Open Gym Report: Park Tudor

<p>Tuesday afternoon I continued my tour around the state of Indiana checking out workouts and open gyms as teams prepare for the season. Park Tudor was on the schedule this time. Coming off of an 11-7 season, the Panthers have the pieces to make some noise in Class 2A. Coach Tim Adams is 43-22 through three seasons, but has yet to make it out of a very tough Sectional 42. Led by Junior All-Star candidate [player_tooltip player_id="868228" first="Jermaine" last="Coleman"], Park Tudor will look to go toe-to-toe with Heritage Christian to advance out of arguably the toughest Class 2A sectional in the state.</p> <p>The Panthers backcourt is in good hands with a pair of very good guards. Senior point guard Jordan Bowels will run the show this season. Bowels is just 5’10"-5’11", but makes up for it with elite strength. He will make defenders bounce off of him on the way to the basket and can take contact on the perimeter. Bowels can make outside shots, but is at his best when attacking off of the dribble. His running mate in the backcourt will be junior [player_tooltip player_id="935733" first="Bryce" last="Petty"]. A 6’1" shooting guard, Petty gives the Panthers a dynamic scoring threat. He can really shoot it from the perimeter and has the mentality of a scorer. Very aggressive. He should be a leading scorer alongside Coleman this year for Park Tudor.</p> <p>Speaking of Coleman, the 6’7" forward will be the focal point of opposing scouting reports. Ranked #7 in the Class of 2023 by Prep Hoops Indiana, Coleman holds Division I offers from Akron and Miami (OH). High-major schools like Clemson, Notre Dame, and Butler have been by to check on him recently as well. The left-handed shooter will space the floor for the Panthers while also providing some size and rebounding around the basket. Defensively, Coleman has turned into a guy that can truly guard all positions 1-5. His development into an alpha-dog on the offensive end as well will be critical to Park Tudor’s success. He certainly has the skills to be a 15-20 point per game producer this season and enters the season as a likely Junior All-Star selection.</p> <p>Rounding out the likely starting five will be a couple of seniors, [player_tooltip player_id="1063974" first="C.J." last="Thompson"] and Caleb Harris. Thompson is a 6’1" athletic wing that will come over from the football team as soon as their season wraps up. He will be an important piece in their backcourt. Additionally, Harris adds some size and strength to the lineup. He is a 6’2"-6’3" athlete that will play as a forward in their offense. Good left-handed driver and finisher inside. The veteran presence of these two, along with senior point guard Bowles, will allow some of the younger pieces to continue developing as the season goes on.</p> <p>Adding depth to the rotation will be sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="1295384" first="Ben" last="Wilkerson"], junior Myles Nehrling, junior [player_tooltip player_id="868269" first="Thomas" last="Ruffin"], and 6’6" freshman [player_tooltip player_id="1296990" first="Cal" last="Bostic"]. Wilkerson is a very good ball handler who will provide backup minutes at point guard when Bowles is out. Nehrling provides some size, once he gets healthy, and will fit in as a rotation forward for the group. Ruffin is an excellent athlete that brings strength and rebounding to the table. Can get to the basket off of the dribble as well. Lastly, the 6’6" freshman Bostic may be the most important of the bunch. He is very skilled for his size and age giving the Panthers a potential offensive threat that can stretch out to the perimeter. Expect him to play an increasingly large role throughout the season.</p> <p><strong>Final Thought: </strong>It’ll be a tall task to make it out of Sectional 42, but the Panthers have the talent and coaching to make it happen. The offense Coach Adams and his staff have in for this season will be hard to guard and compliments their personnel perfectly. To reach their ceiling, [player_tooltip player_id="868228" first="Jermaine" last="Coleman"] must play to his Junior All-Star potential, [player_tooltip player_id="935733" first="Bryce" last="Petty"] must be a great complimentary scorer, and the surrounding seniors of Bowles, Thompson, and Harris must continue to grow in their roles. Regardless of their post season success, this is a Top 10 team in Class 2A. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>