Here are thoughts and notes on teams and players from the opening week of Indiana high schooI basketball from Indiana Basketball Source. (Pictured: Trevor Taylor)

1.       Brandon Newman had 36 points and 15 rebounds in Valparaiso’s season-opening win over Hobart. These nights are going to be common for the Purdue signee. He has the athleticism and skill to dominate the game in every area at the high school level. I’m interested to see how far Newman can push Valpo this season.

2.       Sam Skaggs began his senior season with a 40-point performance against Peru. Skaggs is a guard that knows how to create space and knock down outside shots. Skaggs and Will Penny will be one of the best duos in the state.

3.       Blackford guard Luke Brown could chase career scoring record. He scored 417 points in only 15 games as a freshman. Blackford’s schedule will help Brown rack up as many points as he wants. Last year, Blackford played one of the worst schedules in the state, per the Sagarin Ratings. It will be similar this season. Brown has scored 75 points in Blackford’s first two games this year.

4.       Floyd Central isn’t dropping off much from last year’s great team. The Highlanders graduated a ton, but Indiana State signee Cobie Barnes is ready to make up for the scoring depletion. Sophomore Jake Heidbreder is up from junior varsity and poised for a breakout season. Floyd Central has plenty of size and players that know how to play.

5.       Jake Heidbreder looked like a D1 prospect against Lawrence North. He drove to the basket, finished with touch, made great reads and passes, and he converted outside shots. Heidbreder is the perfect complement to Cobie Barnes for Floyd Central. He’s a player to track in the 2021 class.

6.       New Albany is another team that obviously lost a ton in Romeo Langford and Sean East, but they have talent. Derrick Stevenson, Landon Springler, Trey Hourigan, and Julien Hunter give the Bulldogs plenty of power. New Albany beat Bloomington South to kick off the year. Don’t overlook Jim Shannon’s squad this year.

7.       Noah Hupmann is on his way to a great junior campaign. He started the year with a monster triple-double against Mt. Vernon of 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 blocks. He was the bright spot for Day School is a blow-out loss to Jeffersonville. He had 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 blocks in the loss. He will be a D1 player.

8.       Penn had a decent year last season, but the Kingsmen look ready to be one of the best teams in the state. The 1-2 punch of Drew Lutz and Noah Applegate is tough, but the supporting cast is strong as well. Beau Ludwick’s shooting and defense can pick up the slack any time that Lutz or Applegate has an off night. Kegan Hoskins inside is a good rebounder, paint finisher, and defender, Connor Hickey will handle the ball and knock down three-pointers. Then freshman Richard Brooks can give Penn athleticism off the bench. They are going to be tough.

9.       Drew Lutz dominated Carroll to the tune of 24 points, eight assists, five steals, and only one turnover. He’s coming off a great travel season. Bethel secured a steal when it got the commitment from Lutz. He could play his way into an Indiana All-Star spot if he maintains this level of production.

10.   Ben Davis is better than expected. Everyone assumed Jalen Windham and Dawand Jones would dominate, but the supporting cast is better than expected. Jeff Clayton continues to make strides. Jaylen Jennings gives the Giants more length and athleticism off the bench. Kai Steinman and Cameron Maul can space the floor for Jones to work inside. Ben Davis is one of the best teams in the state.

11.   Crispus Attucks didn’t get big games from Sincere McMahon or Harold Bennett and still beat Brownsburg. That bodes well for Attucks because those two will normally produce at a high level. Attucks has more size than they have had in the last few years – Jaiquan Edwards, Donaven Barnett, Jaylen Carson. They are going to be fun to watch.

12.   Jaiquan Edwards has consistently made steps with his game for the last year. The 2019 forward has length and great hands. He finishes in traffic with touch. He also steps out for the occasional mid-range shot. He was great against Brownsburg.

13.   Speaking of Brownsburg, it wasn’t a shining moment for the Bulldogs against Attucks. Steve Lynch received good games from Malek Edmonds and Pierce Thomas, but poor free throw shooting and key turnovers allowed the game to slip away. Brownsburg will improve, and Cameron Alford won’t have many off nights like he did against Attucks.

14.   Malek Edmonds is healthy and looks ready for a big junior season. The 2020 forward is a true inside/outside player. He has the size, length, and strength to rebound and battle inside then he has a consistent outside stroke as well. Edmonds is the prototypical small-ball forward. If he stays healthy, college coaches will take notice.

