2022 Lawrence North shooting guard CJ Gunn committed to Indiana today. He selected the Hoosiers over Kansas State, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, and Ball State among others.
Gunn is the first member of Archie Miller's 2022 recruiting class. Around the state, he joins Tae Davis (Louisville) and Fletcher Loyer (Purdue) as committed players. Gunn emerged as a high-major prospect over the last year. He carved out a role for the top-ranked Wildcats as a sophomore before injuring his hand. Gunn followed his sophomore year with a strong summer for the Indy Heat.
Although he is producing and shooting well, Gunn's potential outweighs his current game. Over ten games this season, here is what Gunn has done.
His three-point and free throw shooting stick out. At this point, he is a good but not elite shooter. His solid free throw shooting numbers suggest that he will continue to develop as a shooter. At the top of his shot, Gunn's release is great. His footwork can be refined, especially before the catch, to push his shooting to the next level.
Over the ten games, Gunn's shooting is solid. His turnover rate has held back overall offensive efficiency. Lawrence North also needs to find more ways to get him shots. There are many times when he is not involved in the offense. He needs to attack those opportunities to make sure he is maximizing his impact. With his athleticism, Gunn should have a higher free throw rate (field goal attempts divided by free throw attempts) than 28.7 percent.
Overall, Gunn has the upside to make an impact when he steps onto the Bloomington campus. His progress over the last three years has been impressive, and there is still a lot in the tank. He caught my eye as a freshman on Hamilton Southeastern's junior varsity and has seemingly improved each time I have seen him since. As he adds muscle to his six-foot-four frame, his game is going to take off.