Ramsey’s Open Gym Notes – Part Six

<!-- 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">Crown Point Bulldogs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs bring back the vast majority of their production from last season's team that went 23-3 and advanced to the Class 4A Final Four. Furthermore, Crown Point went 4-0 at the Charlie Hughes Showcase in June defeating Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Parke Heritage, Lawrence North, and Fishers. On paper, you could make a very strong argument for them being the preseason #1 team heading into 2025-2026. They are led by a pair of Division I commits in [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] (Illinois-Chicago) and [player_tooltip player_id='1561445' first='Mason' last='Darrell'] (Bellarmine). [player_tooltip player_id='1561063' first='Kingston' last='Rhodes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561016' first='Bryce' last='Peters'] are senior guards with plenty of varsity experience that will help while 6'7" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2882512' first='Cooper' last='Malaski'] will help provide some additional size around the basket. Crown Point can go 10+ deep if needed with really talented players. They will be very tough to beat this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gary West Side Cougars</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gary West Side has knocked on the door each of the last two seasons only to be eliminated by East Chicago Central in the Sectional both times. This could be the year that the Cougars get over the hump and cut down the nets in Sectional 17. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560995' first='Reggie' last='Hinton'] and 6'10" senior center [player_tooltip player_id='1560969' first='Tyler' last='Crews'] lead a talented group of returning players while a couple of freshman, 6'2" guard Deshawn Clay Jr. and 6'7" forward/center Prentiss Gates, will make instant impacts. The Cougars will play fast and look to control the tempo with Hinton running the show. Look for West Side to be a Top 10 team in Class 3A this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Merrillville Pirates</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2565742' first='Charles' last='Hardiman'] stepped in right away and lead the Pirates in scoring as a freshman at 15.5 points per game. The ultra-talented 6'3" guard is one of the best pure scorers in Indiana's Class of 2028 and has made noticeable strides as a playmaker now heading into his sophomore season. 6'6" senior froward [player_tooltip player_id='2880789' first='Josiah' last='Jones'] is another returning piece for Merrillville. He is incredibly bouncy, a consistent above the rim finisher, and a capable catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc. Jones is a highly sought after small college prospect. It will be largely new faces around Hardiman and Jones, but the talent is there for the Pirates to be improved in 2025-2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->