This book is a memoir that reflects and compares the past present and future of Indiana High School Basketball and its amazing tradition. In the process of reflecting on my experiences as a player, coach and administrator this book honors family, teammates, players, coaches, administrators and friends who have been a part of my life and shared many of these experiences.

This book is intended to be enjoyable for the true basketball fan and informative for those who are students of the game.

The words of wisdom, past experiences and how challenges were handled back in the day might serve as valuable advice for todays coaches as they strive to better meet the needs of the players they serve today.

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Southport opened up on-line purchase of tickets for Saturday's regional at Noon today.

I bought two tickets - tix are $10 with a $3 service fee.

Click on the link at this website

Southport Regional Tickets

My contact down south called me awhile ago. Apparently the boys job at Shoals is either open or about to be open. Bryson Abel has or is stepping down after several years at the helm.

South Central girls - Departing Coach Lynn Thomas
ELIZABETH, Ind. -- Rachel Conder (Closed 3/8)

Anderson, Ind. -- Thanks to an update, Anderson Prep has a new leading scorer. Jack Scott finished the 2021 season with 1155 points - now listed with top honors for the Jets. The previous career leading scorer for APA was Noah Long (1024) graduating in 2015..

Southport, Ind. -- Thanks to an update, Southport High School has a new leading scorer AJ Dancler finished his season with 1456 points - now listed with top honors for the Cardinals. The previous career leading scorer for Southport was Kellon Thomas (1366) graduating in 2012..



Link to complete list: https://hickoryhusker.n.rivals.com/news/career-leading-scorers-by-school

!5 Sectionals still to play Monday nite but here is what has transpired so far.

Nine droughters have won:
Lake Station 1941
Fort Wayne Wayne 94
Indian Creek 2000
Gibson Southern 02
John Glenn 05
Bethany Christian 09
South Bend Washington 10
Noblesville 10
Columbus North 13


Ten other schools playing Monday nite to end 10 or more years of droughts
West Noble 1966
Mishawaka 86
Michigan City 95
Rising Sun 98
Bishop Chatard 04
Scottsburg 05
Jennings County 05
Corydon 10
Hammond Central New school
Illiana Christian New

Teams that lost again but deserved better?
Shoals 1913 Give a team a break!
Fishers 1922 But of course they were closed for 30 yrs
Harrison West Laf 1999 had Kokomo on the ropes
North Posey 1966 Lost by one !
Indpls Ritt 09 Almost knocked off Defending 3A champ
Frontier 89 Lost a squeaker

Surprise Winners:

Twin Lakes 5 % chance of winning
Gibson Southern 13%
Scecina 10 %

Two former Indiana high school basketball coaches were recognized among the honorees of the John Wooden Legacy Coaching Award presented by the National High School Basketball Coaches Association, it was announced Thursday (March 2).

Jack Butcher, former long-time boys’ coach at Loogootee, and Cinda Rice Brown, the former girls’ coach at Rushville, are the 2022-23 honorees from the Hoosier state as nominated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The two are among 61 winners from 31 states in an NHSBCA program coordinated with the Wooden family.

The award honors scholastic basketball coaches from around the country who are educators and have achieved excellence on the floor, in the classroom and in the community that further embody the characteristics and legacy of the late John Wooden. The criteria for the award are rooted in the ideals of education, longevity, character, service and excellence.

Butcher, with an 806-250 career record, was Indiana’s all-time boys’ basketball winningest coach when he retired from coaching in 2002. Brown, with a 448-109 record in IHSAA games, was Indiana’s all-time girls’ basketball winningest coach when she stepped down in 2000.

Butcher, 90, is a 1951 Loogootee graduate who helped his team to three sectional titles and earned all-sectional and all-regional honors as a senior. He was the Lions’ career leading scorer when he graduated and then went on to a four-season career over six years at Memphis State University as his time in college was interrupted by two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Butcher was a three-year starter at Memphis State, being named an NCAA all-regional player in 1956 and to the all-NIT team as a senior in 1957 when his team was the NIT runner-up. The Boston Celtics selected Butcher in the 10th round of the 1957 NBA Draft, but he turned down that opportunity to instead return home to Loogootee as the school’s basketball coach – a position he held for 45 years while working for six superintendents and eight principals.

During Butcher’s tenure at Loogootee, his teams posted 43 winning seasons with 14 20-win seasons, four undefeated regular seasons (1962-63, 1974-75, 1981-82 and 1989-90) and three one-loss regular seasons (1966-67, 1976-77 and 1979-80). In the postseason, his Lions claimed championships in 20 sectionals, eight regionals and two semi-states with a state runner-up finish in 1975.

Butcher coached 11 players who scored 1,000 points or more during their careers and two Indiana All-Stars in Junior Gee (1963) and son Bill Butcher (1975). He was named Indiana’s state Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1975, was an IBCA district Coach of the Year in 1980 and 1989, and was Indiana’s nominee for NFHS national Coach of the Year in 1970, 1999, 2001 and 2002. In 2004, he authored a book entitled “Butcher Ball: It’s Not Just a Game.”

In 1986, he was among founding members of the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association, a group that serves coaches in southern Indiana. He was the group’s first executive director and was inducted into the HBCA Hall of Excellence in 2013.

