Indiana All-Stars: Northridge's Brady Scholl plays like he has something to prove
· Yahoo Sports
Brady Scholl had to sweat out the Indiana All-Star selection process a little more than some others on the team.
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The Northridge star did not make the 18-player Junior All-Star team last year. And while that is a different selection process and not necessarily a prerequisite to make the team as a senior, it figured to at least be a bit of an uphill climb for Scholl.
The 6-foot-7 Scholl did make the team (editorial opinion: the correct decision in a season that saw him average 24.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots for a 26-2 team that played in the Class 4A semistate championship). But there was still part of Scholl that felt like he needed to prove himself going into Wednesday’s game at Mt. Vernon against the Junior All-Stars.
Consider it done.
Scholl finished with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting (hitting his only 3-pointer), pulling down nine rebounds and blocking three shots in the All-Stars 105-100 win over the Junior All-Stars.
“I wanted to prove that I was good enough to be there,” Scholl said. “But in my head, I already thought I was good enough to be here. So, I just wanted to go out and do what I do. I was nervous before the game, but I didn’t put a whole lot of pressure on myself. I got into a groove and it was fun.”
Scholl did start but played starter minutes on a night when the Indiana All-Stars were missing Fishers’ 6-9 Kai McGrew, who injured his foot at practice on Tuesday and Lawrence North’s Brennan Miller and Cam Webster due to school graduation.
Fair to say Scholl took advantage of his opportunity.
“His motor has been super impressive,” Indiana All-Star coach Todd Woelfle said. “Not only on the game tonight, but in practice. He has a nose for the basketball and he just finds it. He really pursues the ball. Strong kid, pretty athletic. Indiana Wesleyan is really going to enjoy him.”
Scholl had plenty of Northridge family and friends in attendance to watch him on Wednesday, along with several future Indiana Wesleyan teammates.
“It’s been fun to get to know everybody,” he said. “We have a good bond, it feels like, and practices have been fun.”
Notables
>>>Jason Gardner Jr. certainly made a statement in the two games with the Junior All-Stars this week, going for 30 points and six assists in a 109-99 win over the Kentucky All-Stars on Sunday in Charlestown and 21 points, eight assists and four rebounds in a 105-100 loss to the Indiana All-Stars. An early look at next year’s IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball? That’s how Gardner Jr. approached it.
“We genuinely came into (the game against the Indiana All-Stars) thinking we were going to win,” he said. “We had people at school workouts asking if we were going to win and we thought we were. We weren’t coming in here scared. They got the best of it, but it’s all good.”
>>>I’m so curious where Cooper Zachary will end up in college. I get the height thing (he’s 5-10) but there are very few players I have covered who know how to play like he does. The Fishers guard had 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the 3-point line in Wednesday’s game for the Junior All-Stars.
>>>Blackford’s Mari Leggett is already over 1,000 career points going into his junior season. The 6-5 Leggett averaged 26.3 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds last season, leading Blackford to a 20-7 season and a Class 2A sectional title. He has shot up to a No. 26 ranking in the country in the 2028 class by ESPN.
“For my junior season, I want to go all the way and win a state title,” he said. “We have the players to do it. For my sophomore year, I think it was a success. I think I’m getting more confident and getting to the rim easier. My shot consistency has improved and I’m just playing harder and being a leader.”
Blackford graduates a lot of talent around Leggett but will get a lift with incoming junior Rayveon Fetz (15.3 ppg, 3.7 assists) transferring in from Mississinewa.
“I’m looking forward to that because he’s going to take a lot of pressure off me,” said Leggett, who had 13 points in the Futures Game on Monday.
>>>The Indiana All-Stars will play the Kentucky All-Stars in the girls’ game at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and boys game to follow at Lexington Catholic High School. Tickets are $15 and available at KentuckyBasketballCoaches.org. Tickets for the return games on Saturday (girls’ game at 5 p.m. and boys to follow) are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana All-Stars: Northridge's Brady Scholl stands out vs. Juniors