Indiana High School Preview: Class 4A North

<p>In 49 states it is just basketball, but this is Indiana. There is no better time of year than high school basketball season in the Hoosier state. Here at Prep Hoops Indiana, our staff will set out to bring the very best coverage from throughout the state. Evansville, Gary, South Bend, Terre Haute, we will leave no corner of Indiana unturned.</p> <p>Now that official practices are quickly approaching and we are just weeks away from tipping off the first game, it is time to dive head first into previewing the upcoming season. Over the coming weeks you can expect breakdowns of each class along with teams and players to watch, a look at the top Mr. Basketball and Indiana All-Star candidates, preseason team rankings, and much, much more. For even more coverage, make sure to follow our staff on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BRamseyKSR">@BRamseyKSR</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kylerstaley">@kylerstaley</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HSIndianaBball">@HSIndianaBball</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisMills37">@KrisMills37.</a></p> <p>Class 4A North has been dominated by Carmel in recent years, but the depth of talent continues to improve throughout the area. Sectional 8 will be as tough as ever with Zionsville, Westfield, and Fishers all having the talent to pull of a postseason upset. Noblesville and HSE will have solid seasons as well. Further north, we had the consolidation of three Hammond schools into the newly formed Hammond Central. The Fort Wayne schools always have plenty of talent as well. Here is a look at a few of the top teams in the Class 4A North.</p> <h2>The Favorite: Carmel High School</h2> <p>Until somebody proves otherwise, Carmel is the perennial favorite in the Class 4A North. Under head coach Ryan Osborne, the Greyhounds 91-18 in the four seasons with four sectional championships, three state finals appearances, and two state titles. The only year they didn’t make it all the way was due to the tournament being cancelled after sectionals. This season, the Greyhounds feature a pair of Indiana All-Star candidates in [player_tooltip player_id="769662" first="Peter" last="Suder"] and [player_tooltip player_id="769678" first="Charlie" last="Williams"]. The 6’5" Suder averaged 11.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as a junior. Williams, a 6’10" forward, averaged 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds on his way to being named a Junior All-Star. The William &amp; Mary commit had an excellent summer. 6’8" junior sharp-shooter [player_tooltip player_id="1042491" first="Sam" last="Orme"] provides more size and another skilled presence on the wings. As always, Carmel is loaded with talent all the way down their bench and should be the favorite to make another trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in March.</p> <h2>Don’t Count Out: Homestead High School</h2> <p>If someone were to take down Carmel, one of the most likely candidates would be the Homestead Spartans. After 25 consecutive victories, Homestead’s only loss last season came in the regional to Carmel 60-49. The Spartans lost Indiana All-Star Luke Goode who is now at Illinois, but return Mr. Basketball candidate [player_tooltip player_id="1063961" first="Fletcher" last="Loyer"]. The 6’4" Purdue signee averaged 24.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as a junior. Inside, Homestead has 6’6" versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id="870214" first="Andrew" last="Leeper"] who contributed 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game a year ago. On the perimeter alongside Loyer, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="868270" first="Kyron" last="Kaopuiki"] is ready to step into a larger role.</p> <h2>Sleeper: Hammond Central High School</h2> <p>There is a lot of unknowns for Hammond Central’s inaugural season. With the consolidation of Hammond, Hammond Gavit, and Hammond Clark it will be interesting to see just how much talent is on the bench for the Wolves. Hammond went 18-2 at the 3A level last year and will return talented junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1049160" first="Jordan" last="Woods"] who averaged 10.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game last season. 6’6" sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1158239" first="Davion" last="Doty"] should experience a breakout season as well. Beyond that, we don’t know a whole lot about what the Wolves will look like after consolidation. However, that is what makes them a perfect sleeper candidate out of the north.</p> <h2>Honorable Mention: Warsaw High School</h2> <p>Bringing back your two leading scorers from a 15-8 team is generally a pretty good place to start. That is what the Tigers have in junior guard Jaxon Gould and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1168179" first="Judah" last="Simfukwe"]. The 6’2" Gould averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists during his sophomore season. He could be a dark horse Junior All-Star candidate this season. Simfukwe, a 6’1" athletic guard scored 12 points per game to go with 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists. This will be one of the best backcourts in northern Indiana this season and should make Warsaw a favorite in Sectional 4. </p>