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IHSAA basketball preview: Team-by-team look at Class 2A in Central Indiana

kyle neddenriep, indianapolis star
·6 min read

Here is a look at the local Class 2A boys basketball sectional fields (teams ranked in order of finish, by sectional):

Defending state champion: Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian

Local sectional winners in 2022-23: Scecina, Park Tudor

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Sectional 40

Wapahani (25-2)

Lapel (12-13) – Coach Kevin Cherry goes into his second season with a veteran team that returns five of its six top scorers. Projected starters are 6-foot sophomore Devin Craig (2.9 ppg, 1.3 assists in 15 games), 6-3 junior and leading scorer Brode Judge (14.0 ppg, 2.5 rebounds, 37.5% 3-pointers), 6-4 junior Bode Judge (10.5 ppg, 5.0 rebounds), 6-3 senior Nick Witte (5.7 ppg, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists) and 6-4 senior Matt Carpenter (6.2 ppg, 4.2 rebounds). Other projected contributors will be 6-foot sophomore Quinn Wilkins, 6-foot junior Hunter Suchyna and 6-4 sophomore Luke Jones. Lapel is looking for its first sectional title in six years.

Winchester (13-11)

Alexandria (8-16)

Wes-Del (9-13)

Muncie Burris (10-15)

Monroe Central (10-15)

Sectional 42

Triton Central (17-7) – Mark James takes over as coach with the next win his 600th in his career. The Tigers will be young and inexperienced and will not have a lot of size. The likely starting lineup will be 6-foot sophomore Eli Sego (12.2 ppg, 3.5 rebounds, 47% 3-pointers), junior guard Sam Collier, 6-foot sophomore Max Crouse (6.0 ppg, 1.9 rebounds, 42% 3-pointers), 6-4 junior Taggart Goul (1.1 ppg, 1.7 rebounds) and junior post Silas Blair (9.9 ppg, 4.9 rebounds). Others in the mix for playing time will be junior guard Gavin Morgan, sophomore guard Keegan Canter, junior post Rex Lory and senior guard Sam Kemper.

Indianapolis Scecina Memorial High School junior David Mendez (12) makes a pass to senior Keaton Thibo (1) during the second half of an IHSAA Class 2A Semi-State semi-final basketball game against Brownstown Central High School, Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Southport High School. Brownstown Central won, 56-42.
Indianapolis Scecina Memorial High School junior David Mendez (12) makes a pass to senior Keaton Thibo (1) during the second half of an IHSAA Class 2A Semi-State semi-final basketball game against Brownstown Central High School, Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Southport High School. Brownstown Central won, 56-42.

Scecina (18-7) – Second-year coach Jim Stanbrough looks to build off the program’s second regional championship in its history, though the Crusaders lost quite a bit of talent with only three varsity players returning in 5-11 senior David Mendez (6.6 ppg, 2.6 assists), 6-6 senior Seth Trimble Sunderland (3.4 ppg, 2.3 rebounds) and 6-foot junior Clifford Brown (2.9 ppg). Others in the mix for playing time are 6-2 senior Ty Walker, 6-2 junior Henry Weimer, 5-10 junior Joe Alarcon, 6-1 junior Brandon Ratcliff, 6-2 sophomore Caleb Davis, 6-3 sophomore Jacob Marshall, 5-11 sophomore Adrian Hill and 5-9 freshman Tristan Brown. In addition to graduation, Scecina was hit by three key transfer losses.

Eastern Hancock (19-7) – Longtime assistant Brett Bechtel takes over as coach but will have an inexperienced team with four starters gone to graduation, including the Spaulding twins (Jacob and Silas) now at Franklin College. The top returning scorer is 6-4 junior Kayden Ruble (5.6 ppg, 5.8 rebounds), who will be joined in the starting lineup by 5-10 senior Luke Morris (3.7 ppg, 2.1 rebounds), 5-11 senior Charlie Halcomb, 6-4 senior Caiden Willis (1.8 ppg) and 6-foot junior Luke Schilling. Other players expected to contribute are 6-foot sophomore Eli Manship, 6-foot junior Garrett Shaw, 5-11 sophomore Caden Powers and 5-10 junior Myles Wennen. Over the last four years, Eastern Hancock has 72 wins.

Riverside (9-11) – Second-year coach Stephen Calhoun has a team that improved steadily last season junior guard Bini Hopper (9.5 ppg, 1.1 assists), senior Elijah Cuttino (5.1 ppg, 1.6 rebounds) and senior Gerald Pope (10.5 ppg, 1.2 rebounds).

