Ramsey’s Open Gym Notes – Part Seven

<!-- 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">Zionsville Eagles</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Losing your top four scorers, including two Division I players, from a year ago doesn't lend itself to high expectations on paper. However, this Zionsville team could surprise some people in 2025-2026. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140435' first='Rylon' last='Gore'] and junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2140338' first='Camden' last='Moore'], a Notre Dame Baseball commit, are the top returning scorers from last season's team. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1561143' first='Owen' last='Haan'], a Saint Francis commit, [player_tooltip player_id='1560982' first='Quincy' last='Ferguson'], and 6'8" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2046170' first='Cooper' last='Hess'] all should slide into much larger roles for the Eagles this season as well. [player_tooltip player_id='2807774' first='Nick' last='Snively'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2141011' first='Preston' last='Johnson'] are two more in the junior class that should see the floor a lot while sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2481826' first='Jesse' last='Craig'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2553895' first='Elijah' last='Berger'] offer some upside as underclassmen. There is a deep stable of talent with a lot of interchange parts for Coach JR Howell to play with this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Decatur Central Hawks</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Decatur Central was hit hard by out-going transfers losing two sophomores that were major contributors as freshmen. One was their leading scorer last season while the other came in fourth in the points per game category. However, everyone else from their primary rotation returns. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140420' first='Nash' last='Sigmund'] is the leader of the bunch. The 6'0" guard has established himself as one of the top catch-and-shoot threats in Indiana's Class of 2027 and has really expanded his game as a playmaker going into the 2025-2026 season. Fellow junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2194347' first='Devin' last='Colbert'] Jr. is an explosive playmaker as well that will set the table for the Hawks this season. In the senior class, 6'4" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2892524' first='Elyas' last='Zapata'] and 6'6" center [player_tooltip player_id='2892521' first='Michael' last='Norton'] provide some size and defensive versatility in the front court. They are both proven contributors at the varsity level and solid small college prospects. Despite losing two very talented young pieces this team could be much improved this coming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->