HS hoops Preseason Fab 15 countdown: No. 12, Pendleton Heights

From now until the beginning of the high school basketball season, I'll count down the area high school boys basketball Fab 15. Here's a look at No. 13, No. 14 and No. 15 on the list. We continue today with No. 12:

NO. 12 – PENDLETON HEIGHTS

Pendleton Heights coach Brian Hahn has concerns – rebounding and defense to name two – but there is no doubt that this year's team should be able to shoot.

"Our strength is our skill," said Hahn, who is 134-58 at Pendleton Heights going into his ninth season. "We have a chance to be a high percentage shooting team. We have kids who can make shots."

It starts with Sean McDermott, a 6-5 senior shooting guard and Butler recruit. At the beginning of last season, McDermott lost 17 pounds with a severe staph infection. He missed six games, but returned to the court to average a team-high 14.6 points and shoot 34 percent (44-for-130) from the 3-point line.

McDermott was never fully recovered last season, as Pendleton Heights finished 16-8 and fell to senior-led Richmond in the Class 4A Sectional 9 championship. This year, he's ready to go.

"Obviously we're in a better position to start the season," Hahn said. "Hopefully we can continue to be healthy. Sean has worked really hard to expand his game. It's an overall improvement. He's getting stronger and making plays at the rim and shooting contested shots at a higher rate. He's tremendously motivated and driven for this season. I'm excited for him."

The Arabians lose two major contributors to graduation in 6-2 Levi Buck (7.2 ppg, 3.2 rebounds) and 5-11 Austin Brizendine (2.8 ppg, 4.3 rebounds), along with 6-foot reserve Nathan Phillips (3.2 ppg, 2.6 rebounds). Hahn is concerned about his team's physicality, although 6-4 junior Caleb Hardy (8.7 ppg, 4.2 rebounds) started most of last season.

"He's going to be really important for us in defending the post and rebounding," Hahn said of Hardy.

Another player who will play a big role is 5-10 junior Kenton Dunham. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Kenton is the younger brother of Butler junior Kellen Dunham, the former Pendleton Heights star, though his style of game is far different.

Dunham averaged 13.8 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds last season and shot 32 percent (41-for-127) from the 3-point line.

"Kenton played great all year long," Hahn said of Dunham's sophomore season. "I think there's enough difference between himself and (Kellen) that he's been able to establish his own identity as a player. He's about 5-10 and tough and scrappy. He was tremendous for us last year, especially when Sean was out when he averaged about 18 points. That was critical to us having a good season."

Another key player returning is 6-3 sophomore Mark Albers. As a freshman, Albers averaged 4.9 points a game, doing damage almost exclusively from the 3-point line (33-for-69).

"He was really kind of a one-trick pony last year," Hahn said. "He shot four free throws all year. I think this year he's going to give us another dynamic offensive player who is going to be hard to guard. He has to step up his defensive ability."

Other juniors who played mostly on the junior varsity team last year are 5-11 Logan Robertson, 6-foot Conner Gustin and 6-3 Max Grbic.

Hahn is cautiously optimistic about his team's upside.

"I think (the ability to defend) will the real challenge for us," he said. "In some ways, this could be one of our best offensive teams, but we've also struggled on the defensive end. That's going to determine how high we move up as a team. We're going to have to continue to improve at a high level."

Why Pendleton Heights could be ranked higher: There aren't many teams with three skilled offensive players like McDermott, Dunham and Albers. Having McDermott at full speed from the start of the season should have a major impact.

Why Pendleton Heights could be ranked lower: There's not a lot of bulk, which showed up in some games last season. It's going to have to be a team effort on the boards.

Circle the date: Dec. 19. The Arabians host Carmel in a new game on the schedule. December games against Hamilton Southeastern (Dec. 6) and Mt. Vernon (Dec. 12) will also be difficult.