Recruiting sites and twitter have made surprise players or sleepers very rare. It is very hard for a player to come out of nowhere and have a breakout season without many people seeing it well in advance. I will try to prove this to be wrong and provide 10 players that will make a much bigger impact than they did last season.
1.Eron Harris ,6'2 Shooting Guard Lawrence North, should be the surprise of the Indianapolis area this year. He played very well all spring and summer which started to draw the attention of college coaches. He has one offer so far from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Harris should contribute a good portion of the scoring load for LN this year while also being a good defender and an athlete that will make plays on both ends of the court.
2.Daniel Purvlicis, 6'7 Power Forward from Noblesville,has improved greatly since last season plus Noblesville graduated a boat load of seniors. Purvlicis will be looked to carry the scoring load and rebounding for the Millers. I have been impressed with how much more assertive he has been lately and how aggressively he has looked to score. That could lead to a huge season for him. 16 ppg and 8 rebounds isn't out of the question.
3.Dustin Smith,6'2 Combo Guard from Eastern Hancock, had a really good junior year and even participated in the top 100 workout in July. Despite those factors, he is still under the radar of most college coaches. His athleticism and shooting ability are his biggest strengths. He is one of the best shooters in the state and he can shoot it off the dribble as well as he shoots it off the catch. Smith's lateral quickness and toughness makes him a very solid defender. All low-major to mid-major programs that are looking for a 2011 guard should take a look at Smith. I can see him scoring around 24 ppg this year.
4.Tyler Alderman, 6'9 Power Forward from Fishers,should have a breakout season. He has improved greatly from the summer. Alderman can score with his back to the basket with a variety of post moves that he finishes with a soft touch. He can also step outside and hit a jump out to 20 feet. Fishers needs him to dominate the boards and score about 15 points per game. If he does that than Fishers will have a very good season. Mid-Majors should be all over Alderman.
5.Mike Ford, 6'4 Small Forward from Bowman Academy, is a guy that will see his production increase mainly from increased minutes. He played behind a handful of D1 players last year. This year he will get his chance to show what he can do. He is an athletic, long wing man that can shoot it and can finish well above the rim. Bowman is still loaded with talent so he won't be scoring 20 ppg but 15-17 ppg isn't out of the question.
6.Patrick Ingram, 6'2 Shooting Guard from North Central, started every game for a North Central team that won the state championship last year. So, it is hard to say he will be a surprise. He was more of a role player last year than he will be this year. Ingram still won't be the go to man, but he will be someone that will get a lot more of the shots since Terone Johnson is now playing at Purdue. I expect Ingram to score around 12-15 ppg for a guard loaded North Central team.
7.Sam Cooper,6'6 Power Forward from Perry Meridian, was unknown to me until this fall. He is still recovering from a knee injury that happened in the spring, but he shows no signs of the injury in my eyes. He is explosive off the floor and plays with high energy. Cooper has a solid post skill set to go along with his athleticism. He does need to work on his perimeter skills though. The combo of Max Landis and Sam Cooper could be really fun to watch.
8.Cole Murray,6'6 Power Forward from Delphi, has the rare combo at the high school level of height and shooting ability. He might be one of the best shooters in the state as a sophomore. Murray runs the floor well for a young, big man. I would like him to visit the post more, but it is wrong to argue when he is automatic from the outside. Murray's ability to score inside and defend will determine how good of player he becomes.
9.Jaylon Brown,6'0 Point Guard from Fishers, might be the x-factor for Fishers this year. Brown is only a sophomore but his athleticism is something that could take Fishers from being to good to being really good and a contender for a state title. His ability to finish at the rim and defend at a very high level. At the very least, he should be a guy that can come off the bench to add a spark, offensively or defensively.
10.John Murry, 6'3 Small Forward from North Central, I don't see Murry starting for North Central since they are so talented but he should be a guy that comes off the bench and you don't lose much. Murry played on the junior varsity last year as a freshmen. He is a strong, athletic wing that can shoot the ball pretty well also. North Central usually uses their bench very liberally since they like to press and create havoc on the defensive end. So, look for Murry to get some solid minutes this year.