I started this thing back in September with 10 weeks until the start of the regular season (5 teams per week). It’s finally time for my preseason top 5 teams in Indiana High School Basketball this season. These teams obviously have the ability to cut down the nets in Indy next March, but a couple may not make it out of their own sectional. That’s how wide open it is this year in 4A. To me, there’s 2 teams that have separated themselves in the state of Indiana this season. We’ve got one team looking to reclaim their past glory from the beginning days of class basketball. There’s a team that undoubtedly features the frontrunner for Mr. Basketball and wants to take it a step further from last year’s semi state appearance. There’s the perennial power on the northside that has to be considered a favorite until someone knocks them off in 4A North. A team with a mix of returning players and transfers makes their way into my top 5 with lots of underclassmen. And finally the class of The Region this year looks to take the drive down 65 South after back to back semi state appearances. Let’s finish up strong with our final rankings; the Top 5.
5. Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Marauders- After a semi state appearance where MV had eventual state champs, Jeffersonville on the ropes up 10 (I believe) going into the 4th quarter, the Marauders look to take it a step further this year to Bankers Life. Senior point guard and Mr. Basketball favorite, Luke Ertel is one of those guys that can lead a team to a state title. The Purdue- signee can do a little bit of everything. He’s a deadly 3 pt. shooter, can get others set up and involved, and take it to the basket strong. Ertel just seems like a level above everyone else most every time I’ve seen him play in the last year. The Marauders also expect a breakout year from 6’8 junior Max Vise. Vise looks to improve on his 8.3 ppg and 3.6 rbs last season. He gives MV a true post for Ertel to feed if they look to double him. Senior guard Elijah Parra is a very good compliment in the backcourt for MV after averaging 9.3 ppg last season. Outside of those 3 is where there starts to be questions. LN transfer Jamar Thomas was looking to play a big part for MV this year after playing with the team in the summer but was ruled ineligible. That ruling could end up really hurting the Marauders later on in the tournament. A freshman that looks to make an impact sooner rather than later is 6’1 guard Keegan Battles. Battles has a chance to be a special player for MV. If the Marauders can find another piece or two to contribute 7-8 ppg on a given night they’ll be able to beat anyone. Depth is the only question for MV this year.
Key Games;
December 6 v. Fishers @ Brownsburg
December 26 v. SB St. Joe’s @ Homestead Tourney
February 5 v. Noblesville
February 10 @ Pike
4. Lawrence Central Bears- This is certainly an interesting team this season. The Bears come off a 12-10 year, which doesn’t seem like a strong year, but they bring back some of their best players along with a slew of incoming transfers. In fact, if there was an award for team that ‘won’ the transfer portal in the offseason, it’s got to be LC. Senior point guard Doron Harris is the Bears leading returning scorer at 13.8 ppg and is one of the more underrated guards in all of Indy. Harris is extremely good at getting down hill and finishing. 6’0 senior Albert Gooden also returns and is an excellent athlete that’s extremely quick that the Bears can throw at defenders. Gooden averaged 8.8 ppg last year on 50% shooting. 6’6 high flyer Dayton Stephens is another senior that is good for at least one highlight a game. If Stephens can become consistent that will take his game to another level. Junior JJ Craig is one of the more highly rated 2027s in the state. Craig should be an instant starter after winning the 16u national title with Indy Heat over the summer and transferring from Warren Central to LC. The Bears got a real boost when junior Caleb Wells and his brother Vincent came into the school system from Georgia. Caleb is regarded as a top 10 talent in Indiana’s c/o ’27 and it sounds like he has big time potential. What was North Central’s loss was LC’s gain. The Bears gained two transfers from the Panthers in 6’5 senior Gavin Petty and 6’3 junior Jeremiah Bellamy. Both Petty and Bellamy could lead the Bears in scoring on a given night and put this team over the top into my Top 5. 6’4 senior Terry Walker is another long wing that LC can throw out on the floor after averaging 5 ppg last year. The Bears can throw waves of bodies at teams this year and there’s lot of offensive firepower and talent to go along with it. There’s not one true dominant big on the roster so expect LC to play super fast and up-tempo.
