Prospect Review: Underclassmen
I wanted to take the opportunity and write about a few prospects from the Classes of 2020-2022 who I have seen over the past couple of weeks. These aren’t all of the prospects I’ve seen, but they are a handful…
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Continue ReadingI wanted to take the opportunity and write about a few prospects from the Classes of 2020-2022 who I have seen over the past couple of weeks. These aren’t all of the prospects I’ve seen, but they are a handful who I thought stood out for one reason or another, and seemingly, most of them appear to be somewhat under-recruited at this point in their careers.
Jake Wadding, 2020, 6-4 W, Chesterton H.S.
Jake is a talented and skillful wing prospect from Northwestern Indiana who most people aren’t terribly familiar with. He has very good length, he’s bouncy and athletic, and he plays with a motor and a great deal of versatility. He can score the ball at all levels, as he can knock down jumpers or attack the basket strong. Offensively, I would still like to see him be a little more assertive. He could take over games a lot more, but he’s selfless and has confidence in his teammates. Defensively, I think he can take on most wing guards and forwards, plus he can occasionally switch to a point guard and contain them. He also looks like he still has room to add good muscle weight and fill out before college.
Nijel Pack, 2020, 5-11 PG, Lawrence Central H.S.
I saw Nijel all Spring and liked him, but I didn’t get a chance to see him at all in July, and Division-I offers started to roll in because of his strong July play. When I saw him over the holiday break, he looked so much more confident and assertive than I’ve ever seen him, and he’s definitely showing why he’s a commodity in a class thin on talent. He is strong, athletic, and very decisive with the ball. He can set up teammates, but he’s also a very good shooter / scorer who does a nice job with shot selection. His jumper looks so much purer now too. Defensively, he’s aggressive and can really guard the ball when he’s determined. I really think he’s turned a corner in the last year.
P.J. Edwards, 2020, 6-3 G, Lawrence Central H.S.
P.J. moved into Lawrence Central from Springfield, Illinois, at the end of the Summer. He definitely looks the part, and he has flashed glimpses of a Division-I prospect. He is long, wiry strong, and athletic in all directions, plus he plays with a good motor. He can handle it a little, shoot it a little, and he’s good attacking the basket. Defensively, I think he has some versatility, which should definitely provide more value in his recruiting. As he gets more and more comfortable in his new surroundings, I’d expect to see him assert himself more offensively and try to become another playmaker for a talented LCHS squad.
Alex Hunt, 2020, 6-4 F, Noblesville H.S.
Alex is a kid who I feel like is just starting to figure it all out. He is extremely long and slender, but he’s bouncy, he runs the floor well North / South, and he plays with a good motor. He definitely has some physical tools, that when he gains the necessary strength, he should become a more effective scorer. Actually, he went from playing sparingly as a Sophomore (1.9 points per game in just 8 games) to being a rotation guy this season (6.7 points per game). I really like the combination of his athleticism, motor, and upside, and I think as he gains weight / strength, his game will really take off.
Trenton Daughtry, 2020, 5-11 G, Wabash H.S.
Trenton is about as balanced as they come as a high school guard. He’s currently averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 steals per game on a team that has started the season 8-1. He has a wiry strong frame, he’s a good athlete in all directions, and he’s tough-nosed and gritty. He’s aggressive to the basket and is a solid free throw shooter. While he can knock down the occasional open 3-pointer, that’s the part of his game offensively that could definitely use some work. Defensively, he is tough enough and physical enough to defend a variety of players. I think he’s a really nice small college prospect who can come in and play critical minutes as a Freshman in two years.
Elijah Vander velden, 2020, 6-7 F, Wabash H.S.
Elijah is a little differently stylistically than his 2019 brother Logan (mentioned in a previous article), but he possesses a lot of upside as well. Elijah is long, he runs the floor well North / South, but he’s just a little on the thin side of things right now. I think as he continues to mature, he still might squeeze out another inch, but he should be able to add good muscle weight to his frame. He plays hard, he has solid hands, and he does some nice things skillfully in the mid-post and around the block. Defensively he’s a shot-blocking threat, and I think as he gets stronger, he’ll be a solid rebounder because he already does a nice job of pursuing boards out of his area.
Brady Hunt, 2021, 6-5 F, Delta H.S.
Brady is a versatile, talented, and skilled forward. When I first saw him last Spring, he was playing mostly around the perimeter, but for Delta he’s needed to do a lot of work for them on the interior. He’s long, bouncy and athletic, and he plays with a good motor. I don’t think he’ll ever be a true power forward, but I think he can play effectively in the mid-post, and as his handle and touch improve, I can definitely see him becoming a full-time wing, because he certainly has the athleticism to defend the position and to go by guys and get to the basket. He also looks like he could add some good muscle weight and become a handful.
Jordan Thomas, 2021, 6-6 F, New Albany H.S.
Jordan is a very talented front-liner, who as he figures it out, he should see his role at New Albany expand. Jordan is long, very athletic in all directions, and he plays with a good motor. He’s mostly a rebounder / defender type right now, but he protects the rim defensively, and he plays at or above the rim offensively. His hands are solid, and his post skill has improved in the last year, so if he can begin to show a consistent offensive game around the block and in the mid-post, I think he’s really close to scratching the surface and drawing a lot of college interest very soon.
Sam Smith, 2021, 5-11 G, Northridge H.S.
Sam isn’t much to look at, as he probably weighs in around 135 pounds. But he’s very long, quick / fast, and he plays with a good motor. He has a solid handle and can eventually become more of a point guard, but right now he’s such a good perimeter shooter with a quick release, that he enters the game off the bench and finds holes in defenses to kill them from the outside. I really enjoy the energy and skillset he brings to the table, and I think as he matures and gains strength, he could really be a handful for opposing coaches over the next couple of years, and he could develop into a nice shooting asset for a college program.
Travis Grayson, 2022, 5-8 PG, Chesterton H.S.
I don’t know if he’s like this every game, but Travis was incredibly fun to watch in the game I saw. He’s built like a running back, and he definitely has good end-to-end speed and quickness. He also plays with a great motor, but he’ll need to learn to add changing speeds and changing directions into his game. He was assertive the moment he subbed into the game, and he was aggressive attacking the basket and finishing in the paint. I didn’t really get to see him shoot any perimeter jumpers, but at the defensive end of the floor he equaled the energy and aggressiveness he showed offensively.
Kaden Stanton, 2022, 5-10 PG, New Albany H.S.
Kaden is a very intriguing youngster who I think will continue to mature and develop over the next 3+ seasons. He has really good length, and while he’s a little thin, he didn’t shy away from contact and he seemed tough-nosed and stronger than he looks. He looked solid and poised with the ball in his hands, plus he knocked down a rhythm 3-pointer with ease. Other than maybe physical maturation, I couldn’t tell he was a Freshman out there. He looks like he might squeeze out another couple of inches, and if he can get to 6-0 and gain strength, he could be a really nice point guard prospect down the road.
Header photo of Nijel Pack of Lawrence Central High School; photo courtesy of the Lawrence Central Hudl account. Photo of Jake Wadding courtesy of nwitimes.com. Photo of Trenton Daughtry courtesy of wabashplaindealer.com.