Prep Hoops Indiana State Finals Preview: X-Factors 3A/4A
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The 114th Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament culminates on Saturday with four state championship games played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. As always, Prep Hoops Indiana will have boots on the ground coverage throughout the day as teams compete for the…
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Continue ReadingThe 114th Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament culminates on Saturday with four state championship games played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. As always, Prep Hoops Indiana will have boots on the ground coverage throughout the day as teams compete for the right to cut down the nets and forever ingrain themselves in the history of Indiana High School Basketball. This week, we will be previewing the state finals with several articles breaking down the action. Here is an X-Factor for each team in both the 3A and 4A games
While the ‘big three’ of Scottsburg gets a lot of the hype, the Warriors would not be here if it was not for the unselfish play of senior F Caden Richardson Caden Richardson 6’4″ | SG Scottsbug | 2024 IN . If you are looking for a ‘glue-guy’ that will do whatever it takes to win, that is Richardson. He only brings in a little over 4 points a game, but also averages 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game. When it comes to natural strength and size, Richardson provides all of that for the Scottsburg Warriors.
On paper, the matchup of SBSJ and Scottsburg is interesting with a lot of unique players on each side. When it comes to highest upside of the players here, the sophomore guard Nick Shrewsberry Nick Shrewsberry 6’4″ | SG South Bend St. Joseph | 2026 State IN is near the top. This is a little bit of cop-out answer, but SBSJ will need to score the ball in order to beat Scottsburg, and that is what Shrewsberry is more than capable of doing. He is arguably the best shooter on the SBSJ roster and is a player that can get hot in a hurry. This could be a breakout game for the 2026 guard.
Have to give a lot of credit where credit is due, Ben Davis got back to the state championship when most did not think they could. A lot of that has to do with the experienced leadership and senior guard Mark White Mark White 6’3″ | SF Ben Davis | 2024 State IN brought that. He is the Giants’ third leading scorer with 8.5 points and overall brings a lot of IQ on the floor. He can play any spot 1-3 on the perimeter and absolutely can guard any of them as well. It’s going to be tough for Ben Davis to repeat, but White can help them do so.
Highlights
There is not one single player that was forced to grow up as quickly as what freshman guard Cooper Zachary Cooper Zachary 5’9″ | PG Fishers | 2027 State IN had to do with being the starting point guard for this excellent Fishers team. Zachary has played his role extremely well all season and has fought back against the pressure that was placed on him during this postseason run by the Tigers. He is aan incredibly mature player for his age that can score, facilitate, and be a willing defender. The pressure is even higher for the freshman guard on Saturday but if he can play smart, Fishers has a chance to cut down the nets.