It’s the end of September and now that the player rankings are done, it’s time to start the Top 50 countdown. That means there’s about 8 weeks until the season starts so we’ll countdown 5 teams roughly each week, regardless of class that I feel should belong in the Top 50. We’re going to start out with a tie @ #50 and we’ll have a few teams tied as we go through the countdown. There’s a team in the southeastern part of Indiana that is returning their top ppg player off a sectional title. A 4A team in northern Indiana in a sectional that is up for grabs. A 3A team that returns after a couple years playing up in 4A. A 2A squad down in southern Indiana that is looking to make some noise back in their original class after a couple years in 3A. A team in the Ft. Wayne area that could be one of the bigger surprises in the 260. And finally a big school that is in somewhat of a rebuild after graduating a couple of Indiana All Stars. Let’s take a look at the first few teams of the Top 50.
Rankings 46- 50
(t) 50. Brownstown Braves- When you give Coach Dave Benter some solid talent, there’s almost a guarantee they’re going to overachieve. After a couple years spent in 3A the Braves are back down to 2A and in a good sectional 45 along with Austin, South Ripley and Southwestern (Hanover). Don’t count out this Brownstown team as pulling a surprise run in 2A this year. 6’2 senior guard Brock Dean leads the team and may be the teams leading scorer this season. 6’5 junior Eli Hutchison had a career high 35 pts against Salem last season and is a physical big. If you’re from the Brownstown area he reminds some of Marty Young from about 20 years ago. Senior Kylis Brock is their defensive specialist and another multi-sport athlete that the Braves have an abundance of. A really good sophomore that has a chance to be a special player for Brownstown is 6’4 Nolan Nehrt. Nehrt will likely find himself in a starting role. Camdyn Nierman is another sophomore that will find a role on this team, as will Alex Hobson, both guards. The biggest thing with the Braves is most of their kids are all on their football team that are likely to make a long run into late November/ early December so Brownstown may not look like themselves well into the new year.
Key Games
December 11 @ Scottsburg
January 15 v. Silver Creek
January 29 v. Charlestown
(t) 50. Scottsburg Warriors- The Warriors return to where they belong in class 3A after spending the last two in 4A. The lone boys basketball state championship in school history back in 2024 was worth the 2 years playing up. It’s not often you get a group like Kody Clancy, Jack Miller, Wyatt Zellers, and Caden Richardson going through your basketball program at the same time and the Warriors took advantage of it. Everyone with any varsity experience is gone from that 2024 group and there’s a sort of reloading process. Scottsburg has some good height and length in 6’5 senior Jarin Luttrell who is the teams leading returning scorer. Luttrell has a good from the outside and creates some mismatch problems for the defense. A breakout candidate is 6’5 junior Caiden Boswell who is also a good outside shooter. If you’re playing for Coach Richardson in this system you better be able to shoot the ball because the Warriors play fast and let it fly. There were games last year that 5’10 sophomore guard Jaxon Owens let the team in scoring. 6’3 sophomore Caleb Salas is expected to step into a bigger role this season and maybe into the starting lineup. Salas is one of the more athletic players on this squad. Senior Braden Cox returns in the backcourt and Jr. Bennett Pearcy both whom can help handle the ball and get hot from 3. Scottsburg finished 13-11 last year with a young lineup. They play in a tough MSC conference and Sectional 30 but expect some good basketball this year in the ‘Burg.
Key Games
December 4 v. Charlestown
February 12 @ Silver Creek
February 16 v. Trinity Lutheran
49. Batesville Bulldogs– Coming in @ #49 we’re going to go with the defending Sectional 29 champions. Batesville and Coach Aaron Garrett have some returning players to work with that were strong varsity contributors last year. Starting with 6’4 lefty, James Hughes who put up 19.5 ppg on 53% shooting. Hughes is one of the better bucket getters in the southern part of the state and averaged a very good 7.1 rbs per game. Also returning in the backcourt is Kamryn Holcomb who put up 11.7 ppg last year and almost 4 rbs per game. Senior Braydin Hughes, Senior Levin Hunt, Jr. Winston Garrett, Sr. Preston Blessing will all add good depth to the team and some may find a starting spot. Look for 6’3 sophomore Hank Bohman to make his way into the lineup eventually and have a breakout year. 6’7 Jr. Camden Kaiser will give the Dogs some much needed size down low. The Bulldogs went 20-5 last season before giving Silver Creek a very good and high scoring regional game that ended their season. With the right draw Batesville could find their way to avoid Silver Creek this time and make a semi state appearance this year. Getting past an improved Greensburg team and very capable South Dearborn squad in their own sectional will be a challenge.
