Without question, the best pure big man I watch last week was Bishop Chatard’s senior center Alex Lake Alex Lake 6'7" | PF/C Bishop Chatard | 2026 State IN . When you talk about true power and big man fundamentals, Lake is one of the best you find in the central Indiana area. He was strong in post-up actions using his strength and great footwork to take advantage of the smaller New Pal defenders. With him being the true big man and Zach McCormack Zach McCormack 6'10" | C/PF Indianapolis Bishop Chatard | 2027 State IN being the stretch-four big, Chatard has a really good frontcourt that will help them win games at the Class 3A level.

Lake has flown largely under-the-radar up until this summer. The 6’7″ center averaged 7.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game at Bishop Chatard as a junior, but really broke out while playing with Hoopmatics in the summer. He is an excellent rebounder, finishes around the rim with both hands, and has enough of a face-up game to be respected out to 15-18 feet. Lake has quickly become one of the most highly sought after small college big men prospects. He is ranked #69 in the Class of 2026 now.

Yet another very impressive big man in attendance at “The Expo,” this Bishop Chatard forward/center dominated the glass and flashed some intriguing face-up ability. Lake is a good right hand drive from the elbows, short corner, or when facing up off of the block. He also can make mid-range, face-up jumpers in that range as well. Look for him to have a big senior season for the Trojans and continue to attract a good deal of small college attention.

Probably the most dominant player at camp, Alex Lake Alex Lake 6'7" | PF/C Bishop Chatard | 2026 State IN performed well enough to earn an offer from the Franklin coaching staff. The physical 6’7” forward out of Bishop Chatard was active around the rim on both ends of the floor blocking shots and rebounding, as well as showcasing his offensive skill from fifteen feet and in. Showed on multiple occasions a nice jump hook over the left shoulder and was active as a cutter to finish above the rim with ferocityz

Here is what we had to say about Lake in our write up featuring the top performers at “The Expo.”

Yet another very impressive big man in attendance at “The Expo,” this Bishop Chatard forward/center dominated the glass and flashed some intriguing face-up ability. Lake is a good right hand drive from the elbows, short corner, or when facing up off of the block. He also can make mid-range, face-up jumpers in that range as well. Look for him to have a big senior season for the Trojans and continue to attract a good deal of small college attention.

Physical forward that I’ve gotten the chance to see multiple times this summer and he just gets better and better each time. Big time low post presence on both ends of the floor. Good footwork offensively that scores with a soft touch around the basket. Rebounds it well on both ends. Will be a problem for other bigs to handle at camp.

Yet another very impressive big man in attendance at “The Expo,” this Bishop Chatard forward/center dominated the glass and flashed some intriguing face-up ability. Lake is a good right hand drive from the elbows, short corner, or when facing up off of the block. He also can make mid-range, face-up jumpers in that range as well. Look for him to have a big senior season for the Trojans and continue to attract a good deal of small college attention.

First time seeing Alex, and I was really impressed with the combination of size, skill, and physicality that he plays with. Played as hard as any player in the session, he was the beneficiary of many easy buckets just because he elected to rim run off the oppositions misses. Still an improving offensive talent, he showed that he’s a capable threat from behind the arc, as well as being able to drive close outs.

On our trip out to Rock Hill, South Carolina to watch the 3SSB Championships we had the opportunity to see Lake quite a bit for Hoopmatics. The 6’6″ forward/center played very well throughout the event against a very high level of competition. He has soft hands around the basket, rebounds well on both ends, and can hold his own in the post defensively. Small college programs should get out to see Lake at “The Expo.”