Regional Review: Class of 2020
Yesterday I once again spent time watching a lot of film and was able to see seven of the 32 Regional Semi-Final games. Below is a look at ten Juniors who I thought played well in what I was able…
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Continue ReadingYesterday I once again spent time watching a lot of film and was able to see seven of the 32 Regional Semi-Final games. Below is a look at ten Juniors who I thought played well in what I was able to see. While these aren’t all of the Juniors who played yesterday, they are the ones who stood out to me during those seven games.
Tyler Boyle, 6-0 G, West Lafayette H.S.
I had only seen Tyler briefly in past grassroots games, so I was happy to watch him again yesterday. He is a wiry strong combo guard who does several nice things for this Red Devil team. He is one of their primary ball-handlers, and he does a nice job managing the game when he’s on point, plus he doesn’t turn it over much at all. He is solid handling it, he’s a capable passer, and he can attack the basket when the opportunity presents itself. He’s also solid knocking down an open 3-pointer when the defense plays off of him. He gives effort, and he’s versatile defensively, as he can defend different types of guards and wings. He’s a solid and steady small college prospect.
Tre Coleman, 6-5 W, Jeffersonville H.S.
Tre is a strong and athletic wing prospect. He does a nice job of getting to the basket and finishing over taller guys, plus he can take contact. When he was younger, he was more of a mid-post forward, but now he’s stretching his game to the perimeter consistently, which is why several mid to high-major Division-I schools have shown interest in him. To me, he has some similarities to maybe an Aaron Henry (Ben Davis 2018 / Michigan State), though Henry was a bit more purely explosive. If Tre can tighten his handle a bit, especially in traffic, and show that he can knock down the 3-pointer regularly, I think he’ll be viewed more as a guard than a forward and draw even more interest.
Trenton Daughtry, 5-10 G, Wabash H.S.
I liked Trenton when I saw him at the beginning of the season, and he was really good for the Apaches yesterday, especially in the fourth quarter, as he put up double figures in that stanza. Trenton is kind of an undersized combo guard, but he is a tough kid, he has some length, and he has solid all-around athleticism. He handles it and passes it well-enough to play some point guard, but he’s such a good scorer for them, that it’s in their best interest to get him open early in the offense because he draws so much attention. He has already surpassed 1100 points, but he could stand to make his 3-point shot a bit more consistent (just 25% for his career).
Robert “Bobby” Fry II, 6-1 G, Carmel H.S.
Bobby’s development over the last year has been pretty impressive. Some of it has had to do with physical growth and maturity, but some of it is just more confidence and assertiveness. With Senior guards like Karsten Windlan and Luke Heady on the roster, Bobby is sort of an x-factor for Carmel, as he brings length, fluid athleticism, and versatility off the bench for the Greyhounds. He glides around the floor with ease, he’s steady with the ball in his hands and can run offense, plus he’s starting to shoot it / score it with much more consistency. But I think his value for this team is his defensive presence and ability to take on a variety of guards and wings.
Jeff Hemmelgarn, 6-8 C, Munster H.S.
Jeff transferred into Munster this year after spending his first two years at Penn High School. He is a still-developing true post, but he has a solid frame, strength, length, and a good motor. He has decent hands, and he tries to sit down and seal around the block. He showed a really nice half-hook yesterday and kept the ball high, finishing over the defender. He didn’t play a great deal of minutes this year, as he was mostly a reserve, but next year, with more skill development, he could become an important piece for the Mustangs, especially considering they are graduating five Seniors from their primary rotation, and seven Seniors in total.
Will Lasater, 6-7 F, West Lafayette H.S.
There are a lot of really nice 2020 prospects in this area of the state, and Will is another one who brings height and perimeter skill to the table. He is extremely long, fairly fluid, and he looks like he still might squeeze out another inch or two. Will is still a little thin, so he will need to add strength, but he has grown quickly. He can knock down the perimeter jumper consistently, he can get to the basket off of 1-2 dribbles, but he will need to finish through contact a little better. Ultimately, I think he ends up being more of a face-up ‘4’ or pick-and-pop ‘4’, but he will bring a great deal of skill to the position, and I can see several small colleges recruiting him this Spring and Summer.
Anthony Leal, 6-5 G, Bloomington H.S. South
Anthony is our #1 prospect in the Class of 2020, and for good reason. He is a long, wiry strong, and fluidly athletic guard who has been a 3-point threat since his Freshman year when he was a slender 6-2 kid. Now he is such an effortless scorer at all levels, and he always plays with a great confidence and even some attitude at times. I love his competitive fire, plus his sense of urgency at the defensive end of the floor is starting to match the one at the offensive end. I’m not sure where he’ll land for college, but I think if he finds the right “fit”, he could be a really nice collegiate player who contributes every season.
Qualen Pettus, 6-3 W, Fort Wayne Northrop H.S.
Qualen began making a name for himself in recruiting circles during last July, and he has only gotten better this Winter. He is now putting the ball on the floor a lot more and showing the ability to make dribble-moves and changing directions a lot better. He has a wiry strong, athletic frame, and he can run and jump with the best of them in Indiana’s 2020 class. There is little doubt he’s talented or tough enough to play at the next level, but considering he’s only about 6-3, he will need to add a more consistent perimeter shot to be at least some sort of threat outside. I do like his versatility defensively, though, as he can match up with several different types of players.
Alex Stauffer, 6-6 F/C, Northridge H.S.
Alex is a unique player with a nice combination of size, strength, and skill. He’s strong and physical around the block, and he does a nice job of sitting down and establishing post position. He has good hands and a soft touch inside as well, so if he gets it deep, he’s likely going to score it. He’s a bit more athletic than he might appear, and he will surprise you at times with the amount of ground he covers to pursue rebounds. Then, when you finally figure out how to defend him inside, he steps out and knocks down an open 3-pointer off of someone else’s penetration. I think he’s the type of kid who really prospers at the small college level as a versatile inside-out post.
Jake Wadding, 6-4 W, Chesterton H.S.
I’ve been a Jake Wadding fan since I saw him at a Christmas tournament during his Freshman year. He has good length, wiry strength, and he’s smooth and fluid moving in all directions, plus he has some bounce to him and can finish at the rim. He does a variety of things offensively, as he can score it off the bounce attacking the basket, he can post smaller guard defenders, and he can knock down open perimeter jumpers. Jake can also slide over and run offense as sort of a point forward, and defensively he is versatile as well. My biggest complaint of his game is that he’s just too unselfish at key times, and I’d like to see him take over in late-game situations, because he can.
Header photo of Jake Wadding of Chesterton High School; photo courtesy of Kale Wilk of the Northwestern Indiana Times at nwitimes.com. Photo of Tre Coleman courtesy of newsandtribune.com. Photo of Anthony Leal courtesy of the Herald-Times soundcloud.com account.