Prep Hoops Indiana Class of 2028 Watch List - Big Men

It is officially rankings update time here at Prep Hoops Indiana headquarters. Throughout the month of October we will be focusing on refreshing, refining, and expanding our rankings. Along with that came the release of our initial Class of 2028 Watch List. Since all of these names are very new to us we decided to not rank any of them to begin with. That has been our common practice when introducing a new class over the last couple of years. However, with 293 prospects included, we are very happy with the depth we were able to provide the freshman class as they begin their high school careers. While we don't want to specifically “rank” any of these young prospects, we do want to highlight some of those that we know are going to be towards the top of their class. We released a look at the potential Top 25 prospects in the class across three different pieces. Now, we will break things down a bit further position-by-position. Let's start with the best big men in the freshman class.    A few weeks ago I received a call from an AAU coach and as we were talking about some of his guys he mentioned a 6'9"-6'10" kid who is going to be a freshman at Cloverdale. At the time, all I knew was his name was "Ish." Well, here he is. Admittedly all I have seen is a couple of clips, but the size alone makes him an intriguing long-term prospect. Definitely one to follow as he develops for Coach Joey Hart at Cloverdale High School.     Kostbade was among the standouts in terms of big men at our Prep Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase. The 6'5" post player from Chesterton High School stood out on the rim run where he was able to get a couple of easy baskets including a dunk by beating the defense down the floor. His length was a consistent factor on the defensive end of the floor as well. For a young big man, Kostbade displayed solid footwork and overall mobility at his size.     McNiece is more of a forward than a true "big man" with his ability to face up and play from the perimeter. He was very impressive at our Prep Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase and looks to be one of the top prospects in the freshman class from the Fort Wayne area. The 6'6" McNiece can stretch the floor as a catch-and-shoot threat, attack closeouts off of the bounce, and use his size/strength to dominate around the basket. His overall physical and athletic tools are very advanced for his age.     The raw size and length alone is enough to list Murphy as one of the top big men in the Class of 2028 at this point. A left-handed post player, Murphy was good on the roll, scored over his right shoulder, and moved well around the rim at our Prep Hoops Indiana Freshman Showcase. His activity level and bounciness allowed him to be a productive rebounder on both ends of the floor as well. There is definitely some upside and raw tools to work with as he develops at Carroll (Fort Wayne) High School.     Another forward/center that we highlighted as one of the top overall prospects in Indiana's Class of 2028, Scheich is one that we are very high on here at Prep Hoops Indiana. I've done this long enough to know what high upside looks like early on and this 6'8" forward from Borden High School has it. He was excellent at our Freshman Showcase displaying a versatile offensive game with the ability to step out to three-point range or use his size to finish inside. It is safe to assume that he will be making an instant impact at the varsity level this winter.     We highlighted Shostak as a top overall prospect simply because of his size, raw ability, and the fact that he will get to develop within the well-oiled machine that is Carmel High School. The 6'8" center is just scratching the surface of what he can become down the road. Right now he finishes over his left shoulder inside, rebounds his area, and can be in the way defensively at the rim. However, his long-term upside is what is really exciting. Definitely a name to remember.     Coach Schelsky has a good thing going right now over at Parke Heritage. He returns everything from a team that was one game away from making it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse last season and a large portion of his core is still younger guys. Smith, a 6'6" center, will be one to add to that group of young talent now. He has as soft touch inside, impressive length to rebound and disrupt things defensively, and a motor to outwork opponents in the paint. Smith is a high-upside prospect to keep an eye on over at Parke Heritage.

It is officially rankings update time here at Prep Hoops Indiana headquarters. Throughout the month of October we will be focusing on refreshing, refining, and expanding our rankings. Along with that came the release of our initial Class of 2028 Watch List. Since all of these names are very new to us we decided to not rank any of them to begin with. That has been our common practice when introducing a new class over the last couple of years. However, with 293 prospects included, we are very happy with the depth we were able to provide the freshman class as they begin their high school careers. While we don't want to specifically “rank” any of these young prospects, we do want to highlight some of those that we know are going to be towards the top of their class. We released a look at the potential Top 25 prospects in the class across three different pieces. Now, we will break things down a bit further position-by-position. Let's start with the best big men in the freshman class.