Open Gym Report: Fishers, Cathedral, Crispus Attucks

<p>Basketball season never sleeps at Prep Hoops Indiana. It may technically be football season, but roundball is always king here in the Hoosier state. Within the last 24 hours, I got out to open gyms at Fishers High School, Cathedral High School, and Crispus Attucks High School to see how things were going at the respective schools. All three are potential top 10 teams in Class 4A this coming season. Let’s dive right in to what we learned from each of these workouts.</p> <h3>Fishers High School</h3> <p>The Tigers enter year two with Coach Garrett Winegar at the helm with seven seniors to help provide continuity from a 14-7 season a year ago. Most notably, 6’7" power forward [player_tooltip player_id="769666" first="Jeffrey" last="Simmons"] returns as the schools all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Simmons is committed to play football at Miami (OH) and should anchor the interior for Fishers once again.</p> <p>Fellow seniors [player_tooltip player_id="958398" first="Charlie" last="Smith"] and [player_tooltip player_id="870272" first="Bryce" last="Williams"] provide a potent one-two combo in the backcourt. Smith is a super-skilled lead guard that has playmaking capabilities. Williams is more of a lightening bolt that is an excellent driver with a quick burst going to the rim. Both have significant varsity contribution under their belts. Josh Forbes and Sean Millsaps are two more senior guards that provide further depth in the backcourt. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="868234" first="Myles" last="Stringer"] is an explosive athlete with a lot of ability as well. He should have a breakout junior season and get on the radar of DII/NAIA programs across the state.</p> <p>One notable addition to the Tigers is 6’6" senior forward Peyton Weemer who moved in from Illinois. Weemer is a skilled 4-man that can stretch the floor out to the three-point line. He played very well on Wednesday afternoon in the Fishers open gym. Patient post moves around the basket with a nice right-handed hook shot over his left shoulder.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295340" first="Matt" last="Brewer"] is a returning senior big man that provides more size around the basket for the tigers. The 6’5" 235 pound post has good footwork for his size and is a consistent finisher. There is no shortage of depth on this team.</p> <p>We’ve gone long enough without addressing the most notable addition to the Fishers lineup and that is freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id="1297052" first="Jalen" last="Haralson"]. The 6’5" wing has the ball skill of a point guard, is physical beyond his years, and is an excellent passer. His development will be the X-factor this season of just how good the Tigers can be. Haralson is a legitimate top 50 national prospect in the 2025 class.</p> <p><strong>Final Thought: </strong>Fishers is a very deep team both on the perimeter and around the basket. Their entire rotation could feasibly end up playing college basketball. However, they may lack the top end talent to truly compete with the "big dogs" in the Indianapolis area. The Tigers will surprise some people though.</p> <h3>Cathedral High School</h3> <p>There is no sense in beating around the bush. Cathedral is going to the preseason #1 ranked team in the state of Indiana. They have the top end talent led by 4-star center [player_tooltip player_id="868219" first="Xavier" last="Booker"] in the Class of 2023. Mid-major recruit [player_tooltip player_id="870212" first="Tayshawn" last="Comer"] will man the point guard role for the fourth straight season, while breakout star 6’6" wing [player_tooltip player_id="1063971" first="Jaxon" last="Edwards"] provides a two-way boost a "3-and-D" type of player. 6’6" forward [player_tooltip player_id="868251" first="Jake" last="Davis"] may be the best in-state shooter in the 2023 class as well. It is an embarrassment of riches at Cathedral.</p> <p>How deep can the Irish be though? Junior [player_tooltip player_id="868252" first="Jaron" last="Tibbs"], a star wide receiver on the football team as well, will add perimeter depth while 6’7" senior center [player_tooltip player_id="1176168" first="Jaiden" last="Malichi"] will backup Booker down low. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="868260" first="Sincere" last="Germany"] will provide additional shooting off of the bench while a pair of freshman in [player_tooltip player_id="1297083" first="Lebron" last="Gough"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1297015" first="Deric" last="Cannady"] are expected to contribute at the varsity level as well. If those freshman can become legitimate threats sooner rather than later it will go a long way towards Cathedral leaving up to their state championship favorite hype.</p> <p><strong>Final Thought: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="868219" first="Xavier" last="Booker"] will be a dominant rim protector. [player_tooltip player_id="870212" first="Tayshawn" last="Comer"] is the best point guard in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="1063971" first="Jaxon" last="Edwards"] may be the best athlete in the state and [player_tooltip player_id="868251" first="Jake" last="Davis"] may be the best shooter in the state. That is a heck of a start when building a high school team. They are well coached under Jason Delany and have the top end talent to win a state championship. Their sectional is a gauntlet though. Development of depth will decide how far they go.</p> <h3>Crispus Attucks High School</h3> <p>4-star Class of 2023 forward [player_tooltip player_id="868218" first="Jalen" last="Hooks"] gets most of the headlines and rightfully so. He is one of the most talented prospects in the state of Indiana and is being recruited at a very high level. There is more to this Attucks team though and it begins with the senior class in the backcourt.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="870285" first="Willie" last="Mays"], [player_tooltip player_id="870264" first="James" last="Smith"], and [player_tooltip player_id="870284" first="Christian" last="Nunn"] will provide the veteran leadership and guard stability to take the Tigers a long way. Mays is a heady 5’10" point guard that will run the show with the ball in his hands. Smith is a talented bulldog of a guard that gives a great secondary ball handling option. Excellent driver and shooter that is starting to attract college interest from all levels. Everyone from low-major D1’s to powerhouse NAIA programs have been in to see the 6’2" guard. Nunn, a transfer from Liberty Christian, is extremely athletic and one of the most physical wings in the state. He simply overpowers people on his way to the rim. These three guards will do a lot to provide some balance to the Crispus Attucks attack.</p> <p>There is an influx of young talent here as well. A pair of sophomores, [player_tooltip player_id="1275781" first="Demetrius" last="Jenkins"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1275771" first="Ron" last="Rutland III"], will both be relied upon to provide depth in the backcourt. Jenkins is an uber-athletic lefty driver that can get by his man with ease. Just super quick with the ball in his hands. Rutland is a talented guard that transferred in from North Central with high expectations. Both 2024 prospects will help this season.</p> <p>Additionally, 6’5" freshman big man [player_tooltip player_id="1297019" first="Dezmon" last="Briscoe"] will be relied upon to anchor things inside. If you are wondering if he is up to the task, yes he is. He may be young but he is very, very talented. The size of Hooks, along with the physicality of Nunn and Smith on the wings will help make the transition easier for the freshman big man as well.</p> <p><strong>Final Thought: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="868218" first="Jalen" last="Hooks"] will give Attucks a player as good as anyone on the court in any game. Veteran guards generally win games too and Coach Chris Hawkins has three of them to rely upon. Similar to Cathedral though, the development of the freshman and sophomore classes will determine how good Attucks can be this season.</p>