Admittedly, I don’t get as much content on here during AAU season as I do during the rest of the year which is ok because it’s about quality and not quantity. In June I’ll start back with the high school summer games and the big event @ the Charlie Hughes. But I have gotten to see as many players live as I have during the regular high school season play against good comp. It started with the MADE Hoops event in Cincinnati during the first weekend of April. That was a good chance to see some high level shoe circuit teams in-person and alot of the Indiana kids. I also got to have eyes on teams with BallerTV who’s a game changer for any true high school basketball fan. The 2nd week of April brought the Battle of the Brands up @ UNRNKD Hoops in Indy. Meanstreets, UNRNKD, Zero Fears, and Indy Heat took the floor on Saturday while Prep Hoops The Stage was going on up at the PAC the same weekend. And the 3rd week I checked out the EYBL and 3SSB Circuits watching as many Indiana kids as I could and have a pretty good feel for my Top 5 team Power Rankings. If you don’t like the rankings you’ll have another month (especially this weekend at the Run and Slam) to prove me wrong and move up the ladder. The first month of AAU ball didn’t disappoint and the Run and Slam this upcoming weekend should be very competitive.
Indiana Elite 3SSB 28s- This squad looked a whole lot different last year with Noah Washington, Boogie Cook, and ? Enter Amarian Leggett, Mark Shostak, Eron McDuffey, and Mark Shostak. Leggett is a professional scorer that got to his spots when he wanted. He’s got good handles for his size, a nice midrange, and finishes well going to the basket. Mari is in the mix for the top player in his class. Shostak is about a year away from really being a “go-to guy” but the size is definitely there at 6’10. I’d like to see him expand in game out to 6 or 7 ft. for a jumps shot. Penn’s Caleb Coolman and Chesterton’s Brad Basila return and looked good this weekend. Basila is a big time athlete and Coolman is a knockdown shooter at 6’4.
Indy Heat EYBL 27s- It’s rare that a group returns most all of their players from the year before but when you win the 16U @ the Peach Jam you want to run it back for 17s. Harper Baker Lands, Jahari Miller, Mack Welker, Isaiah Hill, Kam Mercer (Cincinnati OH.), and Peyton Kemp (Michigan) make up the returning core of this team and add in Caleb Wells from Lawrence Central. Let me put it as simple as I can; AAU Jahari Miller is just different. He’s the leading scorer on this team most games and plays with a confidence from the outside and driving to the basket that I’ve only seen from him in the spring/ summer. Hill is the obvious difference maker and highest rated prospect being 7 ft. with his defense and rebounding but I’ve seen him expand his game to the outside some early on this month. Baker Lands runs this team when he’s at the pg spot as someone that can score and doesn’t mind getting everyone else involved. They went 2-1 in the first EYBL session with the target on their backs. They’ll be the favorites in the 17U division at the Run and Slam.
Indy Heat EYBL 28s- This group has some big time bucket getters with Jordan Mitchell (Louisville Male), Noah Washington (New Albany), and Chandon Gilbert. They went 2-0 up in Indy in their warm up games against UNRNKD Hoops and Zero Fears. This team has so much offensive firepower with those 3 guys (and some other Kentucky and Ohio kids) having a true point guard and someone to get all these guys the ball would help, but the size and offense will be enough for them to win alot of games. At this time, Gilbert is a really good kick out shooter from the outside. The next progression of his game is creating for himself and getting downhill using his size. The next weekend they played up in Ft. Wayne (without Washington) and played up against a really underrated LVLUP ’27 team. Mitchell and Gilbert were 2 of their leading scorers as well as Jasir Rogers contributing as well. Indy Heat 28s did not make the trip to Atl. for the first session of the EYBL but are on the schedule this coming weekend as one of the favorites for the Run and Slam.
Indiana Elite 16s- I got to catch them at Midwest Mania early in April. Newcomer to the team, Amarian Leggett looked like the main offensive threat when I got to see him. He was getting to his spots at will and finishing at the rim or with a midrange. Mari is certainly in the discussion for top kid in ’28. Another kid in that discussion is Penn’s Caleb Coolman who put in a strong 1st 3SSB session in Cali. Coolman has good size for his position and can score, rebound, and dish out assist. The team also added Eron McDuffey (Ben Davis) and Mark Shostak (Carmel) this year and both have gotten good minutes and showed some flashes. Chesterton’s Brad Basila is one of the more athletic players in the state and he showed that out in Cali by scoring and being one of the 1st sessions top rebounders.
Indiana Elite 15s- This is a fun team to watch at the 15U level. In a given game any one of their guys can be the leading scorer. The team features 2 Fishers kids, Tristian Breland and Max Hopkins, Karson Stoudemire (New Albany), and Will Tonagel (Oak Hill). At Midwest Mania Breland showed a super quick first step at getting to the basket. Once he gets his outside shot consistent he’ll be a P5 kid eventually. Hopkins is a kid that anywhere else in the state would have probably started varsity but saw limited minutes for a strong Fishers team. He’s big and athletic with a soft shot. He’ll start putting himself in the conversation for Top 5 players in ’29 this upcoming season. Tonagel runs the team and led the team in assists out in Cali. and put up some good scoring games as well. Tonagel and his Oak Hill High School team will be very highly rated in 2A when team rankings come out in the fall. Stoudemire gives you a little bit of everything. He can guard, rebound, shoot, and get to the basket. He doesn’t play like a freshman and is strong going to the rim. Karson has been nationally rated for some time now and I don’t see that changing any time soon. They went 4-0 out in Cali. and will be one of the favorites @ the 15U level of Run and Slam.
