It was a packed weekend of high school basketball with the Charlie Hughes Showcase bringing more than 200 teams to Carmel and Westfield for one of the best events of the year. I went through 25 players in Part 1 of the weekend standouts. Now, time for Part 2. Here are 35 more players who caught my attention:
∎ Don Bowling III, Anderson: The 6-5 Bowling is one of the more talented players in the 2028 class and looks ready to have a big junior year after averaging 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds as a sophomore.
∎ Derrick Cross Jr., Bloomington North: The 6-3 Cross unfortunately took a hit to the head and missed part of the game against Carmel on Sunday but played well overall. Cross, a Junior All-Star, averaged 19.4 points as a junior and shot 45% from the 3-point line.
∎ Nasir Faniel, Merrillville: The 6-5 freshman point guard will be a fun prospect to track in the 2030 class. Faniel put up 20 points in a win over West Lafayette Harrison, showing the ability to get to the basket and handle the ball against pressure.
∎ Jaylin Foster, Scecina: I missed Scecina unfortunately but from all indications the 6-6 junior was outstanding all weekend for the Crusaders. I was really impressed with Foster during the high school season and expect him to pick up where he left off after averaging 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. Scecina went 3-1 for the weekend.
∎ Ryan Gold Jr., Pike: The sophomore guard looked right at home after transferring from Cathedral, putting in 17 points in a win over Silver Creek. Playing with this size and talent should be a lot of fun for the point guard.
∎ Jake Grissom, Guerin Catholic: The senior guard continued his strong showing in June with a good performance on Friday in games against Lawrence North and Homestead (a win and a loss). The Junior All-Star will be in line for a big season after averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior.
∎ Max Hopkins, Fishers: Football player? The 6-8, 235-pound sophomore is a big-time football prospect with offers from Indiana and Purdue, among others. But he can play basketball, too. Hopkins is significantly stronger than he was last season and does a nice job rebounding and playing his role for the Tigers.
∎ A.J. Jones, Lawrence Central: The 5-8 senior guard will be an impact player for the Bears this season. He had several assists and a key three-point play to break a tie and help Lawrence Central to a two-point win over Brownsburg on Sunday. Jones helped Lawrence Central to a 3-1 weekend.
∎ Parker Kern, Bedford North Lawrence: I was only able to see video of the 6-2 Kern, but he certainly deserves a mention. The senior guard averaged 21.5 points per game and shot 12-for-17 from the 3-point line for the Stars. BNL also has a 6-4 freshman to watch, Colt Robbins.
∎ Zavier Laney, Center Grove: The 6-3 senior guard is a serious athlete. He ended a 43-38 win over Princeton with an impressive dunk on two opponents. Laney has the ability to really improve on his junior numbers of 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.
∎ Amarian Leggett, Blackford: There is no doubting the talent of the 6-5 junior guard, who averaged 26.3 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 rebound as a sophomore. Leggett had the attention of several high-major and mid-major programs.
∎ Judah Lewis, Columbus East: The 6-foot senior guard is fun to watch. He went for 42 points on Friday in a win over Elkhart. I watched him for part of a game later that day against Evansville Memorial. Good shooter who can also attack the basket off the dribble.
∎ Lucas Linderman, Silver Creek: I fully expect the recruitment of the 6-8 senior to pick up significantly – or it should. Linderman went for 20 points and 10 rebounds against Pike and 14 points and nine rebounds against Penn. Athletic player who just keeps getting better.
∎ Kendrick Martin, Liberty Christian: The 6-2 senior guard always makes things happen. He went for 25 points in a fun game against Austin, which Liberty Christian hung on to win. Martin averaged 17.8 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior.
∎ Josiah Mays, Marquette Catholic: The 6-foot Mays is a strong, aggressive guard who can get to his spot and hit shots. The senior shoots it at a good rate from the 3-point line and is a tough defender. Like his game.
∎ Ashton McKee, New Albany: The 6-1 senior was on fire for a New Albany team that finished 4-0 for the weekend. He knocked down five 3-pointers and scored 16 points in a win over Terre Haute North and scored 16 points again with two 3-pointers in a win over South Bend St. Joseph.
∎ Reece McKee, New Albany: The 6-2 senior guard did not score a ton of points when I watched (he had 14 combined against Terre Haute North and South Bend St. Joseph) but the beauty of New Albany’s team is that it does not really matter who scores. McKee helps set the tone with his energy on both ends of the floor.
∎ Micah Mohler, Austin: The 6-5 Mohler, just a sophomore, has a lot of offensive ability. He scored the game-winner to beat Plainfield in overtime to finish with 34 points in his best performance of the weekend. Mohler picked up an Indiana offer prior to the event, which added a lot of attention, but he handled it well. Going to be a good one.
