Hoop Hype Nationals Player Evaluations: Guards/Wings

<p>It can be a little harder to find AAU events during the month of July, but if you do some digging there were still a few tournaments around the state this past weekend. On Saturday I made the trip over to the Legacy Courts in Lafayette for Hoop Hype Nationals. With many programs already calling it quits for the summer it was an opportunity to see players run with different teams than they had in July. Let’s dive in to some player evaluations of the guards and wings that were in attendance on Saturday.</p> <p>Marcus Ankney (Center Grove H.S. 2023)</p> <p>6’3" athletic two-guard that can really shoot it. Ankney is at his best from the perimeter, but showed the ability to be an athletic finisher around the basket with success attacking closeouts. Good enough ball handler to bring the ball up the floor some and initiate offense. I like his athleticism, his ability to score it in a variety of ways, and obviously the outside shooting that he brings to the table. Will compete to be Center Grove’s leading scorer as a junior.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="870292" first="Caden" last="Harker"] (Twin Lakes H.S. 2022)</p> <p>Harker is an under-the-radar prospect that will be worth checking out for D3’s. He shot the ball very well on Saturday knocking in five three-pointers in the second half of one game. However, despite the hot shooting performance, he usually excels as a driver. At 6’3" with a strong frame, Harker loves to attack closeouts and can get up to finish around the rim with both hands at the end of his drives. Good rebounder from the guard spot.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1049173" first="Ben" last="Henderson"] (Harrison H.S. 2023)</p> <p>Another strong, athletic wing that stood out on Saturday. Henderson is a 6’2" scorer who gets it done with efficiency from all three levels. He is at his best as a driver where he can use his quick first step and athleticism to finish around the basket. Good pull-up jumper and intermediate game as well. Was a very good free throw shooter as a sophomore at Harrison so there is reason to believe he will keep getting better and better as a three-point shooter. Excellent rebounder as a guard. Good defensive instincts. Nice all-around prospect on the perimeter.</p> <p>Christopher Lucas (Harrison H.S. 2023)</p> <p>Lucas is a quick 5’9" point guard with good ball handling skills and solid vision in the open floor. He pushes the ball hard up the floor in transition with the ability to get it all the way to the basket and finish. More of a true lead guard than his older brother that scores it more. Lucas will be yet another talented piece in the Harrison backcourt along side his brother [player_tooltip player_id="870258" first="Jonah" last="Lucas"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1049173" first="Ben" last="Henderson"].</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="870258" first="Jonah" last="Lucas"] (Harrison H.S. 2022)</p> <p>Big time scoring guard that gets to his spot whenever he wants off of the dribble. The lefty combo guard is at his best as a finisher at the rim or hitting a pull-up jumper, but he continues to get better and better from beyond the arc as well. He hit a couple of threes off the ballscreen on Saturday and a deep pull-up triple in transition. That will just make him even harder to stop off of the bounce. Extremely athletic with some serious explosiveness getting to the rim. Active hands defensively on the ball.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1158212" first="Deion" last="Miles"] (Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2024)</p> <p>Playing up against older competition, Miles more than held his own on the court. The 6’0" lefty guard is very quick with the ball in his hands and plays with a great feel for the game despite being a younger guy. Very good off of the dribble. Continues to develop as an outside shooter, but creates his own shots off the bounce consistently. Will be a key backcourt piece at HSE as a sophomore.</p> <p>Nate Miller (North White H.S. 2022)</p> <p>Miller is an athletic 5’11" point guard that put together some great finishes at the rim on Saturday. He is a good ball handler that can break his man down off of the dribble and then be a playmaker as he gets into the paint. Needs to continue to become a better three-point shooter, but he is solid around the basket and is a good rebounder for a smaller guard. Not afraid to mix it up physically. </p> <p>Jadon Riley (Faith Christian H.S. 2022)</p> <p>Riley went off for 28 points in his first game on Saturday really catching my attention with his improvements off of the dribble. He has always been a very good three-point shooter, and that skill hasn’t gone anywhere, but he can now put it on the floor and create his own shot too. The 6’2" had success attacking closeouts and finishing with a variety of floaters and little pull-up jumpers. Expect a big scoring year from the Faith Christian two-guard.</p> <p>Darion Smith (Indiana Elite Prep 2022)</p> <p>Standing at just 5'5", this point guard gets overlooked a little bit but he can really, really play. Smith routinely penetrated the defense showcasing quickness of the bounce and great playmaking ability while attacking the basket. On the defensive end of the floor he is a tenacious on-ball defender that will really bother whoever he is matched up against. He can play at the small college level.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="935731" first="Eli" last="Swank"] (McCutcheon H.S. 2023)</p> <p>This 6'1" guard is a shooter. Swank showed the ability to consistently make catch-and-shoot threes which is obviously one of the most sought after skills in basketball. As the defense tightened up their closeouts he hit a number of one or two dribble pull-ups going both directions as well. I would expect a breakout junior season in McCutcheon's backcourt for Swank.</p>