Eric's Weekly Evaluations: Upperclassmen

The high school season is off an running and we had our first full week. For myself, the weekend was full of talent. Today, I breakdown some of the best talents we saw in Week 2 of the season. [player_tooltip player_id="874131" first="Brian" last="Waddell"] - 6’5 SF 2021 - Carmel (IN) Waddell has taken a turn here and looks like he has some new found confidence. He’s never been one to attack like a lead scorer but that was quite different in this game. He’s looking to shoot it a ton and making a large amount of threes. The release is quick and tight and repeatable. That confidence is something he lacked at the end of the year last year. Now, he is looking like a very utilized player because of that shooting and his height. Saw a few nice dunks and looking more athletic than we saw before, or at least more willing to use that part of his skillset. Need to see this more often but also against better one-on-one competition. Howe far can he go with this? That will be the question. [player_tooltip player_id="963219" first="Will" last="Terry"] - 6’6 PF 2021 - South Bend St. Joseph (IN) Terry, a pretty well built forward, showed some toughness in this game. He’s not a guy that I think is going to play all over the floor but he showed some glimpses of that against Adams. He had a couple really tough drives and was great on the wing. Hit an early three and showed he could spread the floor a bit. If his trend is to be a pick-and-pop forward or finding open jumpers through motion, his ability to translate quickly in college should be easy and needed. [player_tooltip player_id="1077020" first="Sidney" last="Jefferies"] - 6’1 SG 2021 - South Bend Adams (IN) Sidney is a big guard who can play a few different positions but has some upside once he gets into college. He’s smooth, not super quick, but has some pace. He’s the type of guy that has the ability to bully his way to the rim. Could be a pest because there are not a ton of guys that are going to be able to get in his way. Want to see a little bit more willingness to shoot the ball to see the offense take a step forward and allow him to be more dominant but it is clear, his bread and butter is playing in the lane. Tyran Lackey - 6’4 SF 2021 - Brownsburg (IN) Lackey is a long, rangy wing that can kind of do everything. He tends to wait for the game to come to him which is good but he does have the ability to make plays in a bunch of different ways. He hit a three early on off the catch, had a big transition drive and finish, and then had a nice up-and-under. His rebounding and defense are going to be the thing that gives him a chance in college. He should be able to defend 1-3 pretty easily with effort and could be the guy that gets rebounds and starts fast breaks a ton because of his speed with the ball. Shon Tupuola - 6’6 C 2022 - Brownsburg (IN) Shon is a tall forward with some length and mobility. A little raw and mechanical at times but he does well moving in the post and getting into solid post-up position. Has some solid instincts for keeping the ball high but when he does get out of position he can be lost with the ball. Wants to be aggressive and will get into a better spot soon enough with his ability down low. [player_tooltip player_id="874172" first="Ian" last="Scott"] - 6’7 PF 2021 - Plainfield (IN) [player_tooltip player_id="874172" first="Ian" last="Scott"] played maybe his best game to date, at least that we have seen. He was moving really well, slashing into the lane, catching and finishing around the rim. He’s the type of guy that is going to mix it up inside and out. He was very aggressive on the boards and seemed to just be in the right spot to get second chance points. He was defending well on the wing too, guarding some guards and wings. At the college level, Scott will need to add in strength but if he does, he is going to be a pain for 4-men to defend and to big for 3’s to guard. Cael Vanderbush - 6’6 PF 2022 - Plainfield (IN) Cael is a little more of a low-post forward as he has good feel with his back-to-the-basket. He does face up and play on the wing looking to catch on the cut to the rim. He’s got really good touch around the rim and can finish pretty efficiently. The dual-sport athlete moves really well without the ball but will be something to watch over the next year if he can be a driver/creator from the wing with the ball in his hands. [player_tooltip player_id="769659" first="Leland" last="Walker"] - 6’0 PG 2022 - North Central (IN) Leland had one of the worst games we had seen from him but was still pretty good in the second half. Missed early shots and struggled to get the ball to just roll the right now. Frustration might have worked up and he made a couple mistakes he usually doesn’t but then came out in the second half and looked much, much better. You could tell he knew the jumper wasn’t going to be as effective today so he looked to drive more and drew a ton of fouls. He always seems to find a way to end up making a bad game into a serviceable one. Aiden Moyers - 6’4 SF 2021 - Plainfield (IN) Moyers is a long, lanky wing who can shoot it pretty and has a ton of upside down the road. Really thin and will need strength but he is long and active and has plenty of handles for his size. About 6’4 right now but should fill out very quickly. Showed he could rebound a little bit and was willing to be physical when needed. Thought he also passed the ball pretty well at times in counter situations beating up North Central. [player_tooltip player_id="783202" first="Evan" last="Altman"] - 6’6 PF 2021 - Brebeuf Jesuit (IN) Altman continues to progress as an aggressive scorer. He’s the type to really find a driving angle in the mid-range and take one dribble and finish. He’s much better about using his body to get space in the paint and finish. Really nimble for his size even if he has to go against taller defenders, he can step up