∎ Trey Page, Sheridan: The senior guard can really fill it up. He finished with 37 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the 3-point line in a win over Heritage Christian to finish with 62 points total for the day.
∎ Tomarri Patterson, Crispus Attucks: Incoming freshman alert. Attucks went 4-0 for the weekend with a big assist from Patterson, who averaged 27.0 points for the four games, including a 37-point outing. The incoming freshman class has promise.
∎ Tyler Renn, Terre Haute North: Really like the potential of the 6-6 Renn, a senior who will be asked to score more next season after the graduation of several key seniors. Renn is a good athlete who does a lot of things to impact his team. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season.
∎ Levin Robinson, Lawrence North: The 6-7 Robinson is going to be a good one. Had a chance to see him earlier in the month during the Tuesday night league and was impressed by his skill. He might be the best prospect in the class, though time will tell.
∎ Jasir Rogers, Ben Davis: The 6-foot junior guard was cooking in the first half of a great game against Brebeuf Jesuit, scoring 20 points. He finished with 29 points. Rogers will be relied on a lot more this season for a Ben Davis team that lost a lot to graduation.
∎ Paul Ridgway, Sullivan: I caught some of the 6-6 Ridgway’s game against Marquette Catholic and came away really impressed. The senior, also a quarterback for the Sullivan football team, is an athletic left-hander with a strong frame. He averaged 31 points for the weekend with a high of 39 points. Very impressive.
∎ Josh Sanderson, Penn: Quite a few incoming freshmen caught my eye and Sanderson was one of them. He will play a big role this season alongside Caleb Coolman for the Kingsmen. His older brother Johathan Sanderson played at La Lumiere last season and will be a freshman at Notre Dame.
∎ Tim Smith, Pike: The improvement of the 6-4 Smith, a junior, should not go unnoticed on a team that is one of the most talented in the state. Smith knocked down some shots and played well for the Red Devils all weekend.
∎ Nash Sigmund, Decatur Central: The senior guard just knows how to play. He is known for his shooting and rightly so, but Sigmund gets the ball where it needs to go – whether that is scoring or making the right pass. He went for 22 points in a win over Anderson. The Hawks went 4-0 for the weekend.
∎ Maddox Smith, Westfield: This is going to be fun. I had a chance to see Smith, the younger brother of 2022 Mr. Basketball Braden Smith, at the Tuesday night league earlier this month. He will have a spotlight on him because of his name, but Smith is capable of handling it. He is probably a little bit more of a scoring guard (26 points vs. Cathedral) but is a willing and capable passer, too.
∎ Bless’ed Thomas, Pike: Thomas was impressive this weekend for Pike, playing the role of facilitator and scoring himself when necessary. I wondered how the guards would play coming into the weekend and was impressed with both Thomas, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, and Ryan Gold Jr.
∎Jace Tonagel, Oak Hill: You talk about a team that looked ready for March … how about Oak Hill? The Class 2A Golden Eagles took no prisoners, going 3-0 with wins over East Chicago Central, Mt. Vernon and Westfield. Tonagel, a senior, had 26 points in the win over Mt. Vernon. Not many tougher guards in the 2027 class than this one.
∎ Will Tonagel, Oak Hill: Speaking of tough, this sophomore is a big-time playmaker for Oak Hill. He can score but does a great job finding his teammates and creating for others. Will be fun to see what Will accomplishes over the next three years.
∎ Mason Trammell, Yorktown: I did not see this game but worth mentioning that Trammell, a 5-11 senior, put up 40 points in a win over Perry Meridian. He also had 20 points in a win over Jimtown.
∎ Max Vise, Mt. Vernon: The 6-8 Vise is going have the ball in his hands a lot more this year as a ballhandler and playmaker after the graduation of Mr. Basketball Luke Ertel. Vise showed that he is capable of that transition during the weekend. Vise, who has offers from Ball State, Miami (Ohio) and Kent State, is one of the best seniors in the class.
∎ Levi Walker, Fishers: The 6-4 Walker came up clutch in the overtime win over Homestead with a big 3-pointer to win it. His biggest scoring game was a 21-point outing vs. Penn. If Fishers is going to accomplish what it hopes, Walker will be a big part of it.
∎ Jayden Washington, Brebeuf Jesuit: High motor. The senior guard pushes the tempo and does it well for the Braves, who were 4-0 for the weekend. Washington does a nice job creating for himself and his teammates and gets after it on defense.
Read more: ‘Going to be hard decision.’ Silver Creek guard Brandon Hunter closes in on college pick
Read more: Standout team, individual performances from Day 2 of the Charlie Hughes Showcase
Read more: Standout team, individual performances from Day 2 of the Charlie Hughes Showcase
Read more: Pike looks part, Cooper Zachary goes crazy, more from Day 1 of Charlie Hughes Showcase
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Charlie Hughes standouts Part 2: 35 players who impressed at high school basketball event
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
