2014 Ft. Wayne Luers guard and IU commit James Blackmon Jr. met with the media following a 72-62 win over Indianapolis Arlington in the IPSAC Midwest Challenge on Wednesday. Blackmon Jr. scored 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting.
Joe Eberhardt of Inside the Hall and IndyHSHoops was there as Blackmon Jr. talked about his early commitment to IU, the strengths of his game, Trey Lyles and more:
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and regular contributor to Inside the Hall. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHSHoops and read his blog, IndyHSHoops.com.
Following Cathedral’s 68-65 win at Broad Ripple on Saturday, I caught up with Collin Hartman to talk about a variety of things, including his play over the weekend against Ron Patterson and Devin Davis, his recent commitment to IU and also the direction of the IU program. Watch and listen to Hartman’s comments in the embedded media player after the jump.
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and regular contributor to Inside the Hall. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHSHoops and read his blog, IndyHSHoops.com.
INDIANAPOLIS — A matchup that saw two Indiana commitments going head-to-head was just too much for Indiana head coach Tom Crean to pass up. The third-year IU coach was in attendance at Warren Central to watch the Warriors battle the Cathedral Irish.
Crean watched two of his future players, Devin Davis of Warren Central and Collin Hartman of Cathedral, square off Friday night. Cathedral trailed 21-20 at halftime, but ultimately got the better of Warren Central, winning 61-54.
Collin Hartman notched a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for Cathedral in the win. Hartman had a streaky night shooting the ball, but looked to make contributions on the glass and as a facilitator for teammates. He created openings for his teammates by drawing double teams and wisely passing to the open teammate. Hartman made a big play with the game winding down, knocking down a wide-open three to give Cathedral a 10-point lead with one minute remaining.
As usual, Hartman looked great handling the ball, using either hand to get by his man. Hartman brought the ball up the court for Cathedral occasionally and looked comfortable against full-court pressure. His collegiate position isn’t at guard, but it’s an added asset to know that Hartman is a more than adequate ball handler. On paper Hartman’s performance wasn’t eye-popping, but he contributed in multiple areas and showed how he is able to make his teammates better. Hartman and Cathedral take their 1-0 record to Broad Ripple tonight for a game against fellow Indiana commitment Ron Patterson.
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and regular contributor to Inside the Hall. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHSHoops and read his blog, IndyHSHoops.com.
In one of the more anticipated Indiana high school basketball debuts in recent memory, Trey Lyles took the floor for Arsenal Technical High School on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The 6-9 freshman forward, who committed to Indiana in September, scored 12 points and pulled down 19 rebounds, helping lead Tech to a 53-45 victory over Manual.
Lyles scored six of his team-high 12 points at the foul line, using his size and ball-handling to create mismatches and draw fouls. He looked extremely comfortable handling the ball, often running the point and setting up the offense for Tech. He was able to beat opponents off the dribble and did a stellar job of getting to the line. Lyles finished 6 of 10 from the charity stripe, 3 of 10 from the field and missed his only 3-point attempt.
For a freshman with the national spotlight on him, Lyles played with poise and didn’t look rattled on the road. He certainly has the shooting touch to be a threat from the perimeter, but forced the jumper at times rather than establishing himself in the post. His footwork in the post is tremendous and his array of post moves allows him easy scoring opportunities in the paint. Lyles has a great spin move that creates separation from the defender and he used it twice to get a great look at the turnaround jumper, but missed both looks. During the third quarter he used that same spin move on the left block and laid in an easy basket off the glass with two hands.
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and regular contributor to Inside the Hall. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHSHoops and read his blog, IndyHSHoops.com.
Indianapolis Cathedral forward Collin Hartman joined classmate Devin Davis Jr. of Warren Central as the first two members of IU’s 2013 recruiting class when he made an oral commitment on November 21. Here’s an in-depth look at the rising sophomore:
Most Impressive: The first two things that jump out about Hartman are his skill level and versatility. Hartman has great ball handling and shooting for a player his size. At 6’7, he poses a matchup problem for most defenders. He’ll blow by slower players off the bounce or bring smaller defenders into the paint and finish down low. He does a great job of drawing fouls near the basket and is a great shooter from the charity stripe. He has good length (6’11 wingspan) which helps him both as a rebounder and a defender. He’s also a gifted passer that possesses the ability to find teammates on the fly and take advantage of opponents trying to double team him. Hartman plays with poise and confidence every time he steps on the court and you probably won’t believe he’s just a sophomore after watching him play.
Needs Improvement: Hartman isn’t the strongest or most explosive player on the court, but he’s also only 16 years old. As he continues to mature physically and grow, adding strength will help him on the defensive end and on the glass. Offensively, there’s not really a glaring hole in his game, but he could work on improving his shooting consistency. He’s got great form on his jump shot, but can be streaky at times. Again, he’s just beginning his sophomore season and most players his age have room to improve.
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and regular contributor to Inside the Hall. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHSHoops and read his blog, IndyHSHoops.com.
The IHSAA Boy’s Basketball begins tonight, but a few schools were still fine tuning their talents on Saturday in scrimmages. Here’s a quick recap of the IU targets involved in two scrimmages I attended – Hamilton Southeastern vs. Perry Meridian and Park Tudor vs. Crispus Attucks.
Hamilton Southeastern vs. Perry Meridian
Gary Harris, Hamilton Southeastern (pictured): The 2012 prospect appeared to be at full strength after dealing with a sprained ankle during the summer. Harris has definitely regained all of his explosiveness and lateral quickness. My unofficial tally had him at 14 points and six rebounds as he played sporadically throughout. Harris shot the ball well, especially from the midrange and created several shots for himself off the dribble. He was also a factor on the glass and was aggressive in his pursuit of loose balls. Overall, Harris, who attended Sunday’s IU-Evansville game, looked great and if he’s able to shoot this well during the season, is poised for a huge year.
Zak Irvin, Hamilton Southeastern: The first thing that stuck out about the rising sophomore was his size. Irvin looks like he has grown an inch or two and it may be safe to call him 6-6. My unofficial count had Irvin with 15 points and five rebounds. Along with Harris, Irvin made an impact on the glass, using his height and length to help his team on the boards. Irvin shot the ball extremely well, knocking down 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers off catch and shoot opportunities. He also looked more comfortable with the ball in his hands, using the pump fake and attacking the basket on several occasions.