and beat his man. Has enough shooting ability to be dangerous on sickouts and probably needs to utilize that more. He’s take these bigs steps in the last year and seems to be transitioning it to the high school game. [player_tooltip player_id="870225" first="Billy" last="Smith"] - 6’6 SF 2022 - Brebeuf Jesuit (IN) Billy has taken a step forward in the last year becoming more of a knock down shooter but also mixing in some different elements. He has a nice little turnaround floater early in the game and looked to play out of the post more than I had seen previously. He is a very, very good shooter and he can knock them down well. Does need to get into a rhythm at times but that makes his game take off when it does. He has way more to him [player_tooltip player_id="870246" first="Chrishon" last="McCray"] - 5’10 PG 2022 - Avon (IN) Chrishon is a talented two-sport athlete with some real ability to score in the lane. He did leave a few short but overall he scored with a ton of consistency. He has a lot of speed and in transition he was able to create offense pretty well. Elevates really well for his height and can finish above defenders in the lane if he gets up his speed. Has some solid passing ability but doesn’t have a lot of differences in how he looks to get the ball out to shooters. Could be a bit more dynamic in that regard but was the guy for Avon in this one. [player_tooltip player_id="874117" first="Malik" last="Stanley"] - 6’0 PG 2021 - Warren Central (IN) Malik is a big time scoring guard that had his moments in this one and really stepped up early on for Warren Central. He’s a guy that is going to get hot and needs to keep it going. Did that early but lost a bit later in the game. His shooting has always been really good and does what he needs to do to keep his team in it. The balance is good between facilitating and shooting and has the ball handling for schools all the way up to low-major to be able to utilize that. [player_tooltip player_id="769654" first="D’Ante" last="Davis"] - 6’6 SF 2022 - Warren Central (IN) D’Ante was good against Attucks but not his best. He had these plays every so often where he would have to be tough and creative going at the rim and would finish it. Then the next play down the floor the defense would converge on his path and he’d get beat up. Strength down the line would help with that but also just a good gameplay from the defense. Davis did look better moving with the ball, a little more confident and fluid. Has another gear to go with his scoring and might be able to tap into that this year. Donald Coates - 6’6 PF 2021 - Warren Central (IN) Coates is a long, lean forward who can play well with energy. Was very active in this game and around the rim grabbing a ton of rebounds and second chance points. He’s not a guy we think is going to expand his game on the wing anytime soon but whether faced up or back to the basket in the post, he has the ability to be a difference maker. Lacks strength but the frame should take weight really well. Could be a night and day change in a year. Isaiah Stafford - 6’2 PG 2021 - Crispus Attucks (IN) Stafford is a tall, quick guard who can really get in the lane. Had a little bit of a rough first half with some bad shots and quick triggers but did a big turnaround int he second half and was making plays all over the place. Good speed and strength which makes him hard to stop. Need a little bit better touch finishing in the lane but he’s wired to score if allowed to. [player_tooltip player_id="647206" first="Jaylen" last="Carson"] - 6’6 PF 2021 - Crispus Attucks (IN) Carson had been progressively getting better and finding his skillset more lately. He’s not trying to overplay his hand and I’ve seen more production and efficiency from him. He can step out and shoot but better when he is looking to crash the boards and make defender play against his size and strength deep in the paint. When he can get a rebound, he’s usually not only in a good spot to finish at the rim but does more often than not. As long as he is active and going at the rim, great things happen and it seems like he’s using that more often. Julius Bryd - 6’3 SG 2021 - Hammond (IN) Sean is a long, lean guard who looks best playing off the ball and shooting or driving. Pretty athletic and can get it going very quickly. Had a nice little drive to an elbow-fading jumper. A guy that looks like he can get to his spots and hit shots from them. Will need to see just how efficient he can be over time but looks like a guy that could really breakout once in college. Some added strength and a little more scoring and he could get there. Reggie Abram - 5’9 PG 2021 - Hammond (IN) Reggie is a small, stout guard with good, quick feet and has a little twitch to him. Rises up well and can shoot it pretty well at times. Was good early in this game as a guy looking to pull-up in transition for quick shots. He was the main scoring threat all game for Hammond. Was the most efficient and effective along with Burress. Want to see how he does driving the ball a little more out of the half court set and if that can be a source of offense to pair with the shooting. [player_tooltip player_id="963120" first="Darrell" last="Reed"] - 6’7 PF 2021 - Hammond (IN) Reed is a long, bouncy forward who is built for transition and quick pace. He’s a little lost at times when it is more of a half-court game but in the flow when he can run, he is really good. A little more creative than I thought before using his athleticism a couple times in this game to make a really tough play. Sean Burress - 6’1 SG 2021 - Hammond (IN) Sean is a solid off-guard with a big jumper. Has a frame with some strength but should still develop a lot more once in college. Can play on the ball a little but seems more geared as a shooter and creator on the wing. Can utilize kick-outs well and finds those gaps when he needs to. Has a frame with some strength now but should