It is June! And that means high school basketball is back…kind of.
This month, teams across the area will get back in the gym together, some just to practice or get up shots and most will be playing in some shootouts sprinkled along the way both in the area and across the state or across the state line to Ohio.
Two of the better local options took place last week with multiple days at Saint Francis and Purdue Fort Wayne. I stepped out on Friday and Saturday to see some local teams in action. So, of course, I have a few takeaways from each team whether I saw them once, twice or a handful of times.
CAUTION: I say this every year about these June shootouts; June is a bit misleading. It is a good test for teams, hopefully away from opponents they will see during the season. It is a good chance to see some lineups and formulas closer to what we will see this winter, without those Class of 2023 graduates. BUT, it is still June and that means that you take a lot of what you see with a grain of salt.
LEO
Solomon Richard took control of Friday’s game against Paulding at Saint Francis almost from the get go. While Leo set a really frenetic pace in the first game, Richard did a tremendous job controlling that intense pace. Nolan Hiteshew was another high energy guy all weekend, especially rebounding the ball on Friday. A new varsity face in Grant Johnson was really efficient shooting the ball and his midrange game was solid all weekend if not superb on Friday in games at USF.
Getting to see Leo on both days meant a real chance to see what potential they do have and Richard was a focus of that. Why? Because Leo is without what you’d call a true point guard. That said, Richard did a great job setting tone through Leo’s 6 games over two days.
Saturday against Center Line, probably the toughest opponent I saw them play, Jackson McGee played like he belonged in that D1 gym at PFW. His baseline midrange pull-up and aggression in the offensive glass were both tremendous as he scored 30 in that game.
GARRETT
Jaxon Robinson showed some more versatility in his game Friday at Saint Francis, which was good to see. He’s a solid shooter who worked harder to get shots on the drive on Friday against Howardsville Christian; mixing it up more in and near the paint.
We got to see some of that same energy from Drayton Myers, another kid known much more for his shooting acumen. Myers will be looked as a leader going into his senior year, so it was nice to see him take some extra control on Thursday.
The Railroaders picked up quality wins at USF and wins alone should motivate this team moving forward as they try to constantly build. There is work to do, it is June after all, but Garrett has to be happy with the energy and effort they’ve seen this month.
WHITKO
The first possession of Whitko’s on Friday was a Sam Essegian assist of a Kyler Krull basket. Expect that to be a way that things happen quite a bit in South Whitley now. The two just know each other’s games so well and it really shows.
Essegian was super consistent in his first games in the Wildcat blue and really asserted his positioning well inside, drawing multiple and-ones throughout the day on Friday at USF, no matter the opponent. He showed a real shiftiness in getting around his defender and using his body to create space and contact.
Krull, meanwhile, was what we know he can be. He shot the ball well, he towered over smaller defenders and used his length to create shots. Jack Hill also played well for Whitko, helping the Wildcats space the floor against four different opponents.
EAST NOBLE
Mason Treesh showed excellent work in spacing the floor Friday at Saint Francis. The Knights came into their game against Paulding fresh off a nice two-point loss to North Side so they had good momentum when they made their way to the Hutzell Center and Treesh was clearly playing confidently. He moved around well with and without the ball and became East Noble’s most consistent threat on offense.
Landon Swogger added confidence too, moving at the rim well from the baseline and making himself available as he spaced the floor. Owen Van Gessel played very freely throughout the day on Friday and was a consistent presence for this East Noble team, looking strong as a defender that can really take on multiple positions. Kobe Ritchie was also a nice piece on both ends of the floor, providing more consistency.
Nathan Bowker played with tenacity and pace, made some nice passes as he figures out lead guard duties with his communication showing improvement even throughout games on Friday. Late against Paulding, he knocked down a big three (and one) to cut EN’s deficit to two in a game they eventually won. He has some really solid upside potential as a point guard in the NE8.
NORTHROP
Northrop is in the midst of a close to complete rebuild with a new coach and their star player graduated but they did get the chance to work out some early bugs Friday with their games at PFW.
Makhi Davis made a good impact with the Bruins, showing how strong and aggressively he can get downhill and create. Donlaray Reese Jr. also showed really good ability to play at a controlled but frantic pace. Jaxon Hughes showed off a nice shooting touch at times.
The key for Northrop clearly was and will be setting a tempo that will help them find their identity. On Friday, both Ahman Salam and Kobe Hudson were successful being guys that worked with the tempo with Salam looking like he could be a steady lead guard and Hudson’s improving IQ helping along the way.
FAIRFIELD
Noah Mast really took control in some key situations as Fairfield played at PFW on Friday. His long frame at 6-foot-7 has always been a major asset, but he has put on some muscle and is reading the interior really well to get himself easier shots. Mast did show on Friday that he remains multi-dimensional, multiple times bringing the ball up the court and hitting a really nice in rhythm three pointer at one point.
