John Hamilton (6'4, WG, Greenfield, IN - Spiece North 17)
(scouting report by Peegs)
John is a shooting guard in the purest sense. What I liked most about
him was his nice stroke on a couple of occasions of a screen where he got
up a smooth shot right after taking the pass. Very heady, aware player
as well. Scored 22 points to lead Spiece North in their opening game
victory over a Salt Lake City team. John needs a little more muscle and
might only be considered an average athlete. John is a junior to be and
is at the minimum a borderline high major player already.
(scouting report by Peegs)
Krunti Hester (6'6, PF, Indianapolis, IN - No Excuses)
(scouting report by Peegs)
First thing you notice about Krunti is how strong he is as physically
he reminds you of a guy like NY Knick Larry Johnson. Krunti uses that
strength underneath to do damage on the boards. Krunti has a habit of
picking up fouls and that added to the other fine power forwards on the
No Excuses team left him with not a huge amount playing time so its
tough to do a real good evaluation on his game. Looked to be a good
athlete. Mid-major to high major talent.
(scouting report by Peegs)
Jon Holmes (6'0, PG, Bloomington, IN - Bloomington Red)
(scouting report by Peegs)
This point guard played on Bloomington Red and I saw him put the
dagger in the heart of the No Excuses team by hitting several jumpers
in a short period of time early in the fourth period. Both Dallas and
I commented during the game that he was quicker than we had anticipated.
Showed real nice ball handling ability. Plays like a coach's son should.
About average strength for this senior to be. The rest of the state
should breathe a sigh of relieve that he is at Bloomington South and not
at North with all the talent North has had recently.
(scouting report by Peegs)
Abe Honegger (6'1, 180 lbs, CG, Lafayette Jeff, IN - Indy Metros Gold)
(scouting report by annonymous)
If you need a huge shot, Honegger is your man. He is a stone
cold killer with a quick and intelligent trigger. He has the ability
to shoot off the pass and off the dribble, and he is more likely to
pullup than finish at the rim. He is also a matchup problem for the
opposing team becasue he can guard bigger players, where he is much
quicker than they are when he is on offense.
His ability to guard 3 postions makes him versatile in that matchup
problems can be created. He is deceptive on the ball, and he is
highly instinctful off the ball. He reads trap opportunities well
both in the post and perimeter, and he scorches post players who
bring the ball below their chin.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Jared Jeffries (6'9, PF, Bloomington, IN - Bloomington Red)
(scouting report by Peegs)
You watch this junior to be play and you think you are watching
the duckling turn into a swan as Jared appears to be still growing
and therefore is still a bit skinny and awkward at this point. But
his potential is enormous because he is a kid that is pushing 6'9
(was at least an inch taller than Zach Randolph) and yet has the
ball handling and shooting skills of a guard. Made a couple key
drives in the fourth period around the big bodies of the No Excuses
post men to help seal the win for Bloomington Red. Has a real good
looking perimeter shot, I mean very nice. If Jared fills out a bit
in the next couple of years the sky is the limit. High major
prospect already.
(scouting report by Peegs)
Nick Vander Laan (6'10, Kent, CT - LA Rockfish)
(scouting report by annonymous)
Big body, tough under the boards, shot is good 15-17 feet in and
has a fast first step to the basket. When Nick is on, whoever's
guarding him better get out the way!
(scouting report by annonymous)
(scouting report by Dallas)
Body - Big looking kid, big broad shoulders, around 6'9" to 6'10"
strong legs.
Play - Nick is all power. I only had a chance to see him play in 1
game, he was impressive from a low post standpoint. He can get low and
dictate where he wants to go. At this point he overpowers most of his
opponents. He has a nice form on his shot and looks like he can go to
at least 17 feet on his jumper, but there is no reason for him to be
out that far. Nick does the most damage down low. He has very good
footwork and he actually boxed out a few guys. He has a big upside to
his game, with work this guy could be awesome. Nick isn't he fastest or
the quickest guy on the floor, but he is by no means slow, he runs above
average and has better than average jumping ability. I think Nick ran
into more competition in the Spiece tournament than the Rockfish league,
he wasn't the most dominant player on the court, in fact some of the
opposition thought Rafael Berumen was more dangerous. Still, Nick is a
top 50 player, he should be one heck of a catch for some college
program.
(scouting report by Dallas)
Shantay Legans (5'10, Dos Pueblos, CA - LA Rockfish)
(scouting report by annonymous)
The rap is that he doesn't take it to the rack or shoot enough,
but his league stats were 17.8 ppg, 9.3 apg, 6.2 spg, 4 rpg. With
the Rockfish, since they're all such good players, his role is
to pile up assists and get into double-figure scoring every game.
