Bundy’s Week 5 Player Evaluations: Underclassman Guards
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The week before Christmas was filled with several top-level holiday tournaments and some extremely good matchups with some of the top teams in the state. I was at Connersville and Franklin County for their holiday tournaments which featured some top-level…
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Continue ReadingThe week before Christmas was filled with several top-level holiday tournaments and some extremely good matchups with some of the top teams in the state. I was at Connersville and Franklin County for their holiday tournaments which featured some top-level talent from across the state. Let’s take a look at some of the evaluations from these two tournaments.
Player Evaluations
Josiah Blair (Triton Central) – 6’5″ 2023 Guard
Blair is a guard with good size and a nice shooting stroke, but he did struggle shooting the ball in this one. He was 4-7 from three, but he seemed to force a little when he got inside. Josiah is great on the catch and shoot, and his three-point shooting helped get Triton Central a 10 point lead late in the game. He also attacked the glass. Blair ended with 14 points and 11 boards in the loss.
Alex Crouse (Triton Central) – 5’10″ 2023 Guard
Crouse is a solid distributor of the ball, and he always seemed to find the open man. His drives and kicks led to several open three-point looks for the Tigers. Crouse also hit a big three in the third quarter to extend the Triton Central lead. Crouse had 7 assists, and if he can distribute the ball like that, they are going to be in a good spot.
Brant Ertel (Franklin County) – 6’0″ 2023 Guard
Ertel is a great spot-up shooter and is the type of guy that you cannot help off of. He hit 6 threes in his first game of the day, and he hit two more in the final two minutes of the first way in this one to cap a 28-9 second quarter for Franklin County. He can’t really create his own shot at this point in time, but his spot-up shooting and aggressiveness on the glass make him a really nice role player. He ended with 10 points and 8 rebounds in the win.
Tillman Etchison Tillman Etchison 5'10" | PG Hamilton Heights | 2024 State IN (Hamilton Heights) – 5’10″ 2024 Guard
The resemblance in the game between Tillman and his brother, Gus, is honestly pretty scary. He is smooth with the ball in his hands, and he distributes it well. Etchison is more of a pass-first player, but he can score it well when he needs to. He hit several quick floaters in the game with a nice mid-range jumper as well. Etchison did struggle from deep, but he ended the game with 16 points in the loss. He has a ton of potential for his future with a ton of potential in his game.
Braiden Hogg Braiden Hogg 6'1" | PG Richmond | 2024 State IN (Seton Catholic) – 6’1″ 2024 Guard
Hogg is a smaller guard who plays with a swagger about him. He finds his spaces, and he showed off some nice dribble and finishing moves. His shots weren’t falling from the outside, and he seemed to get a little frustrated by this, but he buckled down in the second half and played a great game. The duo of Hogg and Harvey is going to be a problem in 1A for the years to come.
Luke Jones (Monroe Central) – 5’11″ 2023 Guard
Jones is a smaller guard who was very impressive in the win over Bloomington North. He was an under-the-radar playoff who seemed to know his role and do exactly what his team needed. He also knocked down three triples and was incredibly efficient at 6-8 from the floor. Jones is a very fundamental and high IQ player, and he showed this with a 23-point performance. If Jones continues to play like this, Monroe Central is no doubt a top-5 team in 2A with the potential to make a deep run in the state tournament.
Dylan Moles Dylan Moles 6'3" | PG Greenfield-Central | 2023 State IN (Greenfield-Central) – 6’1″ 2023 Guard
Moles is one of the best true shooters in the state, and he showed it when he made 17,000 three-point shots during the pandemic. He always plays hard when he is on the floor, and with his quick release, he seems to make be able to get a shot off whenever he wants. Moles knows how to get a bucket when his team needs it, and he hit a couple of nice mid-range jumpers in this one.
Braylon Mullins Braylon Mullins 6'6" | SG Greenfield-Central | 2025 State #123 Nation IN (Greenfield-Central) – 6’3″ 2025 Guard
Mullins is one of the top freshmen in the state, and although he struggled in this one, he showed several bright spots. He has good size, and he loves to be aggressive with the ball. He struggled shooting, and it may be due to his shooting motion. He brings the ball up from his left hip when he goes into his shot, so his slow release allows to defense to recover. Mullins made some freshman mistakes, but he has potential.
Jacob Scruggs Jacob Scruggs 6'1" | PG South Decatur | 2024 State IN (South Decatur) – 5’11″ 2024 Guard
Scruggs is a smaller, shifty guard who scores the ball very well. However, he struggled against the stifling defense of Connersville in this one. The Spartans were in his grill all game long and held him to just 1-9 from the floor. There is no doubt that this was just an off-game from Scruggs. He has a ton of potential both scoring and as a point guard, and he will be a player to watch in the future for Division 3 coaches.
Josiah Ullom Josiah Ullom 5'10" | PG Muncie Central | 2023 IN (Monroe Central) – 5’11″ 2023 Guard
Ullom is a physical guard who doesn’t have the ball in his hands much since Jackson is running the offense, but he showed several bright spots in his game. He is very quick with the ball, and he was able to beat the tough Bloomington North press with his speed. He also sees the floor well and is able to find the open man when the defense is forced to help on his drives. Josiah does look to make too many special plays which result in frequent turnovers, but if he can limit these, he is a very good player for this Monroe Central ball club.