2022 in-state shaping up nicely
It's never too early to begin discussing the next wave of prospects that could soon become household names in IU recruiting. So, what's 2022 look like inside the Hoosier state?
The 2022 high school class in Indiana is shaping up to be a quality collection of prospects in terms of both top-150 talent and depth. 2022 isn't far behind 2021 in terms of prospect capital.
Find out who could be in-play for Indiana among the in-state sophomores.
Jalen Washington, Gary West
6-foot-8 Gary West power forward Jalen Washington is at the top of the list. The young post prospect lost almost all of his sophomore season after tearing his ACL in December just before I was scheduled to watch him at Southport. Before the injury, Washington had received rave reviews from Rivals.com's Eric Bossi.
Washington has interest from Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, and DePaul early. Expect that list to only grow once he gets healthy.
A few high-end pieces play at prep schools.
Kamari Lands, La Lumiere School
Indianapolis native Kamari Lands plays at La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Indiana. The 6-foot-7 small forward has perhaps the most raw physical talent in the class. Rumors about him skipping college altogether have been floated.
Reggie Bass, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy
6-foot-4 combo guard Reggie Bass left Muncie Central to play at top-10 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga. The lefty combo guard can handle it and score it. He has good court vision and a big motor.
Bass has two early offers: Florida and Texas Tech.He's yet to hear from the Hoosiers, but said he would welcome the attention from back home.
D'Ante Davis, Lawrence Central
Indiana assistant Mike Roberts watched D’Ante Davis in February. The 6-foot-6 small forward from Lawrence Central has already been offered by Chris Mack. He's the younger brother of 2020 Louisville-signee D'Andre Davis. Xavier and Butler have also offered, but this feels like the Cards to lose given the situation.
Will Loving-Watts
Former Jeffersonville 6-foot-4 wing Will Loving-Watts left the school in January. It's rumored he enrolled at Clarksville (IN) High School, but I've been unable to confirm this. Loving-Watts visited Louisville in August unofficially.
Julian Norris Jr., Evansville Bosse
6-foot-3 Evansville Bosse shooting guard Julian Norris Jr. flashed his scoring ability alongside 6-foot-9 Houston-signee Kiyron Powell. He can put points on the board in a hurry, scoring well from all three levels. Norris Jr. averaged 13.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.6 spg hitting on 46-of-93 three-pointers (49 percent) for the season at Bosse.
Norris will play with Indiana Elite 16's if and when the AAU season finally kicks off. He's received early interest from a host of high major programs including Michigan State, Houston, Missouri, Cincinnati, and Xavier, among others. He attended Missouri's Elite Camp last summer.
CJ Gunn, Indianapolis Lawrence North
Lawrence North 6-foot-4 shooting guard CJ Gunn is an intriguing talent on the perimeter. Gunn plays for legendary head coach Jack Keefer at LN, one of the perennial powers in Indiana high school basketball. Gunn played in the same backcourt as Iowa-signee Tony Perkins the past two seasons. Gunn is an outstanding athlete with a nice stroke. He plays hard and could develop into a solid defensive piece at the next-level.
Peter Suder, Carmel
6-foot-4 Carmel shooting guard Peter Suder is a tough competitor who has some skills around the basket. He gives a great effort and uses his intelligence to cause mismatch fits. His jump shot is improving.
Defensively, he plays passing lanes well.
A talent evaluator told me this about Suder, ""hIs offensive improvement was noticeable from last year to this year for Carmel, and it was necessary. He didn't just see his role expand because Carmel graduated six of their top seven players. His game expanded drastically. As a freshman he was a great motor guy and a reliable defender. His off ball defense was more disciplined this year, and when called upon, he could be a problem for the opposition's best player."
Suder has Purdue, Xavier, and Butler interest already.
Considering Indiana will need to replace Robert Phinisee and find an heir apparent to five-star point guard Khristian Lander, it makes sense that the Hoosiers would look to add a lead guard.
The 2022 in-state point guard options consist of four or five names at the moment.
Braden Smith, Westfield
Westfield sophomore point guard Braden Smith has my attention with his court vision and scoring ability. The 5-foot-10 lead guard visited IU unofficially for the Penn State win on February 23. For the season, he averaged 18.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.5 spg while shooting 39 percent on 3s and 90 percent from the line against the 26-toughest schedule in the state. Smith ran the show for the 17-7 Shamrocks. In two just two seasons, Smith has made 130 of his 310 three-point attempts for 42 percent.
Tayshawn Comer, Indianapolis Cathedral
Indianapolis Cathedral 6-foot-0 point guard Tayshawn Comer is a great athlete with a knack for the game. He fits the profile of an offensive table-setter Archie Miller prefers having posted 15.4 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 spg while shooting 35 percent on 3s and 78 percent from the foul line for the 18-6 Irish this season. Comer turned in a nearly two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. Comer is a physically well-built bulldog who is a load to handle when he gets going downhill.
Leland Walker, Indianapolis North Central
Indianapolis North Central 5-foot-11 point guard Leland Walker is probably the best athlete of the group, edging Comer. He's got big-time bounce and a lethal stroke from deep to go with a slasher-style of playmaking. He's big, strong, fast and tough on defense. He makes shots. He finds teammates and pushes tempo well. There's not a lot to dislike about Walker.
Recent rumors have Walker leaning towards Purdue.
Kadon Stanton, New Albany
6-foot-0 New Albany point guard Kadon Stanton is a shifty playmaker with high-scoring ability for Jim Shannon. The lefty lead guard became more and more comfortable in his role for the Bulldogs as the season went on. Stanton is a chore to keep in front, as Khristian Lander found out in a January showdown at the Doghouse. Stanton is an underrated floor general who just needs an opportunity to be seen. College coaches will love his skillset.
Branden Northern, Silver Creek
5-foot-11 Silver Creek point guard Brandon Northern. Northern took his game to another level in his second season in the rotation alongside junior standouts Trey Kaufman and Kooper Jacobi. The sophomore lead guard averaged 14 ppg, 6.1 apg, 2.8 rpg, and 1.7 spg while shooting 44 percent on 32-of-73 three point attempts. Northern had an over three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio for the defending 3A state champs and the No. 1 team in 3A.
Northern has an Alabama A&M offer.
OTHER PROSPECTS
Other sophomore prospects seem destined for greatness at the next level playing another sport besides basketball. For that reason, I've listed them here, but not as serious basketball prospects.
Tayven Jackson-Davis
Center Grove's Tayven Jackson-Davis, a 6-foot-4 guard and younger brother of Trayce Jackson-Davis might be a better football prospect at this point, but has basketball skills, too. He has visited Indiana unofficially for football on several occasions already.
Tucker Biven, New Albany
6-foot-1 New Albany guard Tucker Biven is just a great athlete. Committed to play baseball at Louisville, Biven stars alongside Kadon Stanton in the Bulldogs backcourt. The shortstop had a monster freshman season on the diamond, and devotes the majority of time to it. But his athleticism and competitive fire allows him to continue to excel on the hardwood at a high-level.
His freakish hops are on display below.
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