GRBA Nationals: Friday
FORT WAYNE, IN | Our final day in Fort Wayne presented us with a few opportunities to check in on some players we needed another view of before the end of the year. It’s almost the end so we are making the final rounds.
Checking In On Indiana Dawgz 2018
One team that we needed to get a little better look at was that of Indiana Dawgz 2018-Brankin. Made up of mostly Region-area kids, it is a solid team that has loaded up here in the final month. Our look on Friday showed us a few players we have seen before in Ky Palombizio and Jake Dye. Dye is one of the more talented kids in the class who is still going a little under-the-radar. However, the two guys we walked away with learning more from was James Havrilla and Curtis Jones.
Havrilla, a 6’6 post isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism but he’s fairly mobile and while made more for the post, he’s plenty capable of coming out to defend the wing and is a fairly functional scorer in the low block. With not much size, he’s a guy to track heading into the fall for Portage High School.
The other name was that of Curtis Jones. Jones is a 6’2 off-guard from Andrean High School. He’s a tough guard with a good frame. Could play on the ball for a lower level program but showed he can score it well enough off the bounce and mixing in a jumper to possibly be an-off guard at a higher level. His big frame and the ability to play as a Point Guard could make him really valuable for some smaller schools.
Name to Track In 2019 Is Frank Davidson
The Davidson family out of Blackhawk Christian is one that local small school programs and scouts already know about. The latest one that has sparked some interest is incoming junior wing Frank Davidson.
The 6’4 wing is a tough one, build lean right now but has tons of strength and he’s willing to use it. He’s a guy that, much like his brothers, will just go 100 MPH and outwork his opponent. He’s also very skilled. Showed the ability to play better with the ball in his hand than you would think. Can take his man off the bounce and get to the rim.
He’s a guy that showed a ton of upside with skill and strength that is playing now. And, he’s doing this playing a year up with Team Focus 2018. He will be another huge piece for Blackhawk Christian as they make a strong run for a State Title this season.
Grubbs Continues His Rise
One of the guy that we have been interested to see this month was Hamilton Southeastern (IN) sophomore Chris Grubbs. He showed spurts of his standout ability in June and since then has gotten better and better. We checked in on Friday to make sure he was still going that way and he was.
The 6’5 wing has really gained a ton of confidence in his ball handling ability and when he does all of what he does with the athleticism he has, it makes him look really, really good. He’s still got a few holes to fill in over the next few years but you can’t deny he has become a top player in that class very quickly. Confidence can go a long way and he’s got it right now.