Notebook: College Team Camps Pt. 1
This past week we spent a ton of time on college campuses checking out some of the top teams in the state. With respect due to the colleges, we won’t say where we were at specifically but we will discuss what we saw. Here is our notebook from the past week. We have broken it up into two parts.
- Southwood – Last year, this team really surprised some people with their upset of Oak Hill and their short run into the tournament. That shouldn’t be the case this year. They lose two guys off their roster from last year but the core is still there. I’ve really liked Cason Blair when I’ve watched him. Tough-nosed guard who can score a bucket. Leads by example and has pieces around him like Dallas Holmes and Peyton Trexler. Trexler can really bring the versatility to a 2A team. Holmes is a good inside threat as a young player at 6’4 but could see a big jump in his scoring this season. Wouldn’t be shocked if they are able to make another deep run on the northside of 2A.
- Shenandoah – The loss of senior Gavin Griggs will hurt Shenandoah but they have a decent replacement in Braydin Myers ready to go. He’s big and strong already with the ability to score it well from the wing or inside. You also have Chase Kinsey on the point who is returning as this teams second leading scorer. He look poised and able to run things with ease. They have enough size to play with most 2A teams but it will be interesting to see who that third scorer is going to be. Kinsey and Myers should be good but might need another piece to really make a run.
- Morristown – The three-headed trio of Hayden Langkabel, Eli Streeval, and Logan Laster make Morristown a nightmare heading into the season. Langkabel has taken his game to a new level this spring and after watching Morristown, I really like what Streeval and Laster can be this year too. Streeval give you a little more size and scoring ability but Laster come off as that tough guy guard that can make plays. This team could score a ton of points this year and wouldn’t be a surprise to have one of the best records in the state at the end of the year.
- Park Tudor – It will be interesting to watch this season for Park Tudor. They lost a lot last season and will need to find some younger players to step up. However, they are going to be fun to watch at times because the guys that have coming back have pretty up and down performances. Isiah Moore is one of the best scorers in the state but he can be inconsistent. He can also drop 40 in a game so you have to be aware of that. They also got a transfer in Tristan Bufkin who is coming over from Center Grove. He’s a taller guard that can score it really well off the catch. Kadaphi Honaker will at least give them some size inside. If they can get some of these incoming freshman and sophomores to step up, they could surprise some teams this year with their ability to score the ball.
- Cascade – Cascade was one of the surprise teams last year. They went 14-9 and had key wins against Plainfield and Monrovia. They made it to the finals of the Hendricks County Tournament too. They lose two double-figure scorers but they bring back Dalton DuBois who looks like he could be a sneaky good player in the senior class. He was a 15 and 9 guy last year and at 6’5, he can probably improve on those numbers. Cascade likely won’t repeat their 14 wins from last year but after watching them they do have some capability to impress.
- Covenant Christian (DeMotte) – There wasn’t a ton on this Covenant Christian team but senior Chris Beezhold was solid. The 6’5 forward kind of does everything for Covenant. He’s a tough guy who can play inside, play outside, and can score it well. He scored 16 and 10 last year for them but the next three top scorers for Covenant were all seniors. It will a tough year likely for this group but Beezhold could be the bright spot to watch for.
- Lapel – Obviously, losing Jon Ross Richardson will really hurt Lapel but they are going to be pretty good. Preston Scott, Austin Lyons, and Luke Richardson will be a great trio for them and they will impress this season. Lyons can be that perimeter scoring threat who can shoot and score. However, Luke Richardson looked really good when I watched and is much more of an inside threat. He could be really tough to stop inside. So will Preston Scott who has bulked up and looks like a defensive end now. He could be a mismatch on the interior. If those three play like they are capable of, this Lapel team should win a lot of games yet again.
- Indianapolis Homeschool – This Homeschool team is pretty good and while a lot of fans don’t follow Homeschool basketball, this team has talent. At the top is Tayson Parker who is a standout freshman last season. He can really score the ball and has ridiculous athleticism. However, Charlton Seitz and Mitchell Wirts will be interior guys who can provide some offense as well.