodges in this one. Led on both ends of the floor. Knocked down outside shots. Got to the basket at will. Great court vision and awareness. Goes 100 all the time. Continues to be one of the best players in the region. Can see him going the JUCO route initially only limited by his size. Like we've discussed before, with smaller guards you have to be pretty special and be able to shoot it. Hodges can definitely shoot it.
• Allen Briggs - 6'2 - 2024 Michigan City -- Long wing who works hard and compliments Hodges well. Gets to the bucket and draws contact then finishes at the line. Rebound position well and like how he defends. Someone to keep an eye on, especially next season when Hodges is gone.
• Brady Fisher - 6'4 - 2024 Mishawaka -- Brady is a lunchpail guy. Always ready to work and gets his job done. Rebounds extremely well, and is strong enough to finish at the rim where he does most of his damage on offense. Would like to see him expand his game outside of 15 feet if he is going to play at the next level. Strong DIII kid.
• Rasauun Johnson - 6'3 -- 2024 Mishawka -- Rasuun is a kid who takes pride and works at his game. Gym rat who really is always wanting to get better. Thrives when he's able to create turnovers and get downhill. Outside shot is improving. Defensively he's long and can get in the passing lanes and disrupts ball handlers. Moves well without the ball and shows flashes of a little athleticism. Continues to grow as a player.
• Reginald Hinton - 5'10 -- 2026 Gary West Side -- Right now as a freshman Hinton is a 3 and D guy. Does not play like a freshman. Is under control and composed. Plays well off the ball and finds his spots. Strong rebounder and passer. Someone to watch going forward.
• Deaglan Sullivan - 6' -- 2023 Marian -- We've talked about Sullivan since he was a freshman. You know what you're going to get with him. Plays hard every play on both ends, moves without the ball, great in passing lanes, distributor, shooter, rebounder, and leader. Size is limiting him as well as playing in a system where he only plays zone D, but you can never question his effort. NAIA - DIII player for sure.
• Jackson Price - 6'2 -- 2023 Marian -- Shooter alert! Kind of kid you can hang around the perimeter to knockdown 3s. Capable of shooting off the dribble as well. Grinder who can also put the ball on the deck and get to the rack and finish. Another lunch pail kid. Rebounds well.
• Matthew Roettger - 6'1 -- 2024 Peru -- Sticking with the theme of lunchpail guys he's definitely another. Grinder who also plays football so has that toughness you like. Gets after it on D and will get on the floor for loose balls. Can knock down shots from the outside and rebounds position well. Patient with the ball and can finish at the rim. Not sure where he'd fit position wise at the next level, but he works hard. DIII kid.
• Riley Shepherd - 6'5 -- 2024 Tippy Valley -- Like many of the Vikings, Riley couldn't get anything going in this one. Seemed to be a lid on the basket, but that didn't keep him from getting shots up. Long wing who is a capable shooter with a nice release. Not relied upon to take over games this year, but he's someone who may be able to in the future. Spends a majority of the time on the perimeter so would like to see him develop a little bit of a post game to go against smaller defenders. Can be dangerous in transition. Like his upside.
• Nolan Cumberland - 6'4 -- 2023 Tippy Valley -- Great motor and very nice player. Laid it all out on the floor in this one. Senior leader. Really like his game. Shoots it well and is patient in getting to the rim. Good size and frame. Good on the ball with nice enough handles. Good passer and rebounder. Balanced defender who can defend multiple positions. Be a solid addition to a program at the next level. DII or NAIA could take a chance on him.

• Best Games
• Best Teams
• Best Players
• Upcoming Games

Westfield closed out the second quarter on a 10-0 run, taking a 36-30 lead to the locker room, and they really never looked back.  Marian was only able to score 9 points the from that point on.

• Despite having snatched momentum and the lead, the game really took off for Westfield when Smith was placed in the middle of Marian's 1-3-1.  Smartly through core of their defense, often making his way to the top of key, Smith was able to play make from middle. 
  • Once Marian switched to man, Smith was able to really shine, attacking the baseline from the wing and the nail hole from the slots.  Smith moved the defense with his eyes and created a lot of easy baskets.
• Alex Romack was really effective in the paint.  He's a good ball screen partner with Smith, and he's succeeding as a roll man.  He was more impactful on the defensive glass than the offensive glass this game.  
• Cam Haffner was play making for others this game, vs. being just a shooter or even just someone looking to score -- something he's good at.  What this gives Westfield is another level of shot creation, especially for Romack and their other forward types.  It also gives Smith some room to find clean catches.
  • Trey Buchanan, sophomore guard, was also penetrating well and ran things well when Smith was on the bench in foul trouble.
• Richard Brooks' shot truly progressed.  It's more fluid than in the past, and he has a quick release.  This goes well with his ability to penetrate and punish defenders in the paint.  Brooks continues to be one of the more under recruited players in the 2022 class.
• Coming into this game, Kaleo Kakalia was shooting 37% from the 3pt line.  He struggled from there today, but him getting that shot is part of what they do.  It shows a progression in his game. 
  • The flip side of that was Kakalia wasn't in the paint as much, missing opportunities for offensive rebounds, a strong suit of his given his size and spring. Dareon Thornton and he are both 2+ offensive rebounds per game.
• Watching much of the game through a camera lens sometimes can obscure evaluations, but Deaglan Sullivan wasn't as aggressive as I've seen him in the past.  Westfield definitely paid a lot of attention to him, and anytime he put the ball on the floor, there was a second defender heading him off.  

