Page 7 - 2010-11 Boys Basketball State Finals Program

Tournament Preview

After 100 years of Hoosier Hysteria, we’ve In Class 3A, Washington and All-American
probably seen it all, right? Surely, it can’t possibly power forward Cody Zeller look to make it back-to-
get any better than the first centennial? back titles – and No. 4 for the Zeller family.
As we turn the page and write a new chapter In Class 2A, Park Tudor steps back onto the
in the lore that is Indiana high school boys floor hungry for their first title after finishing runner-
basketball, storylines won’t be difficult to find as up last year. Meanwhile, Class A Indianapolis
the ball goes up for the 101st time in tournament Metropolitan and Class 3A Culver Academies
history. are ready to conclude their historic tournament
Two teams return to Conseco Fieldhouse journeys in championship style.
today from last year’s contenders. Three teams Is this the year Class 2A Hammond Bishop Noll
are making their first championship game claims its first title? Is Class 4A Kokomo destined
appearances. Four teams are in search of their to snap its 50-year championship drought?
first state title in program history. Who will cut down the nets? Today, we find out.

Class 3A Championship Class 4A Championship
Culver Academies (19-6) vs. Washington (23-4) Kokomo (23-2) vs. Bloomington South (25-2)
On one hand, you have unranked Culver Academies, a The last time the Kokomo Wildkats reached the State Fi-
team that continues to rewrite program history with each nals, Seinfeld and Home Improvement were primetime hits.
passing game. On the other, there is top-ranked Washing- The last time the program won a state title? Well, let’s just
ton, the defending Class 3A state champion and one of the say, man wouldn’t walk on the moon for another eight more
most prolific basketball programs in tournament history. years. Back after knocking off the state’s top-ranked team,
Led by Indiana Mr. Basketball candidate, Cody Zeller, the Munster, at semi-state last weekend, the No. 10 Wildkats
Hatchets return to Conseco Fieldhouse for a fourth time have been battle tested. Against Bloomington South, every
in seven years. They are ranked third on the all-time state possession will count as the fourth-ranked Panthers enter
championship list and have dismantled teams this postsea- with an 11-game winning streak, including a semi-state win
son by 11 points or more. against 2009-10 Class 4A state champion North Central. In
2009, Bloomington South snapped a 90-year championship
Fast Facts drought and with a lethal one-two combo of Darwin Davis,
- Washington’s Cody Zeller, ranked as the fourth-best Jr. and Spencer Turner, the wait for a third title might not
power forward in the nation by Rivals.com, has commit- take quite as long.
ted to Indiana University. He has been named a 2011 Mc-
Donald’s All-American and the Indiana Boys Basketball Fast Facts
Player of the Year by Gatorade. - Kokomo returns to the state finals for the first time since
- Culver Academies won its first boys basketball sectional 1997 when it lost to Bloomington North in the semifinals
title on March 5, by defeating South Bend St. Joseph’s and is appearing in its first championship game since
66-57. finishing runner-up in 1989.
- Washington is 6-0 in state championship games and is - Kokomo won a state-leading 71st sectional championship
making its second consecutive state finals appearance with a 92-57 victory against Logansport on March 5.
after winning the program’s sixth state title all time in - Bloomington South’s Darwin Davis, Jr. has committed to
2009-10. Xavier.
- Culver Academies is seeking its first state championship - Only previous meeting between the two schools occurred
in any sport. The independent college preparatory board- in the 1919 quarterfinals. Bloomington won 23-14 on its
ing school joined the IHSAA in 1950. way to the state championship.
- Washington head coach Gene Miiller owns a 596-250 - Bloomington South head coach J.R. Holmes owns a 654-
career record in 36 years of coaching. He is one of seven 290 career coaching record. His win total is fourth-most
active coaches with 500 or more career victories. If on the active coaches win list behind Cloverdale’s Pat
Washington wins, Miiller will become the ninth coach in Rady (711), Tippecanoe Valley’s Bill Patrick (677) and
state history with three or more state titles. Lawrence North’s Jack Keefer (669).
Players to Watch: Culver Academies – Jermaine Players to Watch: Kokomo – D.J. Balentine (6-2, Jr.,
Myers (6-1, Jr., G): 19.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 apg; Chier Ajou G): 16.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.9 apg; LaBradford Sebree (6-2, So.,
(7-1, Sr., C): 10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg; Juwan Brescacin (6-5, Sr., F): 8.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg; Huston Clark (6-4, Sr., F): 8.3 ppg, 6.6.
F): 14.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg; Willie Strong (6-5, Jr., C): 6.8 ppg, rpg; Parker Salinas (6-3, Sr., F): 7.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg. Bloom-
6.3 rpg. Washington – Cody Zeller (6-11, Sr., C): 24.1 ppg, ington South – Darwin Davis, Jr. (6-0, Sr., G): 21.9 ppg, 3.4
13.3. rpg, 3.3. apg; Dylan Ervin (6-0, Jr., G): 11.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5.6 apg; Spencer Turner (6-4, Sr., G): 16.3 ppg, 5.0
rpg, 2.7 apg; Kurtis Anthony (5-10, Sr., G): 11.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg; Joey Forney II (6-4, Sr., F): 9.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg;
rpg, 4.0 apg. Desmond Marks (6-5, Sr., F): 7.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg.