10 Storylines From the First Month of the Season, Part Two

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Merry Christmas from us here at Prep Hoops Indiana! Even though we have a couple of days off from being in the gym it doesn't mean that we will stop bringing you content every single day. That is what makes basketball in our state special after. After all, in 49 states it is just basketball, but this is Indiana! Let's take a big picture view here on Christmas Day of 10 of the biggest storylines from the first month of the Indiana High School Basketball season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ben Davis Learns to Play Without [player_tooltip player_id='1373105' first='Mark' last='Zackery']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1373105' first='Mark' last='Zackery'] is one of the most special two-sport athletes we've seen in Indiana in some time ([player_tooltip player_id='1525664' first='JonAnthony' last='Hall'] of Fishers certainly deserves a similar shoutout as a three-sport star). The Notre Dame football recruit won the Indiana Mr. Football award and was an Indiana Junior All-Star on the hardwood last season. However, he has had to miss the start of the season due to hand surgery. Ben Davis was dominated by Fishers in game one of the season, but have sense found their footing as they learn to play without their floor general. Aside from a hard fought 57-52 loss to Greenfield-Central, Ben Davis has won four of their last five including three straight. They will begin the New Year at the Bob Wettig Memorial Tournament at Richmond High School where they will be one of the favorites to win the championship with or without Zackery.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pike Makes Some Early Season Noise</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The shine has worn off just a little bit with two straight losses, but Pike's 4-0 start to the season certainly turned some heads. Their 70-61 win over Jeffersonville is what really put the state on notice. Despite losing junior guard DeZhon Hall to prep school, the Red Devils have plenty of young talent. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2194328' first='Jahari' last='Miller'] has been a star so far this season. He put up 27 points in that win over Jeffersonville. 6'10" sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2266896' first='Isaiah' last='Hill'] is one of the best rim protectors in the Class of 2027 and is making his presence felt inside. Then, there is senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1297011' first='Damon' last='Howard'] who remains one of the most under recruited playmakers in the state of Indiana. Pike, coached by long time NBA veteran Jeff Teague, is currently 4-2 heading into two games at the Paul Loggan Memorial Invitational.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2382148' first='Noah' last='Washington'] Lives Up to the Hype</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were always going to be comparisons made to Romeo Langford. That is the burden that comes with being a nationally recognized freshman at New Albany High School. Obviously those lofty comparisons are unfair to put on such a young prospect, but Washington has the talent to live up the hype. The 6'4" guard is a big reason why New Albany is off to a 4-1 start. Washington is worth the price of admission and the Bulldogs have other quality pieces as well that make them one of the better teams in southern Indiana.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evansville Reitz Prepared to Head to Indianapolis</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone knows about superstar sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2195051' first='Jaylan' last='Mitchell'] who is one of the top Class of 2027 prospects in the country. However, the story for Evansville Reitz so far this season has been senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2466205' first='Lavell' last='Tinsley'] who leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds per game. Reitz is off to a 5-0 start as well and will head to the Paul Loggan Memorial Classic over the weekend to take on Pike and Carmel. They could really put the state on notice with a couple of victories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Don't Sleep on Cardinal Ritter in Class 2A</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team has really impressed us here at Prep Hoops Indiana this season. After opening the season with losses to Class 3A programs Brebeuf Jesuit (59-58) and Guerin Catholic (69-51), the Raiders have rattled off six straight victories and moved into the Prep Hoops Indiana Class 2A Top 10 Poll. They are a very complete team led by 6'7" sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2140352' first='Devin' last='Bolden'] who averages over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. In the backcourt, [player_tooltip player_id='1934014' first='Nathan' last='Smith'] is one of the best pure passers in the state and among the assist leaders. Marshawnn Henderson helps in the playmaking category as does fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='1990762' first='Cheick' last='Wade']. Cardinal Ritter is definitely a team that can make some noise in Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->