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BENNETT’S MINUTES: Whitaker enjoys chance to play with state’s elite
ANDERSON – For some players, the format and structure of all-star basketball games perfectly fits their style.
Lots more fast breaks leading to easy points, not nearly as much defense and much higher scores than normal high school games.
Reggie Bass of Muncie Central, for example, has a game fit for such contests. The sophomore lefty, rated by many as one of the top players nationally in the class of 2022, scored 25 points on Friday in the Class Basketball All-Star Classic at Anderson University for the Future Boys Team Red in its 120-113 loss.
Greencastle’s Brody Whitaker was also a member of the Red Team, and contributed three points, three rebounds and four assists.
Whitaker averaged considerably more points and rebounds last winter in leading the Tiger Cubs to a sectional championship, but mostly deferred to his teammates. When the ball did find its way into his hands, Whitaker was more of a facilitator than someone trying to outgun teammates far more interested in their stat lines.
Whitaker would be labeled by many as a “system player,” one with above average skills in all areas of the game but one who benefits from the familiarity of his teammates and whose school coach (Bryce Rector) has enough confidence in to trust in key situations.
Like Greencastle’s last play of the sectional championship against Crawfordsville, when Whitaker perfectly executed a backdoor cut from the wing and took a pass from teammate Nick Sutherlin for the winning basket.
There was little of such cohesion in Friday’s game, one of eight played over two days featuring some players who have already graduated and a majority who have eligibility left.
Whitaker was not disappointed with his stat line, unlike some of his teammates who were questioning the official scorebook following the contest.
“It was awesome to play with the talent in my class and the class below mine,” he said. “Some of those kids are unreal, and it was an honor to play with them.”
Whitaker’s team was led by Rayshawn Comer of Indianapolis Cathedral, who scored 29 points. Jayden Taylor of Perry Meridian added 26, while Linton-Stockton’s Lincoln Hale (who got an offer from Indiana State last week) and Connor Essegian of Central Noble each had 14 points.
The game’s Most Outstanding Player was 6-9 junior Curt Hopf, who has played the past two seasons at Forest Park but has transferred to Class A state runnerup Barr-Reeve. His eligibility status is unknown for this winter, but Division I programs know who he is.
Hopf had 38 points and six rebounds, controlling the boards and running the court with ease. Brooks Barnhizer of Lafayette Jeff, son of former Cloverdale coach Mark Barnhizer, added 17 points, while Gus Etchison of Hamilton Heights had 16 points, Donovan Barnett of Crispus Attucks had 12 and Owen Valley’s Stephen Atkinson had 11 points.
“Besides scoring, I think I played well,” he said. “It’s hard to score when everyone’s trying to get their shots up. When I did get my shot up, I hit one, so that was good.”
Whitaker and the Tiger Cubs have been playing in various tournaments during the month of June, and while their won-loss record hasn’t been stellar they can take some solace from a year ago. Greencastle went just 3-13 in its summer season last year, but turned that into a 21-win season a few months later.
One of the biggest tasks has been to try to fill the shoes of graduated senior center Gavin Bollman, whose strength and quickness are impossible to replace with any one player in the Greencastle program.
“We are playing really well,” Whitaker said. “We are missing some guys here and there, but we are playing bigger and faster teams and that’s only going to make us better next winter. You could tell last year in the regional against Beech Grove that they were a lot faster than us, and this is preparing us for that.”
Whitaker acknowledges that replacing Bollman is going to be tough, but is confident that classmate Ethan Maier and other supporting members can get the job done.
“We need to see a good rebounding number out of his spot, as well as [6-6 junior] Cade [Plew] and myself. I think Gavin averaged 10 rebounds a game last year, and we’re going to have to make up for that.”
Whitaker will play on Saturday in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association/Indiana High School Athletic Association Underclass Showcase at Ben Davis high school with 120 of the state’s top underclassmen – including many who were also in last weekend’s games at Anderson.
Like most young people, Whitaker is surprised at how fast his high school days are going and that his career is half over.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “It’s been a pretty good year, though. We had a good year in basketball, and we won the county again in baseball. I had a pretty good year all-around.”
Once June ends, Whitaker will return to action for the Grand Park Premier 2021 travel team. The squad has a 25-4 record so far, and has three or four tournaments remaining in July.
“We have a good team with a lot of good shooters,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Whitaker is also glad that he will get to see his Grand Park Premier coach, Vince Brooks, even more next winter. Brooks was hired last month as the North Putnam boys’ varsity coach.
“He’s a great coach, and he’ll do a great job of helping the North Putnam program,” Whitaker said. “He’s awesome, and he knows what he’s talking about.”
Coaching carousel
As usual, several coaching changes have taken place both in Putnam County and at neighboring schools who dot the schedules of our teams.
• One of the biggest jobs still open is the Edgewood boys’ basketball job, as J.B. Neill departed after two years to return to his alma mater of Bloomfield. Neill’s family still resides there, making the move a logical one.
I will catch up with new Greencastle girls’ coach Kellie Kirkhoff this week, and have a story about her and her new position in the near future. It may be easy to look at her age (23) and think she’s possibly not prepared for the job in terms of coaching experience, but it’s refreshing to see new people get the opportunity to coach.
And don’t forget, Greencastle hired a 24-year-old named Bryce Rector three years ago to coach its boys’ team and that seems to have worked out pretty well.
• Best wishes go out at Connersville to former Tiger Cub girls’ coach Tod Windlan. After making the Greencastle-to-Anderson trip during rush hour on Friday to see Whitaker’s game, Windlan’s thinking became clearer.
His new path to work, from Anderson to Connersville, is 15 miles shorter as the crow flies and he doesn’t have to go through such a major metropolitan nightmare.
• Cloverdale’s new football coach, David Zorman, is the only new boss in the now 11-team Western Indiana Conference. We’ll also catch up with him shortly.
• Crawfordsville has turned its struggling program over to former North Montgomery player and McCutcheon assistant Kurt Schlicher. The Athenians are looking for their first winning season since 2007, but patience will likely be needed before that happens.
Crawfordsville hosts Greencastle in its season opener on Aug. 23.
• In other girls’ basketball hirings not previously reported, Edgewood has turned back to former coach Gary Sims after a one-year absence. Ex-assistant Curt Simic coached last season after Sims stepped down, but has given the job back to his former boss.
Scott Jones has taken over at South Vermillion with a lot of talent on hand on a team that should have been better last year.
Southmont grad Tyler Smith is the new girls’ head coach at Crawfordsville. He was an assistant softball coach at the school for the past three years.
Lebanon will have a different girls’ coach for the third straight year after Nic Carothers resigned following alleged incidents involving foul language.
• In boys’ changes, Jake Weber has taken over at North Vermillion from Jacob Cummings – who coached the Falcons for just one season.
Western Boone hired Josh Burkett from Lewis Cass to replace Bronson Lickliter.