15.   2021 guard Pierce Thomas has improved his footwork in the fall. He has much better balance on his shot than he did last year and over the summer. Thomas is a great leaper that can elevate over any defender to get his shot off but getting a shot off isn’t the goal. His consistency was shaky because his balance was all over the place. He has corrected some of that. I like how Thomas played in a practice I watched and the game against Attucks.

16.   Princeton is under the radar in 3A, but wow, the Tigers dominated in the first week. Princeton smashed Wood Memorial then did the same to Evansville North. Stephan Wilkerson, Zach Dove, Hunter Carey, and Matt Dove are a well-balanced lineup. Wilkerson is an athletic slasher. Zach Dove is the power post player. Hunter Carey is providing outside shooting. Matt Dove is impacting the game as a shot blocker and rebounder.

17.   The class of 2022 is off to a strong start

a.       Pete Suder is a starter for Carmel and a key contributor. Carmel is one of the best teams in the state, and Suder is a difference maker from day one. That is hard to do. He’s an athletic wing that drives with control and has touch in the lane. He plays hard and rebounds. Suder is also a good outside shooter. He is quite impressive.

b.       Rasheed Jones tallied 20 points in Marion’s opener. He had an opportunity since JK Thomas is out to begin the season. Jones and Jalen Blackmon proved to be a great scoring punch to start the season.

c.       Will Lovings-Watts had 14 points in his high school debut. He’s a great athlete that can knock down shots as well. Lovings-Watts and Tre Coleman are a ridiculous wing combo for Jeffersonville. Both are high-level prospects that have toughness and athleticism.

d.       Reggie Bass is a difference maker from day one for Muncie Central as well. The season got off to a rocky start in a blow-out loss to Hamilton Southeastern, but Bass and Central bounced against Yorktown.

e.       Travis Grayson was a surprise for Chesterton against Gary 21^st Century Charter. He started in place of an injured Tyler Nelson and exceeded expectations. He’s a quick guard that seeks contact when he gets to the paint. Young players usually don’t attack like Grayson did against the athletic and big forward of 21^st Century. If he continues to play like that, Grayson could take Chesterton from an average team to a really good one.

18.   Munster is an experienced team that looks ready to get back to the levels that is expected of Mike Hackett teams. Senior guard Jevon Morris has dominated in the first two games. He’s an athletic playmaker that can bury shots from deep as well. Josh Davis has been playing well in the season. Then the Mustangs have two transfer post players in Dorian Benford and Jeff Hemmelgarn. When Luka Balac gets on track, Munster will be extremely dangerous.

19.   Crown Point beat a good Bowman Academy team to begin the season. A lot wasn’t expected from Crown Point, but Sam Snodgrass and Elias Gerodemos are a good 1-2 punch. Crown Point plays Penn Saturday, so that will be a good measuring stick to see if Crown Point is a contender.

20.   South Bend Washington lost Cory McKinney, but DeMarcus Vaughn and Jylen Petty are back and producing at a high level. They beat Lake Central 65-49. If they get production from Janye Griffin, Washington will be a tough 3A team.

21.   2020 forward Cleevas Craig is at Fort Wayne Snider now. He is awaiting IHSAA transfer approval after attending Concordia last year before a brief stop in Ohio. Craig would be a big (literally and figuratively) addition for Snider. Dillon Duff and Michael Ely are great on the perimeter, but Craig would secure the paint.

22.   Edgewood put the state on notice with the season-opening win over Bloomington South. They backed it up with a road win against Martinsville. Joe Kido and Trevor Taylor are proving to be tough to stop.

23.   Bowman Academy is eligible for the IHSAA tournament after a two-year ban. Despite the loss to Crown Point, Bowman is ready to make noise. Amari Sherrod is tough. Cleveland Neal is a great rebounder. Tarik Booker, Jordan Adams, and Koron Davis are a good supporting cast. They will be a problem in 2A.

24.   Lafayette Central Catholic made a statement in the opener against Parke Heritage. Carson Barrett is going to create a lot of the offense, but David Schwartz, AJ Bordenet, Clark Barrett, and Nate Webb look ready to produce. LCC can compete with any team in the state.

25.   Bloomington South is not off to the start it expected. The Panthers dropped the opener to Edgewood then lost to New Albany on the road. Both games were close, but Bloomington South was expected to win both. J.R. Holmes will get South back on track sooner rather than later with Anthony Leal, Noah Jager, Connor Hickman, and Grayson Rolen.

26.   Perry Meridian lost to rival Southport on a last-second shot to begin the season. The Falcons bounced back to beat Roncalli Saturday. Sophomore Jayden Taylor is a major prospect going forward. Mark James will have Perry Meridian competitive all season.