Open Gym Report: Avon High School

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here at Prep Hoops Indiana the fall means it is time to get out to high school open gyms. Indiana High School Basketball teams are now allowed two on court days a week and we take that opportunity to start previewing the upcoming season. That tour around the state began on Wednesday with the Fishers College Combine Day. Then, it rolled on to North Central High School to watch the Panthers on Thursday evening. Finally, on Friday morning, I wrapped up the week at Avon High School to see the Orioles. On paper, there are massive shoes to fill at Avon with the graduation of Chrishon McCray and his 23.9 points per game. However, there is a lot of young talent to be excited about that could lead to an improvement in the win-loss column this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Roster Breakdown</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Replacing 23.9 points per game from one player is never an easy thing to do. Chrishon McCray is now playing football at Kent State leaving a big hole offensively for the Orioles to replace. However, second year head coach Drew Schauss believes this group offers reason for optimism. Most notably, Avon returns second leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1172872' first='Jordan' last='Lomax'] who is ranked #28 overall in the Class of 2024 by Prep Hoops Indiana. The 6'2" junior guard averaged 10.3 points per game and will look to experience a breakout season. Avon will also feature a pair of talented seniors who will stretch the floor with their three-point shooting ability. 6'4" athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1391627' first='Daniel' last='Eck'] is working through an arm injury but will be a major contributor for the Orioles after averaging 8.4 points per game a year ago. [player_tooltip player_id='1556367' first='Keilyn' last='Moore'] is another rotation piece from last year's team that is back after a strong summer on the AAU circuit. The 6'1" guard is a great athlete and can really shoot it from beyond the arc. Those three are the most known commodities and will likely determine how good Avon can be this season. Another senior, [player_tooltip player_id='1461771' first='Elijah' last='Collier'], returns after averaging just a tick under 4 points per game a season ago. He is a long 6'4" wing that was AAU teammates with Moore over the summer and will look to take on an expanded role as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Orioles feature a very strong sophomore class that will get some valuable experience this season and will likely win them games down the road. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1539998' first='Rashod' last='Bethley'] will play a major role in the backcourt as a primary ball handler. 6'4" forward [player_tooltip player_id='1578429' first='Kendrick' last='Dunmore'] will be a name to remember this season as someone who will likely experience a bit of a breakout. He has excellent defensive and rebounding instincts that will be useful around the rim for Avon. On the wing, sophomore and [player_tooltip player_id='1297038' first='Isaac' last='Kramer'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1539485' first='Terrell' last='Irons'] will both likely see significant minutes. Kramer is skilled and had a very successful summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2400000' first='Indiana' last='Elite Team Indiana'] 2025 while Irons is as physically gifted as anyone in the class and helped [program_tooltip program_id='2076924' first='EG10' last=''] 2025 win a lot of games. Remember the name Enoch Atewogbola as well. The sophomore forward transferred from Speedway and will likely be a contributor down the road for Avon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Time will tell how quickly they contribute at the variety level, but a trio of freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1561670' first='Tyrone' last='Elmore'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561095' first='Christopher' last='Thompson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1561685' first='Jedidiah' last='Minnett'] have caught Coach Schauss' attention early in their careers. These names should sound familiar from our Prep Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase as well. These guys will certainly help the Orioles in a major capacity at some point in their careers and will compete right away at the JV level at the least.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Outlook</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a 9-16 season that saw Avon lose six games by one possession, Coach Schauss is hopeful that some breaks will turn their way this time around. Being on the brink of beating teams like Fishers, Zionsville, and Brownsburg a year ago should give this team the belief that they can play with anyone. However, at some point, you do have to get over the hump and turn those close losses into close wins. That could be hard to do with a young team, but there is an improving depth of talent in the Orioles program. Time will tell just how competitive they will be, but expect to see Avon as a tougher out than you might think on paper in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference and in Sectional 12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->