be able to fill out a lot more and be really strong at the next level. C.J. Gunn - 6’5 SG 2022 - Lawrence North (IN) Gunn has started to take some steps forward and today was another. He wasn’t the biggest scorer for a good chunk of the game but when LN needed a run to get back in the lead, he stepped up. He’s going to be given every chance with the makeup of this team. He’s great when he has a pass-first point guard where he can get moving on the wing and catch-and-shoot, which he did great today. Wanted to see a little more effectiveness driving the lane but he’s not needed to do that as much right now. [player_tooltip player_id="783180" first="Shamar" last="Avance"] - 6’1 PG 2021 - Lawrence North (IN) Shamar had an up-and-down game. He’s got the talent to take over games but didn’t get to the point of that today. Drove well at times but left points too often when Hammond was making their runs and that hurt. He still, even on a down game, can really help to create mismatches because he’s so hard to stay in front of and when his vision locks in and he’s dishing out assists, there aren’t many like him in the state right now. Looked like the first game of the season because it was. Will see how it goes the next couple of weeks. Kaden Beatty - 5’10 PG 2021 - Lawrence North (IN) Kaden is a well built guard with strength and shooting ability. Rhythm shooter who has some range. Tough on the ball when he wants to be and can use his length well. Rebounds the ball well for his size and does well to push the ball out and create tempo. Play him on the ball and with some pace and you should have a really reliable guard that could develop more offense at the right level. [player_tooltip player_id="529561" first="Caleb" last="Furst"] - 6’9 PF 2021 - Blackhawk Christian (IN) Caleb had a really good matchup against Auburn commit Sage Tolentino. He’s a 7’ prospect and not often will Caleb gets these kind of games and from the jump, Caleb dominated. He’s quicker and more physical but also showed the ability to defend a little on the perimeter. Had a big block on Sage as he tried to shoot a three early in the game. Caleb’s mobility and ball handling continue to show just how good he can be. He’s still got room to go but so food now just as he is. If he can continue to add in perimeter shooting which he dabbles in every once in a while, he’s going to be stellar at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="874187" first="Marcus" last="Davidson"] - 6’0 SG 2021 - Blackhawk Christian (IN) Marcus was solid from start to finish. Dishing out assists and knocking down triples. He’s one of the more consistent players you are going to find. He’s not got that upside to dream on from the highest level in the country but he’s got the ability to put up massive numbers in the right spot. With the way he shoots the ball, off the catch but also off the dribble inside the arc, he doesn’t need much time and can really get going in a hurry. Going to be the type of kid that could single-handedly win games at the next level if he take take steps to be aggressive in his offense. [player_tooltip player_id="529568" first="Luke" last="Goode"] - 6’6 SF 2021 - Homestead (IN) If there was one knock on Goode from me it was he can be a little too passive on the offensive end. He’s a guy that makes plays and does so for others so when Homestead needed points tonight, he seemed to step up more than I saw previously. He has the ability to be aggressive and might be looking to do that more this season which would be huge. He’s still kept his ball handling with his increase in height and strength and that has allowed him to be pretty productive. [player_tooltip player_id="1063961" first="Fletcher" last="Loyer"] - 6’4 SG 2021 - Homestead (IN) Loyer is a very skilled guard that just makes plays. He’s not the flashiest player but he’s a pretty high-end passer and the ball handling is just good enough to think about possibly playing on the ball. Not a lot of top end speed but plays with pace and is really smooth in the lane. His shooting is his best skill and the later in the game it went the more he looked to cash in on that. He loves the 1-dribble in pull-up from 15’. Best off the catch and would do wonders in Purdue’s motion offense. Has good size but will has some muscle to add in the next two years. [player_tooltip player_id="870214" first="Andrew" last="Leeper"] - 6’5 SF 2022 - Homestead (IN) Leeper is really starting to find his niche this last year. He’s been a talented shooter but he’s finding spots to do that more often and efficiently. He’s not as reliant on being just a catch-and-shoot guy and his mid-range looks better so he’s finding spots inside the arc to pull-up when available. Looks a little more mobile and fluid since the injury a while back. [player_tooltip player_id="783162" first="Vincent" last="Brady"] - 6’3 SG 2021 - Cathedral (IN) Brady has really stepped up his game in the last few months. He is becoming a really good shooter and his range looks more like a college three-point line than high school. His ball handling has locked in and when Cathedral needed him, he was the guy bringing the ball up and making some key drives. He’s much more confident and the offense comes easy to him. He’s becoming more of a star at the perfect time before heading into college. [player_tooltip player_id="1063971" first="Jaxon" last="Edwards"] - 6’6 SF 2022 - Cathedral (IN) Jaxon is a long, lanky wing that has a ton of athleticism and some shooting ability. This was easily the best I had seen him play and he didn’t do much in the first half. He started to be more active and that allowed him to make a couple plays at the rim and then he started to get going from further out. Hit a nice triple and then mad a couple plays going at the rim. He has a lot of upside to tap into and maybe some came out today but he’s still very raw but the jumper gives some promise it will come out soon.