High School Spotlight: Silver Creek Dragons

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The High School Spotlight Series is back and we are excited to feature multiple teams throughout the state once again! The season is still a few months away, but it is never too early to look ahead at the high school season. We will be taking a look at some quick hitters, the top player(s), a potential breakout player, other roster members, and more for the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the Silver Creek Dragons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Went 29-2 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to Cathedral in Semistate.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Brandon Hoffman starts his 17th year as head coach. He is 290-115 as a head coach.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Will be looking to make a run at a Class 3A State Championship.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2140328' first='Brandon' last='Hunter']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Silver Creek entered last season as the favorite in Class 3A, and while the Dragons fell short of their ultimate goal and graduated several key contributors, they still return plenty of talent. Leading the way this season will be 2027 guard and Belmont commit [player_tooltip player_id='2140328' first='Brandon' last='Hunter']. After earning Indiana Junior All-Star honors a year ago, Hunter is primed for a breakout senior campaign that could very well end with Indiana All-Star recognition. He returns as the team's leading scorer after averaging 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season. With his experience, leadership, and all-around skill set, expect nearly everything Silver Creek does offensively to run through Hunter this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2831121' first='Lucas' last='Linderman']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There may not have been a bigger breakout player in Indiana's 2027 class than Silver Creek center [player_tooltip player_id='2831121' first='Lucas' last='Linderman'], making him the obvious choice as a potential breakout candidate for the Dragons this upcoming season. While Linderman was primarily a depth piece and role player for Silver Creek last year, he is expected to take on a much larger role and become a key secondary scoring option this season. His breakout spring and summer helped elevate his recruitment, earning an offer from FGCU and drawing increased Division I interest. At his core, Linderman is a long, athletic, and versatile post player who can finish above the rim, impact the game on the glass, and provide a strong defensive presence as a rim protector. With an expanded role ahead of him, he has a chance to become one of the biggest risers in the state.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2436214' first='Donovan' last='Whitehead']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3038275' first='Aiden' last='Makun']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3038274' first='Evan' last='Renn']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2470698' first='Brody' last='McLaughlin']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->