3SSB Palmetto Road Championship - Friday's Indiana Standouts

Once again, Prep Hoops Indiana had boots on the ground coverage from Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday. We had the opportunity to see a few of the top prospects in the country, but also went off-site to watch a couple of Adidas Gold games, and saw two contests that featured Indiana-based teams on both sides. As we have done each day let's recap what we saw on Friday by highlighting the top in-state performers.    We made a quick trip over to Rock Hill High School on Friday afternoon to get eyes on this [program_tooltip program_id='2076924' first='EG10' last=''] 15u team that qualified for 3SSB play here in Rock Hill. Bowling III, who is ranked as a Top 15 prospect in our Prep Hoops Indiana Class of 2028 Rankings, was the star of the show. The 6'4" wing looked so comfortable operating with the ball in his hands. Whether he was going coast-to-coast after a rebound, attacking in transition from a throw ahead, or getting to his spots in the half court, Bowling III lived at the free throw line along with making mid-range jumpers and layups. His length and fluid athleticism, along with some real ball skill, are so impressive.     One of the best shooters in the state of Indiana got hot from three-point range on Friday afternoon in Phenom United 17u's 84-68 win over Team Lillard 17u. Daeger did what he does best going 4-7 from three-point range for 12 points in the game. The Silver Creek High School rising senior looks to have regained his foot speed and athletic pop from being injured in the spring. He played, and shot it, very well in this contest.     Typically we steer away from writing about the very best of the best because, quite frankly, we could write about about a guy like [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'] every single day. However, he is deserving of a special mention after how good he has been all week, but especially here on Friday. The Class of 2026 Purdue commit poured in 28 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 9 assists as Indiana Elite 17u advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over Mass Rivals. He has been absolutely excellent in all three games so far this week.     Fresh got the "call up" to Midwest Basketball Club heading into the month of July and has immediately made an impact at the 3SSB Palmetto Road Championship. The super athletic 6'3" guard played very well on Friday with a couple of great finishes in transition, including big two-handed alley-oop dunk, along with a catch-and-shoot three and some great passes. He was a big part of what they did offensively and looked smooth both as a shot-maker and playmaker. Fresh, a rising senior at Charlestown High School, is such an explosive athlete. He is fun to watch and turned some heads on Friday.     This rising senior from Kokomo High School had a breakout game on Friday afternoon helping lead Phenom United 17u to an 84-68 win over Team Lillard 17u. Hammel scored 14 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and collected 2 steals while playing in front of a host of college programs. The athletic 6'3" guard brings some real two-ability to the perimeter along with some downhill explosiveness when attacking the rim. He showed all of that off and more on Friday.     This 6'4" long, left-handed guard has always been impressive because of his well-rounded offensive game. He is a guy who will score it when given opportunities to utilize his size advantage on other guards, rebounds the ball at a very high level from the perimeter, and will set up his teammates consistently. However, on Friday evening, he connected on three three-point shots that all looked very smooth and repeatable coming out of his hand. If Lawson can add that to his game his recruitment could really take off in a hurry. The Columbus East High School rising senior scored 18 points in a win for [program_tooltip program_id='2400000' first='Indiana' last='Elite Team Indiana'].     We continue to buy stock in this 6'8" forward/center from Silver Creek High School. There is certainly no shortage of talent roaming the halls there right now, but we saw him play in a key backup role throughout June and he is showcasing his upside once again there in July. Linderman is super bouncy around the rim as seen by a couple of the big dunks he threw down on Friday night. Additionally, he does a great job of going to rebound the ball with two hands outside of his area as well as deterring and altering shots defensively at the rim.     First it was a pair of inside-out catch-and-shoot three-point shots that going Walker going early. Then, he elevated up above everyone else for a couple of very impressive rebounds. Finally, the 6'3"-6'4" wing from Fishers High School finished in transition and via right hand drives to the basket in the half court for Indiana Basketball Club 16u in a Friday evening win. His athleticism and length have allowed him to blossom quickly now as he takes on larger roles both with his high school and AAU programs.     We've liked Weemer through the spring and into the summer because of his size, physicality around the basket, and well-rounded skill set. On Friday, playing with [program_tooltip program_id='2400000' first='Indiana' last='Elite Team Indiana'], the 6'5"-6'6" forward really showcased his perimeter skill knocking in three catch-and-shoot three-point shots along with a turnaround jump shot at the elbow. His ability to shoot it like that, along with what we know he can do inside, makes the Hamilton Southeastern High School rising senior an intriguing prospect. He finished with a team-leading 19 points in the game.     Williams continues to have an excellent week for Hoopmatics 17u despite his team coming up short on the scoreboard. The athletic, 6'3" guard is a relentless driver that is hard to stop from getting downhill. His physical and athletic tools make him a tough matchup on the perimeter and he has learned how to utilize those advantageous positions even here at a very high level. The Purdue Poly High School rising senior scored 23 points in a tough loss on Friday.

Once again, Prep Hoops Indiana had boots on the ground coverage from Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday. We had the opportunity to see a few of the top prospects in the country, but also went off-site to watch a couple of Adidas Gold games, and saw two contests that featured Indiana-based teams on both sides. As we have done each day let's recap what we saw on Friday by highlighting the top in-state performers.