On Saturday we headed east on I-75 to Indianapolis in order to check at the action at Felix Rogers’ In The Gym Hoops Winter Exposure Camp.  This year, the event was held at Factory D-I, and hosted approximately 214 players. Most of the kids we interviewed hailed from adjoining states such as Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky, although there were several kids from as far as Florida and Louisiana.  The daylong event featured both skill and drills station work as well as 5-on-5 play, and concluded with all-star games in multiple divisions.  Of note was the impressive amount of media present at the event.  We were also really pleased with the amount of talent Rogers was able to assemble.  In fact, by our count, there were at least 9 or 10 nationally ranked players in the gym according to Coast2Coast Preps’ rankings.

Hands down the best player we saw all day was #6th ranked Ben Tshaka (6’8”/C/2025/Louisville, KY), who already has high major college size and athleticism.  Tshaka is an explosive athlete who handles the rock well for his size, protects the rim at a high level and tries to dunk everything!  He had the camp crowd and assembled media in an absolute frenzy with his multiple rim rattling dunks.  College coaches should be on this kid right now! We also liked Tshaka’s teammate, Kanyon Johnson (6’2”/CG/2025. Muhlen, KY), who also hails from the Bluegrass State and is pretty athletic in his own right. Johnson has good size and is already dunking the ball with ease. Moreover, we saw him make several quality moves to the cup and finish. While we’re talking about talented Kentucky kids, we have to mention Caleb Rimmer (6’0”/C/2027/Ashland, KY), who was a beast in the paint and refused to allow his man to get a clean look at the bucket. Also good were Jayden Johnson (6’3”/WF/2026/Louisville, KY); Jayden Logsdon (5’10”/PG/2025/Bowling Green, KY); and Trelin Edmonson (5’3”/PG/2029/Louisville, KY), all of whom traveled north to Indianapolis and proved that Kentucky is still a basketball state.

Number 49th ranked Peyton Kemp (5’7”/PG/2026/Clinton Twp, MI) arrived at the camp with a hefty national reputation and his play over the course of the day more than justified the hype.  Kemp is highly skilled, has a great feel for the game and can go get buckets.  He sees the floor well and is adept at making plays for teammates when he wants to. One of the best guards we saw on Saturday was #4 ranked Devin Colbert (4’10”/PG/2027/Indianapolis, IN), who impressed us with his skill set, aggressiveness and elite feel for the game.  We understand that he has a national reputation and we understand why. Colbert gets to any spot he wants, has an explosive first step, he excels at paint touches, and he can go get a bucket any time he wants it. With his performance, Colbert made a case for the top PG in the building regardless of class!  In terms of upside potential, Tristian Breland (5’2”/PG/2029/Indianapolis, IN) already projects as a D-I guard.  We’ve seen him on multiple occasions and he has balled out each time.  He has good size for his position, he clearly understands the game at a high level, and he should be real good going forward.  We also understand his dad is 6’5″, so there’s a good chance he will continue to grow. Chicago is well know for point guard play, and John Starks (4’10″/PG/2029/Chicago, IL) could be one of the next elite guards to come out of Chi Town.  This kid was very productive offensivley, and was knocking down treys off the bounce and euro-stepping to cup. We liked his ability drive and dish game, and his ability to change speed and direction was advanced. Nino Nesbit (5’10”/PG/2025/Columbus, OH) had a good day in Indy and showed the evaluators that he can really shoot that rock. We’ve seen Nesbit perform on numerous occasions at our Buckeye Prep Elite Showcases, and his play on Saturday confirmed for us that he is still growing and developing.  We look for Nesbit to be an early contributor to a high school program next year, and we expect him to be playing college basketball at some level in a few years.

