Unofficial Visitors at IU-Ohio State

Two confirmed visitors in Bloomington at the IU-Ohio State game today are Bloomington South sophomore guard Darwin "Dee" Davis and Spencer Turner. The pair had twelve points each in last night's big 75-50 win over Pike. IU coach Tom Crean extended personal invites to the pair, and they are on hand for the big game. Check back later on to see if any more names surface as visitors.

AJ Hammons Update

One of the top freshmen in the state is Carmel's AJ Hammons, a 6'10 center who simply oozes with upside. He is a transfer to the Indy suburb and has been a solid contributor in his first season of high school hoops. In all likelihood, Hammons will become a dominant force on the Indiana high school scene in the very near future, what with his current size and strength in addition to the great tutelage he'll get from Carmel coach Mark Galloway. Here is a brand new write up from the IndyStar on the big ninth grader who is being watched closely by IU and Purdue, and many other colleges.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090131/LOCAL0101/901310340/1160/SPORTS0203

Update on Games: 1/30

Friday night was full of some excellent performances by teams and individuals. There were a few nail-biters, as well as some unexpected blowouts, and all in all, it was another great night of high school hoops in Indiana! Let's check the results of the twelve games P-Hoops previewed.

Zionsville 56 - Avon 48 - The Orioles (7-8) could not find their offensive stride on their home floor against Zionsville (13-1). The Eagles had a balanced scoring attack led by 6'4 junior guard Jack Isenbarger, who had 13 points, while junior forward Chris Welker added nine. The two young Avon stars, freshman Austin Burgett and sophomore Kendall Griffin, played admirably in the defeat, scoring 12 and 11 points respectively.

Terre Haute South 49 - Terre Haute North 46 - The rout was on in the second half, and South (13-2) appeared to be cruising to another easy victory over the cross-town rival Patriots (7-8). But then the wheels fell off. North erased a 19-point third quarter deficit to pull within three in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. They were able to attempt a desperation heave from beyond NBA three point range, but it didn't connect, and the Braves escaped with another victory. Senior guard and Indiana State recruit Jake Odum led South with 17 points and ten rebounds, while North got 15 points from Zach Harrison and 14 points from Thomas Anderson. Patriot 6'8 sophomore big man Justin Gant contributed ten points and eleven boards.

Decatur Central 82 - Plainfield 70 - The Hawks (12-3) went on a scoring frenzy in this match-up of Mid-Sate Conference rivals. The game was decided in the pivotal third quarter, when Decatur outscored the Quakers (8-5) by ten points. Senior forward Blake Beasley had another big game for the Hawks, scoring 31 points, nailing five three pointers. Plainfield got good performances from 6'9 center and Albany signee Blake Metcalf, who had 24 points, and Brian Mucho, who chipped in with 24 points. DC moves to 5-0 in conference, while Plainfield falls to 3-1.

Brownsburg 54 - Noblesville 47 - This game was decided in the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs (10-4) came back from five down to pull out a big conference win over the Millers (8-4). Brownsburg outscored Noblesville 30-18 in a fast-paced final frame. JD Cosby scored 21 points for the victors, with 15 of them coming in the decisive fourth quarter. He was 10-10 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Torrey Nibbs chipped in with 18 points for the Bulldogs. Jake Yearey led the Millers scoring attack with 15 points.

Lafayette Jeff 87 - Lafayette Central Catholic 83 (OT) - An unusual suspect rose to the occasion to give the Bronchos (10-7) a big win over LCC (8-6). Colin Bultnick, who came into the game averaging less then three points per game, scored 22 points and hit the game clinching bucket for Jeff. Bronchos junior guard Jesse Berry kept up with Bultnick, scoring 22 of his own, and Shane Wyant had a nice game with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Dru Anthrop once again paced the Knights, scoring 23 points.

Kokomo - Anderson - postponed

Jay County - Anderson Highland - postponed

Tipton 67 - Hamilton Heights 39 - With senior standout Derek Elston sitting out the entirety of the first quarter, the 2A number tow ranked Blue Devils (12-2) didn't skip a beat, getting out to a fast start and crushing the Huskies (8-6). Once Elston, an IU signee, entered in the second quarter, he had another monster game, with a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jake Hoffman scored 14 for Tipton, and sophomore point guard Greg Dickey added 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals. The Huskies were led by Nick Hartley, who scored 17 points, matching Elston for game high honors.

Heritage Christian 62 - Guerin Catholic 59 - A big comeback was needed for Heritage (11-2) to pull this one out at home against the hot-shooting Golden Eagles (9-6). Guerin came out blazing, hitting four threes in the first quarter, three of them from senior guard Ryan Nowicki, and built a 26-18 lead after one. Heritage, the number four ranked team in 2A, is known for solid defense, so this outburst was surprising. Guerin built their lead to ten halfway into the third quarter, but the home team finally locked down and got back into the game with their lauded defense. They were able to hold the Golden Eagles to four points in the fourth, one three pointer and a free throw, and steal away a hard-fought win. Nowicki paced the visitors with 16 points, with fourteen of them coming in the first half. Senior 6'5 guard Tommy Eggleston had another great game for Heritage, scoring 21 points, his third 20+ game in his last four outings. Seniors Morgan Cook and Durrel Davis both added ten points for Heritage.

Snider 69 - Dwenger 56 - The Panthers (12-1) stayed perfect in SAC play, moving to 7-0 in conference. They got 14 points from Jonathon Sims, the coach's son, while Brad Sneary added 12 points. Dwenger could not keep up with the 4A power, but did get a nice game from Joe Kosiarek (19 points) and Notre Dame football recruit Tyler Eifert (14 points).

Evansville Memorial - Princeton - postponed

Bloomington South 75 - Pike 50 - The game did not quite live up to the hype as these two conference undefeateds squared off. The Panthers (14-0), the number one team in 4A, continued their impressive dominance of all comers, trouncing the Red Devils (8-5) on their home floor. IU point guard recruit Jordan Hulls led South with 23 points and nine assists, controlling the game as a coach on the floor. He was able to easily handle Pike's hard pressure all night. Junior forward Eric Fromm scored 14 points and pulled down 11 boards for the Panthers, and sophomore guards Dee Davis and Spencer Turner had 12 apiece for the victors. Pike's sophomore sensation Marquis Teague had 19 points in the losing effort, with 12 of them coming in the first quarter. Bloomington South has now won all of their games by fifteen points or more this season.

Franklin Central 60 - Bloomington North 35 - The size of the Flashes (14-3) proved to be too much for the Cougars (7-6) to handle. Purdue recruit Patrick Bade had his best game in a while, going for 24 points and ten rebounds, while Brian Higdon added 17 points. Junior guard Julian Boatner led North with 16 points.

