Indy Heat 2019 EYBL – Session 2 Indianapolis

Indy Heat 2019 EYBL Under guidance from Head Coach Jason Delaney and Assistant Coaches Cody Henson and Aundrey Wright, this team has one goal in mind, be the first 16U team from the Indy Heat program to make it to the Peach Jam. With the talent this roster contains, they have the necessary pieces to make a run towards meeting their goal. This was a great weekend for them as they knocked off some tough teams at the Nike Midwest Takeover Invitational. Isaiah Thompson, Ethan Brittain-Watts, and Javin Etzler paced the team on the offensive and defensive end of the floor while Craig Young Jr. really came out of his shell and played at a high level off the bench. After a tough loss to a good Mokan Elite team, Indy Heat took care of business against the Alabama Fusion and Mississippi Express, two tough programs out of the South. They earned a spot in the Elite 8 for the tournament following their 2-1 pool play record. Harold Bennett – 5’11” Point Guard Harold Bennett is one of those glue guys who brings high energy and play making ability off the bench. The undersized guard is scrappy and makes up for size with effort and IQ. Bennett is a good defender at the point guard position and does a good job of getting the offense moving early in the possession. In session two he did a good job of going and getting the ball on the outlet and pushing the ball up the floor with the pass. He is a true point guard where his offense comes second. Brandon Newman – 6’3” Shooting Guard Brandon Newman has size, athleticism, and a skill level that has grown very quickly over the past year. His jump shot continues to be consistent while he has improved at finishing at the rim with both hands. Brandon plays a controlled style of basketball but runs the floor well in the open court. At the Nike Midwest Takeover Invitational he was a scoring threat on the offensive side of the ball and rebounded at a high rate for a guard. He has shown that he can be a good defender at times but needs to not gamble as often on that end of the floor. Ethan Brittain-Watts – 6’1” Point/Shooting Guard Ethan Brittain-Watts is a quickly improving guard who takes pride on the defensive side of the floor. He has been bumped to the shooting guard position to keep him in the starting lineup but he is still a primary ball handler for this team. Ethan controlled the offense well and showed that he can guard positions one through three well last weekend in Indianapolis. He creates well off the bounce and his jump shot is improving in consistency. Hayden Smithey – 6’5” Small Forward Hayden may be the most consistent player on the roster. He works off the bench right now and contributes good minutes each time he hits the floor. His jump shot has shown improvement and he is more confident in taking and making tough shots. Smithey is still working on his ball handling but as a wing player, he finishes extremely well at the basket with both hands. Hayden rebounds well on both ends of the floor and is unique in the fact that he can start the break as a forward. Javin Etzler – 6’6” Shooting Guard Javin Etzler had a great second session in Indianapolis. He is truly a shooting guard but with his length, he can take advantage of his defender both bigger and smaller. He shoots the ball well from deep and his pull up game has shown improvement. An area that he needed to work on after last year was his foot speed and rebounding and he showed both at a high level last weekend. Javin is a flat our scorer but has shown that he can guard on the defensive end with more athletic players. His athleticism is a place that he can still improve but he has shown improvement in his leaping ability, partially because his body is finally healthy. Etzler was a rim protector on multiple occasions this past weekend, blocking the shot and grabbing the rebound. Definitely a 2019 kid to keep an eye on moving forward. Isaiah Thompson – 6’0” Point Guard Isaiah Thompson is one of the top guards in the state of Indiana and he proved why in Indianapolis. Thompson played for this 16U EYBL team last year as well and was their most consistent player. This year, he does a little bit of everything for this roster. Isaiah controlled the ball well and really looked to get out in transition. He knocks down jumpers with ease and has shown that he has worked on his finishing ability. He’s added a nice floater to his arsenal and his passing was on full display. Noah Applegate – 6’6” Small Forward Noah Applegate is coming off a great season with Penn and put in productive minutes off the bench. When Noah comes in the game, he immediately makes an impact in one way or another. His offensive efficiency is where he excels the most. Applegate makes things happen on offense, whether it be a shot for himself or creating movement to find an open teammate. Noah has worked on his athleticism and passing but can still improve upon his ball skills. Craig Young Jr.– 6’6” Power Forward Craig Young Jr. finally realized that he can excel at the EYBL level with his athleticism and strength. Against the Alabama Fusion he attacked the basket with force and finished on and over defenders. He rebounded at an extremely high rate on the offensive end of the floor and went on a quick 10-0 run by himself. Craig has been working on his mid-range jump shot and face up game which is still an area that he can take advantage of. Young Jr. is one of those next level athletes that is still realizing how big of an impact that he can have on the game. Caleb Hodgson – 6’9” Power Forward Caleb Hodgson is one of the highest rate rebounders at this level. Missed shots on both ends of the floor seem to end up in his area and with his length and strong hands, he grabs anything in his range. Caleb runs the floor well which starts with his high outlet passes. He keeps the ball high and finds guards running down the floor with strong passes. Hodgson showed that he has touch around the basket and his body positioning opened up driving lanes for wings and guards to get to the basket. John Michael-Mulloy – 6’10” Power Forward John Michael-Mulloy has shown improvement in his decision-making over the past year. His ball skills continue to improve as he works on his back to the basket game. He is still move comfortable in the mid-range face up game because he can get around people that are bigger than him. He has shown great improvement in being a rim protector on the defensive end of the floor with his length and athleticism. Also saw his quick leaping ability time and time again. John still needs to work on finishing higher around the rim and making his moves stronger but he’s on the road to a strong summer season.