Against the Atlanta Celtics, he had 12 points and tons of assists.
(scouting report by annonymous)
(scouting report by Richards)
Shantay Legans is a 5'10 point guard that looks to be in the 170-pound
range. You can evaluate Legans in two ways. Defensively, the kid has got
it down. Quick and effective. Had a little trouble against 6'4 Spiece
guard Kenny Lowe, but could hold his own well even doing a decent job
of passing and dribbling out of double-teams. Passing...great vision,
showing some flashy passing skills, giving a lot of points up to his
teammates. Another one of those prototype point guards. Run the show
and set up the offense. Played good perimeter defense against Jason
Gardner in game one, but would get beat occassionally by him on drives
to the basket. Against one of the better point guards in the nation,
that ain't a bad thing. Now, offensively...I wish I could say. Legans
didn't take too many shots in the three games I saw him. He had two
points in the No Excuses game, and only one point against Salt Lake
City. He can stand to improve his penetration. It is scary to imagine
how many points Beruman and Laan could throw in if Legans were able
to open up the inside a little by hitting a few outside shots.
The Rockfish will be scary this summer if he can get that offense
going and make it a part of the equation. He's going to cut loose
offensively in some game and people are going to rave about this
kid. As of now, his role is to distribute and set up.
(scouting report by Richards)
Kenny Lowe (6'4, Gary Westside, IN - Spiece South 17)
(scouting report by Coach)
There are two or three players in Indiana that have perfect basketball
bodies, and Kenny Lowe is one of them. He will be a steal for some program
and will develop into a great player under the right coaching. He is
deadly off the dribble and has the skills to play either guard. He has
so much upside. The only thing that will stop him from being a great
college player is himself.
(scouting report by Coach)
(scouting report by Dallas)
Body - Long armed kid who looked around 6'4. Strong looking kid who was
not skinny.
Play - Kenny is a Player. He is athletic, is creative and can finish
on his drives. The guy can hang in the air forever waiting for a
defender to fly by. Had a nice double clutch against No Excuses. Kenny
has range, hitting several deep 3 pointers. He shoots the ball high,
making it difficult to block. Kenny played pretty good defense through
out the tournament, guarding Gardner on several occasions and more
than holding his own. If Kenny and Vincent Hart go in a package deal,
some college is going to get better in a hurry!
Drawback - About the only weakness I saw in Kenny is his handle, he
didn't show a great handle of the ball or passing ability, but he is
above average in every other facet. Kenny has to be in the top 150
players nationally.
(scouting report by Dallas)
(scouting report by Peegs)
Good looking kid who made some nice drives and pull up jumpers.
Seemed to be a good finisher who had some nice 3 point plays against
No Excuses. Strong athlete with quickness. Played good defense.
Didn't see a lot of point guard skills. I hear he may want to go in
a package deal with high school teammate Vincent Hart so that may
complicate his recruitment for teams with scarce scholarships to
offer. Borderline high major prospect.
(scouting report by Peegs)
(scouting report by Richards)
Lowe has the body to be a very effective guard for some lucky college
program. At 6'4, plus his incredible leaping ability, he can shoot over
most 6'6 wing defenders. His release is over his head and his range
extends a few feet past the perimeter. What makes him a threat on the
wing is his ability to take it to the basket if you defend him too
tightly. He has a nice running jumper using either hand, and can rebound
effectively once in the paint. He is a tall point guard against the
press and sees the offense well. Especially effective as a big guard
pressing, as he cuts down court vision, creating mismatches against most
opposing point guards. He could improve his passing, but his decisions
are good. Seems to get stronger as the game wears on, as his teammates
get more tired. Offensively, he can take over a game if the post is
getting too much attention, as he has been very effective doing at
Gary West when Vincent Hart sees a lot of pressure. Best combo guard
in the Indiana junior class.
(scouting report by Richards)
Dalron Johnson (6'9, Los Angeles, CA - LA Rockfish)
(scouting report by annonymous)
A quick leaper and has great hands and touch around the basket and
is making transition to combo forward. Probably the best athlete on the
Rockfish team.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Russell Lakey (LA Rockfish)
(scouting report by annonymous)
A sophomore/junior and is not getting many minutes but CAN play.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Jesse Mayfield (6'6, 240 lbs, PF, Indy Ben Davis, IN - Indy Metros Gold)
(scouting report by annonymous)
He is by far and away the most pleasant surprise of the summer.
His inability to finish last summer hindered his playing time,
despite the fact that he is a tremendous defender capable of
defending the 3 front court spots. He was 3rd on this team last
summer in taking charges at 31 charges in 44 games. He is just an
intelligent player on both ends. His intangibles are invaluable
to any team, and while it sounds like I am doing him injustice in
my description of him, it is due to the fact that he is a BIG TIME
defensive end from one the best football programs in the USA.