Other notable scorers:

* Senior Justin Jordan had 16 points for Ft. Wayne North Side in a win over Northrop.

* Freshman sensation Raphael Davis had 16 points and five rebounds for Ft. Wayne South Side as they defeated Concordia.

* Junior forward Deshaun Thomas scored 22 points as 2A number one ranked Luers trounced Elmhurst.

* Ben Davis' Greg Rice, an IUPUI signee, had 20 points in a win over Muncie South.

* Howe had a scoring explosion led by junior guard Andre Hampton with 29 points on seven threes. Sophomore PJ Boutte added 18 of his own.

* Indian Creek's scoring machines did their thing, with Kyle Bradley going off for 35 points, and Brett Brunson chipping in with 20 in a win over Monrovia.

* Lawrence North rolled over Fishers behind 16 points from Stephan Van Treese and ten each from Dominique Ferguson and Ryan Taylor.

* Freshman Trey Hendrix scored 14 points and dished out 10 assists for Lebanon in a win over Southmont.

* Purdue recruit DJ Byrd had 16 points in a North Montgomery win over Western Boone.

* Roncalli beat Ritter 40-38 on a last second shot by senior guard Aaron Evans, who had 19 points.

* Mooresville's Matt Kenney, a Valpo recruit, had 18 points in a win over Whiteland.

There are many more great games on the docket for tonight. Check back to see who played and how Saturday's games went down!

Jordan Bowerman Update

One of the top unsigned seniors in the state is Leo's 6'7 forward Jordan Bowerman. According to some of the college coaches I have spoken to, Bowerman has flown under the radar, but would be a fantastic fit for a high-caliber NAIA or Division II school looking for an extremely productive big man. Bowerman is coming back off a fractured wrist that caused him to miss four games, but prior to that, he was putting up some serious, stat-stuffing numbers of 21 points and 10 rebounds a game. There is still an outside chance, depending on how the rest of the regular season, and especially the postseason, goes that he could end up at a low or mid-major D1 school. Check the link below to read about Bowerman's season so far.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090130/SPORTS05/301309973/1092/SPORTS05

Friday's Finest Faceoffs - 1/30

There are a boatload of great games scheduled for today, and barring weather cancellations, here are some of the best. There are matchups of highly ranked teams, rivalry games, and many individual players of note to watch out for, so let's take a look at a lucky thirteen great games for today!

Zionsville (12-1) at Avon (7-7) - The Eagles are having one of the best seasons in school history. They are led by a pair of great juniors in 6'4 guard Jack Isenbarger and 6'5 forward Chris Welker, both of who are potential D1 recruits. They also have a great sophomore guard in Demetrius Lawson. Avon is led by two sophomore guards, Kendall Griffin and JuJuan Sarver, and 6'7 freshman forward Austin Burgett. Griffin and Burgett were recently on campus at IU for the Minnesota game. I think Zionsville will continue to roll in this one.

Terre Haute North (7-7) at Terre Haute South (12-2) - This cross-town rivalry game is always a good one, even though the team from South is likely highly favored at home. The visiting Patriots feature 6'8 sophomore big man Justin Gant, who is becoming a highly coveted recruit, already collecting a few scholarship offers including one from Iowa. The Braves have a stable full of great guards, none better than senior Mr. Basketball candidate and Indiana State recruit Jake Odum, who is putting up ridiculous numbers this season. I'll go with the home team in this one.

Plainfield (8-4) at Decatur Central (11-3) - Plainfield is having an excellent season thus far, including their unexpected championship in the Hendricks County Tournament. They are led by 6'9 center and Albany signee Blake Metcalf and guard Brian Mucho. The Quakers are hot, and have won five straight. The Hawks are a big surprise story this season, posting an impressive 11-3 record thus far. They are led by likely Indiana All-Star 6'5 forward Blake Beasley. Despite recent struggles, losing two of their last four, I expect Decatur to come away with a win in this one.

Noblesville (8-3) at Brownsburg (9-4) - The Millers have had an up and down season.They have had big wins over schools such as Carmel and Lafayette Jeff, but have also had some close losses in which they could have come away on top. They are led by junior forward Leland Brown, who can do a little bit of everything. Brownsburg struggled out of the gates as the defending State Champs, but they are righting the ship. Since starting 0-3 on their championship hangover, the Bulldogs have won nine of ten, with their one loss to Plainfield in the Hendricks County Tournament. They are led by 6'10 junior center Enique Mason, and they have several great guards, including Austin Fish and sophomore sensation Torrey Nibbs. I expect the Bulldogs to continue their hot streak.

Lafayette Central Catholic (8-5) vs. Lafayette Jeff (9-7) - This matchup of Lafayette teams should be a good one. LCC is one of the top teams in 1A and are prepared to take on bigger schools because of the brutal schedule they play. They are led by senior guard Dru Anthrop, who has had some huge games this season, including a 38-point outing against Cathedral. Jeff has been up and down also, starting 5-0, then going 4-7 since. They are led by high-scoring junior guard Jesse Berry, who has exceeded 40 points in a game more than once this year. Despite their uneven play, I expect the Bronchos to win at home.

Kokomo (7-6) at Anderson (8-3) - The WildKats are coming off a huge win, handing the former number one team in 2A, Tipton, their second loss of the season, and knocking them down from number one. They are led by 6'7 senior forward Patrick Hopkins, who is headed to Indiana Wesleyan. Anderson is reeling a bit. After starting the season 8-1, they have lost two straight decisions against tough foes Marion and New Albany. It was not so surprising that the Indians lost, but the manner in which they did, losing both by more than 12 points. Despite the consecutive losses, I think being at home should aid Anderson in getting back in the win column.

Jay County (9-1) at Anderson Highland (9-5) - The Patriots are struggling a bit after starting 8-0. First, they lost to 2A power Winchester on the road, and they followed that up with another sub par performance, needing overtime to escape with a win against 2A Centerville. The Scots are hot, winning six of their last seven, including impressive victories over Guerin, Anderson, Lapel, and Hamilton Southeastern. They are led by an intriguing prospect in 6'10 senior center Asauhn Tatum. I think Highland will continue their strong play and get another win.

Hamilton Heights (8-5) at Tipton (11-2) - Heights is playing strong basketball right now, winners of five in a row. The Huskies will need that same strong play to upset Tipton, the number two team in 2A. The Blue Devils lost their last game at home to Kokomo in heartbreaking fashion, 52-51. They will look to rebound behind the strong play of Derek Elston, a 6'9 forward and IU signee, and of Greg Dickey, a heady point guard who is deadly from deep. Give me the Blue Devils in this one.

