Mr. Basketball Race: Post-Christmas Update

The high school season is a little over halfway over in the calendar but with so much backloaded with regards to schedules, we are likely to get a lot of games in a short period of time here over the next two months. With that in mind, we wanted to take an overview of the landscape for Mt. Basketball. This season is especially difficult to take a guess as to who might win because more so than any other year, we expect the voters have seen less games than normal. There isn’t the fanfare, there isn’t these massive events where a player can gain momentum. It might be the first time in a while where a player might win based on the sum of their season rather than a short burst of great performances which has happened in the past. So today, we are looking at some names that we have heard mentioned as potential candidates and get some general reference points to where they are. This isn’t just my opinion, this is taking in thoughts from coaches, scouts, as well as my own thoughts and previous experience with this award to hopefully give some context to how the race is playing out today. [player_tooltip player_id="529561" first="Caleb" last="Furst"] - 6’9 PF 2021 - Blackhawk Christian (IN) Maybe the most marketed player and guy that has proven himself to this stage is Furst. He’s played in a bunch of big time events, been where the most eyes could be on him and he’s played well. Even when he hasn’t been at his best, he’s still producing like crazy. While Caleb isn’t the flashiest person, he’s going to an in-state school, producing at a high, high level, and on one of the best teams in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="529572" first="Trey" last="Kaufman"] - 6’7 PF 2021 - Silver Creek (IN) Kaufman’s injury to start the year probably hurt his chances quite a bit. He needed that game against Furst at Southport to get some momentum going. Since he has been back, his numbers look good but he needs some more visibility in a time where that is very difficult to come by. Trey is looking good with his play so far but a state title run needs to be there if he is going to get more into the fray. [player_tooltip player_id="647199" first="Luke" last="Brown"] - 6’1 PG 2021 - Blackford (IN) Luke has been about as consistent as can be putting up massive numbers every game. His team isn’t as strong as maybe it was a year ago but he the top scorer in the state, the most well-known player and while it is very likely he will be in the Top 5 All-Time Scorers by the time the regular season is over, the thought might be that he needs to put his team on his back and make a run in March. [player_tooltip player_id="569313" first="Blake" last="Wesley"] - 6’5 SG 2021 - South Bend Riley (IN) Blake has been as strong as anyone this season in his scoring. Putting up more than 30 points per game, he has cemented himself in the conversation. He’s not as well known as Furst, Kaufman, or Brown but his play this season in on par with theirs this year. The optics are more about team success. Riley is better this season than previously but they will need to have a strong two months here to put him back in the minds of voters around the state. [player_tooltip player_id="569321" first="Kooper" last="Jacobi"] - 6’6 SF 2021 - Silver Creek (IN) With the absence of Kaufman to start the year, [player_tooltip player_id="569321" first="Kooper" last="Jacobi"] has made a case that he might be more qualified at this stage of Mr. Basketball than his teammate. Kaufman gets a lot of notoriety because of his past experience but Jacobi has been an absolute stellar player in his own right and his stats this year back it up. This dynamic could be an interesting one to take a look at later but Kooper has the better case for this season alone so far. [player_tooltip player_id="783143" first="Brooks" last="Barnhizer"] - 6’6 SF 2021 - Lafayette Jefferson (IN) Brooks has been so, so good this year to start. He’s picked up his scoring a ton and has his team playing very well. Jeff hasn’t had a difficult schedule to this point but they just beat a talented Fishers team by almost 20 and play some games all over the state the last half of the schedule that could help get his name out there more. This is going to be a case more about his visability in the state more than his production because he might have the best resume, stat-wise in the state. D.J. Hughes - 6’7 PF 2021 - Lawrence North (IN) DJ has been so good the last two years for Lawrence North and has been kind of their backbone. He’s arguably the best player on the best team in the state. Visibility isn’t an issue, everyone knows who he is. The bigger question some have had will be about his production. This is where it gets tough because you can make the case that he plays on the best team with the most talent and he’s a very good teammate, wiling to make the extra play to his guys on the perimeter. If you choose to just look at his stats on paper, they are great but not as flashy as some others on this list, but it won’t tell you the whole story. Kid is good. Couple Other Names: Some other names that have been brought up have been guys like [player_tooltip player_id="529568" first="Luke" last="Goode"], [player_tooltip player_id="783148" first="Chris" last="Mantis"], [player_tooltip player_id="569304" first="Jayden" last="Taylor"], and [player_tooltip player_id="783180" first="Shamar" last="Avance"]. The one on here maybe with the best case to be made is Avance who those who love him argue he might be better than his teammate, [player_tooltip player_id="830575" first="DJ" last="Hughes"], this season. My Personal Thoughts: My opinion right now is it is way too early to tell. Before the season, I was definitely leaning to Furst and Kaufman with Brown right there and it was a clear Top 3. I think [player_tooltip player_id="783143" first="Brooks" last="Barnhizer"] has maybe made the best case but has also likely had the easiest schedule so far so I’m waiting to see some of those tougher games coming up which could propel him to the top of my list. Kaufman missing time hurts, I want to see a full season from guys and to be honest, [player_tooltip player_id="569321" first="Kooper" last="Jacobi"] has been so good that I’m not sure what to think. I have always believed that team success matters in this. If you are good enough of a player to be a Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana, you should be good enough to carry your team. Doesn’t mean you need to win a state title but you can’t be a team that gets bounced in the first round even in Sectional 10. So, I think that is why it is really early but Barnhizer, Furst, and Brown might be the top group at the moment but with so many games still to play, that is going to change about 10 more times and I’m not sure who I would actually pick right now if the season ended today.