INDIANAPOLIS — The first April evaluation weekend is over and college coaches far and wide will have to wait a few weeks for their next chance to observe summer-ball zone offense up close again, much to their chagrin.
Anyway, I spent the day in Indy for the last set of relevant games at the RecruitLook Summer Showcase at L.C.
XAVIER BOOKER
After finishing up at an event over at Ben Davis, Xavier Booker and his team came over to L.C. for a one-off showcase game against Howard Pulley from Minnesota.
I'm not sure a lot of coaches knew this game was happening, because the only ones there relevant to Booker were Matt Painter and assistant coach Paul Lusk and an assistant coach from Notre Dame. Michigan State had been swarming Booker all weekend but missed this one.
(Thad Matta and a Butler assistant showed up, too, but not sure if that was for Booker or not.)
There were lots of coaches there to see Pulley's Nolan Winter, though.
This was a high-end matchup for Booker with Winter, who might as well have "Wisconsin" stamped on his forehead.
Winter gave Booker the business some off the dribble on offense, but Booker generally played well, making a couple threes and scoring a bunch at the rim late in the game before missing a would-be game-winner on a runner in the final seconds.
I didn't check the stat book after the game for official numbers because I'm fairly certain I'd pissed the statkeeper off earlier and I didn't want any trouble, but I'm guessing Booker probably had 20ish, and Winter probably around the same.
Booker is playing well, and I think if you look at him more as a piece at the next level than a centerpiece, that context is important. Think more Matt Haarms-type usage as opposed to an Isaac Haas or Zach Edey. In a Purdue context, I mean. Booker is never going to be a guy you just hammer the ball inside to 15 times a game. He's a rim-runner, face-up and pick-and-pop shooter.
He is really rebounding, which is a really positive thing, because that's something that was deficient a few times when I've seen him before his upswing late in his junior season.
JT ROCK
Matt Painter was back in Indy this morning for Rock's final game in Indy.
Rock scored 28 in a one-sided win.
A thing I've liked about Rock the past two days, is that for a 7-footer who's not the most fluid athlete right now/yet, he is effective in pick-and-roll, both in catching and finishing and using the action to roll into post-ups.
Rock left some opportunities at the rim the past two days and you'd like to see guys that big in games like these make 75 percent or whatever at the basket, but I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with him in that regard.
I'd anticipate this guy being an enduring Purdue target for the 2024 class, but there's a bunch of people from his portion of the country who obviously want him very much. Iowa State, Wisconsin and Creighton seem to be going to great lengths to get him, and I'd think Iowa would be in that fray, too.
MYLES COLVIN
Colvin didn't play much in his team's loss to close this event out, as his wrist was wrapped and clearly bothering him. He did play, but did so appearing to be one-handed.
I don't think it's anything serious, but he just hurt it last night.
MISC
• Word to the wise: AAU tournaments are the cheat code to getting Chick-Fil-A sandwiches on Sunday.
• I think Painter went over to adidas to watch Cooper Koch and Flory Bidunga after Rock's first game at LC.
That is all for now. I'll have stories on Booker and Rock to come, and video of both also.
Anyway, I spent the day in Indy for the last set of relevant games at the RecruitLook Summer Showcase at L.C.
XAVIER BOOKER
After finishing up at an event over at Ben Davis, Xavier Booker and his team came over to L.C. for a one-off showcase game against Howard Pulley from Minnesota.
I'm not sure a lot of coaches knew this game was happening, because the only ones there relevant to Booker were Matt Painter and assistant coach Paul Lusk and an assistant coach from Notre Dame. Michigan State had been swarming Booker all weekend but missed this one.
(Thad Matta and a Butler assistant showed up, too, but not sure if that was for Booker or not.)
There were lots of coaches there to see Pulley's Nolan Winter, though.
This was a high-end matchup for Booker with Winter, who might as well have "Wisconsin" stamped on his forehead.
Winter gave Booker the business some off the dribble on offense, but Booker generally played well, making a couple threes and scoring a bunch at the rim late in the game before missing a would-be game-winner on a runner in the final seconds.
I didn't check the stat book after the game for official numbers because I'm fairly certain I'd pissed the statkeeper off earlier and I didn't want any trouble, but I'm guessing Booker probably had 20ish, and Winter probably around the same.
Booker is playing well, and I think if you look at him more as a piece at the next level than a centerpiece, that context is important. Think more Matt Haarms-type usage as opposed to an Isaac Haas or Zach Edey. In a Purdue context, I mean. Booker is never going to be a guy you just hammer the ball inside to 15 times a game. He's a rim-runner, face-up and pick-and-pop shooter.
He is really rebounding, which is a really positive thing, because that's something that was deficient a few times when I've seen him before his upswing late in his junior season.
JT ROCK
Matt Painter was back in Indy this morning for Rock's final game in Indy.
Rock scored 28 in a one-sided win.
A thing I've liked about Rock the past two days, is that for a 7-footer who's not the most fluid athlete right now/yet, he is effective in pick-and-roll, both in catching and finishing and using the action to roll into post-ups.
Rock left some opportunities at the rim the past two days and you'd like to see guys that big in games like these make 75 percent or whatever at the basket, but I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with him in that regard.
I'd anticipate this guy being an enduring Purdue target for the 2024 class, but there's a bunch of people from his portion of the country who obviously want him very much. Iowa State, Wisconsin and Creighton seem to be going to great lengths to get him, and I'd think Iowa would be in that fray, too.
MYLES COLVIN
Colvin didn't play much in his team's loss to close this event out, as his wrist was wrapped and clearly bothering him. He did play, but did so appearing to be one-handed.
I don't think it's anything serious, but he just hurt it last night.
MISC
• Word to the wise: AAU tournaments are the cheat code to getting Chick-Fil-A sandwiches on Sunday.
• I think Painter went over to adidas to watch Cooper Koch and Flory Bidunga after Rock's first game at LC.
That is all for now. I'll have stories on Booker and Rock to come, and video of both also.