There were numerous other guards that displayed elite skills such as  Askia Holloway Jr. (4’8”/PG/2030/Dayton, OH), Kark Mullins (4’1”/PG/2027/West Palm Beach, FL), Shane Bacon (4’6”/PG/2029/Chicago, IL), Ian Edmond (4’11”/PG/2027/Baton Rouge, LA), Lucas Holder (4’9”/PG/2029/Greenwood, IN), Anthony Dunson Jr. (4’3”/PG/2030/Dayton, OH), Braylan Davis (4’9”/PG/2029/Detroit, MI), Larry Brown (5’6”/PG/2025/Chicago, IL) and Gavin Allen (5’2”/PG/2029/Indianapolis, IN).  We’ve heard some good things about Jaden Shoults  (5’5″/PG/2026/Columbus, OH) and we’ve watched some video, so we were excited when we found out he was heading to Nap Town for the camp. Based on what we observed of Shoults, we’ve already moved him up in our city and statewide rankings. We liked his length, skill set, athleticism and his ability to get to the cup. To be sure, nothing excites us more than finding and evaluating legitimate college prospects! One of the best prospects in the gym was James Turner Jr. (6’5″C/2026/Cincinnati, OH), who is long, athletic, runs the floor well and can handle the rock in transition. He defends the post and can score close to the basket.  We currently have Turner ranked among the top 7th graders in Ohio, and his play in Indianapolis sealed the deal for us. In fact, in terms of potential D-I college basketball, book it!

Although it was our first time attending an In The Gym Hoops event, it won’t be the last, as we were impressed with the amount talent in the gym and how professional the event was run.  Congratulations to Felix Rogers and his staff for executing on a quality event!  Finally, all of the above players have been formally invited to attend our March 13th Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase.  Let’s run this back!  Also, follow us on IG @robt1.

Player Pictures

Ben Tshaka

Devin Colbert Jr.

Peyton Kemp

John Starks

Tristian Breland

Dakari Nesbit

James Turner Jr.

Calib Rimmer

Kanyon Johnson

Askia Holloway Jr.

