Indiana Freshman Showcase: Top Forwards/Centers
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On Sunday, the state of Indiana held their PGH Freshman Showcase at Fischer’s high school. This event was filled with talent of all shapes and sizes, from all across the state. There were Point Guards with talented handles, Shooting Guards…
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Continue ReadingOn Sunday, the state of Indiana held their PGH Freshman Showcase at Fischer’s high school. This event was filled with talent of all shapes and sizes, from all across the state. There were Point Guards with talented handles, Shooting Guards who looked like they have been playin varsity for years now, Forwards that were flying down the floor with elite pace, and Centers that were dominating the paint with their mixture of coordination + footwork.
Below I am going to highlight five Forwards/Centers, in no particular order, that displayed their skill to the best of their ability on Sunday.
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#635 – Isabelle Eke Isabelle Eke 6'0" | SF Bishop Dwenger | 2027 State IN – 5’10 – Forward – Bishop Dwenger H.S. – Always 100 Elite 2027 AAU
Isabelle Eke Isabelle Eke 6'0" | SF Bishop Dwenger | 2027 State IN displayed on Sunday that she has a lot of potential on the court. A player that stands at a good height at around 5’10, is a versatile player in more definition than one. Eke is a competitor who can play the 3 and 4 spot at the moment, for whatever team she is lacing up with. As time passes on and she grows up, I think that at the college level this would be her same position. Assuming she can grow a few inches over the next few seasons, we are talking about a player with a guard-like skill-set and some size moving forward. Eke displayed glimpses on Sunday of being able to play the game from every level on the court. If she works on the correct things and stays dedicated, she will definitely have success when it’s all said and done.
#644 – Lillie Graves Lillie Graves 6'0" | SF McCutcheon | 2027 State IN – 6’0 – Forward – McCutcheon H.S. – WV Thunder AAU
Lillie Graves Lillie Graves 6'0" | SF McCutcheon | 2027 State IN was the best overall player that I saw compete in this Freshman Showcase. It takes about 5 minutes of game play for anyone to realize how good Graves is and how good she could become in the future. A player that received her first Division-1 offer in 7th grade, has shown steady growth and improvement since. She is a 6’0 forward that has every ability a guard has on the court, while being able to use her size and athleticism to her advantage in almost every situation. She possesses an extensive offensive “bag” already with the ability to score on any type of defender that steps in her way. Defensively she is just as good. An individual who is quick enough to stop a guard and big enough to guard the post currently. The future is bright for Graves. Her best scholarship offer currently going into freshman year is Purdue but that won’t satisfy her. This is a player that is no doubt a high D1 talent with the possibilities to play beyond that, if she keeps grinding and certain things fall into place for her. It’s as simple as that.
#645 – Alaina Diamond Alaina Diamond 6'2" | PF Loogootee | 2027 State IN – 6’2 – Forward- Loogootee H.S. – Southern Indiana Gold 2026 AAU
Looking for a post player with true size and skill? Look no further than Alaina Diamond Alaina Diamond 6'2" | PF Loogootee | 2027 State IN . Diamond is a 6’2 center with an impressive mixture of skill and size. She is the type of player that understands the game really well. She knows when she should go to post up a smaller/weaker defender, while being a knock down shooter from 15FT and in. Other than Diamond’s natural combination of size and skill, her best “trait” is the touch she puts on the ball. Sometimes it’s difficult for bigger players to have a real “feel” for the actual basketball but in this situation, it’s the complete opposite. Diamond displays a soft touch and the knowledge of when she should shoot it compared to when she should pass it back and post up to get a better look near the hoop. This is a player to know going into the high school season this winter in Indiana.
#659 – Payton DuVall Payton DuVall 6'2" | C Franklin Central | 2027 State IN – 6’2 – Forward/Center – Franklin Central H.S. – IGB AAU
When it comes to the most interesting Forward/Center prospect at this Freshman Showcase we have someone that most from the area already know and that is Payton DuVall Payton DuVall 6'2" | C Franklin Central | 2027 State IN . Duvall stands at a true 6’2 height with coordination, balance, exquisite footwork, and good touch for the basketball. When you account for all of these things, you can only imagine what a player like Duvall could become over the next few seasons. On Sunday, Duvall was showing everyone around that she is un-guardable on the offensive side of the floor, while being a rim protector on the defensive side of things. On a number of occasions Duvall used her physicality and height difference to her advantage, getting to the free throw line and displaying fundamental shot form each-and-every time. If she wasn’t doing that, she was stepping out past the three point line and screening for her guards, playing the pick-and-roll game. Duvall has every ability to become a good, high end Division-1 talent. She just needs to work on finishing higher off the glass and staying down on jump shots as she gets older.
#662 – Adah Hupfer Adah Hupfer 6'3" | C Pendleton Heights | 2027 State IN – 6’2 – Center – Pendleton Heights H.S. – Indiana Elite AAU
A player with maybe the highest ceiling and potential out of all Centers competing was Adah Hupfer Adah Hupfer 6'3" | C Pendleton Heights | 2027 State IN . Hupfer is a true center in my opinion. A player that domiantes the paint on both sides of the floor, while being a constant producer on both sides of the floor as well. Offensively, she is already a handful near the basket. A player that can go over either shoulder and turn either way in the paint, is a tough matchup for the smaller players she faces on a regular basis. Defensively, she is someone that opponents need to worry about once they beat their initial defender because if not, it’s going to be a block party for Hupfer. The future is bright here. When you account for all the size and skill that Hupfer already possesses and you add in factors like some of the height of her family members, 6’6 and 6’9, you see a post player that will most likely get to around 6’4-6’5 before she stops growing. If that’s the case and she expands her game at the same rate, watch out everyone else.