Charlie Hughes Showcase – Ramsey’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>198 teams. 342 games. Four venues. Three days, from Noon on Friday until about 6:00 p.m. on Sunday filled with Indiana High School Basketball. The annual IBCA/IHSAA Charlie Hughes Showcase is the single best evaluation and recruiting event of the calendar year. As always, Prep Hoops Indiana will have boots on the ground coverage from the opening tip-off until the final buzzer of this great event. With day one now in the books let's begin by emptying out the notebook and going over what we saw on Friday at Carmel High School.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lawrence North Holds on to Beat Silver Creek</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We began the 2025 Charlie Hughes Showcase by taking in a heavyweight matchup between Lawrence North and Silver Creek. Silver Creek is expected to be one of the best teams in the state of Indiana, regardless of class, while Lawrence North should begin the season as a Top 10 team in Class 4A. These two powerhouse programs turned in an excellent contest in front of a plethora of Division I college coaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2560351' first='Chandon' last='Gilbert'] (Lawrence North H.S. 2028) stood out first as the Warren Central transfer knocked in a pair of catch-and-shoot three-point shots. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1561483' first='Dane' last='Sprigler'] (Silver Creek H.S. 2026) was able to answer shot-for-shot on the other end. Then, as the game went on, the two forwards started trading buckets. Both [player_tooltip player_id='1729136' first='Brennan' last='Miller'] (Lawrence North H.S. 2026) and [player_tooltip player_id='2476482' first='Dane' last='Caldwell'] (Silver Creek H.S. 2026) each had stretches where they took the game over for their respective teams. In the end though a few missed free throws and costly turnovers doomed Silver Creek as Lawrence North came away with a 67-62 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Indiana Junior All-Star [player_tooltip player_id='1729136' first='Brennan' last='Miller'] led the way for the Wildcats with 21 points and very likely over 10 rebounds as well. Cam Webster and [player_tooltip player_id='2560351' first='Chandon' last='Gilbert'] added 15 points and 13 points respectively in the impressive victory for Lawrence North.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the loss for Silver Creek, Indiana Junior All-Star [player_tooltip player_id='2476482' first='Dane' last='Caldwell'] put up 20 points while [player_tooltip player_id='1561483' first='Dane' last='Sprigler'] added 14 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guard Play Propels Noblesville Over Gary 21st Century</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The point guard battle between [player_tooltip player_id='1561080' first='Terrence' last='Hayes'] Jr (Gary 21st Century 2026) and [player_tooltip player_id='1561054' first='Baron' last='Walker'] (Noblesville H.S. 2026) along with the obvious draw of [player_tooltip player_id='1534261' first='Justin' last='Curry II'] (Noblesville H.S. 2026) brought the college coaches out in droves for this contest. However, the result was never much in doubt as the Millers were able to not only control the Cougars' defensive pressure put flip the script and use it against them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker, one of the top point guards in the state of Indiana, handled the constant trapping and ball pressure to perfection. His ability to orchestrate the offense, despite the chaos, had college coaches buzzing for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Curry II was flame-throwing with his jump shot in one of the best games he has played through the spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ultimately, Walker connected on five three-point shots in the second half alone and finished with 21 points, but it was Curry II who went off for 30 points to lead all scorers in the game. [player_tooltip player_id='1561080' first='Terrence' last='Hayes'] Jr scored 14 points in the loss for 21st Century.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crown Point's Balance Led to Victory Against Parke Heritage</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game was a great example of what makes the Charlie Hughes Showcase so special. Crown Point was one of the best teams in the state last season, returns most of their production, and will look to once again compete at the top of Class 4A. Parke Heritage has advanced to three straight Class 2A Semi-States and will have their sights set on Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season. The two schools, separated by 124 miles from two different classifications, would never meet in any other setting. However, it provides an excellent evaluation setting especially for Parke Heritage prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2272232' first='Isaac' last='Pickel'] who rarely get that level of competition during the high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs of Crown Point just had a little too much depth and athleticism for Parke Heritage. There was a stretch late in the first quarter where [player_tooltip player_id='1561063' first='Kingston' last='Rhodes'] (Crown Point H.S. 2026) took over with several fast break layups before [player_tooltip player_id='1561016' first='Bryce' last='Peters'] (Crown Point H.S. 2026) finished a couple of tough downhill drives of his own. Then, it was time for the stars to take over. 6'6" wing [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] (Crown Point H.S. 2026) and dynamic 6'1" guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561445' first='Mason' last='Darrell'] (Crown Point H.S. 2026). Shaw is so comfortable playing out of the mid-post, displays elite patience with the ball in his hands, and is a high-level passer. Darrell has a non-stop motor and excellent athleticism when attacking the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shaw and Darrell finished with 22 points and 18 points respectively to lead Crown Point to a 53-44 victory. However, both [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2272232' first='Isaac' last='Pickel'] caught the attention of college coaches in attendance while playing against one of the state's best teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Three Score 20+ in Whiteland's Win Over Anderson</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We were just in attendance for the second half of this game, but the pace was so frenetic that it felt like we watched the whole thing. Both teams, Whiteland and Anderson, feature plenty of athleticism which led to an up-and-down affair with a majority of possessions being played in transition. The fast pace also led to several big-time statistical performances.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Whiteland, who came away with a 79-75 victory, it was [player_tooltip player_id='2140412' first='Kyle' last='Edwards'] (Whiteland H.S. 2027) who led the way with 21 points while both [player_tooltip player_id='2892568' first='Dane' last='Kunz'] (Whiteland H.S. 2026) and Joan Kalkat (Whiteland H.S. 2027) each finished with 20 points. In the loss for the Indians, 6'5" [player_tooltip player_id='2538870' first='Don' last='Bowling III'] (Anderson H.S. 2028) scored a game-high 23 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Freshmen Make a Name for Themselves</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will have more on some of these young prospects next week as we debrief from the Charlie Hughes Showcase, but there are a few incoming freshmen who deserve a shoutout for their performance on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prentiss Gates (Gary West Side H.S. 2029) - Gates immediately shot up towards the top of the list of best Class of 2029 prospects that we have evaluated to his point in time. The 6'7" big man was excellent on the roll, rebounded his area, and was disruptive at the rim defensively. His ceiling is incredibly high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2547445' first='Jamarie' last='Johnson'] (Gary 21st Century H.S. 2029) - A stocky, left-handed guard, Johnson played significant minutes for 21st Century. His physicality off of the bounce allowed him to be effective against generally older competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2614009' first='Bryce' last='Yoder'] (Westview H.S. 2029) - He might be just 5'5" right now, but the small stature didn't stop Yoder from confidently driving it against Bishop Luers on Friday night. Yoder is a very skilled point guard that will really see his game take off as he grows.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->