Nino Nesbit

Darrius Hawkins

Name Hgt/Pos Class City/State Evaluation Note
Ben Tshaka 6’8″/C 2025 Louisville, KY Huge, strong, athletic, explosive, handles ball well for size, runs the floor well, D-I body already, Super prospect
Devin Colbert 4’10″/PG 2027 Indianapolis, IN Dynamic PG with excellent ball skills, has several combo moves, changes speed & direction well, gets to his spots, explosive first step
Peyton Kemp 5’6″/PG 2026 Clinton Twp, MI Super skilled, high bball IQ, 3-level scorer, changes speed & direction well, good range on jump shot, D-I prospect
John Starks 4’10″/PG 2029 Chicago, IL Productive offensively, hits treys off bounce, changes speed & direction, has drive & dish game, scrappy
Tristian Breland 5’2″/PG 2029 Indianapolis, IN Good size for position, highly skilled, see floors well, scores at 3 levels, strong to cup, impacts game & defends
Dakari Nesbit 5’10″/WF 2029 Chicago, IL Gets buckets! Finishes at high rate, strong, has great nose for the ball, rebounds well, physcal & makes plays
Askia Holloway Jr. 4’5″/PG 2030 Dayton, OH Super skilled, super quick PG who is always in attack mode. Hits catch & shoot treys and gets to basket. Crafty
Calib Rimmer 6’0″/C 2027 Ashland, KY Great size, rebounds @ high rate, elite shot blocker and rim protector, passes well, plays w/ intensity
Dooney Johnson 5’7″/CG 2027 Milwaukee, WI Good size, finds open teammates, scorer & strong to the cup
James Turner Jr. 6’5″/C 2026 Cincinnati, OH Great length, long arms, rim protector, runs the  floor well, handles well for size, smart & Definite D-I prospect
Anthony Dunson Jr. 4’5″/PG 2030 Dayton, OH Solid ball skills, plays hard, can shoot with range, confident, plays with swagger
Darrius Hawkins 5’0″/CG 2028 Chicago, IL Volume shooter, solid ball skills, good court vision, plays w/pace, excels @ drive & dish game & uses body well
Kanyon Johnson 6’2″/CG 2025 Muhlenberk, KY Solid skill set, good size, athletic, dunks & good in transition
Larry Brown III 5’6″/PG 2025 Chicago, IL Solid handle, Wiry, good at drive and dish game, plays w/good Pace and poise, defends 94 feet & has floater
Braylan Davis 4’9″/PG 2029 Detroit, MI Active, scorer, poised, gets open, gritty, rebounds & flashed nice baseline floater
Cody Bush 5’0″/SG 2029 Detroit, MI Good length, gets to cup & finishes @ a high rate, good feel for game, communicates well, physical & confident
Jayden Johnson 6’3″/WF 2026 Louisville, KY Goos size, athletic, gets to rim
DeZhon Hall 6’0″/PG 2025 Indianapolis, IN Athletic, solid frame & willing passer
Kark Mullins 4’1″/PG 2027 W Palm FL Small, scrappy PG.  Finishes in traffic, gets to cup w/ease, aggressive & defends well
Adam Daniels 5’11″/C 2027 Indianapolis, IN Big, strong, physical, athletic, rebonds, outlets ball well & nationally ranked (#34)
Shane Bacon 4’6″/PG 2029 Chicago, IL Highly skilled PG, quick, crafty & fun to watch
Elijah Jenkins 5″10″/SG 2026 Lansing, MI Knocks down catch & shoot treys, athletic, finishes with both left & right hands
Jamar Thomas 5’11″/WF 2026 Indianapolis, IN Long, athletic, strong, and finishes well at the rim
Nino Nesbit 5’9″/PG 2025 Columbus, OH Highly skilled, 3-level scorer, shoots with range, high basketball IQ & good prospect
Jaden Shoults 5’5″/PG 2026 Columbus, OH Good size for position, excellent ball skills, athletic, gets to his spots, nice combo moves & has setback jumper
Justin Curry II 5’9″/WF 2026 Noblesville, IN Skilled, shoots well
Tayden Logsdon 5’10″/PG 2025 Clarkson, KY Has NBA range on jump shot, knows how to use body to draw fouls & gets to the cup well
Brendon Rogers 5’10″/PG 2025 Indianapolis, IN Strong to cup, physical & finishes through contact
Ian Edmond 4’11″/PG 2027 Baton Rouge, LA Caught our eye with his defense, quick & nice mid-range game
Lucas Holder 4’9″/PG 2029 Greenwood, IN Scrappy, tough,  highly skilled, high bball IQ, hits treys off bounce, has nice spin move to cup & good in transition
Trelin Edmondson 5’3″/PG 2029 Louisville, KY Good length, finishes with both left & right hands & solid ball skills
Tyler Harris 4’9″/PG 2029 Chicago, IL Great court vision and drops dimes
Chayse Hunter 5’3″/WF 2028 Indianapolis, IN Big & strong
Jayden Williams 6’0″/PG 2026 Chicago, IL Smooth, athletic, shoots and gets to rack well
Colt Hout 6’1″/WF 2026 Vincennes, IN Showed flashes
Jaquan Stennis 6’4″/WF 2026 Detroit, MI Good length, long arms, solid frame, defends well & nationally ranked (#63)
Ian Parham 6’3″/SG 2025 Orlando, FL Good length, athletic and showed flashes
Randy Livingston 5’11″/PG 2026 W Plam, FL Skilled, smooth, active shoots it off the bounce & nationally ranked (#30)
 Terry Holt III 4’8″/PG 2031 Dayton, OH Played up 2-3 grades and competed.  Had flashes & Nationally ranked
Thomas Clark 5’3″/PG 2026 Indianapolis, IN Dropped 15 points in a game
Cody Rader 4’8″/PG 2029 Chicago, IL Showed flashes & displayed  a nifty spin move and finish
David Perry 4’9″/PG 2032 Trotwood, OH Played up 2-3 grades and competed.  Had flashes
Eron McDuffy 5’2″/PG ? Indianapolis, IN  Had flashes and nationally ranked (#48)
Gaven Allen 5’2″/PG 2029 Indianapolis, IN Excellent ball skills, scrappy, shoots it well, plays w/ poise & pace & aggressive to cup
Tyler Michalak 5’9″/WF 2026 Unknown Productive and solid 3-point shooter
Derrell Jackson 4’10’/PG 2029 Unknown Showed flashes
Ronald Johnson 4’9″/PG 2029 Unknown Showed flashes
Kentrell king II 4’8″/PG 2028 Unknown Got to the cup well
Jaylohn Allen 5’8″/PG 2026 Unknown Solid handle, shoots it well off the bounce & plays with confidence

Anthony Dunson

Randy Livingston

Brendon Rogers

Shane Bacon

Justin Curry

Adam Daniels

Elijah Jenkins

Dooney Johnson

DeZhon Hall

Jamar Thomas

Kark Mullins

Braylan Davis

Lucas Holder

Gaven Allen

Ian Edmond

Trelin Edmondson

Jayden Johnson

Stevie Hall