Class 4A State Title Preview

Bloomington South Panthers (25-2) vs. Kokomo Wildkats (23-2)

Two staples of Indiana High School Basketball will face off in the final game of the 101st IHSAA State Tournament. Both teams feature strong guard play and balanced scoring attacks. Bloomington South won a State Championship in 2009 while the Wildkats haven't been to the Finals since 1989, and they won their only State Championship 50 years ago in 1961. Experience would certainly tip in the favor of the Panthers who have played on this stage before and start 5 seniors. Kokomo on the other hand starts just two seniors, and are lead in scoring by star Junior guard D.J. Balentine.

Bloomington South

Dee Davis- The Xavier signee is shooting an astounding 69.8% from the field and scores 21.9 points per game. He also adds 5.6 assists.

Spencer Turner- A Belmont recruit, is widely considered one of the best pure shooters in the state. He is averaging 16.3 points on the season.

Desmond Marks- Reminds me a lot of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. At 6'5'' and probably 250 pounds Marks is the biggest body that South has. He moves very well for his size and has a good shooting touch. I think he could be an X-factor in this game.

Kokomo

D.J. Balentine- The junior is leading the way with 16.2 points and has really picked up his play in the clutch moments of each game on the road to Conseco. He will keep the Wildkats in the game down to the final buzzer.

Huston Clark- A great finisher, is the biggest Wildkat at 6'4." The senior leads the team with 6.6 rebounds, and also contributes 8.3 points.

LaBradford Sebree- Just a sophomore, but Sebree has played a big part in taking Kokomo to this year's title game. He is the second leading scoring with 8.4 points per contest, and pulls down just over 4 rebounds.

I continue to pick against Kokomo yet they continue to win. They have been playing great basketball of late and I know that the entire community has really rallied around this team along the way. However, Bloomington South just has too many offensive threats. I see them bringing home their 2nd Championship in 3 years.

Bloomington South 64 Kokomo 61

Class 3A State Title Preview

Washington Hatchets (23-4) vs. Culver Academy Eagles (19-6)

The Hatchets are searching for their 3rd State Title in the last 4 seasons, while this is Culver's first trip past Sectional play. In one of the most interesting match-ups of the day, 7'1'' Chier Ajou will body up against 6'11'' Cody Zeller. Neither player has faced many guys who can compete with them in terms of size, so it will be interesting to see how the battle in the paint goes.

Washington

Cody Zeller- The Indiana University recruit is on his way to becoming the 3rd of the 3 Zeller brothers to win the Mr. Basketball award. He is leading this year's Washington squad with a very impressive 24.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.

Dylan Ervin- The 6' foot junior is averaging 11.7 points a game.

Kurtis Anthony- Does a great job acting as the primary ball handler and "floor general." Chips in 11 points per game.

Culver Academy

Chier Ajou- Committed to New Mexico (but will be back at Culver as a student next year) will offer a unique quality that Cody Zeller and the Hatchets have not faced, somebody even taller than Cody. At 7'1'', Ajou is averaging 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Jermaine Myers- one of the top junior prospects in the state. He is leading the team with 19.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds.

Juwan Brescacin- averages 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds.

I expect Culver to give Washington everything they want and more, however the experience and the overwhelming talent of Cody Zeller should win out in the end.

Washington 60 Culver Academy 53

Class 2A State Final Preview

Hammond Bishop Noll Warriors (26-0) vs. Park Tudor Panthers (25-2)

Last years Class 2A Runner-Up will face off against the lone undefeated team left in high school basketball. Park Tudor is shooting an astonishing 61.6% from the field, while the Warriors from Hammond Bishop Noll are winning by an average margin of 20 points per game.

Here are the key players...

Hammond Bishop Noll

Adonis Filer- a probable Division 1 player after this season, the senior is leading his team with 15.9 points per game.

Milos Kostic- the 6'8'' sophomore scorers 7.3 points and pulls in 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Ronnye Beamon Jr.- shoots 35% from beyond the arc and averages 11.4 points.

Park Tudor

Yogi Ferrell- the Indiana University commit, is one of the top juniors in the country. Yogi leads the Panthers with 18.7 points and 6.6 assists per ball game.

Trevon Bluiett- has become one of the most sought after freshman prospects in the state after averaging 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds this year.

J.B. Rapp- the sharp shooter is shooting 46.7% on 3-pointers while scoring 8.3 points.

