College basketball recruiting is beginning earlier and earlier every year. There are seven high school freshmen and sophomores in Indiana already committed to colleges. With that in mind, we have observed some of the top 2015 talent in the state lately. Indiana Basketball Source has come up with a list of 15 players for colleges to keep an eye on for the years to come.
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Overall Rank | Name | HT. | Pos. | Projected Level | School |
1 | Jalen Coleman | 6'2 | SG | HM | Cathedral |
2 | KJ Walton | 6'2 | SG | HM | Brownsburg |
3 | Chandler White | 6'1 | SG | HM | Carroll (Ft.Wayne) |
4 | Matt Holba | 6'6 | PF | HM | Chesterton |
5 | Bronson Kessinger | 6'5 | SF | MM+ | Corydon Central |
6 | Hyron Edwards | 6'1 | PG | MM+ | East Chicago Central |
7 | Brennan Gillis | 6'6 | PF | MM | Ben Davis |
8 | Everett Duncan | 6'3 | SF | MM | Evansville Harrison |
9 | Anthony Jones | 6'2 | SG | MM | Speedway |
10 | Ryan Fazekas | 6'5 | SF | MM | Chesterton |
11 | Grant Weatherford | 6'1 | SG | MM | Hamilton Heights |
12 | Glen Calvin | 6'5 | PF | LM+ | Lawrence Central |
13 | Joe Bannister | 5'11 | PG | LM+ | Lake Central |
14 | Stanley Duncan | 6'3 | SF | LM+ | Evansville Harrison |
15 | Derrik Smits | 6'5 | C | MM | Zionsville |
We don't think there is much of a doubt that Chandler White is the best player as we speak. He's a 6'1" guard that is strong and extremely athletic. When we say extremely athletic, we are not just talking about athletic for a middle schooler. We mean athletic for a high school player. He dunks with ease and can touch near the top of the square. White looks very mature though and he might be done growing. He has guard skills but is more of a wing right now so he will have to transition to a point guard in order to be a high major player. Things already working in his favor to be a high-major player are his athleticism, skill set, and he plays with a high motor...near Bryson Scott motor but not quite.
Jalen Coleman is ranked first right now because he combines current skill level and potential. He is long, athletic and every bit of 6'2". Coleman mainly plays the point right now. With his length and athleticism, he could be a Jordan Crawford-like scorer if he continues to develop. I haven't seen a ton of Coleman yet, but those are my first impressions.
K.J. Walton could easily be the top prospect in the 2015 class. Walton is a very good athlete and can really shoot it from the outside. Plus, his father is 6'5" and played college basketball at Nebraska from what I hear. Walton is currently 6'2" so he has a chance to grow a few more inches. The drawback on his potential for me is his on-court demeanor. He plays no defense at all, if he gambles and misses he doesn't get back into the play. It seems like he is worried about looking cool instead of playing to his fullest. That is why although Walton has great potential, I am hesitant to rank him first right now.
We have Matt Holba 4th in our rankings. Holba has gotten most of his early attention because he was dunking two-handed as a 7th grader. There is no doubt that he is a very good athlete. He runs the floor extremely well and has good footwork. Holba has an explosive first step on his face-up moves that you don't see often from young players. His father was a quarterback for Michigan State. The question is how much will he develop his skill set. He is likely done growing so he will have to develop into a SF to be a high major player.
Bronson Kessinger is an intriguing prospect. He's 6'5" right now and plays primarily on the perimeter. Kessinger is already much taller than his father.He shoots it well from the outside, is an above average athlete for his age, and can put it on the floor a little bit. He has a couple of nice post moves as well but rarely is in the post. Kessinger certainly isn't soft, but I'm not sure how tough he is either. He will mix it up and rebound but doesn't love physicality right now.
Hyron Edwards is the first pure point guard on the list. Edwards is a 5'10" point guard that is always looking to attack the rim. The bad thing is that I have only seen him play in one tournament (3 games) so I don't have a great feel for his limitations. I do know that outside shooting is one of his weaknesses because he took some ill-advised shots in pressure situations. His quickness and finishing ability are very good right now.
Brennan Gillis is very good right now and is a true 6'5" and maybe 6'6". I'm afraid that he is done growing though, that is why I didn't rank him higher. It seems like his face-up game is a work in-progress which he will need if he doesn't grow much more. Gillis is an above average athlete, but not outstanding. His post skill set is a bit under-developed because he has always been so much taller than his opponents. His touch around the basket is pretty good though. He certainly has a chance to be a high-major player if he grows a bit more.
It is super early, but Everett Duncan is the best shooter in the class. He is automatic if he is left open. Duncan has deep range as well as a quick release for his age. I'm interested to see if he grows anymore and if he develops the rest of his game. If the rest of his game develops, he could be a high-major player.
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