The Stage – Ramsey’s Saturday Notebook

Another day of action is officially in the books here at The Stage. We have a 12+ hour day spent primarily at the Pacers Athletic Center taking in all of the best games and individual performances all while networking with the dozens of college coaches that came through the doors on Saturday. Let’s jump right in to emptying the notebook from Saturday’s games.

8:00 a.m. Crew Jump Starts the Day

You shouldn’t receive a lack of coverage just because your game tips off at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday. That is why I’ve made part of my brand highlight the “8:00 a.m. crew” every morning. On Saturday morning at the Pacers Athletic Center we had some players stand out bright and early. Kaden Braxton (Shakopee (MN) H.S. 2024) helped lead his MN Crossfire 2024 Becker squad to victory in the first time slot against Indiana Attack Basketball Club 2024. The 6’0″ point guard was shifty off of the dribble, penetrated consistently, and showcased good finishing ability.

On the other 8:00 a.m. courts, 6’9″ center Drew King (Joliet West H.S. 2024) turned in a dominant performance around the basket in a win for Chicago Lockdown 2024. The talented big man was all over the offensive glass and finished consistently on his putback attempts. His size is a real difference-maker on the defensive end of the floor as well. Elsewhere, there was a good backcourt battle going on in the AUSA Australia Miles versus Region Elite 2024 matchup. Lucas Huxtable, an unsigned senior from Australia, got the best of the contest scoring 14 points to lead his team to victory. However, Michael Winchester (Seeger H.S. 2024) showcased a smooth left-handed scoring ability in the loss for Region Elite.

Kentucky Future Elite Shines Going 2-0 on Saturday

Small college programs in the Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio area should circle this group and get to know them well. Indred Whitaker Indred Whitaker 6'1" | CG Somerset | 2024 State KY (Somerset H.S. 2024) was the most impressive on the day scoring 21 points in a morning blowout victory followed by a 19-point performance in a 75-72 win over a very good Border Select Basketball 2024 squad in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Ian Reesor Ian Reesor 6'6" | PF Sayre | 2024 State KY (Sayre H.S. 2024) turned in back-to-back 14 point games including a double-double in the hard-fought afternoon win. The 6’6″ forward has good strength, footwork, and ball skill around the basket. Rowen Williams Rowen Williams 6'4" | PF Lexington Catholic | 2024 KY (Lexington Catholic 2024) also went for 14 points in both games on Saturday while adding 10 rebounds for a double-double in Kentucky Future Elite’s afternoon victory. Finally, 6’3″ guard Ben Godby Ben Godby 6'4" | SG Somerset | 2024 State KY (Somerset H.S. 2024) also stood out for this group. He showed off his high-level finishing ability in the morning scoring 16 points and then backed it up with an 11-point performance in the afternoon. Again, these guys are very good!

More of the Same From AUSA Brook

These unsigned seniors that came to America to play on the Prep Hoops Circuit this spring are the real deal. They burst onto the scene last weekend at the Chi-Town Tip-Off, continue to standout this weekend at The Stage, and will get a chance to play in front of Division I coaches next weekend in Minneapolis at the NCAA Certified Prep Hoops LIVE event. Versatile 6’7″ forward Nevarda Higgins was arguably the most impressive on Saturday in a dominant win over a talented R4L 2024 team from Ohio. Higgins can stretch the floor out beyond three-point range, consistently played above the rim as a finisher, and showcased an excellent motor on both ends of the floor. He finished with 13 points in the win. His front court running mate Tasman Goodrich was AUSA Brook’s leading scorer in this one finishing with 14 points. The 6’8″ big man was excellent around the basket finishing at a high percentage and cleaning the glass defensively. Both should be getting a lot of college attention from NCAA programs still filling out their Class of 2023 recruiting efforts. Finally, Tyler O’Neill had his excellent playmaking ability on display at The Stage. The high IQ point guard is an elite level passer with excellent court vision in the open floor. He also can get all the way to the basket and score himself with a creative package of intermediate range finishes.

Quick Hitters

• Eli Ellis Eli Ellis 5'11" | SG Plainfield | 2024 State IN (Plainfield H.S. 2024) proved himself as one of the elite shooters in Indiana’s Class of 2024. The 5’10” guard started Kyle Guy Elite Black 2024’s early afternoon win off with a three-pointer off of a called set play and went on to hit a few more on his way to a game-high 19 points. He is likely to be one of the more highly sought small college guards in the state.

• Mason Bales Mason Bales 6'1" | SG Northridge | 2025 State IN (Northridge H.S. 2025) went off for 32 points in Indiana Attack Basketball Club 2025’s afternoon win. The high-level scorer turned in one of the best individual performances of the day.

• OPS 2026 Kindschy continued their defensive dominance to remain undefeated on the Prep Hoops Circuit. This group is really, really fun to watch. Brogan McNiece Brogan McNiece 6'5" | PF Homestead | 2026 State IN (Homestead H.S. 2026) and Stephen Akase (Tippecanoe Valley H.S. 2026) lead the way with their size and skill around the basket, but it is a total team effort.