Preseason Workout Report: Pike and Guerin Catholic

<!-- 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 couple schools we hit on Monday of 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">Pike Red Devils</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As soon as former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague returned to his alma mater it brought Pike back to prominence. After a 12-10 first season, Coach Teague had a Top 5 team in the state last year as he led the Red Devils to a 23-4 record and a Sectional Championship. They fell to the eventual State Champion Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 57-54 in overtime in the Regional. Pike will once again be loaded with talent and will be a Top 5 team in Class 4A in 2026-2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Purdue commit [player_tooltip player_id='2266896' first='Isaiah' last='Hill'] is the centerpiece for the Red Devils. The 6'11" senior center is the most impactful defender in the state. He earned Marion County Player of the Year honors as a junior averaging 12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game. Meanwhile, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2538892' first='Landon' last='Lampley'] is another high-profile national prospect for Pike. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game last season. The 6'7" 225 pound junior is arguably the best prospect in the state regardless of class. Landon's brother, [player_tooltip player_id='2266897' first='Kenneth' last='Lampley'], is another Division I recruit entering his senior year for the Red Devils. He has a big, strong frame and as well and will provide a "3-and-D" quality to Pike's team. That trio of Division I prospects alone makes Pike as talented as any team in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite losing a Top 75 prospect to prep school, the Red Devils' backcourt will still have plenty of firepower. Cathedral transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2955304' first='Ryan' last='Gold Jr']. is one of the top sophomores in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='3219509' first='Bles'sed' last='Thomas'] is a dynamic senior guard coming over from Crispus Attucks, [player_tooltip player_id='2414872' first='Aiden' last='Woods'] is a senior veteran of the program, and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='3686533' first='Brillon' last='Pritchett Jr.'] has a chance to make an impact right away. Then, in the front court, there is 6'8" senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2444554' first='Vanden' last='Garner']. He is a former home school kid in the Indianapolis area who has now returned to the state, enrolled at Pike, and is one of the top stock-risers in terms of recruitment in the state. Garner's ability to stretch the floor as a catch-and-shoot threat while having the size and physicality to rebound at a high level is very impressive. He could play his way into some Division I scholarships before the season is over. Look for junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2958770' first='Timothy' last='Smith'] to have a similar type of breakout season for Pike.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the year that this Guerin Catholic team has been preparing for as the current senior class rose through the program. The Golden Eagles have won 20 or more games in four straight seasons and absolutely have the talent to be one of the best teams in Class 3A. Coach Gardner, who has more or less been with Guerin since its inception, would love to lead them to another state championship like legendary Coach Pete Smith did in 2012 and 2015. Sectional 24 is a monster, but Guerin Catholic will likely be a Top 5 team in Class 3A this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are three primary known commodities that have been contributing to winning for a long time now. Those three are all seniors now with their sights focused on Gainbridge Fieldhouse. [player_tooltip player_id='2140383' first='Jake' last='Grissom'] leads the way coming off of an Indiana Junior all-Star season that saw him average 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. The super athletic 6'1" guard is one of the top pure bucket-getters in Indiana's Class of 2027. Meanwhile, 6'6" wing [player_tooltip player_id='2137375' first='Carter' last='Murans'] is full of upside. He started to match his potential with production last season averaging 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Murans is a great athlete, can really catch-and-shoot, and is a good passer as well. Then, there is point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140371' first='Hayden' last='Rogers']. One of the best floor generals in the state, Rogers averaged 8.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.9 steals per game last season. You can count on those three night-in and night-out to give the Golden Eagles a chance to win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three more seniors return having played roles in the rotation last season. [player_tooltip player_id='2137317' first='Andrew' last='Riethman'] averaged 5.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while [player_tooltip player_id='2807671' first='Zach' last='Tansel'] added 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Those two just add to the veteran culture of this team. 6'8" [player_tooltip player_id='2410408' first='Alex' last='Wall'] is one who could adjust the ceiling of this group. He averaged just 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds last season, but has continued to really improve and is now a sought after small college center. He was outstanding in the workout we watched on Monday. Additionally, 6'4" wing [player_tooltip player_id='3033279' first='Luke' last='Keller'] averaged 4.8 points per game as a freshman last season at 6'10" sophomore center [player_tooltip player_id='3595974' first='Alex' last='Countryman'] will provide front court depth. There are a lot of reasons to trust this team to compete for a state championship in 2026-2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->