Preseason Workout Report: South Bend Riley and Elkhart

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Covering Indiana High School Basketball has become a nearly 365 day a year job. The season obviously starts up around Thanksgiving and runs until the beginning of spring. Then, the grassroots schedule picks up almost immediately and runs through the end of July. August is a bit of a quieter month, but once school gets back in session there will be fall leagues and preseason workouts all across the state. Getting out and spending time with our state's great coaching staffs and getting a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look at specific programs is one of our favorite parts of the coverage calendar. Our travels across the state started as the calendar turned to September. Here are some notes on a few schools we hit to begin this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South Bend Riley Wildcats</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Alex Daniel has led the Wildcats to 21 or more wins in three consecutive seasons. There will be a lot of players asked to step up into larger roles this season, but they should still be one of the best teams in the South Bend area and a real contender in a loaded Sectional 3 field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5'9" senior guard Da'Kori Parker earned Indiana Junior All-Star honors averaging 13.3 points and 3.6 assists per game last season. He will be the focal point of everything South Bend Riley does offensively this season. Parker is highly sought after by the powerhouse Crossroads League programs and several other scholarship-level schools. 6'2" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2560361' first='Dontreyelle' last='Johnson'] is a proven contributor for the Wildcats as well. Those two give Riley a solid inside-outside duo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2140406' first='Kelin' last='Webster'] is another returning contributor while sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='3658753' first='Lachlan' last='Hoobin'] and freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='3685912' first='Jeremiyah' last='Johnson'] should be ready to make instant impacts at the varsity level. Do not sleep on South Bend Riley as they will have the fire power to keep up with anyone and everyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Elkhart Lions</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you are looking for an under-the-radar team that could win a lot of games and compete for a Sectional Championship this season look no further than the Elkhart Lions. Coach Bodie Bender is no stranger to success and has a history of getting the most out of his teams. There is enough talent here to make some noise in 2026-2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lions will be led this season by superstar sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2442330' first='Kaleb' last='Anderson']-Mitchell. He is a 6'5" playmaker who can score it from every spot on the floor, uses his length to be disruptive defensively, and is an excellent passer. Look for him to emerge as one of the top prospects in Indiana's Class of 2029 this season. Meanwhile, seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2426066' first='Samarcus' last='Gipson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3633239' first='Quinn' last='Chandler'] provide some veteran leadership. Gipson is a super athletic 6'3" wing while Chandler is a long, bouncy, versatile 6'6" forward. Those three establish a solid returning core that will give them a chance every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior guard Damon Peak is another name to keep an eye on heading into the season for the Lions. He is a talented shot-maker and gives Coach Bender another ball handler as well alongside Anderson-Mitchell. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->