• Recruiting updates
• Best Game, Best Team, Best Player
• Emerging young player
• Interesting results in games we didn't see

• Deaglan Sullivan (6'1) has been on the rise since day one of varsity his freshman year. He can pretty much do it all, and do it at a high level. Great change of pace and takes it strong to the rim where he can finish. Picks his spots well, and knocks down the outside shot. Great floor general who knows how to run the offense. Pretty solid defender too, and does the little things. Finished with 22 pts 4 rebs and 5 asts. Will be playing at the next level.
• Senior Kaleo Kakalia did what he always does tonight. Just so consistent. Block shots, play with a high motor, and hit some shots. Outside shot has improved quite a bit. Always a hard worker. Runs the floor and has active hands. Kid whose game you have to love. Swiss army knife, and will definitely help someone at the next level. Really like his game and definitely worth a look if you need a lunch pale player. Finished with 15.
• Fellow senior Richard Brooks didn't have his best game, but he influenced the game and still helped his team win. Finished with 8 & 5 tonight and didn't hit a 3 which is rare. Love his shot and release as it's so smooth and he gets good lift to shoot over defenders. Rebounds position well and can handle it to get himself to the rim and finish. Doesn't hurt you on defense and plays hard. Lots of upside for Richard for sure.

UP NEXT

Marian @ Plymouth - Friday 12/10 - 7:30

Mishawaka vs Elkhart Christian - Saturday 12/11 - 7:30

Zak Tyler updates recruiting news, and Jim Reamer and he talk more about CJ Gunn's commitment to Indiana.

Zak saw Elevation Prep over the weekend, and he discusses their personnel and game vs. FW Blackhawk.

Carroll (FW) AD didn't just turn down media requests from basketball websites, he emailed a lecture. Jim offers a rebuttal. Given that every other AD has been cooperative, even welcoming.

Weekly Features:
Best Games, Best Team Performance, Best Player Performance
Upcoming games we're looking forward to
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• Deaglan Sullivan, the 6' sophomore guard continues to impress. Good to see him take over in a big game like this. I know I talk a lot about kids being at the NAIA level but I feel like I really know this level of talent. Deaglan, to me, is a classic Crossroads kid. And as I have discussed before, that's not a bad thing AT ALL! He guards hard, he plays hard, and he has a knack for getting to the rim and finishing. Can hit from outside and handle the ball. Great player with a bright future. Finished with 29 (14 in the 4th).
• Richard Brooks is a 6'3" junior who can flat out stroke it. Such a pretty release, and the ball looks like it could go in every time. When he has the time and his feet are set, it does. Catch and shoot or shoot it off the bounce. Will also put the ball on the floor and drive it, so he isn't just a shooting threat. Has a nice pull up, or will take it to the rim. Great on the ball and is very reliable under pressure with it. Really love his game and how he has developed.
• Kaleo Kakalia has really started to do the little things well. Did the dirty work in this one for the Knights as the 6'5" junior finished with 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a big charge. Defended really well and cleaned up the glass. Finished inside when he needed to and didn't force anything. Smart player who can get it done in many different ways. Look forward to seeing his continued development.
• SB St. Joe's pair of 6'5" seniors Will Terry and Jack Futa seemed to struggle some in this one. Terry finished with a solid 10 points and 5 rebounds. 8 of his 10 came in the 4th quarter as he tried to help his fellow senior get the win. Terry works hard and battles in the post. Rebounds efficiently. Futa, known for his outisde shooting never seemed to find a grove. Had a couple nice blocks and finished with 3 points. Both could be solid roll players at the next level.

• If you don't know, now you know. Blake Wesley is the real deal. He's a dog on D. So good in transition. So good in the half court. Prolific scorer. Super athletic. You name it and he can do it. Filled it up tonight. Had 38 and 6.
• Phillip Robles, the 5'9" senior guard for the Wildcats, can just sit down on D. Such a hard working player. Has a nice skill set that could land him on a roster at the next level. Has a nice little shot, and was able to finish a couple times in with the bigs.
• 5'10" sophomore Deaglan Sullivan picked up where he left off as a freshman. Have always loved his game. Deaglan has gotten stronger. He has no problem getting to the basket. Finishes well in transition. Can knock down the 3. Has great court vision and handles.
• Richard Brooks is such a smooth shooter. The 6'2" junior for Marian can shoot the heck out of the ball. He is going to be a dangerous player this season and going forward. Riley (Blake Wesley) was just able to lock him up in this one.
• If this Marian team gets it together they have the chance to be in a similar position they were last year and can be successful. They really miss Jerry Bracey, a great leader who graduated. If sophomore Dar'e'on Thornton, who is really bouncy and has a knack for rebounding, and junior Kaleo Kakalia can put together some good games, then this team will be in a good spot.