Wabash Valley Classic First Round – Six Standouts
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An annual traditional for us at Prep Hoops Indiana has been to live stream the first day of action from the First Financial Bank Wabash Valley Classic. It is a long day of hoops featuring eight games, but it is…
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Continue ReadingAn annual traditional for us at Prep Hoops Indiana has been to live stream the first day of action from the First Financial Bank Wabash Valley Classic. It is a long day of hoops featuring eight games, but it is a great chance to see some teams from that area of the state that otherwise have a tendency to fly under-the-radar. Here are six individual standouts from the games that we had the opportunity to watch on Tuesday.
Baker is a truly effortless scorer. He has the ball on a string when handling the ball out beyond the arc, can create his own shot at all three levels, and has the quickness to beat his man off of the dribble at any point. On Tuesday morning he led his Terre Haute South squad in scoring with 18 points while cruising to a 67-49 win over county rival West Vigo. Intriguing small college prospect for a program needing a scoring punch in the backcourt.
Highlights
This 6’6″ sophomore forward wasted no time making his presence felt on the floor. Bock blocked four shots in the opening period and went on to finish with a game-high 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks. His agility at his size, on both ends of the floor, was very impressive. He runs the floor very well, has quick enough feet to make a move around his defender inside, and obviously had the athleticism to block several shots on the interior defensively. Remember the name coming out of Sullivan High School.
Highlights
Linton-Stockton advanced to the state finals a year ago with Oliver in the starting lineup as a freshman. However, his Miners ball club looks different this season as two of his teammates are now playing college basketball and a third key contributor is at Terre Haute North. The 6’4″ Oliver has stepped into a primary scoring role rather seamlessly though and has Linton-Stockton out to a 7-1 start to their season. Today, the athletic, physical sophomore wing finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds in a 61-44 win over Bloomfield.
In terms of upside, this 6’9″ prospect from Terre Haute North has always had plenty of it. However, on Tuesday night, we saw his production match his potential. Renn nailed three three-point shots in the first quarter alone and finished with a team-leading (alongside Kavish Reddy Kavish Reddy 6’3″ | SG Terre Haute North Vigo | 2024 State IN ) 14 points as the Patriots rolled over Greencastle 81-41. Renn is an agile, athletic forward with true pick-and-pop ability at 6’9″. It is fun watching him come into his own now as a junior. His best basketball is absolutely still well ahead of him.
Highlights
Schelsky is most known for his scoring prowess after averaging 18.4 points per game as a freshman. However, now he is showing off his complete game as a true point guard while leading Parke Heritage to a 7-2 record and quarterfinal spot in the First Financial Bank Wabash Valley Classic. the sophomore finished with 16 points, 5 rebonds, and 6 assists on Tuesday in a 63-44 win over Bloomfield without ever forcing the action.
It may have come in a losing effort, but there is no denying the high-level scoring ability of Zeke Tanoos Zeke Tanoos 6’4″ | SG West Vigo | 2024 State IN . It seems like he has been lighting it up the day after Christmas at the First Financial Bank Wabash Valley Classic for a decade now because we’ve watched him put up similar performances since his freshman season. Tanoos is an elite mid-range scorer, has the body control and strength to play through contact at the rim, and rebounds his position well from the perimeter. He finished with 30 points to lead all scorers in West Vigo’s loss to Terre Haute South.