This week gave us a much better assessment of where teams lie at this point. South was able to bounce back from a rough first week and turn in an excellent shooting effort, defeating rival Bedford North-Lawrence 75-66. Junior guard Anthony Leal paced the Panthers with 25 points, senior guard Grayson Rolen dropped 17 and the team shot over 60 percent from the field. The Stars battled hard, making 6-of-11 three pointers and 24-of-30 free throws, but South played well down the stretch to close out the game. Across the state, teams faced off in intriguing matchups that showed where they stand.

4A

Notable Results

No. 2 Center Grove defeats No. 5 Cathedral, 63-60.

• Cathedral got ahead early and entered the fourth quarter leading by ten. But on the road, in front of 5,000 energized Trojan fans, it wasn’t enough. Guard Armaan Franklin (an IU commit) finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds, but the spotlight was on freshman Tayshawn Comer. Comer, ranked 5th in the state for the class of 2022, scored an impressive 17 points and dished out 6 assists. They bounced back well and defeated Brebeuf 54-46 on Saturday. The Irish can’t dwell on the loss long, however, as they’ll face tough teams (Warren Central and Zionsville) next weekend.

• Center Grove’s center Trayce Jackson-Davis earned Bloomington’s love after committing to IU on Friday, and followed that up by appeasing his fans with a home victory over one of the top teams in the state. Jackson-Davis scored 21 points and added 12 rebounds, but it was his younger brother, freshman guard Tayven Jackson, who sealed the victory. Jackson dropped 7, swishing a three pointer with just 22 seconds to go that sent the Irish packing. The Trojans saw a caravan of IU fans attend their 7 point victory at Bloomington North Saturday. Now 4-0, they’ll visit Pike Friday and face off with nationally ranked La Lumiere Saturday.

*To note: the game has been marred in controversy following a member of Center Grove’s student section apparently mocking one of Cathedral’s players, who has had several seizures in the past.

No. 3 Carmel bests No. 8 Lawrence Central, 61-55.

• Lawrence Central jumped in many people’s rankings (not OSports, however) following a 73-58 win over Fishers. The team played okay against Carmel, but they failed to ever close the gap and didn’t have many contributors aside from their stars. Senior guard (Nebraska commit) D’Andre Davis paced the Bears with 15 points. Notably for Lawrence Central, they had just 6 free throw attempts to 28 for Carmel. Up next is a road date with Lawrence North Wednesday and a home game versus Indianapolis Howe Friday.

• Carmel’s senior center John-Michael Mulloy struggled, but the Greyhounds proved their balanced attack in a victory over a tough Lawrence Central team. Leading the way was senior forward Andrew Owens with 20 points, converting 6-of-8 three pointers. Owens hit 50 percent of his three pointers as a junior, and figures to be a consistent perimeter threat. Senior guard Karsten Windlan added 13 points, but was even more impressive defensively. For Carmel, it’s a good sign that the team is more than just a one-man show. They’ll battle Jeffersonville on Saturday afternoon in the Tip-Off Classic.

No. 10 Jeffersonville soundly defeats 3A No. 5 Evansville Bosse, 64-46.

• Juniors Jacob Jones and Tre Coleman dropped 13 and 11, respectively. While Bosse hung around for awhile, the Red Devils proved too talented and pulled away in the second half. Up next for Jeffersonville is Seymour on Friday, and a tough matchup versus Carmel in the Tip-Off Classic.

Players of the Week

Guard:

Cameron Alford (Brownsburg)

• Alford scored 30 points in a close loss to La Lumiere.

Lucas Kroft (Richmond)

• Richmond (1-2) is struggling early, but Kroft sure isn’t. He averaged 30 points per game this past week.

Forward:

Trayce Jackson-Davis (Center Grove)

• Jackson-Davis is our new favorite non-South player, thank you for choosing Indiana University. He averaged 27 points and 12 rebounds in wins over Cathedral and Bloomington North.

Andrew Owens (Carmel)

• Owens led the Greyhounds in scoring with 20 versus Lawrence Central. He struggled with a foot injury early but figures to be one of Carmel’s top scorers this season, especially at the three point line.