If you have a strong football program, (currently considering
offers from 7 Big 10 schools and others) and a good academic
program, Jesse is interested in considering walking on for
basketball along with his football scholarship. He is a great
player who would challenge any player to get better.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Devin Montgomery (5'10, - LA Rockfish)
(scouting report by annonymous)
Strong, aggressive point guard who will take you to
the rack or bust a 3 in your face.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Justin Moore (6'3, 180 lbs, SG, Triton Central, IN - Indy Metros Gold)
(scouting report by annonymous)
Another versatile scorer, almost Jordan-esse (not quite Jordan's
hang time) in terms of how he scores. Smaller opponets, he can take
in the post, and his incredible ability to move without the ball (an
art that is lost on many players) makes him hard to guard for any
player on the perimeter. A deadly 3pt shooter, he can put it on the
floor and finish hard to the basket. He too is another hard working
offensive rebounder, when he is not designated to transition duty.
Defensively, he has shown the ability to guard 3 positions, but he
tends to be reactive defensively rather than aggressive. That has
not hurt him, but with his long arms, he could create turnovers
simply by outreaching the passer. He too is willing to give up his
body, and while he tends to miss a block out, he has a knack for the
ball off the rim, making him an effecitve backcourt rebounder.
(scouting report by annonymous)
Austin Parkinson (5'11, Kokomo, IN - Spiece South 17)
(scouting report by Coach)
Austin knows he is a point guard. He is a true point guard and will
make fast friends of his teammates once he gets into college. Austin is
the best player I've seen in a long while in the open court.
(scouting report by Coach)
(scouting report by Dallas)
Body - Strong upper body with powerful legs. Looked to be around 5'10".
Play - Austin is a point guard. His biggest strength is finding the
open man. He has real good quickness in the open floor and can break
his man down off the dribble. He is a strong kid for his size and
plays pretty hard pressure defense. He can go left or right and finish
with either hand. He looks more comfortable faking right and going
left. He has very good anticipation on defense and steps into the
passing lanes when an opponent gets lazy. He worked pretty well with
John Hamilton and Kenny Lowe. Good player.
Weakness - Austin did not display much of a jumper, he didn't look to
take a shot and when he did it seemed rushed. I saw him 3 times and I
think I saw him shoot once from beyond 4 feet, so the one shot is very
hard to make a determination on. His only other weakness of any
consequence is his decision making, he sometimes tries to make the hard
pass, instead of waiting or pulling it up. Austin will improve as the
year goes along, he is a good player and should be in the top 200
nationally.
(scouting report by Dallas)
(scouting report by Peegs)
The son of former Boiler Bruce Parkinson has inherited his dads
fine passing ability and is a superior ball handler as well. A heady
kid who is only a junior to be and is a fairly strong for that young
age. Had a solid game against Jason Gardner, getting the better of it
in the first half before Jason starting hitting in the second. A pass
first point but can hit the open shot when called. High major talent.
(scouting report by Peegs)
(scouting report by Richards)
Parkinson is ahead of the game as a sophomore in high school. Plays very
smart once he gets into the flow of the team. May have been held back
a bit this weekend because he had not practiced with the Spiece team
before the tournament. His closing speed in the open court surprised me,
and is generally quick laterally with good hands. He also can take it
to the basket, using a host of pivot moves and changes in dribble. A
fine freethrow shooter. His passes aren't flashy, but they are generally
accurate, in good position for teammates to quickly convert. Had one
great offensive game on Friday, hitting from the perimeter twice. Needs
to work on his shooting as his release looks a little low. He confirmed
in a local media interview that he wants to get to a quicker release on
his shot. Defensively good. A prototype point guard. A kid who can
hit the open shot, but excels in getting the ball in the hands of others.
(scouting report by Richards)
Matt Perdue (6'3, 175 lbs, SG, Blue River Valley, IN - Indy Metros Gold)
(scouting report by annonymous)
The 2nd best 3pt shooter in the state of Indiana. His 2 year
average is 58%, and over the last 2 years, he has developed a
tremendous mid-range game. As he has matured, his release has improved
greatly. The diversity in his offense makes him effective as a cutter,
moving through his shot, and he can score as a screener, sprinting for
spacing to the 3pt line, catching and hitting.
Defensively...that's why he starts, according his AAU coach. He can
guard the 2 or 3 spots, and he operates well in the team defense. He
gives great help, is willing to give up his body, and blocks his man
out. He has quick hands, which does help him when he is late on the
rotation.
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