Park Tudor 68 Hammond Bishop Noll 62

Class 1A State Final Preview

Triton Trojans (23-3) vs. Indianapolis Metropolitan (21-6)

The 101st State Championships will kick off with a very interesting match-up Saturday morning. In many this is a David vs. Goliath type of story. The Trojans have won 3 Regional Championships in the past 4 seasons, won a State Title in 2008, and have a long standing basketball tradition. On the other hand, the Pumas from "The Met" are in only their 4th season as a varsity basketball program. If that isn't enough, many of the players (only 9 on the roster) come from "underprivileged" backgrounds. Kyle Neddenreip of the Indy Star wrote a great article about the team, it will give you a great feel for what this team is all about.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103190333

These two teams could obviously not be more different. A traditional powerhouse versus an upstart program, however the Pumas are not going to let that phase them. They are used to playing in opposing gyms, they have no home court, they are used to playing without much fan support, so I expect nothing less than a great performance by Indy Metro at Conseco.

As for the teams themselves.

Indy Metro

Raymond Green- leads the Pumas in scoring with right around 20 points per game.

Jerrbryon Graves- great Point Guard, really pushes the ball up the court and sets the high paced tempo for the team. Hit the miracle 60 foot shot to win the Regional Title that appeared as the #1 play on ESPN's Top 10 Plays.

Anthony Jackson- averages nearly a double-double, really attacks the offensive glass.

Triton

Griffyn Carpenter- all around scorer. Played a solid role coming off the bench during the 2008 State Championship run. He will provide the experience of playing at this stage that nobody from "The Met" has.

Clay Yeo- one of the top 2013 prospects in the state. Great outside shooter, however ball-handling is not his strong suit. The pressure defense from the Pumas could force him into some turnovers.

After hearing more about the story of Indy Metro I found myself rooting for them to bring home a State Title. I have picked against them each step along the way, so you would think I would stop at some point. Triton, however, has the experience of playing at the State level and has more pure basketball skill. The athleticism and fast pace of the Pumas could give them some problems, but I think Carpenter and company will bring home another State Championship for the Triton Trojans.

Triton 66 Indy Metro 55

Best of luck to both teams!

1A/2A Semi-State Preview

1A Lafayette Jefferson

22-3 Triton has been ranked among the top Class 1A teams all season. Rockville started the season off by playing a lot of 3A and 4A schools, and then rattled off 14 straight victories heading into Semi-State action. I expect the talent of the Triton Trojans to lead them to Conseco Fieldhouse.

1A Southport

A 60-foot buzzer beater and a #1 spot on ESPN's Top 10 Plays landed Indy Metro in the Final 4. Opponent North Daviess took a much more conventional route, winning their Regional games by 15 and 10 points respectively. I see the 22-3 Cougars of North Daviess moving on to the State Final next Saturday.

2A Huntington North

Even playing without star Point Guard Greg Dickey has not slowed down the Tipton Blue Devils. However, undefeated Hammond Noll has cruised through tournament play, as they have most of their season, riding on the back of star Adonis Filer. If Dickey was playing then it may be different, but without him I see Hammond continuing to roll on into the State Finals.

2A Seymour

In the first game at Seymour Yogi Ferrell will look to lead Park Tudor back to Conseco for the second straight year. Facing them, will be the other undefeated 2A team, Forest Park. If you want to watch this game you better either already have a ticket or be ready to scalp one at the door because I have heard that no tickets will be sold at the door. Also, look for Forest Park to suffer its first lost of the season as Park Tudor returns to the State Championship game.

3A/4A Semi-State Preview

4A Lafayette Jefferson

Senior Joe Crisman, a Loyola recruit, continues to lead undefeated Munster towards Conseco Fieldhouse. Standing in their way is one of the hottest teams in the state in the Kokomo Wildkats. However, I think that the Wildkats run will come to an end and Munster will take the trip to Indianapolis for the State Finals.

4A Southport

Arguably the two best teams will be facing off in this Semi-State match up. Multiple Division I prospects should help pack the house at Southport on Saturday. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a huge game in the Regional Final after having to sit out the morning game due to a suspension. I expect him to stay hot and lead North Central past Bloomington South to earn their ticket to the State Finals.

3A Huntington North

Culver Academy and Columbia City have both had tough roads to the Final 4. A 10 point victory in the Sectional opener by Columbia City stands as the only double-digit tournament win that either of these teams have posted. I really like the way Culver has been playing, and I expect them to move on to Conseco.

3A Seymour

Indiana University recruit Cody Zeller is looking to add another State Championship trophy to his, and his families rather large collection. Standing in Washington's way is a defensive minded Batesville club. In the end, the size of Zeller will be enough to send the Hatchets back to their home away from home, the State Finals at Conseco.

4A Regional Wrap Up

The Semi-State sites and times have been set and teams are back in the gym preparing for the last step before Conseco Fieldhouse. Last weekend's Regionals were full of good games, including overtime thrillers and buzzer beaters. Now it is time to take a look back at the headlines from each Regional site.

