State's 2011, '12 players draw raves from national analyst
Scout.com's Daniels is 'amazed' by area talent
Friday, March 12, 2010
Indystar.com
Scout.com's Daniels is 'amazed' by area talent
With the intent of getting a better read on Indiana's 2011 and ' 12 classes, Scout.com recruiting analyst Evan Daniels spent most of last week watching sectional games in the Indianapolis area.
A worthwhile trip?
"I'm amazed with the amount of talent not only in the city, but all around the state," Daniels said Wednesday. "The 2012 class is just loaded and the ' 11 class has quite a bit of star power at the top. I definitely plan on getting to Indiana more often."
Daniels offered his assessment of several top prospects he watched last week, singling out Hamilton Southeastern sophomore Gary Harris as the player who surprised him the most.
A.J. Hammons, 6-10, Carmel sophomore: "I'm really impressed with how much he's improved since the first time I saw him last year. He's developed a little jump hook on the block that he's confident taking. He probably needs to be a little more assertive, but he has all the things you look for in a big man. He's a different type of player than (Lawrence North junior) Michael Chandler, but he's made the same huge strides with his game."
Yogi Ferrell, 5-10, Park Tudor sophomore: "I love watching that kid play. He's such a tough kid and great on-the-ball defender. He makes good decisions with the ball and can score, but is really unselfish. With his vision and speed, he has a chance to play at a really high level."
Jeremy Hollowell, 6-6, Lawrence Central sophomore: "He's a good-looking prospect as a big guard and he's becoming more aggressive. I'm impressed with his offensive game. He probably needs to get a little tougher and become a better rebounder, but he has the skill to be a high-level prospect."
Ron Patterson, 6-3, Broad Ripple sophomore: "I really like his athleticism and his rebounding ability for a guard. He got hurt the game I watched, but he's definitely a high-major player. He'll need to improve his mid-range game and ballhandling."
Austin Burgett, 6-8, Avon sophomore: "He's like Hollowell in that he's starting to fill out a little bit. He can square up and hit the jumper from 18 feet. He needs to get tougher and develop his post moves, but high majors are definitely interested."
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, 6-4, North Central: "The biggest worry is that he's so good now, people wonder how much better he's going to get. The thing I like is that he gives such a consistent effort. You know what you're going to get. He's a tough kid and his physical strength allows him to finish at the basket."
Gary Harris, 6-4, Hamilton Southeastern: "I was impressed with him as much as anybody, and he only took six shots in the game I watched. He's a legit high-major player. He has a great overall skill set and is a sneaky good athlete. He's just really efficient."
Daniels said the ' 11 and ' 12 talent in Indiana compares with any in the country.
"It's really kind of ridiculous," he said. "There are other cities and states that are loaded, but Indiana is right up there with anyone."
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Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
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