Recruiting: Introducing Austin Boucher, one of state's top 2018 players

Austin Boucher admitted he was overwhelmed as a freshman playing high school varsity basketball.

Unlike most freshmen, however, that feeling lasted all of one game.

"That first game I remember thinking, 'Wow,'" he said. "I was really down."

In Boucher's second game, he scored 20 points in a loss to Class 3A state champion Guerin Catholic. It was off the races from there for the Fort Wayne South Side freshman. He helped the Archers to a 10-12 record, the program's highest win total in five years, and was the lone freshman named to the All-Summit Athletic Conference first team.

"It went very well," Boucher said of his freshman year. "I think I probably exceeded some personal expectations. After that first game, everything seemed normal. I felt like I belonged."

Boucher belongs in the mix among the state's top 2018 guards with names like Romeo Langford (New Albany), Musa Jallow (Bloomington North), Eric Hunter (Tindley), Antwaan Cushingberry (Lawrence North) and others.

Boucher played over the weekend at the Best of the Midwest with the Spiece Indy Heat 2017 group that won its bracket.

"It's a good learning experience playing with those guys," he said.

Schools with early interest in Boucher include Butler, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame and Purdue. He plans to visit Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in August.

Boucher is also a standout baseball player as a pitcher and shortstop. He's taking off this summer from baseball to focus on basketball but plans to play again in the spring.

"AAU baseball is the same as basketball where you go one place and there is 20 or 30 coaches," he said. "I'm focused on basketball for now but I plan to play (baseball) at least to my senior year."

• Ball State offered Castle's Jack Nunge and Columbus North's Alex King, a pair of 2017 players, on Monday. The 6-9 Nunge has also been offered by Evansville and King has an offer from Toledo. ... Cathedral guard Jordan Walker (2016) added a new offer from Austin Peay. He also has offers from Cornell and Morehead State.