Indiana Spring Grassroots Season: 2016 Names Who Stepped Up

Eric Gardner

May 28, 2015 @ 06:15 PM

There isn't much time between the end of the high school season and the beginning of the AAU slate. However, you can usually see some prospects make big jumps in their game towards the end of the year and are able to parlay that into great spring performances. That is what stands out the most in the spring, those players that made jumps from December to May. We are going to highlight some of those prospects in this breakdown. Reggie Tharp - 5'11 / PG / 2016 - Fort Wayne Concordia / IE Central 17U Reggie Tharp had a really solid summer last year making a name for himself playing with VCC Ohio Warriors and Seth Towns and Matthew Moyer but this summer he's kind of taken a different step. The crafty point guard is one of the best and most creative passers in the state. He drives and penetrates the interior while drawing defenders in and not just for the sake of scoring himself but to setup his teammates. He is skinny and he's not the biggest guy but he's proven his athleticism and and has a ton of intangibles in his game. The IUPUI commit is really proving his worth this summer. Marcus Burk - 6'4 / SF / 2016 - Franklin Central / Indiana Legends 17U December was the first time I saw Burk play this past season and he did look improved. He looked a little bigger and more aggressive with freedom to take control of his high school team. That has really carried over this spring with Indiana Legends where he runs the group and is looked on to provide points each and every game. He's done well in that role and with his bigger body and improved scoring mentality, it makes him a tough customer to stop. He's picked up a few NAIA offers and it makes sense because he could play himself up a level this July and getting in early is key. He should definitely be on the list for DII programs to watch this summer. Antonio Singleton - 6'5 / SF / 2016 - North Central / Elite Red 2016 Now, I'm still not set on his true level and you can make the case from anywhere from DII to LM range but the one thing I am set on is that he has more of a ceiling than I though a year ago. He' really taken steps forward incorporating his athleticism and shooting this spring. He's now on a team where he can be more of the main guy and that is helping him expand a bit. He still plays like a pick-and-pop guy out of the high post but to add in all the other elements, it is really raising his stock. K.C. Earls - 6'1 / PG / 2016 - Mooresville / Pocket City 2K16 I'll make the argument that I prefer to have someone with fire and passion over someone that is too reserved. Earls falls into the category of fiery. He's got that speed and aggressiveness to his game that just stands out and he's shown this spring that he can be a big time scorer. My faith in that is not misplaced. As long as Earls can keep things in check and use that passion to rally the troops, his stock should start finding its level. He's got the talent and the size and schools will be checking in this July. Dylan Barrow - 6'8 / PF / 2016 - Leo / Team Breakdown-IN Barrow is one of the guys that was able to make a run in the late high school season and has the added quality of having legit size in a class that is starving for it. Dylan is kind of a tradition big but then again he isn't. He will play with his back to the basket and fights in the paint for rebounds but at the same time he does so well with stretching the floor. He's a good threat to score from the arc if he needs to. Having size in 2016 is like a golden ticket, it is so rare that you better get recruited well. Barrow has kind of jumped onto the scene here in the last 6 months and should find a place to play at the next level. Other 2016 Names That Made Jumps This Spring: Peyton Staples - 6'7 / PF / 2016 - Mishawaka / IE 2016 Tyree Johnson - 6'2 / SG / 2016 - North Central / Pocket City 2K16 Desmond Bane - 6'3 / SG / 2016 - Seton Catholic / IE Magic 17U Grant Gelon - 6'6 / SF / 2016 - Crown Point / Indiana GAME 17U