Guerin Catholic (9-5) at Heritage Christian (10-2) - This game pits two of the best 2A teams in Indianapolis, and possibly the state, against each other. Guerin likes to play an up-tempo game, shooting tons of threes and going for easy put-backs. They are led by senior guard Ryan Nowicki, averaging over 20 points a game, and senior forward Michael McMahon, a double-double machine who is shooting nearly 60% from deep. Heritage boasts one of the top team defenses in the state, holding teams to an average of 47 points per game. They are led by 6'5 senior guard Tommy Eggleston, who is putting up around 15 points per game for the defensive-minded Eagles. He is becoming a hot commodity in the recruiting scene and should be a quality late signee for a D1 school. They also feature 6'4 senior forward Morgan Cook, a football standout who is averaging 11.5 points a game. Look for Heritage, the number four team in 2A, to get a home win.

Ft. Wayne Snider (11-1) at Ft. Wayne Dwenger (9-3) - Snider is a top 4A team who is playing great basketball behind 6'6 senior forward Bradley Sneary and coaches son Jonathon Sims. Their only loss came to 2A number one ranked Bishop Luers. Dwenger is the number seven ranked team in 3A. They feature some great post play in Notre Dame football recruit Tyler Eifert and 6'8 sophomore Tony Springmann, who Matt Painter has been to see already this season. I like Dwenger in this one.

Evansville Memorial (11-1) at Princeton (14-0) - In a second consecutive one-versus-two matchup, the Princeton Tigers will face Memorial a week after facing former number two, Washington. Memorial's only loss came unexpectedly to Mater Dei in the SIAC Tournament. Strangely, all of their last three wins were overtime games! Princeton is led by a trio of stud sophomores in point guard Jalen Packer and twin forwards Dontray and Rontray Chavis. There is some talk that this game will be rescheduled due to weather for next Tuesday. If it is played tonight, IU coach Tom Crean is expected to be in attendance. Give me the Tigers to stay unbeaten.

Bloomington South (13-0) at Pike (8-4) - This game is huge because on conference implications. Both team are 4-0 in Conference Indiana play. The Panthers, the number one team in 4A, look almost invincible, recently dismantling a worthy opponent in Franklin Central, 77-45. They are led by a trio of fantastic guards: senior Jordan Hulls (an IU signee), and sophomores Spencer Turner and Dee Davis (both D1 level recruits). They also get strong post play from junior forward Eric Fromm. Pike is heating up after a slow start, winning five of their last six. They feature one of the best sophomores in the nation in point guard Marquis Teague, who is being courted by teams like Purdue and Louisville, and recently visited IU for the Minnesota game. Pike also gets great production from junior forward Khristian Smith and sophomore guard Chandler Thomas. Despite being on the road, I'll take the Panthers.

Bloomington North (7-5) at Franklin Central (13-3) - In another big Conference Indiana matchup, the Cougars and the Flashes try to keep pace with the two teams above. North is led by the great play of junior point guard Julian Boatner, a likely D1 recruit. The Flashes are faltering a bit, losing two of three, with one in embarrassing fashion to Bloomington South. Franklin Central has a great leader in senior point guard Casey Coons, a Taylor recruit, and they get strong play from 6'8 versatile forward Patrick Bade, a Purdue signee.

Players such as Tyler Koch (Winchester), Cody Zeller (Washington), Justin Jordan (Ft. Wayne North), Raphael Davis (Ft. Wayne South), and Deshaun Thomas (Luers) are also in action tonight. Check back tomorrow for results to these games!

Justin Gant Update

One of the many recruits on campus in Bloomington this past Sunday for the IU - Minnesota game was sophomore Justin Gant of Terre Haute North. He is a 6'8 power forward who is averaging 18 points and eight boards a game in his second high school campaign. Gant is part of a 2011 class loaded with solid big men, including Washington's Cody Zeller, Dwenger's Tony Springmann, Chesterton's Mitch McGary, and Lawrence North's Michael Chandler and Ryan Taylor. Here is a link to an article from Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal that includes an interview with Gant on his play and his recruitment. Check the link!

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/blog.html

Update on Games: 1/28

Once again, the harsh weather conditions across the state caused most of the scheduled games to be cancelled or rescheduled. Only one previewed game for Wednesday took place as planned. Since the northern part of the state was somewhat missed by the snow, the Bowman Academy - South Bend Washington game took place as planned.

Bowman Academy 81 - South Bend Washington 70 - Washington (10-3) controlled this one in the early stages, leading by as many as seven at one point. A 24-5 run by the Eagles (11-2), the top-ranked team in 1A, made the difference in this one. Junior point guard Tyrae Robinson led Bowman with 22 points, including a perfect 11 for 11 at the free throw line. Freshman sensation DeJuan Marrero, a 6'5 wing player, added 18 points and 12 rebounds for Bowman. Jordan Vann led Washington with 20 points, Teven Watson added 17 points, and Kennis White chipped in twelve of his own.

Hopefully this weather clears up and games are able to be played! There is a full docket of great games for Friday and Saturday, so be sure to check back and see what are some of the best games for this weekend!

Tom's Travels Continue

Fresh off another heartbreaking loss, this time at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats, Indiana University head coach Tom Crean will be hitting the recruiting trail again. This Friday, reports to P-Hoops say that Crean will once again be seeing the 3A number one ranked Princeton Tigers at home as they face the 3A number two ranked Evansville Memorial Tigers. Crean apparently has his eye on two talented sophomores, point guard Jalen Packer and forward Rontray Chavis. There is still also speculation that Crean, or at least some of his staff, will head to Alabama this weekend to see freshman Hanner Perea of Central Park Christian, who is an Columbia native who lived in Indiana before moving south. Check back for updates on this throughout the rest of the week!

