PHI Top-250 Observations: Class of 2021
This past Saturday was the annual Prep Hoops Indiana Top-250 Expo at Fishers High School. The event saw close to 150 prospects participate throughout the day, with most of them being non-Seniors. It was filled with several talented individuals, as…
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Continue ReadingThis past Saturday was the annual Prep Hoops Indiana Top-250 Expo at Fishers High School. The event saw close to 150 prospects participate throughout the day, with most of them being non-Seniors. It was filled with several talented individuals, as well as many under-the-radar kids who showed their mettle against good competition. Below is a look at seven members of the 2021 class who I thought stood out when I was able to see them.
Camden Brown, 2021, 6-7 F/C, University H.S.
It seems like year after year University always has a kid or two who play with a great deal of versatility, and Camden certainly fits that mold this season. He is extremely long, he has wiry strength, and he has at least a little skill at each level. He posted on occasion, had solid hands & feet, and finished with quick half-hooks or interior jumpers before the defense could react. He was comfortable in the mid-post as well, and he looked to shoot first, but he could get to the basket with one dribble as well. Around the perimeter he wasn’t as much of a scorer, but he did attempt a couple of long jumpers that made him look like a potential threat outside. He runs North/South fine, but Camden will need to get quicker laterally and work on gaining some muscle-mass, plus he really just needs to finish growing into his body.
Ethan Higgs, 2021, 6-3 G, Evansville Francis Joseph Reitz H.S.
The 2021 class in Evansville is pretty deep with guard and wing talent, so Ethan’s name doesn’t come up as much as it might if he were in another graduating class. He was outstanding Saturday, and he’s one of the kids who comes to mind when I think about who played the absolute best. He is a fairly strong wing guard, he’s a really nice athlete with some bounce, and he played with a good motor. He did a lot off the bounce, changing directions well, getting defenders off-balance, and attacking the basket with strength. On multiple occasions, he attacked the basket, absorbed contact, and went through defenders’ chests to finish at the rim. He created opportunities for teammates as well, and he had a couple of really nice finds in traffic. I think he can run offense like a point guard, but he’s probably a ‘2’ defensively.
Ethan Jones, 2021, 6-6 F, Center Grove H.S.
From one Ethan to another, Ethan Jones could have a very impactful season for Center Grove this year, following the loss of several frontline players for the Trojans. Ethan is a long, wiry, bouncy kid who showed off a great motor Saturday. He’s a little on the slender side and will need to continue getting stronger, but that didn’t stop him from playing with physicality and consistently attacking the basket. He has noticeable talent and some skill away from the basket, but he still plays like a junkyard dog who gets after loose balls and rebounds outside of his area, plus he scores a lot of garbage buckets around the rim. I really enjoy the fact that he doesn’t settle for long jumpers or try to do too much off the bounce, and I think he has some value as a versatile defender who can take on forwards and most wings.
Gabe McNary, 2021, 6-7 F, Avon H.S.
Based on what I’ve seen out of Gabe over the last three to four months, I think he’s a prospect whose stock could begin skyrocketing this next year. He’s grown a couple of inches and might still have one more inch left in him, he has a wiry strong, athletic frame, with broad shoulders and very good length. He’s extremely bouncy and likes to finish above the rim, plus he plays with a motor and hustles after scraps. He still needs some work offensively facing the basket in the mid-post & short-corner areas, but he doesn’t have a bad shooting touch. He appears as though he’s a kid who is just figuring it out and is starting to ascend towards his potential. He had a few “wow” moments when I saw him with his Avon team at the Charlie Hughes Shootout in June, and he was much more consistent this past weekend at our event.
Foster Mefford, 2021, 6-0 PG, Southwestern H.S. (Hanover)
Foster is a kid who I had heard of thanks to a solid statistical season he put together on a 25-2 Southwestern team in 2018-2019, but it was the Crossroads League offer he picked up recently that really got me interested in seeing him this past Saturday, and he didn’t disappoint. He is a strong, physical point guard prospect, with really good length and solid athleticism in every direction. On the surface, he might not overwhelm you, but once you see him enough times with the ball in his hands, you realize there aren’t many true facilitators in this class with the feel and vision he possesses. He sees the game three steps ahead of everyone else, his passing is on-time/on-target, and he plays with a great poise and patience. Foster has a nice motor, a quiet toughness, and he can also defend both guard positions fairly well.
Adam O’Dell, 2021, 6-7 F, South Bend Saint Joseph H.S.
Adam is a kid who grew and developed quite a bit quicker than his peers when they were younger, but I’ve been impressed with how much he has adapted his game and really worked on honing his skillset. Now, he’s a strong, reasonably athletic power forward who can play inside-out and affect the game at each level. He can post smaller defenders and score with a soft touch out of either hand around the block. He is tremendously effective in the mid-post and can knock down shots there or attack the basket and finish. Plus, he has solid mechanics on his jumper and can step outside and knock down open, rhythm 3-pointers when the defense plays off of him too much. He could certainly benefit from improving his lateral quickness, especially at the defensive end of the floor, but he has developed into a really nice basketball player.
Donovan Scott, 2021, 6-1 G, Emmerich Manual H.S.
Donovan’s name was new to me entering the event, but he left a big impression on me with his play. He is very long, extremely quick/fast, and he’s quick with the basketball. He’ll need to add some strength to his slender frame, but he’s tough-nosed, physical, and bouncy. He did a really nice job of getting defenders off-balance, attacking the basket, and finishing at the rim. He was also a willing passer, and he often found teammates wide open for easy scores as well. He was a menace defensively, both on the ball frustrating ball-handlers, and in help-side affecting the passing lanes with his length. I didn’t get to see him shoot it much from the perimeter, so that’s an area I would like to evaluate in the future, but he really didn’t need to because he was always blowing by his defender and collapsing the defense. He had a great showing.