Ramsey’s Open Gym Notes – Part Two

<!-- 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">Anderson Indians</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson finished 21-3 last season, their third 20+ win mark in the last four years, but fell in the first round of Sectional 9 to Mt. Vernon (Fortville). Graduating their top three scorers, and four of their top five, may lead many to believe the cupboard is bare. However, there is a plethora of young talent that should give fans of the Indians plenty of optimism. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2538870' first='Don' last='Bowling III'] returns after averaging 9.2 points as a freshman. Meanwhile, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2797660' first='Manu' last='Jackson'] comes over from Marion where he averaged 4.2 points per game as a freshman. Ron Bowling is another sophomore to watch that earned valuable experience as a freshman. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560980' first='Collin' last='Lewis'] is an excellent two-way perimeter threat for Anderson as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cathedral Fighting Irish</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fighting Irish graduated four key seniors, including their leading scorer, but should once again compete among the Top 5-10 in Class 3A. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561435' first='Julien' last='Smith'] is the top returning player having averaged 13.5 points per game last season. Meanwhile, senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1561135' first='Keaton' last='Aldridge Jr']. averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. The super versatile lefty recently committed to Detroit Mercy. Look for fellow senior R'Mani Wells to step into a bigger role this season and for freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2955304' first='Ryan' last='Gold Jr']. to make an instant impact. This could be the year for Cathedral to recapture the Sectional 26 title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fort Wayne Snider Panthers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Wayne Snider has been building towards this year. After going 13-13 in year one and 14-10 last season, Coach Josh Riikonen might have the best team in Fort Wayne this time around. The Panthers return their top two scorers and the overwhelming vast majority of their rotation from a year ago. They will have plenty of firepower in the backcourt led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1744397' first='Xavier' last='Wilson'] who averaged 14.8 points per game last season and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140449' first='Trell' last='Hogue'] who put up 11.8 points per game. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2140409' first='Ketron' last='Paschall'] is one to watch in the front court. He averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last year. This team will go 9-10 deep and will have the top end talent to compete with anyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Park Tudor</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season was just the second below .500 mark for Park Tudor in the last 15 years and the first since 2018. Don't expect them to stay down for long though. This year the Panthers should be back to competing in Class 2A. 6'6" junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2140369' first='Griffyn' last='Robisch'] is a highly talented player poised for a breakout season. In the senior class, [player_tooltip player_id='2573024' first='Asher' last='Arkenau'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2400045' first='Keylan' last='Smith'] will be relied upon while sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2871458' first='Owen' last='Platt'] could make a real jump this season. There are pieces in place for Park Tudor to improve dramatically from last season's 8-13 record.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->