This weekend’s high school basketball showcase at Anderson University features 16 teams and 166 players.
Standing out won’t be easy.
And yet that will be one of the primary goals of Eric Moenkhaus, a 6-foot-3 senior guard/forward who has started for the Greenwood boys basketball squad the past two seasons.
Franklin sophomore-to-be Drew Byerly, a hard-nosed 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward/center, can relate. He, too, realizes such summertime basketball showcases are a good method of making college coaches notice his talents.
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Overall, four Johnson County players are participating in the eight All-Star games.
Several factors go into selecting players for the event, tournament organizer Steve Stremming said. Examples include a coach nominating a player or an athlete earning postseason recognition such as being named all-conference.
No men’s basketball programs have offered Moenkhaus a scholarship. However, the University of Indianapolis, Indiana Wesleyan University, Anderson University, Trine University and the University of North Florida have shown interest in him.
“I just want to see how I stack up against the better players and get my name out there a little,” said Moenkhaus, who led the Woodmen in scoring (17.5 ppg) and made 3-pointers (48) as a junior last season.
“Do I think it’s going to get me an offer? No. But it might get my name out there. Maybe there will be some coaches there who normally wouldn’t see me play.”
Byerly plays Saturday in the boys Futures game, which features some of the state’s top freshmen and sophomores from last season.
“I’m looking forward to playing with new kids and meeting new kids,” said Byerly, a left-hander who averaged seven points and two rebounds for the Grizzly Cubs this past season.
“I’m trying to make a name for myself and represent my school. Just a little bit of everything.”
Val Clark, the 5-10 former Center Grove guard who leaves July 2 to begin preseason conditioning with her Eastern Kentucky University teammates, is using Saturday’s game to help determine the progress that’s been made during the past 12 months.
“I played last year and had a lot of fun. My shooting has gotten a lot better, I think,” Clark said. “This year I want to measure myself against the competition and see the improvement I’ve made.”
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INDIANA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
When: June 17
Where: Anderson University
Admission: $5 futures games; $10 all other games
Local participants
Girls
Player;School;Team;Game date/time
Cassidy Hardin;Center Grove;Junior Red;June16/12:30 p.m.
Val Clark;Center Grove;Senior Red;June 17/8 p.m.
Boys
Player;School;Team;Game date/time
Drew Byerly;Franklin;Future Red;June 17/4 p.m.
Eric Moenkhaus;Greenwood;Junior Red;June 16/6:30 p.m.
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