Open Gym Report: Zionsville 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. Through the first two weeks of my journey across the state I visited Fishers, North Central, Avon, Connersville, Kokomo, Cathedral, Franklin, and Crispus Attucks. To begin the third week of travels I took in a workout at Ben Davis High School on Monday afternoon and then made the short trip from my house to Richmond High School on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, I started with my first of three open gyms at Zionsville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Roster Breakdown</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head Coach J.R. Howell has turned in back-to-back 14-8 seasons to begin his career at Zionsville. However, the Eagles have also suffered back-to-back first round exits in Sectional 8. The primary goal this time around will be to cut down some nets in the postseason. There is no doubt that the talent level will be there to accomplish those goals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr. Basketball candidate [player_tooltip player_id='868255' first='Logan' last='Imes'] brings back his 17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. The 6'4" senior point guard has committed to Penn State and is fully healthy now after battling some injuries at the end of last season and throughout the summer. His elite decision-making and shot-making abilities will be the catalyst for whatever the Eagles do accomplish this season. His primary running mate will be Zionsville's interior presence [player_tooltip player_id='868244' first='Nick' last='Richart']. The 6'9" senior big man also battled through some nagging injuries last season but is playing the best basketball of his career right now. Richart has excellent footwork, is a high percentage finisher with both hands inside, and has the size to bother opponents at the rim defensively. Expect to see his production sky rocket this season and potentially play his way onto the Indiana All-Star team. The big lefty is a mid-major caliber forward and the perfect compliment to Imes' perimeter skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two other senior returnees will provide additional veteran depth for the Eagles. 6'3" wing [player_tooltip player_id='1140525' first='Edward' last='Thomas'] averaged 5.2 points per game and will play an important rotation role this year. Additionally, 6'3" Matthew Wlekinski is back and is an X-Factor for Zionsville. He is a guy who will do all of the little things and brings elite toughness to the group. 6'2" senior guard Lucas Louiso will also compete for minutes to round out the returning veterans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rest of Zionsville's rotation will likely be filled out by their extremely talented sophomore class. 6'3" guard [player_tooltip player_id='1525678' first='Maguire' last='Mitchell'], 6'2" guard [player_tooltip player_id='1525679' first='Drew' last='Snively'], 5'10" Jackson Tielker, and 5'10" guard [player_tooltip player_id='2277798' first='Eugene' last='Hilton'] will all contribute for the Eagles this season. These guys are very, very good and appear to be ready to make a leap after receiving a little bit of varsity experience as freshmen and playing quite a bit over the summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Outlook</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zionsville will be a Top 10, potentially Top 5, team in the preseason in Class 4A. A few weeks ago I previewed the top five state title favorites in each class and I included Zionsville in Class 4A. After seeing them live on Thursday morning I feel even better about that pick. Obviously only one team can win Sectional 8, and it will be extremely competitive, but the one-two punch of [player_tooltip player_id='868255' first='Logan' last='Imes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='868244' first='Nick' last='Richart'] is as good as any team in the state can boast. Their additional veteran pieces, plus a talented group of sophomores, will allow them to be deep and skilled at every position. The sky is the limit for Zionsville this season and making it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a realistic goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->