Hoosier Hoops Report

After a long 3 days at the Adidas Invitational, I decided I hadn’t had enough basketball and headed up to Higland for a weekend long event. The two Indiana teams I watched tonight were Spiece Indy Heat 17U and Eric Gordon 15U. Here is a recap of tonight’s events. It was a tough night for Spiece as they lost two games, one to the Franchize All-Stars, and the other to the Illinois Wolves. Eric Gordon on the other hand got a tough victory over a great Meanstreets team.

(2013) Anthony Johnson Eric Gordon 15U- Anthony had a huge performance in a 5 point win over Meanstreets 15U. He scored 26 points, knocking down 6 three pointers and scoring a few more points in the lane. He just wasn’t missing from behind the arc, and hustled to earn points in other ways. Anthony is a 6’2 guard at Warren Central High School. I’ll definitely keep an eye on him the rest of the weekend.

(2011) Nic Moore Spiece Indy Heat- Nic had a big night tonight, scoring 14 and 20 in his two games. He knocked down the three ball with consistency and showed the ability to get into the lane and draw fouls. He’s a great shooter, but Nic looks for open teammates and will make the smart pass to set up easy baskets. He also possesses a nice mid range game and uses that to score as well.

(2012) DeJuan Marrero Spiece Indy Heat- Marrero worked hard today, something he always does. If there’s a player that works as hard as Marrero, tell me about him and I’d love to watch him. He’s been knocked for being a one dimensional (offensive rebounder/put back machine) offensive player, but tonight he did show a few nice moves off the dribble. He had a great move where he blew by a defender to his right, and then spun left finishing off the glass with his left hand. Even at 6’5 he’s still a great rebounder, and if he can take opponents off the dribble consistently, he’ll become an even more productive player.

(2013) Basil Smotherman Eric Gordon 15U- Basil only scored 4 points tonight, but both of his buckets were key to his team’s victory. Basil grabbed a defensive rebound and then took the ball coast to coast for a layup with less than two minutes to go. He also knocked down a deep jumper late in the game to help keep the momentum going for Eric Gordon. He didn’t have the best night shooting the ball tonight, but Basil made a few plays to help his team win.

(2013) Devin Davis Eric Gordon 15U- Devin had a great night tonight, doing a little bit of everything to help his team win. He tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot. Devin scored two buckets off the dribble and knocked down four free throws to earn his 8 points. While he didn’t have a huge scoring performance, Devin had a nice all around game and contributed to a great win for his team.

(2012) Austin Burgett Spiece Indy Heat- Austin showcased his ability to knock down three point jumpers tonight, hitting four in his first game. He’s got a nice skill set for a big man, but he tends to float on the three point line too much at times. Burgett is at his best when he plays the game in the post and is able to slip out past the defense to knock down a few jumpers. He scored 12 and 6 in two games today.

(2012) AJ Hammons Spiece Indy Heat- AJ got caught in traffic and was only to make it to the second game, but he showed some good things. He only scored 7 points, but he showed off nice footwork and post moves, something unique for a young post. He used a nice move in the post where he spins to the right of his defender and is able to create separation. I like the way he uses the glass to finish plays, making sure his shot has the best chance of going in.

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