Preseason Sleeper Teams in Class 2A

There will be Indiana High School Basketball games played exactly four weeks from today. These next couple of weeks are were the preseason starts to get a little long and monotonous. Open gyms and fall workouts have been going on for over a month now, but the season itself is still a month away. To try and break up this portion of the fall we at Prep Hoops Indiana will turn back to previewing the upcoming season. A few weeks ago we went class-by-class highlighting who we believed to be the state championship favorites. Now, we will turn our attention to some potential sleepers in each class. We started with the small schools in 1A and now will breakdown Class 2A. These teams could turn some heads this winter.

Carroll (Flora)

It really isn’t fair to considered Carroll a sleeper after going 24-2 a season ago and advancing to the semi-state. However, Class 2A is so deep this season that you have to lump some very good teams into the sleeper category. The Cougars lack some of the statewide name recognition, so here they are. For starters, they return their three leading scorers from last year’s team. 6’3″ senior wing Owen Duff Owen Duff 6'2" | SG Carroll (Flora) | 2023 State IN averaged 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while 6’4″ senior Jake Skinner Jake Skinner 6'4" | SF Carroll (Flora) | 2023 State IN contributed 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. That is an excellent one-two punch that provides some size, length, experience, and obvious talent. In the backcourt, junior guard Chris Huerta Chris Huerta 5'10" | PG Carroll-Flora | 2024 IN averaged 12.3 points per game and will relieve some pressure from his senior teammates. Carroll brings back a few other rotation pieces from their semi-state squad as well and will look to advance one step further to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Eastern Hancock

Eastern Hancock went 22-6 last season and advanced to the semi-state before losing to eventual state champion Providence. Some may look at the roster, see that Landon O’Neal graduated with his 16.3 points per game, and begin to write the Royals off. However, Coach Aaron Spaulding brings back his next four top scorers including his twin sons who are very good players. Jacob Spaulding Jacob Spaulding 6'0" | SG Eastern Hancock | 2023 State IN averaged 13.9 points per game while his brother Silas Spaulding Silas Spaulding 6'0" | SG Eastern Hancock | 2023 IN added 10.4 points. These two are both excellent shooters who will be really hard to guard all season long. Fellow seniors Edric Miller and Grant Gray were major contributors to last season’s semi-state run as well and will add a little size to the front court. Expect this senior-laden squad to once again before a force in Class 2A.

Park Tudor

Again, Park Tudor seems a little over qualified to be a sleeper, but the facts would tell a different story. The Panthers haven’t won a sectional since 2016 and haven’t even won a postseason game in either of the last two tournaments. However, Heritage Christian has now moved to Class 3A which will open up their sectional field a little bit. Led by 6’7″ senior wing Jermaine Coleman Jermaine Coleman 6'7" | SF Park Tudor | 2023 State IN , Coach Tim Adams will have the firepower to play with anyone this season. Coleman was named an Indiana Junior All-Star last season after averaging 17 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Ranked #12 in the senior class by Prep Hoops Indiana, Coleman holds nine Division I offers. Senior guard Bryce Petty Bryce Petty 6'1" | PG Park Tudor | 2023 State IN and sophomore guard Hudson Horvath Hudson Horvath 6'1" | PG Park Tudor | 2025 State IN , a North Central transfer, will be helpful pieces in the backcourt for the Panthers. On the wing, senior Thomas Ruffin Thomas Ruffin 6'2" | SF Park Tudor | 2023 IN will provide additional experience and depth. Park Tudor finished 14-7 last season.

Tipton

The Blue Devils graduated Nolan Powell who averaged a double-double, but return their next three leading scorers who are young and talented. A year ago, Tipton went 17-7 and won Sectional 39. Now, they will look to try and advance even further. Junior point guard Nolan Swan Nolan Swan 5'10" | PG Tipton | 2024 State IN will lead the way as a potential Indiana Junior All-Star candidate. The talented playmaker averaged 16.7 points and 5.2 assists per game as a sophomore. His primary running mate will be 6’4″ sophomore guard Grady Carpenter Grady Carpenter 6'4" | PG Tipton | 2025 State IN who contributed 9.0 points per game as a freshman. These two both had strong summers and will look to take another leap this season in ever-expanding roles. Junior guard Jackson Money and senior wing Connor Hussong Connor Hussong 6'3" | SG Tipton | 2023 State IN will be relied upon to contribute heavily as well.

University

Fresh off of a 16-10 season and trip to the regional final, Coach Brandon Lafferman will return a ton of production from that successful group. Namely, leading scorer Sabien Cain is back after averaging 16.1 points per game on very impressive efficiency. The 6’3″ strong junior guard is an excellent scorer with the ability to get a bucket from just about anywhere on the floor at any given time. 6’5″ forward Andre Ozlowski Andre Ozlowski 6'5" | SF University | 2023 State IN is the next leading returner bringing back 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. His role should really expand this season after losing Larry Pierce to graduation. There are four more returning contributors in the Trailblazers backcourt that averaged between 3.5 and 6.5 points per game a year ago. This will be a deep, talented team that will be a season long contender in Class 2A.