FISHERS, IN– One day down, another day to go as the Prep Hoops Next Circuit took full force today at Fishers High School for our Prep Hoops Next Heartland Kickoff. We saw a lot of talent across the board, from the…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inFISHERS, IN– One day down, another day to go as the Prep Hoops Next Circuit took full force today at Fishers High School for our Prep Hoops Next Heartland Kickoff. We saw a lot of talent across the board, from the Class of 2025 all the way down to the Class of 2028. These are my six takeaways from day one of our Heartland Kickoff.
1) Pace Wins Games
In the first game I witnessed today, I watched Team Teague 2028 Boyd (1-1) move the basketball quickly and aggressively up the court every time against Chicago Demons EYG (2027) in a 55-9 domination in the first Noon game of the day. Every time they got a rebound, this team would push and push crisp passes up the court leading to plenty of scores in their first game of the day. The leader of the passing game goes by the name of Marcus Britt (2028) of Speedway (IN). He was the enforcer in my eyes of making sure the basketball was progressing quickly up the court for a quick score after quick score leading this 2028 team over the Demons.
2) A Day of Guard Play
Although I saw some great action in the post on day one, I thought across the board in the games I watched; the guards took over. I’ll get more into the standouts in the coming days, but watching these guards show their craft today from shooting the rock, driving to the bucket, and showing off some nice handles makes me excited for day two and the upcoming tournaments I will see live on the Prep Hoops Next Circuit.
3) The Play of the Day
Defense wins championships, as they always say, and that was key in my “Play of the Day” for day one of the Heartland Kickoff. I got the chance to watch 6’8 center
Trevor Smith
Trevor
Smith
6'8" | C
MI
of Okemos (MI) and The Family 2026 put up a massive block against Team Teague 2026 Jordan, who had my jaw hitting the floor. It’s straightforward to see why Smith has a home on our Class of 2026 watch list for sure!
4) The Best Battle of the Day
Circling back to my last takeaway, the battle between The Family 2026 (Detroit, MI) (3-0) vs. Team Teague 2026 Jordan (Indianapolis, IN) (2-1) was a grinder for most of the game. The Family 2026 was strong with their length, having a 6’8 and 6’4 body Michigan made body on the floor at the same time, and for Team Teague 2026 Jordan, the speed and handles they had made this one a nailbiter. In the end, The Family 2026, but I will look forward to these two teams’ battle again soon on the Prep Hoops Next Circuit.
5) The Deepest Roster Thus Far
Per our observations from day one, there was no deeper 1 thru 8 than D Rice Elite 2025 (MI). From the guard play to the bigs, this roster can “get whatever they want,” said our staff that was at Fishers High School today. The guard play of Jason Harris (Southfield, MI) and Lance Stone (Canton, MI) was phenomenal today, as well as the bigs in 6’6 Parker Lepla (Bay Harbor, MI) and 6’3 Quincy Twymon (Royal Oak, MI).
6) Who are looking like the favorites in Day Two?
Let’s take a look at who could take home the trophy in 12U, 13U, and 14U based on the day one numbers and performances we witnessed.
It looks like in 12U; there is a good chance Team Teague could keep the trophy in Indianapolis with one each holding the lead in the A division: Team Teague 2027 Johnson, a team I hope to get my first look on tomorrow. As for the B Divison, Team Teague 2027 Evans also is undefeated. Both teams play a pretty favorable schedule on Sunday, so don’t be surprised if you see a battle of Team Teague in the final. My sleeper? Team Manimal (Louisville, KY) (2-1) as they showed me today that if they can get hot from deep, they could put up a challenge.
As for 13U, it’s anyone’s game as four teams remain undefeated in their division which includes, North Coast Blue Chips 2026 (Indianapolis), The Family 2026 (Detroit), Team Manimal 2026 (Louisville), and Indy Premiere 319 2026 (Indianapolis).
In 14U, it also comes down to four teams: D Rice Elite 2025) (Detroit Area), D1 Indiana 2025, C.M.B. Runnin’ Rebels 2025 (Flint, MI), and Team Teague 2025 Kim (Indianapolis, IN), who are all undefeated.