Jordan Hulls Article

Nice article this morning from the IndyStar on Bloomington South point guard and IU signee Jordan Hulls. Hulls is having a fantastic season running the point for the number one team in 4A, who is also nationally ranked, posting a 13-0 record so far. Check the link below to read a report on the future Hoosier who will be bringing pride and joy to Hoosier fans for the next four years.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090129/SPORTS0203/901290421/1057/SPORTS02

Recruiting Update: Errick Peck

One of the top unsigned seniors in the state is Cathedral's Errick Peck. He is a 6'6 power forward who is a superior athlete with solid post moves and has a nice mid-range shot. He is great defender and shot blocker, and he is one of the strongest players in the area. Peck would likely be a big-time D1 recruit if he were just two or three inches taller. His talent is undeniable, so his height may have been the only thing preventing college coaches from extending scholarship offers. Well, the wait is over for Peck, who according to the IndyStar, has recently collected a scholarship offer from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is being courted by Saint Louis University, coached by Rick Majerus. During the Indianapolis City Tournament, there were also many college scouts there to see Peck and Heritage Christian 6'5 senior guard Tommy Eggleston, another player who could be a great late signee for a mid-major school. Here is the link to the article on Peck.

http://blogs.indystar.com/preps/archives/2009/01/recruiting_note.html

Update on Games: 1/27

The winter storm that swept across the Hoosier state yesterday, and continues to do so today, had a big effect on the schedule of games for Tuesday, January 27th. Two of P-Hoops' four previewed games were called off due to the inclement weather. The Carmel - North Montgomey and the Forest Park - Southridge game were postponed, but two other big games went down in the northern part of the state. Let's take a look at the games that were played on Tuesday.

Chesterton 49 - Hobart 33 - Chesterton (9-4) put on a defensive clinic against Hobart (6-6). With a name like the Brickies, did they ever really stand a chance? Tommy Peller had 20 points for Chesterton, with 13 coming in the second half. No other player from the winning team scored in double digits, but 6'9 sophomore Mitch McGary, who recently picked up a scholarship offer from Purdue, did have 13 big rebounds. Bobby James led the Brickies with 16 points. Hobart had more turnovers (13) than made field goals (12).

Leo 63 - Garrett 59 - The Railroaders (8-4) would not throw in the towel, coming back from big deficits to the Lions (10-2) throughout the game. It wasn't enough in the end, however, as Leo guard Ryan Bollier knocked down two free throws to ice the game. Bollier had 16 points, and senior 6'7 forward Jordan Bowerman had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in his second game back from a broken wrist. Tim Kidder and David Parsell both had 16 points for Garrett. Leo is now 2-1 in the ACAC and the Railroaders fall to 3-1 in the conference.

There are a few games on the docket for tonight, and weather permitting, P-Hoops will have the recaps and highlights tomorrow. Of high interest will be the play of freshman DeJuan Marrero of Bowman Academy, the number seven ranked player in the 2012 class by P-Hoops' rankings. Stay safe in this dicey weather, hoops fans!

2012 Spotlight on Hanner Perea

As noted often on P-Hoops, Indiana head coach Tom Crean is clearly putting an emphasis on building for the future. With the scholarship situation at IU somewhat murky for the next two seasons, Crean is making a big push at landing a top 2012 class. So far, IU has made scholarship offers to local Indiana kids D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Ron Patterson, and national kids JP Tokoto, Antonio "Bobo" Drummond and Perry Ellis. Crean has also shown significant interest in Indiana kids like AJ Hammons, Austin Burgett, Raphael Davis, DeJuan Marrero, and Kellon Thomas. Another name that has popped up recently on the 2012 radar in one Hanner Perea of Central Park Christian High School in Alabama. There is some talk that Crean and his staff members will be visiting Perea this weekend to evaluate his play and see how he fits into the IU recruiting picture. I am awaiting a final confirmation from coaches on this, so I will edit as necessary when I find out definitively.



Perea is a prospect from Columbia brought to the United States by the Bloomington-based A-HOPE foundation run by Mark Adams, an Indiana Elite AAU guy. Adams' foundation has helped such players as current IU-player Tijan Jobe, former IU target Emmanuel Negedu find a high school and college home. A-HOPE also is currently sponsoring a few other IU prospects, including 2010 center David Nyarsuk and 2011 center Deng Leek. He is also part of the Indiana Elite AAU program, playing for Team Indiana alongside guys like Leek, Jeremiah Davis, and Dee Davis.



Perea went to middle school in Indiana before transferring to Central Park, where three other A-HOPEers currently play. He is a 6'8 power forward with a great motor and athleticism. He has room to improve offensively, so he has a ton of upside.



Check back later this week for developments into Perea's recruitment and if Crean does in fact visit Alabama this week.

State University Recruiting Rankings per ESPN

The Worldwide Leader in Sports has recently begun to put more of an emphasis on high school athletics and recruiting, as witnessed by showing high school games on cable television and making football's National Signing Day some kind of holiday for which it is excusable to miss a day of work. Scouts Inc., the recruiting gurus of ESPN, also rate a vast number of basketball players from all across the nation. Let's take a look at how they rank the players who will be incoming freshmen in the fall at all the Indiana state colleges. The players are given a number grade out of one hundred, a positional rank, and some are even good enough to be in the ESPN Top 100. Let's take a look.

Ball State (2 signees)
Jauwan Scaife - 83/100 ; SG #109
Huzie Hambrite - JUCO transfer (NR)

Butler (1 signee)
Andrew Smith - 88/100 ; C #31

Indiana University (6 signees, 3 in ESPN 100)
Christian Watford - 95/100 ; #29 overall, SF #3
Bawa Muniru - 93/100 ; Postgrad
Maurice Creek - 92/100 ; #63 overall, SG #15
Bobby Capobianco - 90/100 ; #100 overall, PF #33
Derek Elston - 89/100 ; PF #34
Jordan Hulls - 87/100 ; PG #30

Indiana State (2 signees)
RJ Mahurin - 81/100 ; SF #101
Jake Odum - 81/100 ; PG #85

IPFW (no listed signees)

IUPUI (1 signee)
Greg Rice - 40/100 (meaning they haven't seen him)

Notre Dame (4 signees, 1 in ESPN 100)
Jack Cooley - 91/100 ; #92 overall, PF #32
Joey Brooks - 89/100 ; SF #27
Mike Broghammer - 88/100 ; PF #59
Tom Knight - 86/100 ; C #46

Purdue (4 signees)
DJ Byrd - 90/100 ; SG #26
Jeff Robinson - 89/100 ; PF #38
Kelsey Barlow - 87/100 ; SF #39
Patrick Bade - 87/100 ; PF #72

Valparaiso (5 signees)
Chris Halvorson - 86/100 ; PF #83
Tommy Kurth - 86/100 ; PG #53
Ryan Broekhoff - 85/100 ; SF #72
Matt Kenney - 40/100 (meaning they've never seen him)
Brandon Wood - JUCO transfer (NR)

There are the kids who the local schools have coming in, and how they are viewed by ESPN. This is just one of many opinions on these players, and some services have certain kids ranked much higher or lower. What are your thoughts on how these classes stack up, and on how they will help the respective school?

The Best Games for Tuesday 1/27 and Wednesday 1/28

There is a smaller slate of games this Tuesday due to the number of in-season tournaments that recently came to a conclusion, but there are still plenty of intriguing matchups for tonight, January 27th, and tomorrow. Here are some of the top games across the state for the next two days.

