The offseason of high school basketball seems like it takes forever.
I mean, it doesn’t for the players as much. Once school season is over, there is AAU, June ball and shootouts with high school teams, August brings Bounce’s favorite in the Summit Summer League, another other leagues always pop in from the likes of PSM and Club 1.
But the end of March to the beginning of October and girls seasons seems like an eternity to me, always has.
So this offseason, I wanna stay active. I wanna talk hoops.
Topic 1: rebounding. Everyone needs it. It wins games. It is more critical than it is ever given credit for. Last season, just over a handful of area players – 6 by my count – averaged double digit rebounds. So who looks to be the best of the best next season? It doesn’t have to just be by their count this season either, this is some of those unique players who just work hard to clean the glass.
In case you were wondering, these players are listed in NO specific order.
BEST RETURNING REBOUNDING BOYS PLAYERS
JOSHUA AULBACH, SOUTHERN WELLS
The area should take better notice of Aulbach heading into his senior season after nearly averaging a double double as a junior. In fact, Aulbach has sat as one of the area’s better rebounders each of the past two seasons, putting up 7.8 rebounds per game last year after going for 7.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Last season, he had six games of double figure rebounding, led by 14 against Adams Central in the second game of the season and 13 two games later in a win over Northfield when be pulled down six offensive rebounds. Aulbach will be the fifth leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
ANTHONY BARNES, NORTHROP
Barnes more than doubled the next guy up at Northrop, pulling down 8 rebounds per game last season as a junior. At 6-foot-6, he used his length to his advantage a lot with seven games of double digit rebounds. He tallied a season best 16 rebounds in a late season close loss to Canterbury. Outside of that, he had two 15 rebound games where each time he had seven offensive rebounds in wins over Lakewood Park and Hanover Central. Barnes will be the fourth leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
ISAIAH KING AND AYDEN O’NEAL, GARRETT
Despite both missing significant time with injuries lsat season, King and O’Neal were tough on the glass when they were active, with King averaging 7.4 rebounds per game to O’Neal’s six. As a tandem, they are strong on the interior for the Railroaders. King made nine appearances on the year, but averaged 10.2 boards across his final five games after returning from a fractured wrist, including 14 against DeKalb. O’Neal was in double digits just once in his 13 appearances, but had five other games with 8 or 9 rebounds, and showed his big strength on the offensive glass with six each in wins over Central Noble and Churubusco.
NILES KNOX, ANGOLA
Knox’s 8.7 rebounds per game last season would be impressive enough alone, but the fact he did it while the Hornets had a 9.5 rebound per game guy in the now graduated Ryan Stuckey is big too because there were less rebounds to go around. Never the less, Knox got his in mass too with nine games in double digit rebounds. He posted four straight games with double figure boards in December and a season high 13 twice in wins over Woodlan and East Noble. Perhaps the most impressive part of Knox’s rebounding was the balance. He finished the season just 9 less offensive rebounds (100) than he had defensive rebounds (109) with two games of 7 offensive rebounds. Knox will be the co-second leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
GAVIN GRIESER, BLUFFTON
While Grieser’s individual game rebounding is not publicly available, we do know that he ended the season averaging 8.7 per game last season. And if you have seen Grieser’s body of work, you know that his rebounding is a fine balance of finesse and physicality. While he can, and does, body his way to ripping down key boards, he also is very intelligent in reading how the ball comes off the rim and getting the positioning to make sure it is his. Grieser will be the co-second leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
MACK WELKER, HOMESTEAD
Welker averaged 10.2 rebounds per game last season as one of just two guys in the area to average double digit rebounds on the year. While Welker’s offense gets a lot of attention, he works hard to get into that offense with his ability to create second shot opportunities for his team being a clutch and underrated part of his game. Welker’s superior length helps, but he is a workhorse on the glass that is relentless in securing the ball for Homestead. Welker was tied for 12th in the state in rebounds per game based on teams that submit stats to Max Preps (Homestead does not) and is the only player returning in the area this coming season that averaged double digit rebounds last season.
BEST RETURNING REBOUNDING GIRLS PLAYERS
SOPHIE EISENHUT, BLUFFTON
As one of just 38 players in the state to average 10 or more rebounds per game last season, Eisenhut was right at that 10 rebound per game mark. She was the area’s fourth leading rebounder as a junior and averaged 4.8 of her 10 rebounds per game on the offensive glass. Eisenhut had 13 games with double digit rebounds on the season, leading with 18 boards in a win over Huntington North. She also had 10 offensive rebounds on two occasions in wins over Wabash and South Adams. Eisenhut will be the leading returning rebounder in the area next season and the only player to return after averaging double digit rebounds last year.
KENDALL VANDERWAL AND KENDALL HOLMAN, ANGOLA
There were few introductions to the area as big as that of move in VanderWal last season, while she averaged 9.7 rebounds and flirted with the rare double double average. She was recently named the MVP the Indiana Futures Game, where even there she showcased her high motor. If all Angola had on the glass was her, they would be ok, but they also can balance VanderWal with fellow junior to be Holman, who averaged 7.6 rebounds per game last season. VanderWal will be the second leading returning rebounder in the area next season with Holman is the co-11th leading returner in the area.
KENZIE WHITE, SNIDER
There may not have been any better freshman rebounder in the north half of the state last season than White. Her 7.6 boards per game paced the Panthers with five games of double digit rebounding mixed in. Quite impressively, she posted her first double digit game of 14 rebounds in just her third varsity game, a win over Carmel. She had 17 rebounds in a win over Northrop and a season best eight offensive rebounds late season in a win over Carroll. White will be the fourth leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
KAYDINTZ BALES, CENTRAL NOBLE
Bales was in the unique spot of not being the Cougars leading rebounder, but also still finding ways to take over some games in that area. She averaged 7 rebounds per game, but had some breakout games as well with 13 rebounds each against Wawasee and Fairfield. She was impactful in important wins, including the season opener with 8 rebounds against Bishop Luers and then with 8 boards in a NECC Tournament win over Garrett just days after the Cougars had lost a regular season game against the Railroaders. Bales will be the 12th leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
HARVEST GREEN, BISHOP LUERS
Another freshman that was huge throughout the season on the glass, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game for the Knights. The leading rebounder on the season for Bishop Luers, she had double digit rebounding games in just her third and fourth varsity games ever, with seven double digit games in total during the season. She posted a career high 17 rebounds in the Sectional round in a win over Adams Central. Green will be the sixth leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
JAE PICKETT, BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN
Pickett was a dominant presence in the paint this season, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game and consistently giving her team extra possessions on both ends of the floor. Her physicality makes her a force down low, while her relentless effort allows her to impact games beyond the scoring column. With two years of varsity experience already under her belt, Pickett’s ceiling remains high, and she has all the tools to take another significant step forward as a junior. Pickett will be the third leading returning rebounder in the area next season.
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
Be the first to comment