Hoosier Hoops Report

In it’s heyday, the Indiana AAU State Tournament was one of the top events of the year, certainly to watch Indiana teams and stars. It was usually a two goal event, qualify for AAU Nationals and be a state champ. Winning a state title isn’t as tough as it used to be, but the goal of qualifying for AAU Nationals, especially for the 17U division, still means a final trip to Disney World’s great venues and great exposure to coaches.

SYF dominates 17U division

Led by Branden Dawson, the 6’6″ forward from Gary Wallace, he showed on Sunday why the likes of Indiana, Purdue and UCLA are vying heavily for his services. The kid is winner (leading Wallace to the 3A championship game), and his perimeter skills are improving. His ability to rebound and make plays in transition is still his bread and butter.

The other big name is Chesterton post Mitch McGary. He’s battle injuries the last two school seasons, but this past weekend he looked healthy. He also showed a nice short range jump shot facing the basket. Just the ability to face up and shoot will help this lefty post score inside.

Brandon Clark is a quick and crafty point guard from Merrillville. The 5’10″ junior is a strong floor leader and pairs up often with Ohio point guard Travis Trice. Junior all-star and Merrillville teammate, Jeremiah Jones struggled shooting the ball on Sunday but showed athleticism and the ability to score off the dribble.

They defeated Progeny, a relatively new program, in the championship game, featuring mostly Indianpolis area kids. This week they also featured Marquis Teague, whose team, Spiece Indy Heat, had the weekend off. Teague was big in spurts but mostly set up teammates throughout the weekend.

Having a strong championship game, especially int he first half was Zionsville guard Demetrius Lawson. The 6’1″ junior scored 18 points in the first half. Playing well throughout the weekend was Dedric Griffin, 6’5″ wing from North Central.

Here is a name for all the small state schools to keep an eye on, Seth Johnson. The 6’8″ forward from Carroll (Flora, IN) came on late for the small rural school in Carroll County. He’s long and developing skill facing the basket, though he is mostly an around the lane scorer. He showed an ability to drive from mid range.

Two time defending state champ, Spiece Select 2011, played Saturday and Sunday without Justin Gant (death in the family and prom) and Alex Pritchett (ankle sprain). In their absence 6’10″ Alec Peterson stepped up. The junior center from Carmel plays in the shadow of AJ Hammons during the school year, but this summer he has shown to be a solid D1 prospect. His best asset at this point is rebounding in traffic. While he struggles to finish inside at times, mostly due to taking contact, he has excellent hands and footwork.

Picking up the scoring load for Spiece Select were Dwight Cliff, 6’5″ wing from Ben Davis, Kendall Griffin, 6’5″ shooting guard from Avon, Zac VanDeWater, 6’5″ wing from Whitko, and Tyler Greathouse, 6’8″ forward from Columbus North. All had big scoring games over the weekend, and they helped the group reach the semi-finals before getting smacked around by SYF’s size.

Evansville Basketball Club, which actually defeated Spiece Select for third place (via a coin flip), has Austin Rasche. The 6’5″ wing from Southridge is the center piece of their offense, just as he is during the winter. The lefty is an above average shooter from the 3pt, but his best asset is moving without the ball. He pretty much is a “do everything” kind of guy at Southridge, where they have been successful during his tenure.

Nathan Bromm plays baseball, so his game is inconsistent in the spring. The 6’2″ versatile guard from Forest Park was present all weekend, and it showed in their performance. His presence frees up Rasche. Ryan Helfert, 6’6″ forward from Boonville, was able to finish plays in the transition and around the rim. He’s more of a slashing forward than a post.

The fifth team to qualify was Spiece Indy Stars. They were led by Tipton point guard Greg Dickey, Rushville point guard Spencer Comer, Pike forward Josh Gentry, and Madison Grant forward Nate Gross.

Of the teams that didn’t reach Sunday’s action, Brandon Dunaway stood out. The 6’4″ guard from Corydon Central led the short handed Team Southern Indiana Red through pool play. Playing without New Albany junior all-star, Chris Whitehead, Dunaway stepped up and carried much of the scoring load.

Indiana AAU 17U State Tournament