Michigan City

Undefeated Munster (25-0) advanced on to the Lafayette Jeff Semi-State. However, it took two tough games to get there, winning by 4 points in the first game and 2 points of Valparaiso in the Regional Final.

Marion

This site hosted what was probably the most entertaining Final, played by Kokomo and Pendleton Heights. Kokomo came away with the title, pulling out a double overtime victory, 58-55. However, Junior Guard Kellen Dunham of Heights stole the show in a losing effort. The Butler recruit went for 29 points in the final and had 41, including 6 3's and 17-17 free throws in their morning win over Fort Wayne Northrop. Junior D.J. Ballentine scored 16 in the championship game to lead Kokomo.

Lawrence Central (Hinkle)

This was by far the most anticipated Regional of the day Saturday. With 4 of the top teams in the state along with multiple Division 1 prospects fans came in droves to watch the action. North Central over came the 1 game suspension handed to Junior sensation D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera in the opening round with a 79-73 win over Pike. University of Kentucky signee, and Mr. Basketball Candidate Marquis Teague had 20 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in his final high school contest. In the championship game, NC took on Hamilton Southeastern, and DSR came out strong after having to watch from the bench that morning. He lead all scorers with 37 points to capture the victory 83-72. Bruce Weber, Tom Crean, Brad Stevens, Fran McCaffery (Iowa) and Tom Izzo were all in attendance to watch the great collection of talent.

Seymour

Bloomington South came in as an overwhelming favorite and did not disappoint pulling off two of the most lopsided wins of the day. They faced off with Castle (22-2) in the title match-up and came away with an impressive 68-49 victory. Lots of people around the state are writing off the other teams in favor of North Central, but I would certainly not sleep on Bloomington South.

4A Regional Breakdown

Michigan City

Final: Concord vs. Munster

Champion: Munster

This undefeated Munster team should have no problem advancing on to the semi-state. With most of the talent loaded into the Regional at Hinkle Fieldhouse, many of the other sites seem pretty clear cut as to who will come home with another trophy.

Marion

Final: Kokomo vs. Pendleton Heights

Champion: Kokomo

Even without guard Kendall Waters, Pendleton will probably be able to win another game to set up a interesting Regional final game against Kokomo. However, the talent of Kokomo should finally be able to send home the relentless Arabians.

Indianapolis:

Final: Pike vs. Center Grove

Champion: Pike

One could argue that 4 of the 6 best teams remaining will all be here at Hinkle on Saturday morning. I actually picked Pike prior to the suspensive of DSR, but now I am even more certain that Marquis Teague and company will come home with a title.

Seymour:

Final: Bloomington South vs. Castle

Champion: Bloomington South

Castle should give them a good game, but too many weapons on South will help them prevail to another Regional title.

Class 3A Regional Breakdown

Class 3A really got shock up during the past weeks Sectional play. Only 2 of the top 10 teams in the class survived to the "Sweet 16." #1 Washington will look to win a second straight State Title on the back of Mr. Basketball Candidate Cody Zeller.

Indianapolis Roncalli, from the Shelbyville Regional, is currently ranked #8 in the state. They should be battle tested coming off of three hard-fought Sectional victories.

The most interesting match-up could be the potential final at Crown Point between Culver Academy and defending State Runner-Up Gary Wallace.

Come tournament time one thing is usual a given, you cannot sleep on Coach Chris Benedict and the Columbia City Eagles. Look for them to take care of business and take home a Regional Championship.

Crown Point:
Final: Culver Academy vs. Gary Wallace
Champion: Culver Academy

Blackford:
Final: Columbia City vs. Norwell
Champion: Columbia City

Shelbyville:
Final: Batesville vs. Indianapolis Roncalli
Champion: Indianapolis Roncalli

Washington:
Final: Sullivan vs. Washington
Champion: Washington

Class 2A Regional Breakdown

As a Centerville High School graduate I always look forward to spending a March Saturday at the Spartan Bowl watching my Bulldogs play. However, I won't be able to make the trip this year because Hanover has a baseball game down in Kentucky.

Anyway, Class 2A offers 2 undefeated teams in Hammond Noll and Forest Park. Also, Park Tudor, the defending state runner-ups will look to make a run back to Conseco. In the Tipton regional, I still expect the home court advantage to help lead the Blue Devils to a title, but the absence of star point guard Greg Dickey will certainly make it more difficult.

North Judson:
Final: Hammond Noll vs. North Judson
Champion: Hammond Noll

Tipton:
Final: Tipton vs. Carroll
Champion: Tipton

Winchester:
Final: Park Tudor vs. Winchester
Champion: Park Tudor

Southridge:
Final: Forest Park vs. Brownstown Central
Champion: Forest Park

1A Regional Breakdown

Regional action will begin Saturday morning, so its time to start in on the breakdowns, beginning with Class 1A.

