Indiana

Kendall Brown leaves questions to be answered about Indiana Pacers roster after summer league

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2024

Kendall Brown leaves questions to be answered about Indiana Pacers roster after summer league

LAS VEGAS — Kendall Brown was one of the more important players for the Indiana Pacers to monitor during summer league play, but his performances left more questions than answers.

The 21-year old wing is entering his third NBA season after being drafted by the Pacers in 2022. Back in March, he signed a new three-year contract with the blue and gold, though it is non-guaranteed for the upcoming season (many of the details were reported here in Pacers On SI). If Brown is still on the roster come opening night, $250k of his agreement becomes guaranteed.

That’s why summer league was important for Brown — he had a chance to prove that he should stick with Indiana into the regular season. Given the team’s proximity to the luxury tax for the 2024-25 league year, any wasted roster space or contracts are a hindrance. The front office needs to be certain in their moves.

“Just that I can do everything. Just my ability to pass, score, play defense,” Brown said when discussing what he hoped to show during summer league play. “Just run. My athleticism.”

Brown’s play in summer sessions did little to provide clarity about his future. The Baylor product averaged 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while making 41.5% of his shots. At his best, he showed growth with his slashing ability. During his first summer league outing, he lived at the foul line and was efficient.

But when there were multiple bodies in the lane or there was less space to operate, Brown struggled. He coughed up more turnovers than he had assists, a disappointing outcome for a player who hoped to show passing improvement. He didn’t finish plays well despite being able to jump out of the gym. After his first outing, things were rough.

Across his last four performances, Brown averaged 7.3 points per game and knocked down just 36.7% of his shot attempts. He made one three in total during that stretch. His first outing can’t be overlooked — it was impressive and contained vital skills. But the young wing needed to be better and more consistent throughout summer league than he actually was.

“Just being able to attack, and then them cutting me off, and me being able to change direction and spin or get down hill. Just being able to finish,” Brown said after that first game of how he was hoping to combine his athleticism with ball skills. “I feel like that’s what I’m really good at. I can finish a lot of different ways.”

That never all clicked. The Minnesota native was solid in the second half of a win over the Phoenix Suns, but he didn’t put together another complete performance. Despite having unbelievable athletic tools, Brown didn’t stand out as much as other third-year players.

“Just still showing my athleticism, my ability to pass, make my teammates better,” Brown said of his summer league hopes. He wanted to show that he’s still getting better.

Brown wasn’t appreciably better than he was in summer league back in 2023, where he scored slightly less but was far more efficient and pulled in more rebounds. He was coming off of any injury last year, though, so he was asked to do less. His assists numbers and free throw rate did climb significantly from year to year.

All together, Brown’s play during the five games in Las Vegas leaves questions about his contract status heading into training camp. He isn’t owed any money until opening night, so there is little reason for the Pacers to rush into any decision. But a strong summer league could have given Indiana proof that the young wing was still ascending heading into 2024-25.

Instead, the front office now has to decide if it is worth using a roster spot, and financial resources, on a forward with athleticism that may not be ready to contribute for another year. Brown would be behind Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy in any hypothetical rotation, so minutes could be hard to come by anyway.

The Pacers don’t have to decide on Brown’s future right now. Waiving him today would be an early choice. Instead, they get to training camp and see how Brown looks before the season begins. In that setting, he will be playing in his role instead of a more challenging one on a summer squad with limited shot creation.

Preseason games could matter, too, and Brown will have to produce. He may have had some wiggle room to struggle or look stagnant in those outings if he had a dominant summer league. But instead, the young forward came up short and still needs to show he has added skill.

Indiana could opt to move Brown’s contract guarantee date and pay him on a prorated basis when the season starts, but his guaranteed money number is so low that such a move has little benefit. There is no advantage to moving on from the young forward now, either, so Brown’s unimpressive summer league has left the blue and gold in their current reality where the best option is to wait.

Financial flexibility could matter for Indiana this season. Brown has to prove he is more valuable than that, and after a down summer league, he is running out of time to do it.

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Indiana

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

Published

12 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.

Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.

The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.

She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.

The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.

Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.

Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police

Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.

Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.

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Indiana

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

Published

24 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.

According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.

The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.

It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.

According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.

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Indiana

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.

I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:

Brebeuf Jesuit

A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.

There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.

Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.

North Central

It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.

Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).

There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.

Zionsville

The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.

There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.

The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

Martinsville

The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.

Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.

The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.

Hamilton Heights

Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.

The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).

The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.

The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.

Mt. Vernon

This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.

Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.

The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.

Monrovia

The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.

The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).

Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.

Cardinal Ritter

Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.

Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.

The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.

Greenwood

It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.

Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.

Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.

Scecina

The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.

Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.

The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.

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.

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