Ramsey’s Open Gym Notes – Part Four

<!-- 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 as well. Let's take a look back and go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brebeuf Jesuit Braves</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Braves return their leading scorer from last season and have a veteran group that Coach Allen Glunt is excited about. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561106' first='Austin' last='Ford'] averaged 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season and will once again run the show for the Braves. Meanwhile, his junior brother [player_tooltip player_id='2140342' first='Chace' last='Ford'] will help provide a talented one-two punch in the backcourt. There isn't a ton of size on this roster, but their quickness and playmaking should help carry them. Look for them to battle the likes of Guerin Catholic and Tri-West in Sectional 25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brownsburg Bulldogs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brownsburg definitely surprised some people last season by cutting down the Sectional 11 nets. The Bulldogs entered the postseason below .500, but defeated Avon, Plainfield, and Ben Davis to win the Sectional title. Sectional 11 will be ultra-competitive once again, but the Bulldogs have the pieces to compete to retain the crown. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1962847' first='Chrishon' last='Woodward'], a North Central transfer, will step in right away as one of their best players alongside leading returning scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1561114' first='Brandon' last='Addison']. Super athletic junior wings [player_tooltip player_id='2140327' first='Branden' last='Sharpe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2141044' first='Brandon' last='Day'] should step into larger roles this season while [player_tooltip player_id='2272233' first='Chris' last='Brandon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140379' first='Jackson' last='Gordon'] provide some serious size up front.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kokomo Wildkats</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Drew Schauss inherits a talented group that went 17-8 a year ago and will have high expectations for year one of his tenure. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561440' first='Korbyn' last='Hammel'] is the top returning player. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game last season. Classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1561074' first='Baris' last='Moore'] will help in the backcourt as well after averaging 9.9 points per game as a junior. 6'4" sophomore wing/forward [player_tooltip player_id='2468939' first='DJ' last='Nash'] is certainly one to watch as well. He stepped in right away and averaged 9.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a freshman. There are a handful of new faces, other returning players, and a very talented sophomore class that will help round out what should be a very talented Kokomo team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Westfield Shamrocks</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westfield posted an impressive 18-4 record last season with two of those loses coming by a combined 10 points to Class 4A State Runner-Up Fishers. Abilene Christian commit [player_tooltip player_id='1988138' first='Drew' last='Haffner'] returns after leading the Shamrocks in scoring last season at 12.4 points per game. He will be one of the best shooters in the state of Indiana this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1989377' first='Brock' last='Detamore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2470679' first='Logan' last='Sumpter'] will be relied upon to step into larger backcourt roles around Haffner this season while [player_tooltip player_id='2477150' first='Wyatt' last='Freehauf'] on the wing and [player_tooltip player_id='2414955' first='Luke' last='Vandegriff']/[player_tooltip player_id='2622086' first='Ian' last='Muntel'] inside are poised for breakout years. You can always count on Westfield being a very tough team to beat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->