Breakdown: Trent Sisley, 2026 Purdue targets and more from Day 1 on the adidas circuit

HOOVER, Ala. — Day 1 at the adidas 3SSB event in the Birmingham area is in the books, with the adidas circuit being inordinately loaded with Purdue recruiting targets the next two or three recruiting cycles.

Here are a few notes on Boilermaker targets and prospects and whatever else from Hoover.

A BIG DAY FOR PURDUE PROSPECT TRENT SISLEY

Trent Sisley, Purdue’s one clearly established (and realistic) target in the 2025 class, was very good in his Indiana Elite team’s two wins on Friday, scoring 18 — Indiana Elite’s first 10 included — in Game 1 and 14 in Game 2.

It’s been well-documented how Sisley basically has to play on the interior for his high school, but is bound to bounce outside at the college level as a consummate stretch 4 sort of player. That’s what the spring and summer is for for him, this spring being especially relevant.

After Sisley played on the Nike circuit last year, he moved to Indiana Elite this year, joining a team that puts him alongside towering center Malachi Moreno and space-eating power forward Dezmon Briscoe, pushing Sisley to a true small forward role. Briscoe did not make the trip this weekend, so Sisley is back at the 4.

At either position, there are dynamics at play that should make for valuable pre-college experience. Playing next to, and complementing, true post players, for example.

Sisley has worked on his three-point shooting, knowing college forwards are often asked to be floor-spacers. The work has paid off, as he’s been shooting threes very effectively, particularly today in Hoover, when he made four of them and was efficient in so doing, looking especially natural firing off pick-and-pops on side pick-and-rolls. Shooting on the move has been an emphasis for him.

“It’s good for me to get to develop my guard skills a little bit more,” Sisley said, “and play in ball screens a little more and getting to take those shots.”

Additionally, playing around Moreno and normally Briscoe has forced Sisley into difficult defensive matchups at times when he switches onto guards, one of the challenges he’ll face in college. But it also positions him to hunt matchups himself and use his post-scoring toolbox.

One real weapon for him lately has been a very Nowitzki-ish step-back jumper out of post-ups on guards.

“I’ve been working on that fadeaway a lot,” Sisley said. “I have practiced it a lot.”

SISLEY’S TEAMMATE ONE TO WATCH

Indiana Elite has numerous high-major prospects in Sisley, Moreno, Briscoe and Braylon Mullins, perhaps more. Luke Ertel ought to merit such consideration.

The point guard from Mount Vernon is 17, but a Class of 2026 recruit.

The former football player — Ertel started at quarterback for Mount Vernon as just a freshman before a foot injury compelled him to concentrate solely on basketball — the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has had a strong spring for Indiana Elite.

He’s an extremely aggressive and physical guard who can play on and off the ball, a very competitive defensive player and heady offensive player. It’s a trope, but he really is scrappy, generating several turnovers in his evening game against Mass Rivals. He made four threes in Game 1.

Colleges can’t contact 2026s yet, but Purdue has expressed some interest. Ertel was at the Boilermaker team camp last summer.

OTHER 2026 TARGETS

Purdue-relevant games overlapped quite a bit today, so we missed quite a bit.

But among the other notables here in Hoover.

• South Bend guard Steven Reynolds (2026): His Phenom United team went 0-2 today and Reynolds didn’t have a great shooting day. It happens. Reynolds is a highly regarded scoring guard with a Purdue offer, among others, and deep family connections to Purdue, where two of his sisters are part of the women’s basketball program.
• Anthony Thompson: The 15-year-old Ohio wing enjoyed a 20-plus-point afternoon game and made a clutch overtime three in the morning. He doesn’t have a Purdue offer yet but likely will before long. He has a bevy of high-major offers already. Carmel’s Evan Harrell is likely on Purdue’s radar also.
• Taylen Kinney: The 2026 Purdue point guard target is here with his Wildcat Select 16U team.
• Jon Sanderson: The 2026 Purdue wing target is here with his Midwest Basketball Club 17-and-under team. He’s playing up a year.

More to come Saturday, including video.

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