Open Gym Report: Scecina Memorial Crusaders

<!-- 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 16 Indiana High School open gyms and have hit the ground running in October attending 14 workouts so far. 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>On paper, a 10-15 team from last season that lost their first and third leading scorers wouldn't have the highest expectations. However, there is a lot for Scecina Memorial to be excited about heading into the 2025-2026 season. They return a few key pieces, namely 6'5" sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2617866' first='Jaylin' last='Foster'] who had a big freshman year, and added a big time transfer that will drastically improve their ceiling. It is realistic for the Crusaders to find themselves in some Class 2A preseason Top 10 polls.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster brings back 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds from his freshman season. The hybrid wing/forward is very comfortable with the ball in his hands and will be used in a variety of ways by Coach Stanbrough. He can initiate offense, overpower defenders on his way to the basket, and is a very high-level rebounder. Look for him to continue to breakout this season as a sophomore. Scecina Memorial will feature two other impact sophomores as well. [player_tooltip player_id='2881715' first='Boomer' last='Minch'] is a transfer that will immediately add some firepower to the backcourt. The 5'11" guard is a big time three-point shooting threat that can make them on the move and when spotting up. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2954490' first='Ian' last='Collins'] is another one that will factor into the rotation. He is an explosive playmaker that gets downhill to the rim in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In terms of the veteran returning players, [player_tooltip player_id='2272817' first='Adrian' last='Hill'] will be entering his third season as a primary rotation player for the Crusaders. He averaged 7.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior. Hill will provide some additional catch-and-shoot ability on the wing while also bringing some physicality to the backcourt. His continuity among what will otherwise be a rotation featuring a lot of new and/or young faces will be very important. Jacob Marshall and 6'8" Moritz Schelhas will be asked to step into larger roles as well as seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then, there is Perry Meridian transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2477113' first='Bryce' last='Mathis']. The 5'11" guard averaged 15.8 points per game last season as a junior and will immediately take over the reigns in Scecina Memorial's backcourt. His ability to create his own shot from multiple levels, attract multiple defenders on his drives, and make sound decisions from a live dribble will make everyone else around him better as well. Mathis should have a big senior season and is a major reason why expectations are cautiously optimistic for the Crusaders heading into the 2025-2026 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->