Wednesday’s Daily Dive: Somber Night Filled With Brightness Ahead

<p>The last day before Thanksgiving and already we are having to take a step back and think about perspective.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>From the loss of a loved one to season ending injuries, there is a ton going on this season already just 3 days in. We take a look at all of that now.</p> <p><b>Gus Etchison Goes For 41 In Somber Season Opener</b></p> <p>For most, the thought of playing in a season opener is pretty exciting but it wouldn’t shock if Hamilton Heights (IN) guard Gus Etchison is still processing things after the sudden passing of his father.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But, he’s a kid that you can tell that if there is a place he is going to be comfortable, it is going to be on the basketball court. Tonight, he was there and he put on a show.</p> <p>Dropping 41 points in the overtime win over Lebanon and while other aspects of his life might be a little complicated, Gus was right back to doing things how he ended last season.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Last year, he scored 28.0 points per game with highs of 43 and 46. He has 841 points in his career and is likely going to break 1,000 before the end of the calendar year.</p> <p><b>Injuries Piling Up Already For Seniors</b></p> <p>From a report from @Bounce_OTH on Twitter, it looks like three players from the Fort Wayne area are already out of the season with injuries.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Lucas Deck, Jordan Moore, and Ben Reidy are all out with ACL tear and a shoulder injury for Reidy.</p> <p>Deck is a significant one as Central Noble is poised to have a big season. Deck was to be the backcourt shooting mate with Connor Essegian and likely would have put up big numbers. Thankfully, he just signed his letter of intent to go to Indiana Tech next year.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Jordan Moore is a blow for Snider who is looking like a Top 10 level team in 4A this year. They have the depth to cover it up a bit but this doesn’t help their chances.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Ben Reidy of Woodlan will be tough as he was one of the four key seniors on this team. They still have depth but just tough for a 3A rural team to overcome.</p> <p><b>Malik Stanley Picking Up The Pieces</b></p> <p>Over the last few years, Warren Central has been a powerhouse. But this offseason, they had a full reboot. Only really Junior guard Malik Stanley returned. New roster, new coaching staff, new everything. However, they might have just found their star from the pieces that remained.</p> <p>On Wednesday night, Warren Central’s Malik Stanley put up 39 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals in a 81-67 win over Arsenal Tech.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>While Stanley is a pretty good prospect but high-end scoring production wasn’t something he had shown to this point. That could be because he was the youngest player with significant minutes on a very senior-laden team. Or it could be something that he is starting to develop into but either way, Warren now has their potential star in a season where they needed some momentum.</p>