Charlie Hughes Showcase – Ramsey’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3 days. 169 teams. 311 games. The 2024 Charlie Hughes Showcase tipped off on Friday at Noon and Prep Hoops Indiana had boots on the ground coverage until the final buzzer at around 8:30 p.m. We were able to take in games at both Carmel High School and Westfield High School on Friday evening before getting back in the gym for a full day on Saturday. Let's quickly unload the notebook and breakdown everything that we saw on opening night of this outstanding event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brownstown Central Came Out Strong</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending Class 2A state champions will have to compete at the Class 3A level this season, despite losing Indiana All-Star Jack Benter to graduation, due to the IHSAA success factor. They began the Charlie Hughes Showcase by taking on a likely preseason Top 10 team in Class 2A but had no trouble defeating Parke Heritage 53-40. Coach Dave Benter's team was especially impressive on the defensive end of the floor while 6'5" rising senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1296999' first='Chace' last='Coomer'] and company paced the offense. Rising junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] had some strong moments for Parke Heritage, but it was hard for them to get much going against a stifling Braves defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coaches Out in Full Force</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If the Noon slate on Friday at Carmel High School was the appetizer, we jumped directly into the main course at 1:15. Michigan head coach Dusty May, Purdue head coach Matt Painter, and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes were among the dozen of Division I coaches along the baseline to watch four-star Top 40 rising senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1296984' first='Braylon' last='Mullins'] as Greenfield-Central took on Jeffersonville. Many of the college programs in attendance were watching rising seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1388408' first='Tre' last='Singleton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1297093' first='Michael' last='Cooper'] as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cooper and Singleton were excellent for the Red Devils as they went on to defeat Greenfield-Central 71-60. Following a high-level shot-making performance that culminated in him scoring 35 points, Cooper received his first Division I offer from Le Moyne. There will likely be more come his way before the weekend comes to an end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crown Point Makes a Statement</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Admittedly, there are several teams that would come to mind before Crown Point when rattling off the preseason favorites in Class 4A. However, the Bulldogs put the state on notice Friday evening with a pair of impressive wins. They defeated Lawrence North 57-54 in their first game and then capped off the 2-0 night with a 60-42 win over Warsaw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] was the star of the show, but he had plenty of help around him. [player_tooltip player_id='1561445' first='Mason' last='Darrell'], a rising junior guard, showcased his offensive skill level and [player_tooltip player_id='1561063' first='Kingston' last='Rhodes'] helped to run the show in the backcourt. Another rising junior guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1560997' first='Jack' last='Lux'], flashed at times as well. Crown Point will be back in action on Saturday with two more tough opponents in Anderson and Fishers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fishers Tallied Bounce Back Win in Night Cap</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending Class 4A state champions let one get away from them in the afternoon. Jeffersonville, led once again by [player_tooltip player_id='1297093' first='Michael' last='Cooper'], came back to win 71-66 in that matchup. However, Fishers bounced back and handled Plainfield comfortably later in the evening by the score of 75-53. A pair of rising seniors, [player_tooltip player_id='1297097' first='Nathan' last='Baker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1525682' first='Millen' last='McCartney'], played very well for the Tigers. Baker is a 6'5" pick-and-pop forward while McCartney is a 6'3" athletic guard. Both shot the ball very well from three-point range in this matchup and should be priority recruits for small college programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for Plainfield, they couldn't keep up on the scoreboard, but rising junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560946' first='Landon' last='Gilliatt'] was electric for the Quakers. The 6'0" guard hit numerous tough three-point shots off of the dribble, had a couple of great finishes at the end of his drives, and still found open teammates as well. Gilliatt was excellent all spring, but his performance on Friday night against Fishers really turned some heads of those in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quick Hitters</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2140383' first='Jake' last='Grissom'] (Guerin Catholic 2027) caught some buzz with his performance on Friday against Whitened. He is a really athletic guard that got things done consistently off of the dribble. There were several "who is that kid?" questions being thrown around the coaches row. The Golden Eagles went 2-0 on Friday.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1534261' first='Justin' last='Curry II'] (Noblesville H.S. 2026) was one of the star performers of the day. He helped lead Noblesville to a 2-0 day with wins over North Central and Ben Davis. The 6'4" guard displayed his shot-making ability from nearly every spot on the floor.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday marked the first chance for many around the state to catch rising freshman superstar [player_tooltip player_id='2382148' first='Noah' last='Washington'] (New Albany H.S. 2028) play with his high school team. The super athletic 6'4" guard was a big part of the Bulldogs going 2-0 with hard fought wins against Hamilton Southeastern and Lawrence Central.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1578453' first='Patric' last='Matson'] (Bedford North Lawrence H.S. 2025) is a name that small college coaches need to get familiar with if they aren't already. He came out of the gate incredibly strong on Friday afternoon against Franklin Central. Really impressive shot-maker both off the catch from beyond the arc or off of the dribble in the mid-range.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1922051' first='Anthony' last='Fresh'] (Charlestown H.S. 2026) really stood out for the Pirates in a 55-40 win over Vincennes Lincoln. The 6'4" guard who transferred from Jeffersonville has all of the athletic and physical tools in the world, but impressed with his skill level as well. Super high-upside prospect worth following closely in the 2026 class.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Things look a little bit different now around him due to graduation, but [player_tooltip player_id='1297029' first='Grady' last='Carpenter'] (Tipton H.S. 2025) is a force for the Blue Devils once again. He went off for eight three-pointers in a 59-51 loss to Bishop Chatard to begin play on Friday. The 6'5" point guard is a highly sought after recruit within the Crossroads League and could still catch the attention of coaches at other levels as well.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->