Triton:
Final: Fort Wayne Canterbury vs. Triton
Champion: Triton

I expect Triton to take advantage of the home court advantage and bring home the regional title. Triton is currently ranked #2, while Canterbury is #3. If the final works out the way I predict, it could be one of the most hotly contested games across the state on Saturday.

Frankfort:
Final: Rockville vs. Lafayette Central Catholic
Champion: Lafayette Central Catholic

LCC may have 5 losses on the year, but if you look at the schedule you would instantly forget about their record. I expect them to have a pretty easy day on Saturday and cruise on to the semi-state.

Martinsville:
Final: Indy Metro vs. Shawe Memorial
Champion: Shawe Memorial

I had the opportunity to Shawe play a couple of weeks ago when they played Rock Creek and I came away very impressed with both teams. Shawe is well coached, have one of the best defenses I have seen in a long time, and all of their players have great basketball IQ. Indy Metro has the athletes that could challenge them, but I expect Shawe to come out on top.

Loogootee:
Final: Trinity Lutheran vs. Rock Creek Academy
Champion: Rock Creek

Rock Creek is one of the most athletic teams I have seen play this season. While they may not be the best pure basketball players around, they can push the tempo and simply out score their opponent. Especially at the 1A level an athletic team can cause a lot of noise come tournament time.

Looking forward to see how things play out on Saturday! Good luck to all teams.

Centerville Captures 3rd Consecutive Title

This game was a great example of good, old fashioned Indiana High School Basketball. Every possession was meaningful, each shot hotly contested, and many players diving around for loose balls or rebounds. In the end, the poise and composure of the Centerville Bulldogs prevailed as they took home the Sectional 42 trophy once again with a 63-59 overtime win over Union County.

Union County Coach Mark Detweiler said after the game that his game plan was to make somebody besides Matthew Schauss beat them. His game plan worked in a way, Senior Guard Zach Sandlin stepped up for the Bulldogs and poured in a career high 29 points, including the first 11 of the game. With around 10 seconds remaining in regulation Sandlin connected on one of his 4 3-pointers to send the game into the extra session. Senior Guard Matthew Schauss scored all 19 of his points in the second half to help lead Centerville to the title. He also aded 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. For Union County, Andrew Strait lead the way hitting 9 3-pointers for 29 points.

Centerville will head to Connersville on Saturday to take on defending 2A State runner-up Park Tudor.

Sectional Finals Preview

Well I have been in Winter Haven, Florida for the past week with Hanover Baseball for the first 6 games of our season. The condos we were staying out were not equipped with WIFI so I have been unable to write during this very important week of basketball. However, I am back in Indiana now and ready for tonight's Sectional finals to get underway. There are some very interesting match ups tonight...

4A

Sectional 8: Richmond vs. Pendleton Heights

Richmond has been playing great ball of late. They have great team speed and athleticism led by Senior Small Forward Jon Trawick. Pendleton Heights will be without guard Kendall Waters and that will play a big part in this game. I look for Coach Luce and the Red Devils to pull out the schools first Sectional title since 1996.

Sectional 12: Avon vs. Pike

This final will pit two of the best teams in Class 4A. Mr. Basketball Candidate and University of Kentucky signee Marquis Teague will look to lead Pike deep into the tournament, while 20-2 Avon will avenge their double overtime loss to the Devils earlier in the season. I will take Pike in this one.

3A

Sectional 27: New Palestine vs. Shelbyville

This Sectional was headlined by Rushville and Hamilton Heights, however both bowed out earlier in the tournament. What is left is 10-11 New Pal and a very underrated Shelbyville squad. Look for Shelbyville to build off of their wins over Rushville and Mt. Vernon Fortville and pick up a Sectional title.

2A

Sectional 40: Guerin Catholic vs. Tipton

Two of the best teams in Class 2A will face off in the Taylor Sectional final. Guerin is certainly battle tested, as they play one of the toughest schedules in the state. Tipton also is used to playing in big games against good competition. The Blue Devils have multiple scoring threats and better athletes and that should lead them to a victory this evening.

Sectional 42: Centerville vs. Union County

This is the game that I will be attending. Centerville is seeking their 3rd straight title and are coming off of a 73-58 upset over Eastern Hancock. Bethel College recruit Matthew Schauss scored 40 points last night in that win. Union County will have Junior Power Forward Brad Hartman available tonight, he missed the regular season battle between the conference rivals. I expect Centerville to really clamp down in their 2-3 zone and neutralize the Patriots inside game on the way to another Sectional title.

Should be a great night of Indiana High School Basketball! Lots of trophy's to be handed out this evening...good luck to all teams!!