With two weeks of the 2018-2019 Indiana high school basketball season in the books, Indiana Basketball Source the headlines, surprises, and top performances. (Pictured: Tony Perkins)

1.       Center Grove, the second-best team in the state according to Indiana Basketball Source, had its first test of the season Friday against Cathedral. Trayce Jackson-Davis recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win, but it was his younger brother, Tayven Jackson, that hit the game-winning shot with 20 seconds left. Tayven is a freshman that was detailed in the recent impact freshmen article.

2.       During the Center Grove-Cathedral game, there was an unfortunate and thoughtless taunt of James Franklin Jr. He was at the free throw line. Franklin has overcome a lot in his high school career, and he played great Saturday night against Brebeuf.

3.       Trayce Jackson-Davis committed to Indiana University Friday. He then posted numbers that are expected of Mr. Basketball frontrunners – 21 and 12 against Cathedral then 33 points and 12 rebounds in a close win over Bloomington North.

4.       Cathedral nearly went on the road and beat Center Grove. The Irish turned around to beat Brebeuf Saturday. Armaan Franklin was big down the stretch of the win Saturday as he scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. His offensive efficiency wasn’t up to his standard over the weekend, but Franklin made an impact as a rebounder and defender.

5.       Carmel played without freshman wing Pete Suder against Lawrence Central but still beat the talented MIC rival. Carmel received a huge game from Findlay-bound forward Andrew Owens. His shooting put Carmel over the top. Carmel also took care of business against Pendleton Heights Saturday. Carmel has the talent and experience to make another deep tournament run this season.

6.       Lawrence Central entered the season with incredibly high expectations. The loss to Carmel revealed that the Bears need to iron out its offense, especially against a zone. They showed patience against a tough Carmel defense, but Lawrence Central needs Nijel Pack, D’Andre Davis, and Jacob LaRavia to attack on each catch.

7.       Lafayette Jeff won the Franciscan Health Hoops Classic Saturday with wins over Lafayette Central Catholic, Benton Central, and McCutcheon. Jeff received a big talent infusion when Mark Barnhizer was hired. Braxton Barnhizer is averaging 18 points and 7.8 rebounds through four games, while his younger brother, Brooks, is averaging 15 points and seven rebounds. Jeff is playing a fun style with plenty of three-pointers. They have the ability to make a postseason run behind their outside shooting.

8.       Brandon Newman outscored Gary 21^st Century Charter by five points Saturday. Valpo has only played two games, but the Purdue signee is averaging 34.5 points and 13 rebounds per game. I don’t expect his averages to drop much from that for the rest of the season.

9.       Colin Kenney exploded for 42 points against a young but talented South Bend St. Joe’s team Saturday. The Furman University signee has scored 105 points in the first three games for Marquette. He’ll get to the 2,000 career point mark if he continues to score in the 30-point range.

10.   Speaking of high-scoring guards, Marion sophomore Jalen Blackmon continues to rack up huge numbers. He has scored 95 points in the first three games of the year. He has scored 699 points in his first 30 varsity games. That puts him in a great position to chase 3,000 career points and the all-time state record.

11.   Penn made another statement with a 71-51 victory over Crown Point this weekend. Drew Lutz, Noah Applegate, and Beau Ludwick were excellent once again. I’m interested to see how far this trio can push Penn this season.

12.   Northrop is off to a 4-0 start behind Miami of Ohio signee Sydney Curry, Qualen Pettus, Isaac Anderson, and Nick Haines. Sophomore Khamani Smith is also giving the Bruins good minutes. Northrop is playing an uptempo, aggressive style, and it fits the roster well. There’s a good chance they are still undefeated when they play Lawrence North December 15.

13.   Sydney Curry has bounced around high schools, but he is fitting in well with Northrop. He is doing a good job of rebounding and getting outlet passes to Northrop’s quick guards. Curry needs to be the backbone of Northrop’s season. If he consistently scores and rebounds, Northrop will have a great season.

14.   Cardinal Ritter had a strong win over previously unbeaten Heritage Christian as senior forward Nate Soltis turned in another big game. Ritter dropped its first game of the season to Brebeuf, 59-52. Soltis, Damon Oagletree, and Dan Bayler give Ritter a balanced attack that will be competitive all season.

15.   Staying in 3A, Hamilton Heights had a great weekend by beating New Castle and Guerin Catholic. Heights moved to 3-1 on the season with the lone loss coming to Mt. Vernon. HH is getting big production from sophomore Gus Etchison, AJ Field, and Camron Knott. Field and Knott are shooting well from deep.

16.   Gus Etchison is averaging 23 points per game through four games. He’s finishing well in the paint and getting to the free throw line over seven times a game. Etchison is also making two threes per contest.

17.   South Bend Riley is a bit of a surprise early in the season. The Wildcats beat Merrillville to move to 3-0. Riley has plenty of athleticism with Gabe Johnson, Jalen Jennings, and Trevor Fortune. They can cause problems by extending their defense.

18.   Oldenburg Academy made a statement by going to Morristown and beating the defending Class A state champs by 17. It pushed the Twisters to 3-0 on the season.

19.   2020 wing Jacob Johnson is a major reason behind the success. He is averaging 26.7 points per game. He was detailed in the recent emerging junior article.

20.   Class A is shaping up to strong at the top – Blackhawk, Lafayette Central Catholic, Barr-Reeve, Oldenburg Academy, and Gary 21 Century Charter are showing tremendous promise early in the season.

21.   Silver Creek is 4-0 with sophomores Trey Kaufman and Kooper Jacobi leading the way. Kaufman is averaging 19 while Cooper is producing 17.5 points per game. With Zane Gross and Ty Kessinger as well, Silver Creek has the weapons to compete with the best 3A teams in the state.

22.   Tipton put its name in the mix for best 2A teams with its win over Frankton. The Blue Devils received a huge game from senior guard Carson Dolezal in the tune of 28 points.

23.   Warren Central moved its winning streak to 34 games with a blow-out victory of Franklin Central. The Warriors aren’t fully healthy with David Bell rehabbing a football injury and point guard Shawn Beeler out with an injury. Don’t feel sorry for Warren Central as they have plenty of talent to take the floor. The Warriors will get a stiff test Friday against Cathedral.

24.   Plainfield is a surprising 3-0 after a dominating win over Whiteland. Cade and Jakob Gibbs have been huge for Plainfield so far. The Quakers are also getting 10 points per game from sophomore guard Aidan Booher. Andy Weaver’s team is shaping up nicely.

25.   Covington's junior guard Colton Brown is having a huge year. Brown is averaging 25.3 points per game as Covington is 3-0. He’s 21-40 from three-point range as he solidifies himself as an elite spot-up shooter.

26.   2020 guard Tony Perkins is turning a corner. He has turned into a good spot-up shooter after being a slasher the first two years of high school. He scored 23 against Floyd Central and 28 in a win over Marion. He’s poised for a breakout season.