Tuesday, January 27th

Carmel (8-4) at North Montgomery (10-3) - The Greyhounds are coming off an impressive home win over Jake Odum and his Terre Haute South squad, which should build their confidence going forward. Carmel is led by senior forward Morgan Newton, who is a Kentucky football recruit. The Greyhounds also feature junior forward Scott Laskowski and have one of the more heralded freshmen in the state in 6'10 AJ Hammons, who is still developing but has a ton of upside. North Montgomery is led by 6'4 do-it-all guard DJ Byrd, a Purdue recruit who is a legitimate Mr. Basketball candidate and sure-fire Indiana All-Star. The Chargers have won four in a row after a slow start.

Chesterton (8-4) at Hobart (6-5) - The main intrigue in this one is 6'9 sophomore forward Mitch McGary, one of the slew of solid Indiana big men in the 2011 class. McGary was on campus in Bloomington to watch the IU-Minnesota game this past Sunday as an unofficial visitor, and he followed that up by receiving a scholarship offer from Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers. Expect more offers to come soon for McGary.

Forest Park (8-4) at Southrigde (11-2) - The Rangers are a storied 2A program who, under coach Tom Beach have had major success in their class. They seem to always have a great big guy, whether the Hopf cousins of the past, or current big man Jordan Myers, a Southern Illinois signee. Southridge is the number four ranked team in 3A. They have won six of their last seven games, with their only defeat in that stretch coming on the road by three points to the undefeated, number one team in 3A, the Princeton Tigers. Their other loss was to 3A number two Evansville Memorial.

Garrett (8-3) at Leo (9-2) - The Railroaders have put together an impressive season to date, but have struggled a bit as of late, losing three of their last six games. New head coach John Bodey is doing an impressive job in his first year. Leo is led by 6'7 post player Jordan Bowerman, who is a double-double machine and a great low block scorer. He will be a great late pickup for a low major or a solid D2 or NAIA school.

Wednesday, January 28th

Bowman Academy (10-2) at South Bend Washington (10-2) - Bowman Academy, a new state school, has quickly become one of the top teams in 1A. They have impressive wins over schools like Ft. Wayne Blackhawk, Indianapolis Northwest, and Huntington North. They also feature one of the best, but least talked about, freshmen in the state in DeJuan Marrero. Marrero is clearly one of the best, but his location in the state limits his exposure. He will certainly be a big name throughout his high school career. Washington is a solid, if not spectacular 4A team that features junior guard Kennis White, a likely D1 recruit.

Bishop Chatard (5-6) at Broad Ripple (7-6) - Chatard has a trio of solid guards in senior Pat Kennedy and juniors Austin Bluitt and Taylor Wayer. The story of this game, however, is the threesome of great players for the Rockets. The most highly touted is freshman Ron Patterson, who has offers from both IU and Purdue already. Sophomore guard Steven Jamison and senior Howard Stevenson are also likely D1 players.

Marion (10-1) at Logansport (9-2) - The Berries are hot, winning nine out of their last ten after a season-opening loss to Peru. They have impressive wins over teams such as Maconaquah, Western, and a triple-overtime win at McCutcheon. Marion is a contender for the 4A State Championship, and are led by 6'6 senior wing and NC State signee Scott Wood, another player who is a candidate for Mr. Basketball.

Those seven games are some of the best the next two days have to offer. Check back for results on these games, plus other noteworthy performances by teams and individuals.

City Tournament: Cathedral Makes it Four

In what was a close game at halftime, the Cathedral Irish (12-1) came out and blew the doors off of Arlington (8-7) in the second half on their way to a 74-49 victory in the finals of the Indianapolis City Tournament. Arlington's dream run came to an end in large part due to the superior size and experience of Cathedral. The Irish boast several players 6'6 and taller, while Arlington starts no player taller than 6'3. The game was extremely tight at half, with Cathedral up only 30-26. Stellar second half defense, however, was the key to the blowout. There were several steals that led to fast break dunks, including four impressive throwdowns by 6'6 senior Kelsey Barlow, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. With Barlow keying the "D," Cathedral racked off twenty straight points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal, turning this one into a laugher. The Irish spread the scoring wealth, led by 6'6 forward and newly anointed starter Barry Flynn with 16 points, forward Errick Peck added 15 points and 12 boards, and quick-as-a-flash point guard Jarrett Hamilton finished with twelve. The Golden Knights got 15 points from Steve Malone, but all of his points came in the first half, and standout senior guard Phillip Freeman was held to seven points after putting up more than twenty in every game of the City until last night. The title marks Cathedral's fourth straight City Championship. They got a scare from 2A #4 Heritage Christian on Saturday, but aside from that, the tourney had Irish eyes a-smilin'. Congratulations to coach Scott Hicks and the Cathedral Irish on an impressive Indianapolis City Tournament. You earned it, fellas!

The Shot

Hoops fans, many of you heard about the amazing shot executed by Princeton sophomore Dontray Chavis this past Friday in the Tigers 57-50 win at the Hatchet House against Cody Zeller and Washington High. If you have not seen the shot, check out the link below to see what was SportsCenter's number two Play of the Day on Saturday. The beginning of the video should please Hoosier fans, as Tom Crean was in attendance and caught on film hamming it up with some students. Enjoy!

http://www.14wfie.com/global/category.asp?c=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15032&topVideoCatNoB=135100&topVideoCatNoC=72953&topVideoCatNoD=129537&topVideoCatNoE=126152&autoStart=true&clipId=3374331&topVideoCatNo=135100&autoStart=true

Indiana Junior All-Star Team for 2008-2009

Last week, P-Hoops picked about 40 student-athletes from across the state to represent our great hoops state as potential picks for the Indiana All-Star team. This week, let's turn our attention to the class of 2010, and look at some of the best juniors in the state who could bear the Indiana All-Star name proudly. Here are around 30 names. Am I missing anyone? Leave a message and let me know!

