Indiana State Tournament: Weekend Standouts 14u

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The young men on this list proved to be the best of the best over the weekend. The class of 2030 has and abundance of talent that could go very far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ryland Minnifield 5-11- 2030- Scribner Middle School- Midwest Spartans 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryland was the most dominant player on the court in Saturday's game against CTG Elite 14u. He scored in the post with a variety of effective moves around the basket. Ryland plays bigger than his actual size. He's basically a shooting guard masquerading as a power forward. The aggressive style he showed was that of a physical player who attacked opponents no matter their size. Ryland also showed the ability to beat defenders off the dribble. This led to him easily scoring on tough drives to the basket. In some instances, he was able to draw contact and pick up three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. He also scored in transition and knocked down perimeter jump-shots when they were available. On defense, Ryland is what I call a “ball hawk.” He maintained constant pressure on the opposition. Ultimately, forcing multiple turnovers and mistakes. He also blocked a couple of shots. This young guard is an excellent all around player who is destined to have many great accomplishments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660243,"width":"227px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8042-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521445.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8042-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521445.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660243" style="width:227px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3576406' first='Noah' last='Longest'] 6-0- 2031-Park View Middle School- Midwest Spartans</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I loved Noah's ability to be skillful in all areas of the game. Whether it was scoring in the paint, grabbing rebounds, knocking down perimeter shots or defending, Noah was a disruptive force against the opposition. He's an excellent rebounder who grabbed boards on both ends of the court. The majority of his offensive rebounds led to easy stick-backs around the rim. Some led to second shot attempts for his teammates. In isolated situations, Noah used a host of dribbling moves to attack the paint or knock down mid-range jumpers. He's a crafty ball handler who found ways of creating the space he needed to get off his shot. After watching him play, I viewed him as a play-making small forward who is capable of putting up big numbers. I was impressed when I found out Noah's a 6th grader. He's basically playing up two years with the 8th graders. With his advanced skills at such a young age, Noah has a strong chance of becoming an elite player in the foreseeable future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660250,"width":"210px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8043-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521630.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8043-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521630.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660250" style="width:210px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2794191' first='Bryce' last='Jackson'] 5-11- 2030- Christel House Middle School- Be Legendary Hoop Dreams 14u-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I loved this young man's hustle throughout the tournament. Bryce is the type of player who does all the dirty work for his team. Whether it's rebounding, scoring or defending, Bryce always managed to be around the basketball. On numerous occasions, he used a quick first-step to easily get around defenders. This led to strong finishes at the rim. Bryce didn't mind battling the opposition for rebounds in the paint. He showed a knack for taking charges and diving on the floor for loose balls. If there was an all hustle team, Bryce would be the catalyst! Defensively is where he shined the most. He's an excellent on-ball defender who forced numerous turnovers. Bryce showed his toughness by defending larger players in the post. He blocked multiple shots and displayed enough strength to not be taken advantage of. Bryce finished the game with multiple steals, a couple of blocks and close to double-digit rebounds. I have seen him do more offensively in past games. Once he consistently puts up offensive numbers, Bryce could become a great two-way player of the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong> </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660255,"width":"226px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8068-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521856.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8068-rotated-crop-385x253-1780521856.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660255" style="width:226px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jeremiyah Johnson 5-8- 2030- Career Academy- Train for the Best 14u NXT PRO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jeremiyah was one of the best players throughout the tournament. He excelled at every scoring aspect of the game. Jeremiyah showed all the traits of an upcoming elite basketball player. He's a great penetrator who easily scores, whether it's untouched or through contact. Jeremiyah finished the game with multiple-and-one conversions after being fouled. Regardless of who was guarding him, Jeremiyah beat them off the dribble, attacked the basket or knocked down mid-range jump-shots. He was unstoppable in Saturday's matchup against the Midwest Spartans 14u team. Whenever he had an opportunity to score, he did without hesitation. I appreciated his mentality to stay in "attack mode" throughout the game. In some instances, he used hesitation dribbles to create the space he needed to be effective. He nailed three shots from mid-range in this fashion. Jeremiyah plays the game like he's determined not to fail. When he develops a consistent jump-shot to go along with his slashing ability, his skills could go next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660259,"width":"239px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8063-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522077.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8063-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522077.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660259" style="width:239px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong> </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3576656' first='Josiah' last='Bibbs'] 6-4- 2030- Park View Middle School- Midwest Spartans 14u</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Josiah was a strong inside presence for the Midwest Spartans 14u team. He effectively did damage on both ends of the court. On offense, he dominated opposing players in the paint with a variety of back-to-the-basket moves. He's excellent at grabbing rebounds and converting put-backs around the rim. Josiah showed his agility when Midwest Spartans 14u had opportunities to score in transition. The big man finished strong on numerous occasions. There was a moment in the game where Josiah extended his range outside the paint. He knocked down multiple shots in this fashion. On defense, he excelled at blocking shots and making scoring difficult for opposing teams. Josiah is an athletic player who protects the paint, scores around the basket, runs the floor, plays with energy and occasionally makes jump-shots. In my opinion, he has all the potential of becoming a star player in the years to come. Keep working Josiah!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660270,"width":"230px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8065-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522319.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8065-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522319.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660270" style="width:230px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3415796' first='Jonah' last='Page'] 6-0- 2030- Sheridan Middle School- Indiana Elite 14u Shepherd</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jonah was unstoppable Sunday afternoon. This young man did everything on the basketball court. He's great at breaking down defenders off the dribble. When he had opponents isolated on the wing, Jonah quickly beat them to the rim. He played the game with great energy. Every time he scored Johan showed a fire that gave his teammates the boost of confidence. That energy led to a blowout win for Indiana Elite 14u Shepherd. Jonah is a great shooter. I watched him knock down multiple threes and a host of mid-range shots. He's a good rebounding guard who attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did when he looked to score. A majority of his offensive rebounds led to put-backs around the basket. Defensively, he excelled at jumping passing lanes and taking the ball away. The plays Jonah made usually resulted in positive outcomes for the team. I look forward to seeing how his skills equate to the high school basketball scene.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660274,"width":"241px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8075-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522521.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8075-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522521.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660274" style="width:241px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3653665' first='Alex' last='Shepherd'] 5-10- 2030- Carmel Clay Middle School- Indiana Elite 14u Shepherd</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alex continues to be an excellent young guard. He's a play-maker who showed the ability to score from all three levels of the floor. Whether it was getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range or knocking down three-pointers, opposing teams had no answers. Alex easily beat opponents off the dribble and made plays. His strong dribble drives allowed him to either score or kick out passes to open teammates. In one-on-one situations, Alex showed the ability to create just enough space to effectively make jump-shots on the perimeter. When he had an opportunity to knock down a three-pointer, Alex did not hesitate. Ultimately, he finished the game with four conversions from beyond the arc. In my opinion, Alex is a skilled offensive player who happens to be an awesome facilitator. Defensively, he had three steals and numerous ball deflections. As I said in the beginning, Alex is a legit play-maker who has a bright future ahead of him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3660280,"width":"239px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8073-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522715.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_8073-rotated-crop-385x253-1780522715.jpeg?w=384" alt="" class="wp-image-3660280" style="width:239px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong> </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->