WESTFIELD — Hello, this will be quick today after a long day of watching basketball and competing in the Grand Park Parking Hunger Games.
Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn helped/led Indy Heat to a pair of wins today. That team was 1-3 in Orlando last weekend, but now 3-0 this weekend after picking up DGL to replace the departed Braelon Green. More has gone into this weekend's success than that, but he has played well.
This morning, he scored 22 on 9-of-16 shooting in a hard-fought win over Meanstreets; in the afternoon, 24 on 8-of-15 shooting in a win over Mac Irvin that was far more one-sided than the final margin. Indy Heat didn't close the game off great after getting up big, and it didn't help that both Jeremy Fears and Gibbs-Lawhorn both rolled their ankles down the stretch. (Gibbs-Lawhorn was sidelined for the last minute or so, but should be OK.)
Those are some pretty good efficiency numbers for a scoring-minded guard who shot a lot of threes today — 16 of them. When he attacked the basket, people couldn't handle him one-and-one, and though DGL isn't nearly the same physical force Jaden Ivey was at this stage, he does also have a bit of a sixth sense for finishing at the rim I think. He seems to just really know how to score, and for a slightly-built dude, he can finish through contact when he can't figure out a way around it.
One thing that stands out a bit about Gibbs-Lawhorn is he does share the ball and doesn't do a whole lot of silly stuff. Sometimes with scoring guards you have to have to eat some terrible decision-making and general chuckery, but in the games I've seen this weekend, that's been fairly minimal.
I'm not going back for his last game tomorrow. The Rivals football camp has too many important Purdue targets coming and the two events overlap.
But I will have video from the EYBL session as early as tomorrow night and I will see Gibbs-Lawhorn a bunch more times next weekend in Fort Wayne.
More from today ...
PURDUE'S WHEREABOUTS
There were no Purdue coaches at EYBL today or anywhere for that matter, as the whole staff — I'm pretty sure the whole staff — returned to campus to host coveted Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter on a visit, following this weekend's Nijel Pack news. In case you live at the bottom of the ocean, Pack got a two-year NIL pact with some company at Miami for a stated $800,000 ("and a car" haha).
Can Purdue get Hunter? Don't know. Kansas and Gonzaga are some of the others involved, and if Pack got $800K, Hunter's not going to walk away from this empty-handed unless he's willing to. Purdue's not going to be matching these numbers being thrown around, not now and maybe not ever.
I do think Purdue's very involved too with Jahmir Young from Charlotte and has him lined up to visit too. Again, though, if he'd have NIL opportunities as well that Purdue may not be able to offset. This is the landscape right now, and it's tough sledding out there for people who weren't hitting the ground in full sprint with this (i.e. didn't already have a mobilized donor base funneling money around for recruiting.)
Fun times.
But anyway, Purdue wasn't out recruiting today, just like many coaches missed the first April evaluation period while hosting transfers on visits.
UNDERCLASSMEN
Fishers' Jalen Haralson is a grown man, yet he hasn't even turned 15 yet. That's an elite player in the making if you ask me. Judging by Michigan State being full staff for his game tonight, I'd expect a Spartan offer momentarily to go along with Purdue, Maryland and the others.
Trent Sisley was quiet in Indy Heat's 16-and-under team's loss to All-Ohio tonight, but Kanon Catchings was terrific. Kid is 6-7 and long and tall and coordinated and can really, really shoot.
This morning, Catchings was 5-7 from the floor and 3-4 from three and scored 14 points in a win over CIA Bounce; in the loss to All-Ohio Red, he was 3-of-6 from three and scored 13.
This is going to be a prime offer candidate for 2024 for Purdue and others in the Big Ten, I think. I do know Painter went and watched him at Brownsburg during the week.
Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn helped/led Indy Heat to a pair of wins today. That team was 1-3 in Orlando last weekend, but now 3-0 this weekend after picking up DGL to replace the departed Braelon Green. More has gone into this weekend's success than that, but he has played well.
This morning, he scored 22 on 9-of-16 shooting in a hard-fought win over Meanstreets; in the afternoon, 24 on 8-of-15 shooting in a win over Mac Irvin that was far more one-sided than the final margin. Indy Heat didn't close the game off great after getting up big, and it didn't help that both Jeremy Fears and Gibbs-Lawhorn both rolled their ankles down the stretch. (Gibbs-Lawhorn was sidelined for the last minute or so, but should be OK.)
Those are some pretty good efficiency numbers for a scoring-minded guard who shot a lot of threes today — 16 of them. When he attacked the basket, people couldn't handle him one-and-one, and though DGL isn't nearly the same physical force Jaden Ivey was at this stage, he does also have a bit of a sixth sense for finishing at the rim I think. He seems to just really know how to score, and for a slightly-built dude, he can finish through contact when he can't figure out a way around it.
One thing that stands out a bit about Gibbs-Lawhorn is he does share the ball and doesn't do a whole lot of silly stuff. Sometimes with scoring guards you have to have to eat some terrible decision-making and general chuckery, but in the games I've seen this weekend, that's been fairly minimal.
I'm not going back for his last game tomorrow. The Rivals football camp has too many important Purdue targets coming and the two events overlap.
But I will have video from the EYBL session as early as tomorrow night and I will see Gibbs-Lawhorn a bunch more times next weekend in Fort Wayne.
More from today ...
PURDUE'S WHEREABOUTS
There were no Purdue coaches at EYBL today or anywhere for that matter, as the whole staff — I'm pretty sure the whole staff — returned to campus to host coveted Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter on a visit, following this weekend's Nijel Pack news. In case you live at the bottom of the ocean, Pack got a two-year NIL pact with some company at Miami for a stated $800,000 ("and a car" haha).
Can Purdue get Hunter? Don't know. Kansas and Gonzaga are some of the others involved, and if Pack got $800K, Hunter's not going to walk away from this empty-handed unless he's willing to. Purdue's not going to be matching these numbers being thrown around, not now and maybe not ever.
I do think Purdue's very involved too with Jahmir Young from Charlotte and has him lined up to visit too. Again, though, if he'd have NIL opportunities as well that Purdue may not be able to offset. This is the landscape right now, and it's tough sledding out there for people who weren't hitting the ground in full sprint with this (i.e. didn't already have a mobilized donor base funneling money around for recruiting.)
Fun times.
But anyway, Purdue wasn't out recruiting today, just like many coaches missed the first April evaluation period while hosting transfers on visits.
UNDERCLASSMEN
Fishers' Jalen Haralson is a grown man, yet he hasn't even turned 15 yet. That's an elite player in the making if you ask me. Judging by Michigan State being full staff for his game tonight, I'd expect a Spartan offer momentarily to go along with Purdue, Maryland and the others.
Trent Sisley was quiet in Indy Heat's 16-and-under team's loss to All-Ohio tonight, but Kanon Catchings was terrific. Kid is 6-7 and long and tall and coordinated and can really, really shoot.
This morning, Catchings was 5-7 from the floor and 3-4 from three and scored 14 points in a win over CIA Bounce; in the loss to All-Ohio Red, he was 3-of-6 from three and scored 13.
This is going to be a prime offer candidate for 2024 for Purdue and others in the Big Ten, I think. I do know Painter went and watched him at Brownsburg during the week.
