- Indiana
STATE CHAMPS! SCOUT TEAM: Indiana Basketball Recruiting Notebook >> Waddell has chance to follow in dad’s footsteps, Roncalli’s Bischoff to Ball St.
Carmel’s Brian Waddell, touted as the best unsigned player in the senior class, not to mention the hardest working, has his first high-major offer.
Purdue entered the picture with a bid last weekend after the 6-foot-7 Waddell led the Greyhounds to a state championship with a 51-46 overtime besting of Lawrence North in the 4A state finals. Waddell’s 20 points and 10 rebounds paced those puppies in their run to a second state crown in the past three years. His defense, efficiency and bloodline make him standout as a value-grab for a Big Ten programs like Purdue’s Boilermaker Nation in West Lafayette.
Purdue’s head coach Matt Painter and Waddell’s dad Matt played together in the backcourt at Purdue in the 1990s under Gene Keady. Miami (Ohio), Indiana State, Wright State and Canisius all offered the younger Waddell in recent weeks. Carmel went 26-2 in 2021 and Waddell averaged 18 points and eight boards per night. Coaches and scouts in the Indy area considered him the most improved player in the Circle City this winter.
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Lone Star State of Mind
Gary West Side junior blue chipper Jalen Washington snagged a Texas offer last weekend from brand new Longhorns head coach Chris Beard. The 6-10 Washington is the No. 1 prospect in the state’s Class of 2022, but has missed most of his high school career so far with a myriad of injuries. When he plays, he’s spectacular though. He showed his range by drilling four triples in a game back in December where he pumped in 23 points. The scouting services tab him a five-star, can’t-miss in the frontcourt. Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Louisville, Stanford, Alabama, Iowa and Maryland all offered last offseason. Illinois offered last week before Beard and Texas came into the picture with his first Big 12 offer.
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Tiger Kings
The LSU Tigers dipped into the Circle City this week and offered scholarships to both Indianapolis Crispus Attucks sophomore forward Jalen Hooks and Indianapolis Cathedral sophomore center Xavier Booker. Hooks (6-6) plays on the wing and has offers from Illinois, Xavier and DePaul. He averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds per game for Crispus Attucks in 2021. Booker (6-10) is a beast-in-the-making on the blocks and out on the perimeter and helped take Cathedral to a city championship back in January.
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Ready To Ball Out
On the girls hardwood recruiting scene back in Indianapolis, Roncalli’s Maddie Bischoff has committed to Ball State, plucking one of the state’s best unsigned seniors off the board. Roncalli went 20-5 in 2021, taking home league and sectional titles while Bischoff scorched the nets for 22 points per game out of the backcourt. If there was any doubt as to Bischoff’s ability to compete at the highest level, she showed why she’s not just an elite shooter, but also an elite scorer, an elite defender and an elite leader during her senior campaign. Morehead State, Radford, Easter Illinois, Charleston Southern and University of Tennessee-Martin all dropped offers since January.