Guards
Drew Adams (Evansville Memorial)
Jesse Berry (Lafayette Jeff)
Aaron Bluitt (Bishop Chatard)
Julian Boatner (Bloomington North)
Russell Byrd (Blackhawk Christian)
Bryant Conder (Lanesville)
Brandon Demmings (Indianapolis Washington)
Nick George (Maconaquah)
Andre Hampton (Howe)
Michael Harris (East Chicago Central)
Jack Isenbarger (Zionsville)
Terone Johnson (North Central)
Xavier James (Gary West Side)
Trip McFall (North Central)
Howard Stevenson (Broad Ripple)
Matt Trimnell (Seymour)
Kennis White (South Bend Washington)
Billy Wilson (New Albany)

Forwards
Leland Brown (Noblesville)
Justin Clemens (Warsaw)
Dominique Ferguson (Lawrence North)
Eric Fromm (Bloomington South)
Donnie Hale (New Albany)
Jake Kitchell (South Central)
Scott Laskowski (Carmel)
Jordan Manuel (Howe)
Justin Martin (Lawrence North)
Dylan McDaniel (New Albany)
Ronald Ross (Northwest)
Khristian Smith (Pike)
Deshaun Thomas (Bishop Luers)
Chris Welker (Zionsville)

Center
Jake Browne (Heritage Christian)
Travis Carroll (Danville)
Eniquie Mason (Brownsburg)
Tony Tolliver (Indianapolis Washington)

Monday Matchup: City Tournament Finals

The final game of the Indianapolis City Tournament goes down tonight at 7:30 PM at Arsenal Tech High School. It has been a very competitive tourney so far, with Arlington beating Broad Ripple 69-67 in one semifinal matchup, and Cathedral beating Heritage Christian 53-45 in the other one. Tonight will be a great showcase of premier Indy teams, talent, and coaching, as Scott Hicks leads his 11-1 Irish squad against Larry Nicks and his 8-6 Golden Knights.

The Knights are led by a trio of good players in seniors Phillip Freeman and Steve Malone and junior forward Cory Rhorer. Freeman, a solid mid-level D1 prospect, had 23 points in their win over Broad Ripple, 19 points against Howe, and 22 before that against Tech. Malone had a high of 21 points against Tech, and Rhorer had a double-double against Broad Ripple with 21 points and 11 boards.

Cathedral has some big-name players to go to. The biggest name is Kelsey Barlow, a 6'6 wing player who has signed to play at Purdue. They also feature 6'6 post player Errick Peck who is garnering all kinds of late interest from a host of mid-major schools. He will be a steal for some lucky team. Their hottest player right now is 5'10 point guard Jarrett Hamilton who torched the nets for 21 points against Heritage on Saturday, while Peck and Barlow struggled to eight and six points, respectively.

The Irish are looking to make it four City's in a row, but the Golden Knights and IPS pride hope to prevent that from happening. In the end, I think the size and discipline of Cathedral, along with their experience, will be too much for Arlington to handle. Check back tomorrow for a recap of this game.

Mitch McGary Gets Big Offer

One of the many recruits at the IU vs. Minnesota game yesterday was 6'9 Chesterton sophomore Mitch McGary, a 2011 prospect who is having a great season. On the heels of his visit to Bloomington to see the Hoosiers, McGary was the pleased recipient of an official offer from Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers. This looks like it could turn into another IU/Purdue battle for the services of this great young post prospect. He is one of many 2011 post recruits from the state who is garnering attention from D1 schools, with the likes of Washington's Cody Zeller, Dwenger's Tony Springmann, and Terre Haute North's Justin Gant being a few of the others.

Congratulations Mitch!

IU Recruiting Update

Unfortunately for IU fans, the Hoosiers faltered down the stretch today, falling to Minnesota 67-63 in Bloomington. Missed free throws, lack of rebounding, and turnovers spelled defeat for the Hoosiers. However, the game was not a total loss for IU, as more than twenty potential recruits descended on Bloomington to see the game, which was played in front of a packed house with a raucous crowd. Adding drama to the game was the "White Out" promotion put on by Tom Crean and the Hoosiers, where more than 17,000 free IU t-shirts were handed out to the crowd to create an even more intense and exciting environment. All these things, plus the competitiveness of the game, likely had a big affect on the high school standouts in attendance. Here is the list of visitors that I have been able to confirm for today's game.

Class of 2009
Bobby Capobianco (IU signee - Loveland HS, OH)
Derek Elston (IU signee - Tipton HS)
Jordan Hulls (IU signee - Bloomington South HS)
Christian Watford (IU signee - Shades Valley HS, AL)

Class of 2010
Donnie Hale (New Albany HS)

Class of 2011
Dee Davis (Bloomington South HS)
Jeremiah Davis (Muncie Central HS)
Justin Gant (Terre Haute North HS)
Kendall Griffin (Avon HS)
Mitch McGary (Chesterton HS)
Marquis Teague (Pike HS)
Spencer Turner (Bloomington South HS)
Cody Zeller (Washington HS)

Class of 2012
Austin Burgett (Avon HS)
Brent Calhoun (Warren Central HS)
Jeremey Hollowell (Lawrence Central HS)
Ron Patterson (Broad Ripple HS)
Kellon Thomas (Southport HS)
Mitch Yeagy (Alexandria HS)

Absent from the list are many representatives for the class of 2010. Ge-Lawn Guyn of Scott County HS of Kentucky was supposed to be in attendance, but he had an impromptu practice scheduled instead. However, Crean and his staff do have their eye on a few junior prospects, most notably Kyrie Irving of St. Patrick's HS in New Jersey. Earlier this week, I made note of Crean's travels as of late to Indy and Phoenix, but he racked up even more frequent flier miles, as he went and saw Irving's first game of the season after sitting out due to a transfer rule. He and assistant Roshown McLeod were at his recent game, in which he had 16 points. Check the link from ZagsBlog below to read the story on the game and Crean's presence there.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/01/24/edwin-pc-down-lance-spinella-to-south-carolina-kyrie-irving-update/#more-10792

Here also is some video on Irving and what IU sees in this 2010 combo guard.

http://www.takkle.com/videos/10980/-/member/7297303

Enjoy!

Game Highlights for 1/24

There were some outstanding team and individual performances of note last night, January 24th. P-Hoops was again at the Indianapolis City Tournament for the two semifinal matchups and saw some great action there. Here are some quick updates on how teams fared and who played well last night.

* Arlington beat Broad Ripple on a last second shot on an out of bounds play 69-67. Freshman Ron Patterson, who is visiting IU today, led the Rockets back in the final two minutes, scoring eight straight points on a put back, two pull-up jumpers, and two free throws. He finished with 19 points, but it wasn't enough in the end. Steven Jamison had 18 points and ten boards, but he fouled out amidst some official confusion, so was unable to play the fourth quarter. Junior Howard Stevenson had seven points and 13 rebounds. The Golden Knights were led by Phillip Freeman with 23 points and Corey Rhorer with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

* Cathedral beat Heritage Christian 53-45 despite stellar defense from the Eagles, who limited the Irish stars all night. Jarrett Hamilton was a nightmare all game long, splitting defenders on the way to 21 points. Errick Peck had eight points while Kelsey Barlow chipped in with six. Morgan Cook led Heritage with 13 points, Tommy Eggleston had 12, and Durrel Davis added ten. Eggleston and Cook had great tournaments, averaging 20.3 ppg and 16 ppg respectively.

