Ramsey Open Gym Notes – Part Five

Brandon Ramsey October 5, 2025 @ 07:00 PM

<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 as well. Let's take a look back and go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bishop Chatard Trojans</h2>   <p>Year One of the Coach Matt Boling era was admittedly all about development. The Trojans went just 5-17, but played their best basketball late in the season. Don't be surprised if they have a pretty drastic improvement in the win-loss column this time around. Bishop Chatard will feature a front court that will be hard for a lot of teams to handle. 6'7" senior center [player_tooltip player_id='2907608' first='Alex' last='Lake'] and 6'8" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2831756' first='Zach' last='McCormack'] are vastly improved and ready for breakout seasons. Both put together excellent summers. Meanwhile, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2882514' first='Ari' last='Sahm'] is the leading returning scorer and will help keep opponents honest on the perimeter.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lawrence Central Bears</h2>   <p>Talking about transfers can feel a bit taboo because of some of the negative connotations surrounding the top now in Indiana with the rules. However, there is no denying the fact that Lawrence Central was a big beneficiary of incoming transfers this off-season. They added five major impact pieces to what was already going to be a pretty talented roster. [player_tooltip player_id='2140390' first='Jeremiah' last='Bellamy'] (North Central), [player_tooltip player_id='2140392' first='JJ' last='Craig'] (Warren Central), [player_tooltip player_id='1561112' first='Gavin' last='Petty'] (North Central), Caleb Wells (Seckinger, Georgia), and Vincent Wells (Seckinger, Georgia) will join the Bears this season. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561118' first='Doron' last='Harris'] returns after leading LC in scoring last season and earning Second Team All-MIC honors. [player_tooltip player_id='1981704' first='Albert' last='Gooden III'], another senior guard, is one to watch in the backcourt as well. This team will be loaded with talent and could compete for Sectional 10 and MIC championships.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lawrence North Wildcats</h2>   <p>I'm not sure if it would be fair to say Lawrence North is "underrated" heading into 2025-2026. They are, after all, one of the most decorated programs in the state, return an Indiana Junior All-Star, and will likely be ranked in the preseason Top 10. However, I think the Wildcats are still more of a legitimate contender than many are giving them credit for being. SIU-Edwardsville commit [player_tooltip player_id='1729136' first='Brennan' last='Miller'] gives them one of the state's best rebounders inside. Miller's versatility makes him an incredibly difficult matchup. Then, senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561031' first='Cameron' last='Webster'] is one of the best playmakers in the Indianapolis area. Add in shooting threats like senior [player_tooltip player_id='2252744' first='Duke' last='Karnes'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2560351' first='Chandon' last='Gilbert'] and all of the sudden you have a pretty darn good roster.</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 as well. Let's take a look back and go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.