Nike affiliated team featuring TJ Bell, JT Yoho and Michael Ramey.

TJ Bell, 6’8″ power forward; Bloomington (South) :: Son of former IU great women’s basketball player, Quacey Barnes, he has played with this Bloomington based team for most of his AAU days. He moved to Bloomington to live with his AAU coach, a family friend, and was forced to play JV this past season at Bloomington South.

The knock on Bell to this point has been his energy. With that back drop, it could easily be tabbed as an issue of motivation, but his play during the school year was disappointing. His play in the games I’ve seen this summer have not been.

Bell has played with energy this spring, thus far, and it’s easy to like the combination of length and athleticism as he runs the floor, rebounds, and defends at the rim. He finishes well inside and hasn’t shied away from contact. He’s thin but looks thicker since the end of the school season.

He has caught and drove well from the perimeter, but his range doesn’t stretch to the 3pt line. One could wonder if he had made better use of his time during the season if his skill set facing the basket would have developed more. Bloomington South was able to bring him up to their roster in late February, but they opted not to do so.

As he develops his game more facing the basket, it’s easy to see why high major programs are interested in him. He has to keep playing with energy. June and July are a grind. It would be nice to see him carry it through the summer and into his school season.

JT Yoho, 6’5″ small forward; Bloomfield (Eastern) :: If Yoho can have the summer that he has had in the spring, he’ll be a mid major darling. He plays hard, and it’s impressive to see him rebound, bring the ball in transition and make good decisions.

I haven’t seen him shoot it from the 3pt line yet, likely a timing issue. The three games I’ve seen of Meanstreets this year have all been against teams that like to get out and go. He’s played well in that setting. He has a big body, some of which will have to be trimmed down or toned a little, but I believe he had an injury during the school season. It was mentioned in passing between the school and summer seasons.

If Yoho can carry Eastern Greene to March success as a junior, he’ll be known beyond southern Indiana.

Michael Ramey, 6’5″ shooting guard; Indianapolis (Southport) :: Ramey can be hard to figure out. He handles it well and has good bounce. He’s a streaky shooter, but his ability to get to the rim can counteract those cold spells. He just doesn’t always have a good motor when he plays.

Most of his down moments come as he’s pretty hard on himself, but that frustration has caused him moments when he doesn’t play through possessions and affected his overall play. It would be nice to see him stay with this group and stay at Southport HS, as he has hopped around. That’s not always a kid’s decision though.

Ramey has a lot of physical talents and a good skill set. Seeing him really commit to the process, working to get himself better instead of finding greener grass, he would be attractive to mid major programs. He’ll have to get stronger, but that comes with maturation. If he can put some power in with his bounce, he’ll be a tough wing at the college level.

Damon Brown, 5’11″ point guard; Bloomington (North) :: He certainly is quick. It’s been hard to get a grasp of how well he shoots it. He plays hard, but much like the comment on JT Yoho, the teams I’ve seen them play this spring, it’s been all about transition. Not sure I see him at the level of the top point four or five point guards in the class, but he plays hard and can play fast.

Shounton Habersham, 6’4″ power forward; Indianapolis (Southport) :: Strong and plays with energy, but at some point he has show more offense away from the lane. He drives the ball well when the path is clear, and he can finish inside. At this point, he’s undersized for a power forward position, and the more he can transform his game to a SF spot, the better off he will be.