Two of the top teams in the state met on the outskirts of Noblesville, IN with a live band, a sea of miscellaneous jerseys and a near-capacity gym Guerin Catholic gymnasium bringing the Hoosier hysteria to life in a non-conference match up on Jan. 18. 

From the second the ball tipped, it was clear that the Irish and Golden Eagles were in for a heated game. 

As each team exchanged scoring runs and big momentum shifts, it was Guerin Catholic that escaped with a 70-67 win after holding a double-digit lead for a good portion of the second half. 

Top Guerin Catholic prospects 

While a one-game sample size is never indicative of a team’s full season, against Cathedral it seemed rather apparent who the best five players on the Eagles are. 

Bryson Cardinal ‘25, 6’7” Forward, Uncommitted 

Offers: SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Missouri State

Stats vs. Cathedral: 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists (7-12 FG)

While a lot of signs point towards Cardinal following in his old man’s footsteps and going to Purdue next year — either as a PWO or otherwise — there is still no official word on where the talented big will be taking his talents next year. 

Although the big man did get accredited with five turnovers throughout the game, Cardinal played with an immense feel for the game and in an efficient manner.

Cardinal had several savvy off-ball movements to get himself open under the basket for easy points and made some good mid-air adjustments when contested at the rim. 

Additionally, he has some really solid vision from both the post and top of the key that led to several crucial points and free throws for the Golden Eagles. 

A legit contributor for the Boilermakers may be a bit of a pipedream; however, Cardinal has the tools to be a productive mid-major hooper if he takes one of his offers from that level of the ball instead. 

Ryne Paris  ‘25, 6’2” Guard, Olivet Nazarene University 

Stats vs. Cathedral: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists (5-10 FG)

Although Paris will be going to hoop in the NCCAA next year, the combo guard flashed skills above and beyond that level of play against the Irish.

Playing with a competitive edge all night, Paris knocked down shot after shot to help Guerin upset the Irish. 

Going 2-4 from beyond the arc and 7-9 from the free throw line, Paris was simply getting buckets when it mattered the most — scoring 14 points in the second half. 

Expect Paris to light up the NCCAA with his confident shooting stroke and high-motor play. 

Jake Grissom ‘27, 6’3” Guard, Uncommitted 

Stats vs. Cathedral: 18 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist (6-13 FG)

Only a sophomore, Grissom has a clear role on this team and that is to put the ball in the basket and put in effort on defense. 

A tough 2-way guard, Grissom missed his only three-pointer of the night but was 6-12 from the mid-range and like Paris did the bulk of his scoring in the second half. 

While a three-point threat is necessary to play Division One ball, Grissom showed flashes in every other category that would make one thing a Division One offer will come at some point over the next two seasons. 

Still, a long way to go but Grissom has the size and ability to project into a top player in the state come his senior season. 

Top Cathedral Prospects 

Brady Koehler ‘25, 6’9” Forward, Notre Dame University 

Stats vs. Guerin Catholic: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists (2-9 FG)

It is no secret that Koehler did not have the finest game of his career against Guerin Catholic — which is why a one-game sample size makes it hard to get a recruit’s full profile. 

Nonetheless, Koehler still showed flashes as to why he is a 4-star recruit and a top-100 player in the country. 

Koehler has all the size, length and skill to succeed once he gets to South Bend next year. With all of the defensive focus on him, he had just one turnover and opened up plenty of open looks for his teammates just by his presence on the court. 

Additionally, when he did get his shots up — the athleticism he possesses to create the needed space to get his shot off is all you need to see about his ability. 

Sometimes the shots just are not falling, and that was the case for Koehler against Guerin Catholic. 

Lebron Gough ‘25, 6’0” Guard, Uncommitted 

Stats vs. Guerin Catholic: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals (6-9 FG)

When Cathedral was going through a scoring drought, chances are this guy was the one to right the ship and keep the Irish afloat. 

Gough is a confident score-first guard who was able to get to his spots with ease and continuously put the ball in the bucket. 

Additionally, Gough is a tough defender who led the charge on some crucial full-court presses to create turnovers when Cathedral needed it most. 

Any college program with open 2025 spots should be looking for Gough to fill it — it is hard to teach confidence and that alone will take Gough to the next level. 

Cash Daniels ‘27, 5’10 Guard, Uncommitted 

Stats vs. Guerin Catholic: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals (5-10 FG)

Just a sophomore, Daniels is a bit undersized for today’s collegiate game; however, everything else about the young guard is hard not to love. 

A high-energy press defender, Daniels was able to register 3 steals and continually create havoc in Cathedral’s intense full-court press. 

Outside of his hard-nosed on-ball defense, Daniels was able to get a lot of high-quality looks to try and keep the Irish afloat throughout the game. 

Again, it is still early, but Daniels will be playing at the next level somewhere if he so chooses. His defensive ability is high-caliber, but his offensive skill set is still a bit raw at the time. He has a bright future ahead, regardless.