Irvington (4-20) – First-year coach Brandon Scott takes over a program that has won four games each of the past two seasons.

Sectional 43

Hudson Horvath (21) of Park Tudor High School works against Jacob Franklin (5) of Lawrence Central High School on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, during a game won by Lawrence Central 72-67, at LCHS.
Hudson Horvath (21) of Park Tudor High School works against Jacob Franklin (5) of Lawrence Central High School on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, during a game won by Lawrence Central 72-67, at LCHS.

Park Tudor (16-9) – Coach Tim Adams goes into his sixth season coming off the program’s first sectional championship since 2016. He expects this to be a tough, connected and skilled group. The starting group will be 5-10 senior Ben Wilkerson (5.5 ppg), 6-1 junior Hudson Horvath (14.0 ppg, 4.0 rebounds), 6-2 senior Kamon Washington (8.0 ppg, 5.0 rebounds), 6-7 junior Cal Bostic (5.0 ppg, 7.0 rebounds) and 6-4 sophomore Keylan Smith (5.0 ppg, 7.0 rebounds). Others in the rotation will be 6-2 junior KJ Mark (6.0 ppg), 6-5 sophomore Eli Bennett, 6-4 junior Montell Johnson, sophomore Miles Wiley, freshman Griffyn Robisch, senior Drew Miller, 6-6 sophomore Brennan Dokes and sophomore Eland Edwards.

Covenant Christian (14-10) – Coach Scott Flatt loses senior leadership in Tony Flatt and Andrew Crane from last year’s team but he expects this to be a deep team that will improve throughout the season. Likely starters are 6-4 senior Nef Farrell (4.3 ppg, 1.5 rebounds), 6-2 senior Paxton Bacon (6.3 ppg, 2.3 rebounds, 49% 3-pointers), 5-11 senior Jameson Laughlin (5.5 ppg, 1.5 assists), 6-5 senior Sam Woehr (3.6 ppg, 2.5 rebounds, 38% 3-pointers) and 6-1 junior Mark Crane. Others in the mix for playing time are 6-foot junior Joe Midla, 5-10 junior Nile Hopson (Avon transfer), 5-11 junior Mell Grandberry (Avon transfer), 5-10 senior Luke Munoz, 6-4 senior Devon Rudolph (Bethesda Christian transfer) and 6-2 junior Bryce Harris.

University (22-3) – New coach Justin Blanding moves over after coaching the University girls team to three regional titles and five sectional championships the past eight seasons. Blanding expects the guard play to be a strength with 5-8 senior Bryce Gray (6.0 ppg, 1.9 assists), 5-8 senior Robert Russell (6.0 ppg, 1.5 rebounds) and 6-2 junior and Westfield transfer Max McComb starting in the backcourt. Other projected starters are 6-3 senior Montgomery Holland and 6-4 sophomore Cooper Cammack. Sophomore Blake Gray, junior Zien Bland and junior Hayden Hyde will also play key roles for the Trailblazers. Blanding believes this team’s versatility will allow it to compete with bigger, stronger teams.

Sheridan (10-13) – Coach Bill Bowen goes into his second season with a team that is bigger, stronger and faster than a year ago. Three starters return in 5-10 junior Trent Decrane (12.5 ppg, 5.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds), 6-1 junior Caleb Wright (16.3 ppg, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.2 steals) and 6-2 senior Tyler Garner (7.0 ppg, 3.3 rebounds). Others in the mix for playing time are 6-2 junior Carson Wright, 5-10 junior Owen Bell (6.5 ppg, 1.8 assists), 6-3 junior Damon Winston, 6-2 senior Parker Williams (3.7 ppg, 4.9 rebounds) and 6-foot sophomore Trey Page.

Cascade (7-17) – Coach Dan Carpenter goes into his third season with a hungry group that should be tough and have the ability to defend. Returnees who played varsity minutes last season are 6-5 junior Connor Sanders (6.9 ppg, 3.1 rebounds), 6-5 junior Carter Sanders (2.0 ppg, 1.3 rebounds), 6-1 senior Drake Dodson (7.7 ppg, 2.2 rebounds), 6-3 senior Gavin Weakley, 6-1 sophomore Brady Trebley and 5-10 sophomore Toby Savini (2.7 ppg).

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school basketball preview: 2A predictions, top players