For the first time since the launch of this blog, I made my way to Conseco Fieldhouse for the state finals on Saturday. I did not leave disappointed. My observations from the day begin … now:

+ Faces in the crowd: Tom Crean, accompanied by his son Riley, was in the house for the evening session. Decked out in crimson IU gear, Crean was positioned on the baseline and was easy to spot. Among the other coaches in attendance: Tubby Smith, Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, Roy Williams and Ohio State assistant coach Brandon Miller.

+ Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, Park Tudor (pictured): This was actually my first time watching Ferrell, a sophomore, and I was particularly interested in getting a good read given the recent scholarship offer by Indiana. Ferrell struggled from the field (7 of 21), but was still the most talented player in the 2A game, which Park Tudor lost to Wheeler 41-38. At 5-10, 160 pounds, size must be taken into consideration when evaluating Ferrell’s ceiling, but he did appear capable of playing in the Big Ten. He’s more of a scorer than a pure point guard, is stronger than he looks, makes intelligent decisions and has a really nice handle. In other words, I liked him. I’ll be interested to get another look at Ferrell this spring and summer when he’s not attacked by constant double teams.

+ Cody Zeller, Washington: The 6-9 junior forward continues to improve every time he steps on the court. Gary Wallace had no answer for Zeller on the glass, evidenced by the 26 rebounds he corralled, tying a 3A state finals record. Zeller has excellent hands and if he can continue to get stronger, he’ll be a handful on the boards at the next level. Offensively, he didn’t shoot particularly well, but was able to get to the foul line all evening. I continue to hear Butler, Indiana and North Carolina as three schools in solid standing with Zeller, but nothing to indicate he’s leaning in any particular direction.

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