Prep Hoops 2K21: 2023 Shooting Guards

This past weekend we saw the last July live period and the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis hosted one of the biggest events and provided a ton of opportunity for coaches to see our in-state prospects with Prep Hoops 2K21. There were a ton of notable performances at all levels but here we are going to focus on our Indiana 2023 prospects specifically. Time to take a look at some evaluations on our 2023 shooting guards.   [player_tooltip player_id="1141050" first="Jay" last="Patterson"] – 6’2 SG – Taylor – HC Havoc: Patterson is a bigger shooting guard that has a very balanced game. Not super quick but uses his size and natural strength to make plays. Plays mostly inside but has the ability to knock down the open jumpers if the defense is not careful. Sees the floor well and does not force anything wild. Like how smart of a player he is and think there is some untapped potential in Patterson. Eian Roudebush – 6’2 SG – New Palestine – Indiana Ice 2023 Silver: Roudebush is shooting guard that is strong and has a great build. Pretty well balanced game and not too dominate on one specific thing. Shot it pretty well from behind the arc and drove super hard and got through contact heading towards the basket. He is not super quick but he uses his physicality to his advantage on both ends. Overall, you could tell by watching Roudebush that he is an athlete and I strongly feel he was one of the more underrated players this past weekend. Andrew Heckman – 6’4 SG – Warsaw – Indiana Attack 2023 White: Heckman is a taller guard that can mix it up on the offense. Though he played more as a combo guard in the game I watched, I feel he is suited more as a two guard in the long term based off his off ball playmaking and length. Shot the ball well off the catch from the outside and had an aggressive drive that resulted in an And1. Has a calm composure to his style of play is smart enough to pick and choose when to make his move. Solid showcase for Heckman here. [player_tooltip player_id="868266" first="Connor" last="Hussong"] – 6’3 SG – Tipton – Indiana Elite Swish 2023: Hussong is a taller shooting guard that was on fire here. Shot the ball so well from behind the arc and was stepping into them with a confident catch and shoot. I have seen Hussong a ton over this past spring and summer and it just seemed like he looked better and better each time. Also heard that he had averaged 14 ppg and was 16-33 from 3 in 4 games this weekend. Offseason will be big for him as he has the opportunity to add some more muscle and continue to improve his game. I expect big things from Hussong come high school ball. [player_tooltip player_id="868237" first="A.J." last="Lux"] – 6’5 SG – Crown Point – Indiana Game 2023 –1: Lux is a taller shooting guard that always plays at a high level on the basketball floor. Outside shots were falling here and his quick release had him hitting some real tough ones. Utilized the pick-and-roll game well here and was solid about either finding the roller for the easy bucket or faking out the defense and getting a bucket of his own. Overall, just always so impressed with Lux's game and honestly don't think there are too many better shooters in the state than him. He is a in for a big time junior season and expect those offers to be rolling in sooner rather than later. Thomas Collins – 6’1 SG – Culver Academy – Indiana Game 2023 –1: Collins is a shorter shooting guard that has some underrated skill. Was money from behind the arc and mixed in a nice floater as well. One of the best plays I saw from him was his strong first move off the dribble that resulted in a baseline slam. Though he is not the tallest player on the floor, you do notice how naturally athletic, strong, and quick he is when on the floor. Did not hardly make any mistakes and looked to be a very reliable player for Indiana Game. Nolan Bales – 5’11 SG – Plymouth – Indiana Attack Blue: Bales is a very small shooting guard that has a high IQ on the floor. Though his build suggests he is a lead guard, he actually played mostly off the ball and was finding ways to slip through the defense to get an open look. Shot it behind the arc off the catch well and really loved how hard he worked on the defensive end. Don't know if he is done growing or not but right now just based off of his size he will probably be on the ball in the long term while also providing scoring himself. Real interesting prospect to watch for. [player_tooltip player_id="1150871" first="Aidan" last="Franks"] – 6’1 SG – Wapahani – D1 Indiana 16U: Franks is a shorter shooting guard that can really light it up. He works hard off the ball to find an opening and has a real smooth yet quick looking jumper. His skillset ranges too as he is able to utilize great ball handles to also drive it inside and finish well on his right handed layups. Second time seeing him play in person and was again pretty impressed this time around. Overall, I feel that Franks is a natural sharpshooter that has a great feel for the game. Keep an eye out on Franks because this shooter has the tools to play at that next level. Jacob Franklin – 6’2 SG – Lawrence Central – Team Teague 2023: Franklin is a shooting guard who has a bigger build and is naturally strong. He is not super quick but uses his strength and aggressiveness to his advantage. Not really much of an outside threat in the game I watched where it looked like he was more comfortable driving it hard off the dribble and bulling his way through contact. Real defensive heavy and can guard multiple spots. Also finishes well on his left handed drives. Solid showing from Franklin and curios to see more of him. [player_tooltip player_id="1158635" first="Austin" last="Cripe"] – 6’3 SG – West Noble – Tipping Point 2023: Cripe is a bigger shooting guard that can score at a very high level. He is a sharpshooter and once he got in rhythm, there was no stopping his scoring. Rebounds real well on both ends is just so aggressive on everything he does on the floor. Can mix it up in the inside and overall is just real consistent with his scoring. Cripe is a very talented player that is continuing to raise his stock. Watch out for this prospect because I think he is going to start turning heads.