OSports Week 2 Top Ten

1. Warren Central (2-0) (-)
2. Center Grove (4-0) (-)
3. Carmel (3-0) (-)
4. Floyd Central (4-0) (-)
5. Ben Davis (4-0) (-)
6. Cathedral (2-1) (-)
7. New Albany (2-0) (+1)
8. Jeffersonville (2-0) (+2)
9. Zionsville (1-1) (-)
10. HSE (4-0) (NEW)

Honorable Mentions: Valparaiso, Lawrence Central, Penn

Matchups to Watch For

No. 1 Warren Central hosts No. 6 Cathedral, Friday, Dec. 7.

No. 4 Floyd Central at No. 7 New Albany, Friday, Dec. 7.

No. 2 Center Grove versus La Lumiere, Saturday, Dec. 8.

No. 3 Carmel versus No. 8 Jeffersonville, Saturday, Dec. 8.

No. 6 Cathedral versus No. 9 Zionsville, Saturday, Dec. 8.

3A

No. 3 Marion drops both games, falling to 4A Lawrence North (67-59) and Homestead (57-41)

• Marion jumped high in our rankings following a blowout week one win over Fort Wayne North, but they disappointed in week two. Yes, they lost to two 4A schools, but I expected more from the Giants. Obviously sophomore guard Jalen Blackmon is an incredible talent, scoring 34 against Lawrence North, but it’s clear Marion doesn’t have much outside of him. Blackmon and high scoring senior guard Lucas Kroft (a Ball State commit) will meet in an intriguing matchup as Marion visits Richmond Friday.

No. 2 New Castle loses two, versus 3A Hamilton Heights (76-65) and 4A Anderson (66-57)

Rough week for the Trojans, who struggled immensely without senior forward Mason Gillis (a Purdue commit). They’ll take on a tough Brownsburg squad Saturday in the Tip-Off Classic.

• In the loss against Hamilton Heights, the Trojans had a whopping five players with 4+ fouls. Additionally, it appears that the team is leaning heavily on Ball State bound senior guard Luke Bumbalough, who shot just 9-of-29. Not a winning formula. Props to Gus Etchison, a sophomore guard who scored 26, as well as the rest of the Huskies on the win.
• Against Anderson, New Castle shot a troubling 35 percent from the field. They also found trouble to extend possessions, snatching just 24 rebounds to Anderson’s 34. The Trojans actually led by a point entering the 3rd quarter, but they were outscored 21-11 in the final quarter.

No. 8 Edgewood stays hot, trouncing Cloverdale 88-47.

• Edgewood’s win over Bloomington South (& Martinsville) was no fluke. This team can flat out play. Sophomore forward Coleman Sater was the latest surprise contributor for the Mustangs, finishing with 19 points (all two pointers) and 11 rebounds. On the outside, guards Kyle Rogers, Trevor Taylor, Joe Kido and Derek Farkas have continued to rain it in from three, each reaching double figures against the Clovers. Should be an easy weekend for the Mustangs, who face 2A Cascade and 1A Bloomfield, although the mighty Cardinals can be tricky.

OSports Week 2 Rankings

1. Culver Academy (2-0) (-)
2. Indianapolis Attucks (2-1) (+2)
3. Edgewood (3-0) (+5)
4. Mishawaka Marian (1-0) (+2)
5. Silver Creek (4-0) (NEW)
6. Evansville Bosse (1-1) (-2)
7. Heritage Hills (NEW)
8. Princeton (3-0) (NEW)
9. Evansville Memorial (0-0) (-)
10. Brebeuf (2-1) (-)

Honorable Mentions: Greensburg, Hamilton Heights, Gary West Side

Matchups to Watch For

No. 1 Culver Academy hosts No. 10 Brebeuf, Friday, Dec. 7.

No. 6 Evansville Bosse hosts No. 8 Princeton, Friday, Dec. 7.

No. 1 Culver Academy versus 4A No. 10 HSE, Saturday, Dec. 8.

Looking forward to a great week of basketball! Optimist Sports will have several reporters attending the Tip-Off Classic at Southport on Saturday.