* Tipton suffered their second loss of the year at Kokomo. Indiana recruit Derek Elston had 23 points and ten rebounds for the Blue Devils and IWU signee Patrick Hopkins had twelve for the WildKats.

* Bloomington South confirmed their number one rank in 4A by destroying another highly ranked team, Franklin Central, 77-45. Hoosier signee Jordan Hulls led the Panthers with 17 points with three treys, and had five assists and five steals. Sophomores Dee Davis and Spencer Turner added 15 and ten points, respectively. Senior guard Casey Coons led the Flashes with 16 points, while Purdue recruit 6'8 Patrick Bade struggles to five points on seven shots.

* Kalob Pennington had 17 points and IUPUI signee Greg Rice had twelve as Ben Davis beat Decatur Central, who got 26 points from Alec Dye and twelve from Blake Beasley.

* Brebeuf continues their hot streak, defeating Terre Haute North behind 18 points from Evan Kroot. The Patriots got 16 points from 6'9 sophomore Justin Gant, another recruit who is visiting IU this weekend.

* Indian Creek got another big game from their two scoring stars in a nice win. Brett Brunson had 21 points and Kyle Bradley had twenty.

* Lapel, a solid 2A squad, got a win over Frankton 62-50 behind 21 points from Alex Pritchett and 14 from Logan Ingle.

* Mooresville handed Avon another loss 62-54 while getting 31 points from Valpo signee Matt Kenney. Avon got twenty from sophomore stud Kendall Griffin (pictured), who is also in Bloomington today with freshman teammate Austin Burgett, who did not play last night.

* Sophomore Marquis Teague scored 21 points and sophomore Chandler Thomas had 13 points as Pike defeated Southport 77-56. The Cardinals got twelve points from freshman Kellon Thomas, another youngster on IU's campus today.

* Zionsville defeated Roncalli 43-38, getting 13 points from Chris Welker. The Rebels got twelve points from senior guard Aaron Evans.

* Terre Haute South guard and Indiana State signee Jake Odum had another huge game with 25 points in a win over Central.

* The Washington Hatchets rebounded from a loss to Princeton with a 62-46 win over Pike Central behind 16 points from 6'8 sophomore Cody Zeller.

* New Albany had another huge win, beating Anderson 72-60. Junior Donnie Hale had 14 points and eight boards for the Bulldogs, while the Indians got a game-high 29 points from Troy Taylor.

* Jeffersonville got a blowout win over Evansville North behind 18 points from Edwin Wright-Baker, an IU football recruit.

* DJ Byrd, a Purdue signee, had a huge game with 27 points and eight boards.

There are some of the highlights of a great Saturday of basketball in the state of Indiana. Now, back to the second half of IU-Minnesota. Let's hope the Hoosiers can pull of the upset!

Poll Results: Best Freshman in the State

Well, the votes are in and tallied, and the public has spoken. The recent poll turned out to be a two-horse race, really as expected. The clear cut leaders for the best frosh came down to North Central 6'3 guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Broad Ripple 6'3 guard Ron Patterson. With nearly 200 total votes, there were plenty to go around. In the end, Indiana hoops fans selected Smith-Rivera over Patterson. Smith-Rivera notched 97 total votes for 49% of the total, while Patterson got 61 votes for 31% total. AJ Hammons of Carmel and Kellon Thomas of Southport both had eight votes, while Joel Smith of Heritage Christian had seven. Raphael Davis of Ft. Wayne South Side got three, and "Other" claimed 12 votes.

This week's poll will feature the question: Who will win the 4A State Championship? Vote for your choice to the right!

Update on Games: 1/23: Sweet Sixteen

Last night's games included some amazing upsets, last second victories, and unexpected outcomes that made for a fantastic Friday! Let's take a look at the games that were part of the Sweet Sixteen for Friday, January 23rd.

1. Lawrence North 66 - North Central 47 - They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Wildcats (13-2) had ice in their veins tonight, getting redemption from their earlier loss at the hands of the Panthers (14-1) during the Marion County Tournament. Defense was the story in this one, as LN used their size and athleticism to bother North Central's guards and control the glass. Stephan Van Treese led the Wildcats with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, while fellow Louisville commits Justin Martin and Ryan Taylor added 15 and 10 points, respectively. Kentucky commit Dominique Ferguson (pictured) added 13 points as well. North Central was led by junior guard Terone Johnson with 12 points and freshman D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera with 11 points. The Panthers struggled from the field all night, shooting just 31 percent in the game.

2. Princeton 57 - Washington 50 - In this matchup of one verses two in 3A, the visiting team came away with the win. Princeton (14-0) remained unbeaten on the year while sending the Hatchets (10-2) away with a loss at the famed Hatchet House. Sophomores Rontray Chavis and Jalen Packer led Princeton with 21 and 12 points, respectively. Twin brother Dontray had the play of the night, however, grabbing a defensive rebound and launching a full court heave that found the net as the first quarter horn sounded. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller led Washington with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Also, as an added side note, Indiana head coach Tom Crean was in the Hachet House, likely there to size up Zeller, the Chavis twins, and Packer, who some say is the best true point guard in the sophomore class.

3. Batesville 56 - Lawrenceburg 53 - The Bulldogs (9-2) avenged an earlier season home loss to the Tigers (7-2), and continue to roll along in 3A. Batesville is number seven in 3A, and coming in, Lawrenceburg was number five in 2A. Still trying to track down stats for this one.

4. Carmel 67 - Terre Haute South 65 - The Greyhounds (8-4) pulled of the stunning upset at home over the 4A number four ranked South squad (11-2), who are one of two teams to beat Lawrence North this season. Senior Morgan Newton continued his strong play, notching another double-double, with 26 points and 14 rebounds. John Michael Polley added 18 points and Scott Laskowski chipped in with 15 of his own. South was led by stellar point guard and Indiana State signee Jake Odum, who had 38 points and ten rebounds.

5. Marion 81 - Anderson 65 - The Giants (10-1) started slow, leading only 37-32 at half, but pulled away late to defeat the visiting Indians (8-2). Senior wing Scott Wood, and NC State recruit, had a banner night, scoring 33 points and moving over 1,000 career points on the night. Marion senior JaRob McCallum added 24 points. Marion also had Mikel Brigham contirbute ten points and 19 rebounds.