Progeny UAA 15U- This is a team that’s sort of flying under the radar with some underrated talent trending in the right direction. There hasn’t been too many more players that have been rising up the rankings than Cathedral’s Jayden Kennedy. Jayden has been their leading scorer in most games and leads the team in steals. He played a big part off the bench for the 3A state champs last year and could find himself in a starting role next season in the backcourt. Speaking of stock risers, 6’8 Corey Brown of Gary Lighthouse is a versatile kid that can guard multiple positions and a defensive force down low. One of the state’s best athlete’s is Floyd Central’s Wyatt Wilkins. He’s having a strong start to his AAU season despite not getting much varsity time last season getting and uses his quickness to get to the basket. Crown Point’s Christian Hughes, Mater Dei’s Wyatt Frazier, and Scottsburg’s Caleb Salas have shown offensive potential and 6’8 Cayden McCreanor from Lawrenceburg will only continue to get better. They’ll have a chance to make some real noise at Run and Slam this upcoming weekend.
Marlin Academy P32 15U- This team was already playing well but then got an extra shot in the arm with Madison’s Braysen Russell coming in from Wildcat Select. Russell is one of the best shooters in his class and led the team in ppg during his first weekend with the group. Henryville’s JP Siltz has been rebounding against bigger players and been consistently averaging in double figures in ppg and boards. Fisher’s Jayden Bogan has had the ball in his hands whether it’s scoring or dishing out assists so far this month. This team is just one true big away from being really good. The Siltz-Russell-Bogan combo could be really good shooting the ball.
LVLUP 27s- A real hidden gem in the AAU world. This team not only beat Indy Heat 28s when I watched them but I’m not so sure it was even an upset. This squad features Tarvar Baskerville from New Haven, Austin Schlabach and Pierce Yoder @ Westview, Uriah Williams from Wayne, and Terrence Jordan and Jayvon Irby @ Southside. They’ve got some size, very good shooters, some dawgs that aren’t afraid to get hit or hit you when going to the basket, and some real talent. Baskerville put in 25 pts. the game I watched while Schlabach was arguably the most athletic player on the floor that including an EYBL team. If you’re looking for a good Ft. Wayne area team this is the one to watch this spring.
Midwest Basketball Club 3SSB 15U- There’s really only one reason I’m including an out of state team based out of Ohio and that’s Austin’s Micah Mohler. Mohler had a big time 2nd half of the high school season for the Eagles and has carried that over into AAU ball. Ever since leading his high school team to the semi state as a freshman and leading his 3SSB level team in ppg so far this spring, the narrative has been, “is he the best player in the class of ’29?” He’s certainly in the mix with his play these last few weeks averaging 18.3 ppg and 7.8 rbs out in Cali. This season the state found out about just how good Mohler is with his tournament run and now he’s beginning to become nationally known with his play against the country’s best. Once he becomes a knockdown shooter from the outside and a lockdown defender, I expect him to be a P5 kid by the time he leaves high school.
Meanstreets EYBL 15s- The reason I’m posting about a program out of Chicago is the two Gary Westside kids, Prentiss Gates and Deshawn Clay. I was very impressed with Clay’s hustle; even in a non-circuit AAU game he was diving for loose balls on the floor. Clay is also good at getting to the basket and finishing. His next progression is becoming a consistent threat from beyond the 3. Speaking of impressed, there’s not many I’m buying early stock on right now than 6’8 Prentiss Gates. Gates has Isaiah Hill-like defensive instincts when it comes to blocking shots. Gates never brings the ball down and is athletic enough to dunk anything close at the rim. The form on his left handed shot isn’t there yet but he’s still very raw and will only get better. He’s the best big in Indiana’s c/o ’29 that I’ve seen and when it’s all said and done will be in the discussion for best overall player in his class.
Stock Risers in April
- MJ Wilson- Grand Park Premier 16U (Crown Point)
- Prentiss Gates- Meanstreets 15U (Gary West)
- Jayden Kennedy- Progeny 15U (Cathedral)
- Levin Robinson- All Ohio Baneville 15U (class of 2030 playing up)
- Romyiez Calvin- IE Team Indiana 15U (Evansville Harrison)
April AAU Power Rankings Top 5 17u
- Indy Heat EYBL 27s
- Indiana Elite 3SSB 27s
- D1 Indiana P32
- Team Tradition UA Rise
- LVLUp P32 27s
April AAU Power Rankings Top 5 16u
- Indiana Elite 3SSB 16U
- Indy Heat EYBL 16U
- Grand Park Premier NXT Pro 16
- Indiana Jammers UA Rise 16U
- Marlin Academy P32/ UNRNKD Hoops 16U
April AAU Power Rankings Top 5 15U
- Indiana Elite 3SSB 15u
- Indy Heat EYBL 15u
- Progeny UAA 15U
- DG Elite NB 15U
- IE Team Indiana 15U
April AAU Power Rankings Top 5 c/o 2030
- Indy Heat Jr. EYBL
- IE Jr. 3SSB
- Grand Park Premier 2030
- D1 Indiana 2030
- IE- Southeast 2030
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