Open Gym Report: University Trailblazers

<!-- 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>The University Trailblazers started last season 2-5 and were sitting at 3-6 heading into the new year. Eight straight victories in the month of January and early February kick started what turned into a special post season run. Despite the slow start, Coach Justin Blanding's group made it all of the way to Gainbridge Fieldhouse before falling to Manchester 59-54. The Class 2A State Runner-Up has plenty to be excited about once again and will be among the favorites entering this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>University graduated their leading scorer, who is now at Huntington University, but returns their next four primary contributors and the vast majority of their rotation from last season. They also supplemented with a pair of incoming transfers in the backcourt that will help provide additional playmaking and depth. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1282878' first='Blake' last='Gray'] is the top returning scorer for the Trailblazers. He averaged 11.9 points per game and shot 57-134 (42.5%) from three-point range last season. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='2630646' first='Faisal' last='Mohamud'] brings back 9.6 points and 2.8 assists per game from the State Runner-Up team. Then, Indianapolis Metropolitan transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1560954' first='Josh' last='McGee'] and Carmel transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2411078' first='Jaxen' last='Bennett'] will be added to the backcourt. McGee is an explosive senior that provides some strength, defensive toughness, and downhill playmaking. Bennett is a sophomore that is an excellent passer and will be ready to fully take over the reigns after the three seniors graduate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the frontcourt, all eyes will be on 6'6" junior forward Josh Henderson. The stock-rising, skilled forward averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game off of the bench last season. Henderson's ability to stretch the floor at his size will offer another dimension offensively. He is coming off of a great summer and is poised for a breakout junior season. 6'5" senior forward/center [player_tooltip player_id='2403895' first='Cooper' last='Cammack'] is another returning front court piece that averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the State Runner-Up team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trailblazers have an impressive mix of playmaking, shotmaking, and interior size. With the experience they gained from their postseason run to Gainbridge Fieldhouse last season expectations are understandably high coming into 2025-2026. University will be a preseason Top 5 team in Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->