Fairfield is going to be able to lean on their intensity if Friday was any indication. Brooks Custer showed a lot of potential moving on both sides of the ball, Alex Hofer and Tyson Frey were aggressive as usual and Mitchell Miller showed how underrated of a rebounding guard he is.
While his consistency will need to keep growing, Brant Garber was a super hot shooting wing and his outside acumen was critical multiple times on Friday.
NORTH SIDE
Smith Academy transfer JaKahi Rich was solid and if he can be a consistent finisher, is a great addition to the rebuilding North Side interior. He showed Saturday at PFW that he could end up being a high-volume rebounder. The North Side interior was bolstered by Da’von Haney who has improved his footwork quite a bit in the last year.
Watch out for freshman point guard Max Goheen. If you have paid any attention at all to middle school ball or North Side’s pipeline, you should know about Goheen by now. He is a capable scorer and has a pure looking shot, but what he showed best on Saturday was that he can be a go-to, relaxed, true point guard. Goheen distributed well, spaced the floor and looked more than comfortable amongst varsity players considering he “graduated” middle school a few weeks ago.
As for the proven commodities? Well even with Brauntae Johnson sidelined in a walking boot, Eugene Young and Jaxson Fugate were on their games. Young did a tremendous job at PFW in working his angles and splitting defenses. His spin move finish at the rim is damn near elite at this point.
Fugate did a great job showcasing his change of pace with the ball in his hands and his court vision was solid too. With so many offensive options, having Fugate as a capable point forward was helpful in the Legends’ games and it will be interesting to see if he keeps using that vision in that role come winter.
SNIDER
Snider has quite a bit back for being a team that is still quite youthful. Without Keron Billingsley in the lineup over the weekend at PFW due to football commitments, a lot of guys got the chance to play some lead guard and it opened up some intrigue.
Nate Griffin was probably my favorite Panther at PFW. He didn’t always run lead guard but the varsity veteran almost always defended the opposing lead guard and did a great job as a tempo changer. On offense, it was fun to watch him work the middle against an opposing zone and was a major catalyst in ball movement.
That ball movement was an important piece for Snider, who really worked well together doing so. The ball movement on some of Snider’s half court sets was really pristine.
Xavier Wilson plays really long and used that length well defensively. Layne Patterson is another long Snider player who drew some intrigue; he played well but certainly has some raw untapped potential as well. Outside of that, Sean Davenport’s passing and decision making was solid and his quality of shot was strong. Jayson Hart also showed an improved shooting touch. All and all, Snider added a lot of intrigue to what they can do during their days at PFW.
WAYNE
Sometimes the rich get richer. Enter the Wayne Generals, so close to Gainbridge Fieldhouse and with so, so many pieces back from last season.
How did they get richer? In every way. Because those many pieces look like they’ve gotten a lot better since we last saw them a couple of months ago.
HJ Dillard was physical, intense, quick and intelligent at PFW as Wayne rallied through a variety of opponents. He was impossible to stop from eight feet in, he rebounded as good as anybody in the gym and was a big-time lob threat. You can almost copy and paste for Preston Comer. Certainly, one of the area’s oddly underrated players, Comer’s confidence shined at PFW as he played with a dominant edge. Ziare Sullivan also added some next step strength inside off the bench.
Jevon Lewis got better too. OTH’s reining Player of the Year made really good, next level decisions with the ball on Saturday. He knew when to attack, he knew when to assist and it was really amazing to watch. Chase Barnes was quick and intense, shot well and moved better off ball to space the floor.
I think we all remain in awe of how Wayne looked over the weekend. It was 2022-23 Wayne amped up to 11.
And then there is Khalen Williams-Thomas, another way they got richer. His addition to this lineup as kind of a de facto replacement for the graduated Monte Smith is huge. Williams-Thomas can do a lot of the same things Smith did including a nice shooting touch and really high-level defense with a long frame. Williams-Thomas shined last summer at PFW but I have a feeling this time it will absolutely translate in tangible varsity impact.
HOMESTEAD
The Spartans have a lot to replace and I think that people expect them to struggle along the way. If they play like they did Saturday at PFW when it really matters, there certainly is no big hiccup to the always well oiled machine.
Will Jamison is obviously the head of the snake and he continue to improve his consistency on all three levels offensively. His midrange game was won nice display Saturday at PFW and his pull up from 15 feet was high level.
It felt like a variety of Spartan players fed off that. Owen Smith shot the ball really well and showed that he can be a great spot up shooter for the Spartans, but also moved into his shot well. Josh Rogers was a pleasant surprise on how confident and willing he was in the offense, also spacing the floor while Michael Raudenbush showed some point forward tendencies that Homestead can rely on to get a board and take off up the court to set up an offense.
Inside, Homestead was good too with Wyatt Weaver showing how well he can read the glass and rebound on both ends in ways that heightened his team. Michael White played with really good athleticism and his movement around the paint helped space out Homestead’s offense and make their multiple shooting weapons move vibrant. He showed that he will contribute immediately with the Spartans.
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