Prep Hoops Indiana Daily (1/30) – Indiana All-Star Candidates
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As the calendar nears its turn to February it means that the Indiana High School Basketball season is less than a month away from tournament time. We will likely revisit this exercise at least once more before the team is…
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Continue ReadingAs the calendar nears its turn to February it means that the Indiana High School Basketball season is less than a month away from tournament time. We will likely revisit this exercise at least once more before the team is ultimately selected, but we wanted to go ahead and take an early stab at what the team might look like. We have broken it down into some tiers and tried to include as many potential candidates as possible. As always, you can provide your own thoughts, opinions, and feedback to me directly on Twitter @BRamseyKSR.
Indiana All-Star Locks
Jack Benter Jack Benter 6'4" | SG Brownstown Central | 2024 State #121 Nation IN (Brownstown Central H.S. – Purdue) – Benter is climbing the all-time Indiana scoring list and will ultimately approach the Top 15 by season’s end. The Purdue signee is an elite shooter, great passer, and averages over 25 points per game for Class 2A #1 ranked Brownstown Central.
Flory Bidunga Flory Bidunga 6'9" | C Kokomo | 2024 State #7 Nation IN (Kokomo H.S. – Kansas) – Likely the front-runner to win Indiana Mr. Basketball, the 6’9″ five-star center is one of the best prospects our state has seen in a long time. Bidunga currently averages 17.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 81.3% from the field.
Micah Davis Micah Davis 6'0" | PG Franklin | 2024 State #184 Nation IN (Franklin H.S. – Eastern Kentucky) – The Grizzly Cubs are quietly having a fantastic season and their dynamic, left-handed point guard is a big reason why they are 13-3. Davis is averaging 25.8 points and 4.6 assists per game.
Keenan Garner Keenan Garner 6'6" | PF Fishers | 2024 State IN (Fishers H.S. – Undecided) – Best player on one of the best teams in the state certainly gets a nod. The versatile 6’6″ forward is averaging 17.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the 17-1 Fishers Tigers.
Evan Haywood Evan Haywood 6'4" | SG Brebeuf Jesuit | 2024 State #231 Nation IN (Brebeuf Jesuit – Butler) – Leading the #1 ranked team in Class 3A this season, this future Butler Bulldog is averaging 21.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
K.J. Windham K.J. Windham 6'3" | PG Ben Davis | 2024 State #137 Nation IN (Ben Davis H.S. – Northwestern) – Windham averages 15.5 points per game for the defending state champion Giants who are once again a borderline Top 10 team. His ability to play on the ball as a playmaker or off of the ball as a knockdown shooter make him a valuable addition to the All-Star team.
Likely Selections
Josiah Dunham Josiah Dunham 6'0" | PG Evansville Christian | 2024 State IN (Evansville Christian – Undecided) – Winning matters, and this point guard puts up some massive numbers while leading the clear cut #1 ranked team in Class 1A. Dunham is averaging 22.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
Aaron Fine Aaron Fine 6'3" | PG Noblesville | 2024 State IN (Noblesville H.S. – Undecided) – It is hard to imagine a 1,000 point scorer from a 15-2 Noblesville team not making the Indiana All-Star roster. Fine is having an excellent senior season averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game for the Millers.
Jevon Lewis Jevon Lewis 5'9" | PG Fort Wayne Wayne | 2024 State IN (Fort Wayne Wayne H.S. – Undecided) – Lewis will look to lead the Generals on another deep state tournament run this season. The dynamic point guard is putting up big numbers averaging 20.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
Tyler Parrish Tyler Parrish 6'3" | SG Chesterton | 2024 State IN (Chesterton H.S. – Undecided) – He was on the “core” Junior All-Star team, has a ton of career success, and is once again putting up big numbers.
Ron Rutland III Ron Rutland III 6'1" | SG Crispus Attucks | 2024 State IN (Crispus Attucks H.S. – UIndy) – Averages 13.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for a well-balanced Class 4A Top 10 Crispus Attucks team. Shooting 38% from 3-point range on two makes per game.
Strong Candidates
Isaac Andrews Isaac Andrews 6'1" | SG Wapahani | 2024 State IN (Wapahani H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Nic Book Nic Book 6'8" | PF Westfield | 2024 State IN (Westfield H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Kobi Bowles Kobi Bowles 6'2" | PG Lawrence North | 2024 State IN (Lawrence North H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Trey Buchanan Trey Buchanan 6'0" | PG Westfield | 2024 State IN (Westfield H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Josiah Gustin Josiah Gustin 6'7" | PF Pendleton Heights | 2024 State IN (Pendleton Heights H.S. – Marian)
Taray Howell Taray Howell 5'8" | PG Evansville Bosse | 2024 State IN (Evansville Bosse H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Malachi McNair Malachi McNair 6'6" | C Evansville Harrison | 2024 State IN (Evansville Harrison H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Jaxon Pardon Jaxon Pardon 6'4" | SG Fort Wayne Carroll | 2024 State IN (Fort Wayne Carroll H.S. 2024 – Bowling Green)
Justin Sims Justin Sims 6'6" | PF Chesterton | 2024 State IN (Chesterton H.S. 2024 – Marian)
Jake Smith Jake Smith 6'6" | PF Lake Central | 2024 State IN (Lake Central H.S. 2024 – Undecided)
Tucker Tornatta (Evansville Memorial 2024 – Undecided)
Obviously there are at least 10-12 more names that could be listed, but we are only fighting for two remaining spots so it seems unlikely they will be filled outside of those 11 names. In my opinion, the best team in the state should have a representative and Kobi Bowles Kobi Bowles 6'2" | PG Lawrence North | 2024 State IN would be that selection. He is having a strong season for 17-0 Lawrence North. Then, the other spot is definitely going to go to someone with size. Tucker Tornatta edges out Gustin, McNair, Sims, and Smith for that spot (Book isn’t likely to receive full consideration with this being his first season in state). That is how we would fill out the 13-man roster.