6. Zionsville 74 - Fishers 72 - This game was, unfortunately, decided on technical foul free throws. There were a pair of T's called in the waning moments of this game, one on each team at different times, and the Eagles (11-1) were able to capitalize and beat the home Tigers (8-6). Zionsville was led by sophomore Demetrius Lawson with 27 points, while junior forward Chris Welker added 19 of his own. Fishers was led by Noah Stewart with 21 points, while Matt Lenz put up 16 points.

7. Warren Central 62 - Terre Haute North 50 - The Warriors (8-7) used their superior size, depth, and athleticism to wear down the visiting Patriots (7-6). It's always good when an Indy area team beats a team with the name Patriots, right? Warren Central got 13 points apiece from 6'9 senior Ed Hazelett and Jordan Kennedy, while North was paced by 6'9 super-sophomore Justin Gant, who had 19 points, including a three pointer. Gant is one of many who will be on campus tomorrow to see IU take on Minnesota at Assembly Hall.

8. Tipton 44 - Benton Central 25 - Tipton (11-1), the top team in 2A, played stellar D in this one, utterly overwhelming the Bears (5-4). The Blue Devils were once again led by 6'9 senior and IU recruit Derek Elston, who overcame a slow start to finish with 20 points and eight rebounds. Point guard Greg Dickey added ten points for Tipton.

9. Muncie Central 63 - Muncie South 57 - Six-one senior Ausitn Fox had a night to remember at the Muncie Fieldhouse as his Bearcats (7-5) held on to beat cross town rival South (6-5). Fox finished with 20 points and 16 boards. Ball State recruit Jauwan Scaife added 12 points for Central, including nine of them in the fourth. Sophomore Jeremiah Davis had the game-clinching putback lay-in to seal the game for the Bearcats. The game was won on the boards, as Central had a 40-25 rebounding advantage.

10. Winchester 49 - Jay County 44 - The Golden Falcons (9-3) finished the game on a 26-13 run to hand Jay County (8-1) their first loss of the season. The home crowd sparked Winchester, who was led by senior Tyler Koch, a Wright State signee, with 18 points. Andrew Haney added 13 for the Falcons. Billy Wellman paced the Patriots with 11 points.

11. Hamilton Southeastern 58 - Avon 51 - Another big comeback was needed in this matchup, as the Royals (7-6) outscored the Orioles (7-6) 23-10 in the fourth quarter. HSE who had lost six of eight, were led by Charlie Duffy with 15 points and Zach Starr with 12 points. Avon let this one slip away at home. They were paced by sophomore JuJuan Sarver with 16 points, while 6'7 freshman wing Austin Burgett added 13 of his own. Sophomore Kendall Griffin (pictured) chipped in with eight.

12. Brebeuf Jesuit 67 - Guerin Catholic 62 (2OT) - A good, old-fashioned barn burner went down on the Braves (7-5) home floor, and four quarter wasn't enough to decide things. Brebeuf got 19 points from Trent Hoffman, including the clinching free throws. Forward Brad Altum added 14 points. Guerin (9-5) was led once again by high-scoring guard Ryan Nowicki, who had 24 points, while Michael McMahon added twelve.

13. Ft. Wayne North Side 90 - Ft. Wayne South Side 72 - There were a pair of equally high scorers in this one. North Side (9-2) got 31 points from 5'10 senior point guard Justin Jordan, and the Archers (2-10) also got 31 from freshman phenom Raphael Davis.

14. Gary Wallace 75 - Gary West 65 - Bragging right were fought for and earned by Lew Wallace (11-4). They got a huge lift from their bench, who accounted for 45 of their 75 total points. Brandon Dawson led Wallace with 19 points, LaTroy Taylor added 15, Donte Brown had 14, and Jaree Crawford chipped in eleven. West Side was led by junior Xavier Jones with 19 points, and DeShawn Clay also had 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds.

Indianapolis City Tournament Games

P-Hoops was in attendance again at Tech High School for the City games Friday night. Here are the results.

15. Heritage Christian 57 - Northwest 55 (OT) - Talk about a nail-biter! This was a back and forth affair which looked as though it could have gone either way up until the very end. With Heritage (10-1) leading by three points with under five seconds to go, six-five senior wing Tommy Eggleston, who had yet another fantastic game, missed the front end of a one-and-one and then proceeded to foul junior Ronald Ross as he attempted a game tying three. Ross was only a 60% free throw shooter coming in, but he calmly swished all three, sending the game into overtime. The Space Pioneers (8-6) scored the first four points in overtime, but Eggleston and senior forward Morgan Cook would not let the Eagles lose. Eggleston hit a game tying three with less than a minute, his fifth of the game. Then, with under twenty seconds, Cook mistakenly fouled, sending Northwest to the line for a one-and-one. The free throw clanked off the rim, and after a time out, the Eagles put the ball in Eggleston's hands for the potential last shot. The lanky senior wing used a ball screen, split two helpless defenders and finished a running lay in over two others to give Heritage the lead. Northwest managed a desperation three from near half court, but it fell helplessly to the ground and the Eagles, the number four team in 2A, were victorious. Eggleston led Heritage with 21 points, while Cook added 19 of his own, and 6'7 junior center Jake Browne had ten. Ross led Northwest with 16 points. Heritage moves on to tonight's semifinals to face....

16. Cathedral 63 - Indianapolis Washington 48 - The Irish (10-1), the number seven team in 4A, were seemingly in control of this on throughout, although the Continentals (4-9) did everything in their power to keep it close. The lead was only five at half, but in the end, the size, skill, and experience of Cathedral won out. The Irish had a nice scoring spread, with four players in double digits. Sharpshooting guard Patrick Paligraf, Purdue recruit Kelsey Barlow, and lightning-quick point guard Jarrett Hamilton all had 13 points, while 6'6 monster forward Errick Peck had eleven, including three thunderous first half dunks. One of them was a sick alley-oop from Paligraf over a defenders' hands. Brandon Demmings led Washington with 20 points and had a killer dunk of his own, splitting two defenders and then rising up to ram one home over two big men in the paint. It caught the crowd so off guard that almost no one reacted until after it had been over for a few seconds. The winner of tonight's game between Heritage and Cathedral will face the winner of Arlington and Broad Ripple, who features freshman Ron Patterson (pictured) Monday night at Tech for the City Championship crown.

What a loaded Friday night of basketball! Another big story was Luers junior Deshaun Thomas scoring 33 points (26 in the second half) to move ahead of his coach James Blackmon for the all-time scoring leaders in state history. Blackmon scored 1,897 points during his career at Marion, and Thomas now has 1,908 as a junior. He needs 52 more points to become a top-50 scorer in Indiana history. Check back tomorrow to see how the City games shape up, and look for results of other top games across the state!