Open Gym Report: Bloomington High School South

<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. So far, I've visited Fishers, North Central, Avon, Connersville, Kokomo, Cathedral, Franklin, Crispus Attucks, Ben Davis, Richmond, Zionsville, Carmel, Bishop Chatard, and Guerin Catholic. After being out of town for week and not making it to any workouts, I was back on the road last week starting at Noblesville on Tuesday morning before hitting Center Grove on Tuesday afternoon. Now, this week, I started by making the trip down to Bloomington South. Let's take a deeper look at the Panthers.</p>   <h2>Roster Breakdown</h2>   <p>Above all else, one thing is certain when talking about Bloomington South basketball. J.R. Holmes is still the head coach and that means they will likely win a good amount more than they will lose. Entering his 53rd season overall, Coach Holmes has won an Indiana state record 880 games, including 737 as the boss at Bloomington South. Last year, the Panthers finished 19-8 and were bounced in the sectional final 32-28 in overtime to rival Bloomington North. It was the first time the Panthers failed to win a sectional championship since 2014. This year, Center Grove joins the fray in Sectional 13 after realignment moved the Columbus school elsewhere. Can Bloomington South get back to cutting down the sectional nets? Only time will tell.</p>   <p>Leading the way for Bloomington South this season will be 6'8" senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1295381' first='Gavin' last='Wisley']. After a terrific summer, the stretch 4-man played his way into offers from Manchester, Anderson, DePauw, Goshen, and Huntington. He continues to be highly sought after at the small college level and could still have room to grow his recruitment with a strong senior season. Wisley is an excellent shooter which at his size makes him a very tough cover for opposing defenses. Expect to be hearing his name a lot this coming winter.</p>   <p>Adding some additional experience and size in the front court will be 6'6" senior [player_tooltip player_id='1556508' first='Rhett' last='Johnson']. An important piece off of the bench as the Panthers sixth man last season, Johnson will likely take on an expanded role this time around. He is a physical presence around the basket that provides the perfect compliment to Wisley's ability to step outside and stretch the floor. The two of them together make for a nice complimentary one-two punch for the Bloomington South front court.</p>   <p>In the backcourt, the Panthers will rely on some veterans to step into larger roles than they have played in the past. 5'11" senior [player_tooltip player_id='1236653' first='Aiden' last='Schmitz'] is an excellent shooter who was a rotation piece a year ago, but will be relied upon more heavily to score the basketball this season. Likewise, 5'10" senior Andrew Baran will likely take over the point guard duties and be asked play the role of table-setter. There are several other pieces who will be called upon to step up this season as Bloomington South features eight seniors and a couple of talented up-and-comers in the younger classes. Coach Holmes still has about a month to figure out his rotation and what combination will give him the best chance to win.</p>   <p>One potential wild card worth noting is the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='1160271' first='Zach' last='Sims']. A 6'3" junior guard who transferred in from Edgewood, Sims averaged 14.5 points per game last season. He is currently appealing his eligibility after transferring to Bloomington South. If he is able to suit up, his offensive firepower in the backcourt could really help the Panthers.</p>   <h2>Season Outlook</h2>   <p>For a long time, the sectional ran through Bloomington South. Last season, Bloomington North broke through and cut down the nets. Now, Center Grove joins Sectional 13 as a legitimate contender. However, anytime you have Coach Holmes on the sidelines and Bloomington South across the chest it is fair to consider the Panthers among the favorites. There will be a lot of new faces playing big roles at the varsity level, but it is still an older group. [player_tooltip player_id='1295381' first='Gavin' last='Wisley'] is poised for a big senior year and could be an equalizer come tournament time. Never count this group out when March rolls around.</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. So far, I've visited Fishers, North Central, Avon, Connersville, Kokomo, Cathedral, Franklin, Crispus Attucks, Ben Davis, Richmond, Zionsville, Carmel, Bishop Chatard, and Guerin Catholic. After being out of town for week and not making it to any workouts, I was back on the road last week starting at Noblesville on Tuesday morning before hitting Center Grove on Tuesday afternoon. Now, this week, I started by making the trip down to Bloomington South. Let's take a deeper look at the Panthers.