How Evansville Christian boys basketball became a potential state championship contender

NEWBURGH, Ind. — You could hear a pin drop when the team entered the gymnasium.

Evansville Christian School played at Wood Memorial on Feb. 6. The result, a 70-33 victory by the Eagles, won’t register beyond their locker room. It was their first return trip in nearly a year to a scene that still evokes strong memories.

The same place ECS lost a sectional championship on March 4, 2023.

“It was very somber and quiet,” said senior Luke Davis. “It stuck with us even a year later.”

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Flash forward nearly 12 months. Evansville Christian is 20-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 1A in the Associated Press poll. It hasn’t lost a game since December. This season has brought legitimate thoughts of a trip to Indianapolis in March.

The journey certainly began a year ago. You could also argue it started before any of the current players stepped foot in the building.

ECS started its program from the ground up

Evansville Christian once played in the same sectional as the city schools. Beginning in 1982, the Eagles competed in the single-class state tournament five times. They lost each game, including an infamous 156-30 loss to Bosse in 1986. Evansville Christian didn’t play in the state tournament again for 37 years.

ECS was a K-8 school system for many years. Students would then leave for other local high schools. This changed in 2016 with the construction of the high school campus on Epworth Road in Warrick County. The Eagles only had eight players in their first year of varsity basketball. No seniors. The team went 1-16.

“Really appreciative of that first group that started this school,” said ECS coach David Kruse. “They didn’t get to play in a sectional but helped set the groundwork. We don’t get to experience any of this without them.”

Kruse joined the staff the following year after spending three seasons at South Spencer. He was named head coach in 2021 when Aaron Thompson stepped down. The Eagles have progressively improved every year since restarting the program: 12-12 in '20, 13-9 in '21, 14-9 in '22 (Kruse’s first year) and 16-10 in '23.

Much of the steady rise can be traced to the current senior class, a large group that has played and won together since elementary school. Four are starters and another is the top reserve for the top-ranked Eagles.

“I wouldn’t expect how much progress we’ve gotten this season,” said senior Andrew Lynn. “I think we’ve all stepped up and put in the hard work. We’ve been dedicated to striving in our roles and becoming a better teammate.”

It’s not simply the Eagles are winning. It's who they're going against. Twelve wins against teams currently with winning records. Five of them are ranked. Their only loss was by six to 3A No. 3 Heritage Hills on Dec. 2 at Brownsburg.

It's also about how. The success undeniably begins with point guard and possible Indiana All-Star Josiah Dunham. The senior was averaging 23.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists going into a win over Henderson County (Ky.) on Tuesday. Billed as “the hardest working kid in the program” by his coach, Dunham became the 75th boy in state history to eclipse 2,000 career points at Southridge on Jan. 20.

Evansville Christian isn’t winning at this pace without an improved lineup around him. Davis, a 6-8 center, is a potential double-double and rim protector. Lynn is another double-digit scorer and shooter. Junior Kaden Naab gives the Eagles another ball handler, perimeter defender and shooter. Senior Jackson Chesser does “anything and everything.” Senior Santanna Williams, who missed last season with a torn ACL, can guard all five positions.

The Eagles believe they can go seven or eight deep this year.

“I think it’s a summer of hard work,” said Dunham, who is receiving Division II interest. “We have basically the same team minus one guy. Jackson Chesser is the strongest guy in any game we play. Luke Davis has taken strides that you don’t see kids normally take in high school. We all saw what it took and really bought into getting better.”

Kruse also points to an improved defensive mindset throughout the program. ECS allowed 60.6 points per game in his first season. The number has dropped to 47.2 this winter despite a schedule rated the second-toughest in Class 1A.

"I consider myself a better offensive coach," Kruse said. "It’s kind of killing my soul a little bit, but we’re getting known as a defensive program. What’s really exciting from a program perspective is the younger kids are seeing how hard you have to work to be successful. We’re having a trickle-down effect."

How last season ended was a "reality check" for ECS

It was difficult to describe how different the state tournament would be. ECS quickly learned.

The Eagles were provisional members of the Indiana High School Athletic Association for a four-year period upon starting the school. They could not compete in the sectional until becoming full members. Their first experience came last year.

Evansville Christian was arguably the sectional favorite with a top-10 ranking. Nothing went to plan. It took a buzzer-beater against eight-win Wood Memorial to escape the first round. The season ended in overtime to Northeast Dubois in the championship. The Eagles left the gym stunned.

“It was a reality check,” said Davis. “We’re good but had a lot more improving to do. We felt like we could win that and were shocked."

The moment became the crux of the following 12 months. Players hit the summer with a different mindset both in practice and the weight room. They started buying into team defense and creating more depth. The goal? Be better.

The sectional championship game still comes up. If the team is lacking in focus, Kruse reminds them of Northeast Dubois and how easy it is to fall short of the prize. The Eagles have routinely found those winning plays this year that influence the result.

“First thing we learned was everybody is 0-0 and can beat anybody,” Dunham said. “We took a focused approach about being intentional with our work, especially on defense. Make the winning plays for each other.”

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The shock of playing in the state tournament or hostile environments – the Eagles only had six home games this season – is over. That doesn’t equal an easy path moving forward. Class 1A South is traditionally one of the toughest to navigate. Five of the top 10 teams in Sagarin are in the same potential regional group.

Nothing is guaranteed. Evansville Christian now has a target every night. Yet, the Eagles believe they have the correct mindset. It started last March. It’s been building from a program that hosted its first varsity basketball game five seasons ago.

“We talked about the disappointment last year,” said Kruse. “We beat the teams in this sectional, but it doesn’t guarantee us anything. They really bought into the weight room and challenged themselves. The kids are hungry.”

Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville Christian boys basketball eyes IHSAA state tournament run