Key Games
December 4 v. Greensburg
December 22 v. South Ripley
February 4 v. South Dearborn
48. Warsaw Tigers- After a really strong class of 2025 graduated, the Tigers went 13-12 with a young group. I may be a year early with having Warsaw in the Top 50 but they’ve got some more young talent coming through, as well as returning players. Mydin Burgher graduating his 18 ppg hurts but most of the rest are back in the orange and black. Senior guard Samuel Lara is the leading returning scorer at almost 10 ppg and 3.4 assists. A really good junior that is ready to step up into a bigger role is 6’6 Drew Jones who put up 8 ppg and 5.4 rbs. Jones has a chance to be one of the area’s breakthrough players. 6’0 sophomore guard Nash Wiggins is another player that looks to step into a starting role and is one of the Tigers better shooters. Alex Higdon is another sophomore guard that will be counted to step up his production from last year. What really is going to put Warsaw over the top is a strong group of incoming freshmen. 6’0 guard Liam Kitch is expected to be the Tigers first freshman starter since Nic Moore around 20 years ago. Kitch is a bucket getter and they’ll be some games that he’ll lead the team in scoring. Emmitt Neely is another freshman that could see some good varsity minutes and work his way into the rotation. Sectional 4 is more up for grabs than it has been the last few years so there’s a chance the young Tigers can win a sectional trophy.
Key Games
December 11 v. Portage
December 22 @ Merrillville
January 8 v. Northridge
January 30 @ Elkhart
47. Huntington North Vikings- There’s some talk around the Ft. Wayne area that the Vikings are one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the area this year. Returning leading scorer Sr. Titus Schultz and his 15 ppg helps. Schultz can really score it and looks to increase his average this year. Jr. Braydin Freiberg is an athletic 6’4 forward that averaged 9.2 ppg last year and just over 5 rebounds. 6’4 Jr. Brody Bolen will have to step into a starting spot this year and increase his 4 ppg from last season. 6’2 Jr. Camden Keyser is back and should find his way into the starting lineup for the Vikings. 6’3 Jr. Andrew McCutcheon has some good potential that played primarily all junior varsity last year that could impress HN fans @ the varsity level this year. The Vikings have a pretty strong group of juniors and their year may be in 27-28 but they could come together and surprise some people this year. Sectional 4 is super tough with Homestead, FW South, and FW Wayne and it’s possible Huntington North goes into the sectional as heavy underdogs. There’s no easy draw with just a 4 team sectional having a strong year should be expected.
Key Games
December 5 v. Warsaw
January 20 @ FW Wayne
January 26 v. FW South
February 6 @ New Haven
46. Noblesville Millers- Losing two Indiana All Stars in Justin Curry and Baron Walker hurt, bad. Adding the fact they’re in arguably the state’s toughest sectional and it’s not much optimism this season in Noblesville. But I got to watch this group in the summer against Westview @ the Charlie Hughes and although they got down early, the Millers fought back and made a real game of it against a Westview team that went 4-0 that weekend. Two juniors look to lead the way this year in Evan Magsamen and Barrett Rucker. The 6’5 Magsamen put up at least 20 pts in the game I saw and will get some good NAIA looks by the time he leaves Noblesville. Rucker is another 6’5 versatile combo guard/ wing. Both will have to step up their ppg with so much graduation and points gone off of last year’s team. 6’0 senior Luke Fogg will also be expected to step into a starting/ more important role for the Millers. Sophomores Finn Neu and Luke Lisinski may find their way into the varsity rotation towards the end of the year. The Millers may not have the 18 or 19 W record like some of these teams in the Top 50 but their schedule is always one of the more challenging ones in the state each year.
Key Games
November 28 @ Plainfield
December 4 v. Fishers
January 5 v. Indy Shortridge
February 13 @ New Haven