3 For 3: Week 14 Preview
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The last week of the high school boys’ basketball regular season has unfortunately hit us but we at Prep Hoops Indiana want to still give you the absolute best coverage in the whole state. Indiana is full of great teams…
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Continue ReadingThe last week of the high school boys’ basketball regular season has unfortunately hit us but we at Prep Hoops Indiana want to still give you the absolute best coverage in the whole state. Indiana is full of great teams and talented players thus giving the fans incredible matchups every week. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
3 Players
Wesley Celichowski Wesley Celichowski 7'0" | C Floyd Central | 2022 State IN – 7’0 2022 C – Floyd Central: Celichowski is a massive post prospect that is a little underrated as this guy is such a huge advantage for a really good Floyd Central squad. He takes up so much room in the post area and can be just a flat-out disrupter on the defensive end. When I watched him back in week 11 I was just extremely impressed by how hard he runs the floor for his size. Even if he is not the quickest, his footwork is so fundamentally sound he makes the post defender’s job so difficult. He and the Highlanders are going to be a tough team to stop this post-season. He and Floyd Central will finish out the season with a home game vs Columbus East on 2/23.
Luke LaGrange Luke LaGrange 6'5" | SF Leo | 2022 State IN – 6’5 2022 SF – Leo: As far as Northern Indiana is concerned, LaGrange is one of the better spot up shooters in the 2022 class. Does a very good job with his 6th man role on this talented Leo team and the few times I have seen him he has came in and has been ready to be a shooter off the ball that they need. Does look like there are some smaller school like Wabash that are interested in him and honestly a school like that is where he will find the most success. The taller wing is a dangerous threat for a highly talented Lions team. LaGrange and Leo will finish the regular season at Fort Wayne Blackhawk (2/22) and home vs Woodlan (2/25).
A.J. Dixon A.J. Dixon 6'5" | SF Merrillville | 2022 State IN – 6’5 2022 SF – Merrillville: Dixon is one of the most versatile wings that is still available in our 2022 class. Merrillville as a team has not had the best of season (8-13 record), but Dixon himself has had a good year that has earned him offers from Howard College and Edison State Community College to his list that also includes Trinity Christian College, Marian University, and Eastern Florida University. He is just a two-way player that can play multiple positions with such a high ceiling. He and the finish the season at Penn on 2/25.
3 Teams
Jeffersonville (4A): What a rocky year this Red Deville team has had with suspensions, injuries, COVID, and so much more. The bight side for this team? They have everybody back and ready to go for Sectionals. When things are perfect, this Jeffersonville team has one of the most talented rosters in Southern Indiana being led by experienced guys like Will Lovings-Watts Will Lovings-Watts 6'5" | SF Jeffersonville | 2022 State IN , Javan Buchanan Javan Buchanan 6'6" | PF Lafayette Jefferson | 2022 State IN , Brandon Rayzer-Moore Brandon Rayzer-Moore 6'5" | SG Jeffersonville | 2022 State IN , and Kobe Stoudemire Kobe Stoudemire 5'9" | PG Jeffersonville | 2022 State IN . This week provides another chance for this team is get more reps in with home games vs Madison (2/22) and Castle (2/25) before getting right into Sectionals.
Wapahani (2A): This Raider team is one of the toughest 2A squads we have in the state. Led by a very talented backcourt duo of Isaac Andrews Isaac Andrews 6'1" | SG Wapahani | 2024 State IN and Aidan Franks Aidan Franks 6'2" | SG Wapahani | 2023 State IN , Wapahani has a 17-4 record and can make an argument at being one of the top 10 teams in class 2A. If you have a great backcourt duo, you are usually a team that can do some damage and this will be a team that can easily make a run here in the post-season. They finish the regular season off with Shenandoah on 2/25.
Bethesda Christian (1A): The Patriots of Bethesda Christian is an experienced squad that knows how to find ways to win. This year, they currently stand 14-5 and had started the season with a 7 game winning streak before having and up-and-down rest of the season. They got a very good draw in Sectional 58 and this week have a chance to get 3 more wins games at Covenant Christian (2/22), at Indianapolis Lutheran (2/24), and home vs Providence Cristo Rey (2/25).
3 Matchups
Leo (3A) at Fort Wayne Blackhawk (2A) – Feb 22nd, 7:30pm: This is probably the biggest game in Northern Indiana this whole last week of the regular season. Not only are these two of the top teams in their respective classes, you have a battle between two legit, high level big men in Josh Furst Josh Furst 6'6" | C Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN and Caedmon Bontrager Caedmon Bontrager 6'8" | PF Leo | 2022 State IN . This game comes down to who has the best supporting cast around the big men and I think it is safe to say that the Lions of Leo have that with LaGrange, D.J. Allen D.J. Allen 6'7" | PF Leo | 2022 State IN , Trey Hiteshew Trey Hiteshew 6'3" | PG Leo | 2024 State IN , and others. This will be a high scoring game but I think Leo gets it done on the road.
Arsenal Tech (4A) at Kokomo (4A) – Feb 23rd, 7:30pm: This is a fun one to look at on paper. At first glance you see a loaded Tech team with Reggie Bass Reggie Bass 6'4" | SG Arsenal Tech | 2022 State #175 Nation IN , Matt Spears Matt Spears 6'7" | PF Arsenal Tech | 2022 State IN , Antonio Lisenbee Jr., Rasheed Jones Rasheed Jones 6'6" | SF Arsenal Tech | 2022 State IN and on the other end you have currently the best prospect in the 2024 Class with Flory Bidunga Flory Bidunga 6'9" | C Kokomo | 2024 State #7 Nation IN leading the Kokomo Wildcats. Both of these teams are two of the better squads we have at the 4A level but one is obviously more talented than the other. Give me Tech with the road win here.
Bloomfield (1A) at Barr-Reeve (1A) – Feb 25th, 7:30pm: What a matchup to round out 1A Southern Indiana ball at the 1A level this season between two of the top 7 teams in that class. Both squads have 15 plus wins on the year and have bounced around the top part of the rankings through out the season. Lot of real solid talent in this one too with Hagen Knepp Hagen Knepp 6'4" | SF Barr-Reeve | 2022 State IN and Baylin Graf Baylin Graf 6'4" | SF Bloomfield | 2022 State IN battling it out. Barr-Reeve is not the powerhouse they once were but could see them getting a big home win to build some momentum heading into Sectionals. Vikings wins here.