2016 Circle City Shootout: Saturday
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | The first live period of the spring is here and Prep Hoops Indiana was on hand in Indianapolis to watch some of the best teams in Indiana take the floor at North Central High School for the…
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Continue ReadingINDIANAPOLIS, IN | The first live period of the spring is here and Prep Hoops Indiana was on hand in Indianapolis to watch some of the best teams in Indiana take the floor at North Central High School for the Circle City Shootout. We spent the day running around trying to find some hidden gems in the back courts.
Christian Stewart Leads My List Of 2017’s
There isn’t much in the way of flash for Christian Stewart’s game but it just seems like this kid has a knack for getting things done. The 6’0 guard out of Indianapolis Roncalli was key down the stretch to help Indiana Faith get back in this game. Faith would eventually win the game in the third overtime but that play is kind of a good idea of what Stewart gives you. He averaged 18+ points per game for Roncalli this season and that step forward is something small colleges should really take notice of.
Stewart is a lead guard who should add a punch of offense to the lineup. He’s got flashy or athletic but he makes smart plays and takes advantage of his IQ and shooting touch to out-duel his opponents. He had 21 points in the win over Cincy Lakers with coaches on hand. He’s got a chance to really step into the spotlight a bit this summer and this was a good showing on Saturday.
2018’s That Stood Out
Started off the day at Lawrence Central and got to check in on PCB Select 2018. Evansville Central forward Joe Space could be a nice prospect for a small school program. Big, wide body but very mobile and handled the ball really well for his size. Would like to see him sprout up a little more but he was good in the open floor and when near the rim, he rebounded the ball really well. I also liked what I saw out of Brandon Newman from Indiana Elite Region 2018. The 6’3 wing is very well built and used his strength really well. The Valparaiso product should get a little more Varsity run this next season and you should start seeing his name in the scoring column because he is plenty capable of putting the ball in the rim in more than a few ways.
Two guys I had seen before but liked on Saturday morning were Cole Jenkins of Indiana Elite Prime 2018 and Emerson Baliblieb of Indiana Elite North 2018. Cole’s role on his team is to not only run the point but he’s got to be the one that gets points as well. He likes that role and at times it is a little too much freedom but he should be able to grow into it. His passing and court awareness are good enough that he will stick at the spot. Emerson is much like Christian Stewart. He isn’t going to look pretty and there isn’t any flash but look at the stat sheet at the end of the night and you’ll notice that he produces really well. Good rebounder and he’s starting to move a little better in the post.
A Few 2019’s To Watch
When looking for prospects in the younger classes, obviously you are looking for size, skill, and the ability to make plays and at the 2019 level, those qualities stand out pretty easily. One guy that caught my eye on Saturday is Robert Raver, a 6’4 post player out of Batesville who runs with Indiana Elite South 2019. He’s obviously tall but looks like he should sprout up a bit and he was assertive in his play, something that really is tough for young big men. Looks like he could add some scoring ability away from the rim but mostly a low block scorer right now.
I also liked Indiana Faith 15U Black forward Jack Kessenbrock. 6’5 with length and the ability to stretch the floor a bit. Going to be a longer term project but he’s a fairly good prospect now. His upside looks like it could be solid with his ability shoot. The other guy from Saturday was Elijah Hales from Spiece Red 2019. Big guard who just made plays. A little more developed than others right now but had a jumper and handles the ball good enough to attack the rim in transition.
Top Performers:
Player | Team | Stat Line |
Joe Space | PCB Select 2018 | 20 points |
Sam Corrona | PCB Select 2018 | 24 points |
Sam Colbert | Indiana Legends 2017 | 21 points |
Derek Hawthorne | Club Elite Blazers 2017 | 21 points, 23 points |
Chase Kinsey | Indiana Elite Green 2018 | 24 points |
Travis Roehling | WBC Indy Premier 2017 | 25 points |
Davontae Kinnie | Club 1 Lockdown Elite 2017 | 19 points |
Norell Smith | Indiana Elite Region 2017 | 21 points |
Nate Walpole | Indiana Elite Region 2017 | 20 points |
Tim Leavell | Indiana Elite Magic 2017 | 22 points |