Five Way Too Early Favorites in Class 1A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August is by far the quietest month on the basketball calendar, but there still isn't a ton going on in September either. We have a few events that Prep Hoops Indiana will be hosting and high school teams begin their fall open gym schedules, but otherwise it is still the calm before the storm. Therefore, we have decided to take a "way too early" look at some of the favorites in each class. These lists will be fluid over the next couple of months, but we wanted to take an early September look at where the landscape of Indiana High School Basketball stands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>***Teams Listed Alphabetically***</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Barr-Reeve</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Until proven otherwise, Barr-Reeve always belongs on the list of contenders in Class 1A. They won 25 games last season and advanced to the south Semi-State championship game. There is a lot to replace due to graduation, but the Vikings are used to reloading not rebuilding. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2391242' first='Seth' last='Wagler'] will be their top returning player after averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game a season ago. Look for fellow senior Landon Miller to step into a larger role this year as well. Then, there are a trio of freshmen who got their feet wet last year at the varsity level who could become primary contributors this season as sophomores. Look for Miller Thompson, Kierson Lengacher, and Carson Yoder to all play bigger roles this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Christian Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 22-win season culminated in a Sectional championship for Christian Academy in 2023-2024. [player_tooltip player_id='1297066' first='Joshua' last='Renfro'] returns for his senior season as one of the top scorers in the state of Indiana. His presence alone at the Class 1A level makes the Warriors a real contender. The sharpshooter averaged 21.5 points per game as a junior while shooting an incredible 95-193 (49.2%) from three-point range. However, it isn't a one man show for Christian Academy. [player_tooltip player_id='1749327' first='David' last='Cook'] brings back 14.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game providing a bit of size and strength to the Warriors lineup. Only one rotation player and a total of 4.9 points per game graduated from last season's team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Indianapolis Lutheran</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There has been no shortage of recent success for Indianapolis Lutheran under head coach Remus Woods. He took over in the 2019-2020 season and has a 88-36 record with a Regional final appearance along with winning the 2023 Class 1A State Championship. They return a majority of their production from a Top 10 team including leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1539996' first='Lonte' last='Ward'] who put up 18.9 points and 3.8 assists per game. [player_tooltip player_id='2053660' first='Cayden' last='Loescher'] was the second leading scorer last season averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He will be a senior alongside Ward this year. Superstar freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2539953' first='Jarrett' last='Harris'] joins the equation as well while 6'8" senior [player_tooltip player_id='2485715' first='Raishaun' last='McHaney'] provides some size around the basket. There will be no shortage of talent on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Liberty Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Led by an incredibly talented freshman trio, Liberty Christian rattled off eight straight wins at the end of the season before falling to the north Semi-State championship game to eventual state champion Fort Wayne Canterbury. That 56-53 result showed just how close this group was to being the best in the state by the end of the season. Now, with their core back and a year older, expectations will be high for the Lions. [player_tooltip player_id='2414946' first='Tamarje' last='English'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140408' first='Kendrick' last='Martin'] were the top two scorers as freshmen last season while [player_tooltip player_id='2267054' first='Tywaine' last='Fuller'] was fourth on the team. Those three will look to have an even bigger impact now as sophomores. Look 6'6" senior big man [player_tooltip player_id='2485724' first='A'Marien' last='Page'] to make his presence known as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marquette Catholic</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was another young team that had really hit their stride by the end of the season. Despite finishing just 12-16 overall, Marquette Catholic reached the Semi-State. They are always battle tested by tournament time after playing a schedule littered with larger schools. With only one rotation player, who averaged 2.5 points per game, graduating expectations will be high this season for the Blazers. JJ Welch, [player_tooltip player_id='2414957' first='Josiah' last='Mays'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561100' first='Colson' last='Dobre'], and Aleks Pecoski all bring back double-figure scoring averages. Sophomore guard Mays and 6'7" junior center Dobre both could take significant leaps this season as well. [player_tooltip player_id='2368903' first='Vaughn' last='Rael-Kludt'], who averaged 7.9 points per game as a freshman, is a name to remember as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Others:</strong> Clay City, Orleans, Rock Creek Academy, South Central (Elizabeth), Triton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->