2017 Forum Tipoff Classic Preview
Category: 2017-2018 High School Written by Jeff Schoenle
One of the highlights of the basketball season is the Forum Tipoff Classic, which takes place this Saturday at Southport High School in Indianapolis. Eleven of the best teams in the state and one from neighboring Ohio duke it out in early season tests. The event also features four commitments for Indiana and Purdue, along with uncommitted prospects. Castle vs. Southport 12:00 pm
The host Cardinals of Southport have gotten off to a rocky start this season with three straight losses. That might be expected with a team that has just two seniors but five sophomores on their varsity roster. The player to watch is sophomore guard Brevin Jefferson. Jefferson logged varsity minutes for coach Kyle Simpson last season but is being called upon now to assume a bigger role. Junior Chaz Hinds gives Southport some size in the middle at 6’5, and 6’2 guard Ryan Lezon also saw some varsity times as a freshman last year. Castle comes in with one of the best guards in the state in junior Alex Hemenway. Graduated are forwards Payton Mills (Anderson) and Jack Nunge (Iowa), so Hemenway and backcourt partners Jace Steiler and Triston Wilkinson will shoulder most of the load for the Knights. Zach Messinger is nearly averaging a double-double inside for Castle.
Culver Academies vs. Lawrence North 1:40 pm
After suffering a loss Wednesday in a rivalry game against Lawrence Central, Lawrence North will be looking to rebound when they take on Culver Academies. The Wildcats had been playing as well as anyone before the loss to LC. Junior guard Jared Hankins is having a breakout year and has already had multiple games over 20 points. JP Carroll and Tony Perkins are having strong seasons as well. Mike Saunders Jr. and Kevin Easley also hold D1 offers for coach Jack Keefer’s club. Culver Academies is led by the talented pair of sophomore wing Trey Galloway and junior guard Ethan Brittain-Watts. Brittain-Watts might be the most unheralded talent in the state. The 6’ point guard is as steady as they come, and that should help against the Wildcat press. Galloway is a wing whose shooting has improved greatly in the past year.
Center Grove vs. Hamilton Southeastern 3:20 pm
Two of the best big men in the state get a chance to go head to head in this contest, as 6’8 junior Trayce Jackson-Davis of Center Grove meets up with 7’ sophomore Mabor Majak of HSE. Majak had 15 points in an overtime win against North Side earlier this season, and his improvement may dictate how high their ceiling is this year. But the Royals have plenty of talent surrounding Majak in senior Nick Bowman, juniors Aaron Etherington and Noah Smith, and sophomore Chris Grubbs. By knocking off North Side, HSE has proven they are to be taken seriously this year. Outside of Romeo Langford, there might not be a more impressive physical specimen in the state than Jackson-Davis. At 6’8 and 220 pounds, he can rebound out of his area, score facing up or on the block, and block shots at the rim. His ability to change ends causes defenses nightmares, and he’s a capable passer out of double teams. Junior guard Spencer Piercefield headlines a group of knockdown shooters for the Trojans.
McCutcheon vs. Tindley 5:00 pm
McCutcheon played for a state title in 2016 in 4A, while Tindley won class 1A last year. The catalysts for those games are still there and are both headed to in-state Big Ten rivals. Robert Phinisee of McCutcheon is off to a great start in his senior year, as the 6’0 point guard and future Indiana Hoosier has put up big numbers already. He’s joined by classmate Kelsey Tyson, a shooter on the wing, as leaders of the Mass for coach Tyler Scherer. Tindley brings back much of their title-winning squad from this past March. The headliner is Purdue-bound guard Eric Hunter. The southpaw is one of the smoothest scorers in the state and is putting up close to 28 a night this season. Guards KJ Coleman, Joe Johnson and Sincere McMahon can also provide offense.
South Bend Riley vs. Pickerington North 6:40 pm
Future Indiana University teammates square off as Damezi Anderson and his Riley Wildcats take on Jerome Hunter’s Pickerington North Side. Hunter is a 6’6 combo forward that can score inside and out. Fatigue may be a factor for Pickerington North as they will face rival Pickerington Central on Friday evening, then make their way over to Indy. South Bend Riley will face Mishawaka Friday night before they head south on US 31. Anderson is one of the best scorers in the state and has been a staple for the Wildcats since his freshman year. New coach Eric Brand has Riley off to a 4-0 start. This is the last go-round for a very talented group of seniors in Anderson, Shamar Dillard, Marlon Taylor, and Rylan Grundy, so expect maximum effort and plenty of points.
New Albany vs. North Side 8:30 pm
Each of these teams has made it to the 4A state finals in the past two seasons, with New Albany winning in 2016 and North Side falling to Ben Davis last year. The main weapons for both those teams are back and ready for their first head to head matchup as the best 2018 prospect in Romeo Langford and top 2019 player Keion Brooks take the floor for Saturday’s nightcap. While the spotlight will be on each team’s star, the supporting casts will play a pivotal role in the outcome. For North Side, Brandan Johnson, Alijah Long, and Austin Boucher provide coach Shabaz Khaliq with three guards who are difficult to handle for opposing defenses. Boucher is back in Fort Wayne after spending his junior year in Maryland, and Johnson and Long both saw plenty of action for last year’s state runner-up. While Romeo Langford works his way up the state’s career scoring list, veteran point guard Sean East and wing forwards Savion Southers and Julien Hunter gained plenty of experience of their own last season, and look to make an impact on both ends for coach Jim Shannon. Neither team possesses a true big man, so expect the pace to be fast and frenetic on Saturday night.