In his first AAU basketball action of the summer last weekend, class of 2022 point guard Tayshawn Comer made a statement.
The COVID-19 shutdowns tested the resolve of athletes at all levels. Who was going to make excuses, and who was going to find answers?
As Comer walked on the court with his class of 2022 Indy Heat teammates it was clear which group he fell into.
The Cathedral High School product got to work, and Comer has transformed his body.
“I’ve been going three to four times a day,” Comer told The Daily Hoosier. “In the morning I work on my body, and then after that I do Vertimax, and then basketball, just shooting, and then I workout with my brother and we do pick-and-roll and my all-around game.”
Comer has grown too. Now just over 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Comer is starting to look like a Big Ten guard, and his high major interest includes schools from that league.
Northwestern, Illinois, Butler and Kansas State are all showing serious interest right now. Purdue has been involved too.
Comer already holds offers from Ball State, Miami (Ohio) and IUPUI, and that is a list that is sure to grow as he is just now starting to be seen on the AAU circuit.
Originally slated to play with the Chicago based Meanstreets Nike EYBL program, Comer’s summer was delayed as the Illinois based club grappled with more stringent COVID-19 restrictions.
Comer was able to find a home with the Indy Heat last weekend, and he developed an immediate chemistry with some familiar faces including fellow Indianapolis area products and IU recruiting targets C.J. Gunn and D’Ante Davis.
Overall, Comer was pleased about his first AAU action after the long layoff.
“I feel good,” Comer said. “This team is very talented and has a lot of D-1 guys. I feel like I fit right in, come in and facilitate for my teammates, they knock down shots and we all play together.”
The weekend included Comer’s first dunk in a game as he threw one down off one foot over a defender on a fast break.
In the marquee matchup of the weekend, Comer led the Indy Heat with 18 points as they hold off Team Teague for the Ballin’ Under One Roof U16 title in Fort Wayne.
The impressive opening weekend isn’t particularly surprising.
Comer was a star for Cathedral during the 2019-20 season, averaging 15.4 points, 5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game to lead his team to an 18-6 mark against one of the toughest schedules in the state. Comer shot 35 percent from three-point range on 65 attempts.
Comer is on IU’s radar. But while there have been the customary conversations with coaches, he hasn’t heard from Indiana since direct contact was permitted on June 15.
Like his good friend Leland Walker from Team Teague learned the weekend prior, a few strong AAU performances can flip the switch on a recruitment.
The high major coaches that Comer is hearing from have told him what they want to see to turn interest into offers.
“They want to see me making the right pass instead of taking the extra dribble,” Comer said. “Finding my teammates more. I’ve been really focusing on that, watching film and getting that under control.”
There is no doubt that the delayed start to Comer’s AAU season slowed down his recruitment. But that was temporary, and Comer still has two more years of high school.
Indiana will have to make tough choices when it comes to high end class of 2022 in-state point guards like Comer, Walker and Westfield’s Braden Smith.
There is probably only one opening for that group at IU, although all of them appear to be on track to find a good home at the next level.
If his development during a difficult offseason is any indication, we’ve only just begun to see what Comer’s college options will be.
Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no additional cost to you.
