Open Gym Report: Carmel Greyhounds

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Getting to cover Indiana High School Basketball is an honor. There is no better feeling than walking into a packed gym, that often seats thousands of fans, in the middle of winter. Attending some of the biggest, most prestigious grassroots events throughout the summer is a perk of the job as well. However, there is nothing I enjoy as much as going to high school open gyms in the fall. By attending these preseason workouts I not only get a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the team, but it also provides a chance to spend time with our state's many great coaching staffs. In the month of September alone I attended 17 Indiana High School open gyms and am quickly approaching the same number now in October. Let's go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a program that is accustomed to success. You have to go back to 2010-2011 to find their latest losing season prior to last year. Before that, it was 2001-2002. With just three sub-.500 seasons in nearly 25 years you can expect the Greyhounds to bounce back after finishing 10-13 last year. There certainly are reasons for optimism heading into the 2025-2026 campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6'8" forward [player_tooltip player_id='1560952' first='Evan' last='Harrell'] is the leader of a strong returning core for Carmel High School. The Bellarmine commit battled injuries last season, but still averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Now healthy, expect to see a big senior season from Harrell. Classmates [player_tooltip player_id='2046155' first='Ben' last='Bremer'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561121' first='Jamichael' last='Fountain'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1561129' first='Julian' last='Vogt'] have plenty of varsity level experience as well for the Greyhounds. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2560647' first='Vincent' last='Nover'] is coming off of a big summer and is poised to have a breakout winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the backcourt, the addition of Cathedral High School transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2140341' first='Cash' last='Daniels'] will be a game-changer. The 5'10" junior playmaker adds a new dynamic to the Greyhounds offense. He has such impressive speed in the open floor and has the ability to get end-to-end with the ball as well as anyone in the state. However, he can play with pace in the half court too. Daniels' ability to create offense in one-on-one situations really adds to Carmel's typical elite execution. He is an outstanding on-ball defender as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another younger prospect to watch for Carmel is 6'9" center [player_tooltip player_id='2560400' first='Mark' last='Shostak']. The sophomore has really improved over the last year or so, but still has plenty of room to grow as a player. He plays with a strong lower body, is starting to finish at a high percentage, and always plays very hard. Shostak is going to factor into the front court equation this coming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sectional 8 is one of the toughest in the state every season. Carmel will have to prove themselves to be considered among the likes of Fishers and Noblesville, but they should be vastly improved in the win-loss column this coming season. Never sleep on the Greyhounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->