Key Games;
December 5 v. Carmel
December 10 v. Lawrence North
February 14 @ Ben Davis
February 17 @ Pike
3. Pike Red Devils- Speaking of 12-10 teams from a season ago, the Red Devils also finished just above .500 and saw their season end in the sectional. They’ve certainly got the talent on paper to do it but is this the year it will all come together? Talent-wise this team wins the state title. The question is will it come together this year? It starts with nationally ranked 6’10 junior center Isaiah Hill. Defensively Hill is a monster inside that if he’s not blocking shots he’s certainly altering them. Think a combo of Flory Bidunga and Xavier Booker (and remember he’s still just starting his junior year). Hill is just now starting to step out and hit the mid range and outside shot and inside he’s dunking everything. 6’3 guard Jahari Miller is another junior that (right now) is as highly rated as Hill. Miller was the lead player for an Indy Heat 16U team that won the national title this past summer. He’s an unafraid athlete going to the basket and can knockdown shots from anywhere on the floor. It’s a real possibility Miller is the top player in the c/o ’27 depending on who you ask and with a big year and state title (after a championship in the summer), the #1 spot would be his.
Key Games;
January 6 @ Noblesville
January 9 @ Fishers
February 5 v. Ben Davis
February 17 v. Lawrence Central
2. Fishers Tigers- Coach Winegar’s machine just keeps on rolling. Fishers has become the premier program in the state the last few years and the model for others to aspire to (and I’m including any prep schools in Indiana). You could easily argue and say Fishers should be the #1 ranked team and I would be fine with it. They return the best backcourt in the state in juniors Jason Gardner and Cooper Zachary plus adding an Indiana All Star- level transfer in 6’8 Kai McGrew. For good measure they’ve more than likely have the best incoming freshmen class in the state. So there’s every reason to think the Tigers get back to Bankers Life in March. The 6’1 Gardner is my #1 ranked player in the c/o ’27 and now this is his and Zachary’s team. Gardner put up 14.5 ppg last year while mostly getting his points all on drives to the basket. I’m not sure anyone can stop him 1 v. 1 from getting to the basket. The 5’10 Zachary is a big time shooter and pest on defense that just wins. He’s a two year starter that has been to two state finals. The LN transfer, McGrew is a piece they didn’t have last season. He’s a bigger/ upgraded version of a kid Fishers had 2 years ago, Keenan Gardner. Kai is big and strong inside while having a nice shooting touch from outside. Two freshmen that will get to see (if not start) varsity time this year is 6’6 Max Hopkins who will just keep getting better going up against McGrew in practice everyday and 6’3 Tristian Breland, who may be the state’s top overall in the c/o ’29. 6’2 senior Tommy Williams, Torey Breland, and Jean Claude L’homme will see their PT and roles increased as well. Fisher’s class of ’25 with Justin Kirby, JonAnthony Hall, Nathan Baker, Logan Sigler, and Millen McCartney was extremely good and was full of winners. If there is any questions about Fishers it’s replacing an all that talent from last season.
Key Games;
November 25 v. Ben Davis
December 5 v. Noblesville
January 9 v. Pike
January 31 @ Carmel
1. Crown Point Bulldogs- I’m getting last year’s Jeffersonville vibes with this Crown Point squad. They’ve got an inside/ strong big to play through, a high level D1 shooting guard, and probably better and more depth at the guard spot. CP has been to back to back semi state’s losing to Fishers both seasons so they’ve got the motivation and are full of upperclassmen that have played together 4 years to get back and have another shot. They also played Fishers in the summer @ the Charlie Hughes and beat the Tigers just like Jeffersonville did the previous summer. It’s really a coin toss (in my opinion) on who the number 1 team is between the 2 but the similarities are undeniable. It stars with 6’6 forward Dikembe Shaw who comes in for his last ride with the Bulldogs. Shaw is a strong of an inside player as there is in h.s. ball and has recently gotten pretty good from the outside. He’s a top 3 player in the c/o ’26. Another D1 signee, 6’2 Mason Darrell is a big time competitor and can light it up from anywhere. He’s strong and aggressive getting to the basket and has the athleticism to finish. Seniors Kingston and Kaiden Rhodes are back for their senior seasons in the backcourt. Both are lightning quick and handle the ball. Senior Bryce Peters is another big time guard that can help handle the offense and be a lockdown defender on the perimeter. 6’7 senior big Cooper Malaski can help backup inside and give the Bulldogs some really strong size downlow. 6’2 junior guard Reid Kaegi is a riser in the c/o ’27 and could find himself into the starting rotation. A sophomore that can help with depth is 6’4 guard MJ Wilson who had a really strong spring/ summer of AAU ball. A name to know in the coming years for CP is 6’2 Trey Hardaway. CP’s senior class has accomplished alot and want (and expect) a state title to cap off their careers.
Key Games;
December 13 v. Carmel @ Southport
December 23 v. Silver Creek @ HOF Classic
December 30 v. Cathedral
January 23 v. Chesterton
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