Bryson Scott 6’1 PG Fort Wayne Northrop 2013 is becoming my favorite player to watch in the 2013 class. He plays so hard every game without regard for the score. He never plays tentatively, always attacking…offensively and more importantly defensively. How high is his potential ceiling? That is the question. He is much more physically mature than most of his 15U opponents which is huge at that age. He can shoot it from the outside, but it is not his strength right now. He handles it very well, has great vision, and has a high basketball IQ. Brenton isn’t too far behind Bryson, but there is a noticeable gap between the two.
Gary Harris 6’4 PG Hamilton Southeastern 2012 is blowing up in a national way this weekend. All Midwest schools have known about Harris for a while now, but he hasn’t gotten much national publicity yet. That is changing after this weekend. National scouts are raving about his game and his potential. Supremely athletic and long but he is also skilled with handles, shooting from the outside, and is willing to get teammates involved. Harris currently has 13 offers all from high major programs.
V.J. Beachem 6’5 SF Fort Wayne Harding 2013 has quit 15U national power Spiece Indy Heat and has joined All-Ohio Red. Reasons why he quit the Spiece team aren’t exactly clear and has totally raised a few eyebrows with the move. Now, Beachem has the foundation to become a great player. He has a Kevin Durant type body with his slight build and long arms. Solid handles and good shooting form make him a tough guard.
Demetrius Jackson 6’1 PG Mishawaka 2013 played in back to back games on the same court Friday night. The freshmen first played in a blowout win for MBA Select 2013 and then played a game in the senior-to-be division. Jackson is an athlete freak for his age. He is ultra-quick, speed to fly down the floor with the ball, and good jumping ability to go along with his solid strength. Now, his handles are pretty good but his shooting and scoring ability need to improve for his game to go to the next level.
Javonte Young 6’4 SG Mishawaka 2011 was absolutely amazing Friday night against D3 Heat 2012 and Gary Harris. Young exploded for 35 points including 9 three’s. He finished well in the lane and handled the ball for MBA Select at times as well. I saw Young two years ago and was impressed but I kind of forgot about his talent. I would have to say he is a D1 prospect possibly all the way up to the mid-major level.
R.J Hunter 6’4 SG Pike 2012 played the best I have seen him play against MBA Select. Normally, Hunter is a catch and shoot type of player. If he isn’t hitting shots from the outside than he probably won’t help the team very much. This weekend though, he has been putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim. Now, he isn’t extremely quick but he isn’t slow either. It puts a lot of pressure on his defender when he has the threat of driving with his shooting ability. If he keeps playing like this, he will be moving up the rankings quickly.
T.J. Bell 6’6 PF Bloomington South 2012 has the widest range of opinions about his ability/potential that I have ever seen. Some think he is great, others don’t think much of him at all. At times, I will think to myself…”he’s not very good” and then he does a pump fake and drives past his defender for a dunk. He definitely is inconsistent and will lack energy, at times. His mid-range shooting is pretty good and his upside looks pretty high.
J.T. Yoho 6’4 SF Eastern Greene 2012 is one of my favorites for 2012. He is always in the action…rebounding on both ends, handling the ball, getting to the rim and finishing, hitting open outside shots, getting deflections defensively. He is constantly doing something to help the team win games. The downside is that he might be a step slow laterally. If he could get to 6’6 then I think that length would help him defensively.
Andy Smeathers 6’6 SF Center Grove 2011 has really impressed me this spring. He didn’t have a monster game against SYF by any stretch but I liked what I saw. He’s better athletically especially in terms of lateral movement than I thought of him last summer. He has always been able to shoot it from the outside and that has not changed. He has a quick release with the ability to shoot over people.
Jonny Marlin 6’0 PG Center Grove 2011 was really solid against Travis Trice and SYF. Marlin hit a huge three late in the game to tie it up after coming off a ball screen. Marlin is a heady, tough player that will really get after it defensively. He has an offer from Moorhead State so far.
Max Landis 6’2 PG Perry Meridian 2011 didn’t have a huge game but also complained about his stomach and back hurting during the game. He plays more of the off-guard position because Marlin handles the ball the majority of the time. I think he is much better with the ball in his hands rather than playing away from the ball right now.
Mitch McGary 6’9 PF Chesterton 2011 hit four 3’s in the morning game today. The big lefty can definitely step out and hit shots consistently. I thought his energy was much better today…always sprinting the floor and going after rebounds harder. I like his talent, his size, his athleticism but he will do things during a game that will baffle you as an observer. It might be his way of enjoying the game, but it comes off as a lack of focus or carelessness.
Brandon Clark 6’1 PG Merrillville 2011 plays much differently for SYF than he does Merrillville. I see it as a positive with the fact that he understands and accepts a different role than he is accustomed. Clark can get after it defensively with his quickness. More of a outside shooter in the high school setting, Clark looks to get into the lane more in AAU. I see him as a low-major to D2/NAIA prospect.
Darryl Baker 6’2 SG Jeffersonville 2013 is one of the top players in his class. He missed the high school season with a knee injury but it looks like he has completely healed. His two abilities that stick out to me are his ball handling and shooting ability. He can really shoot it from the outside. Defensively, he gets his hands on a bunch of balls. Baker is playing up with Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red this spring/summer.
Grant Meyer 5’11 PG Silver Creek 2012 is a nice little point guard for Team Souther Indiana 2012. Meyer shoots it well from the outside and is a really solid, steady point guard that doesn’t make many unforced turnovers. Meyer is probably more of a D2/NAIA prospect than D1.
More to come after the action is complete tomorrow.