Butcher also received an IBCA Virgil Sweet Award in 2003 and has been awarded “Keys to the City” in Loogootee, Indianapolis and Memphis. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Memphis State (now University of Memphis) Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. He was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Frank O’Bannon in 2000. The current Loogootee High School gymnasium was named The Jack Butcher Sports Arena in 1983, and it is located on Butcher Boulevard, the roadway being renamed in his honor from Vincennes Street in 2000.

“I think my longevity had so do with the fact it was my hometown,” Butcher told the Bedford Times-Mail in 2002 after his retirement. “It was a dream of mine, before I was ever qualified to coach, before I realized I would be able to go to college. … I sometimes think it was destiny that I stayed here as long as I did.”

Since retiring, Butcher has helped create two scholarships that annually benefit Loogootee graduating seniors. The first was founded in 2004 and now is called the Butcher2-Gee-Brett Scholarship in honor of the four Loogootee players who have been inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (Jack Butcher, Junior Gee, Steve Brett and Bill Butcher). The second was founded in 2011 through the Martin County Community Foundation and is called the Jack and Rita Butcher Loogootee Basketball Family Scholarship. Nearly 65 students have received scholarships from the two funds.

Butcher still attends Loogootee basketball games and plays golf when he can. He used to fish a lot and has enjoyed traveling with his wife to Alaska, Canada, the Bahamas and to Florida among other places over the years. He and his wife, Rita, have seven children, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren with two more on the way.

Maybe - Maybe - an interesting piece of IHSAA State Tournament history today.

Earlier today, Faith Christian lost to my Alma Mater Rossville in the Semi-Finals of the Fountain Central Sectional.

With that, no Tippecanoe County team played in a Sectional Championship game this year.

As best as I can recall or find out (fairly quickly), that is the first time in history a Tippecanoe County team did not play for a Sectional title. That goes back to the Peach Basket days and jump balls after every basket!

"Central dispatch received a third-party call from a law enforcement official in Illinois who reported limited information about a possible school shooting. The official indicated that a male subject, claiming to be in Tell City, called him with indirect and non-specific details about a school shooting. ... A thorough sweep of the school was conducted by law enforcement officers and no concerns were noted.

"Detectives promptly tracked down the adult male Tell City resident that placed the initial call. It was determined that no credible information existed to substantiate a threat to our schools or community. Information that is delivered indirectly and without details often becomes misguided. However, our agency will always take proactive measures in the spirit of public safety."

Cowan girls - Departing Coach Jeff Tharp
MUNCIE, Ind. -- (Updated 3/3) It’s now official that Coach Tharp will not be returning for a fifth season at Cowan. The Blackhawks went 39-53 during that span - most recently finishing 10-14. Varsity Clubber with a limited report on this one, but does mention sr-2-b guard Davelynn Lindsay as proven contributor and leader. JV is reportedly horrible. Routinely blown out last season. 8th grade was competitive - just under .500. 7th grade also described as very weak. No teaching positions yet open. No timeline set yet for hiring process.

Last night at the Elkhart sectional, Warsaw had zero students in the students section. I am hearing rumors of a boycott but was hoping someone with more intel could give insight. Warsaw was the second best team (behind prohibitive favorite Penn) and lost a close one last night. Their missing student sections was noticeable.

New Albany boys – Departing Coach Jim Shannon
NEW ALBANY, Ind. – (Updated 3/2) Matt Lynch is not interested in the New Albany job and plans to stay at Charlestown.

Speedway HS is looking to add 3 games to our schedule next season. Dates open and if we would have to travel are as follows:

Nov. 14, 15, 21 (Travel), 22
Dec. 19 (Travel), 20 (Travel), 21, 22, 29 (Travel), 30
Jan. 9 (Travel), 16 (Travel), 17, 18, 19 (Travel)

Please reach out to Head Coach, Joe Smith at jsmith@speedwayschools.net if interested.

Indiana has lost a truly great supporter of high school basketball, Earl Mishler has passed away. A long time sportswriter at the South Bend Tribune, LaPorte Herald Argus, the Elkhart Truth, and the Knox Leader, his biggest achievement.. the ETPearl website. ETPearl was a statistical wonder and a celebration of high school basketball long before John Harrell came on the scene. He was a great guy and an even greater friend

[Players, coaches, fans and even cheerleaders broke out into a massive brawl following a girls' playoff basketball game at a high school in Oklahoma.
In a video obtained by TMZ Sports, players from Tulsa Central High School and Star Spencer High School are seen physically fighting on the court while several teammates and attendees attempted to break up the fight at Morris High School on Friday.]

Massive Brawl Breaks Out at an Oklahoma High School Girls' Basketball Game

Players, parents, coaches, and fans were involved in the altercation at Morris High School on Friday night

news.yahoo.com

Here's the part that gets me..

"Despite the incident, the Central Lady Braves played the following day against Millwood and won ... making them the Regional Consolation Champs."

Sounds like Indiana schools (not so much sports, but classrooms) in that regard. Lesson learned -> No big deal. When are we going to start dropping the hammer again, and make kids understand there are some things that are simply not permissible without real consequences?? Drives me crazy.

[SOUTH BEND — Adams boys basketball coach Chad Johnston is expected to be back on the bench when his Eagles open 4A sectional play Tuesday vs. Michigan City at LaPorte. Tipoff is 6:30 p.m. (EST).]

Chad Johnston reinstated as South Bend Adams boys basketball coach

Sixth-year Eagles coach had been on administrative leave since Feb. 16

www.southbendtribune.com

Fifteen seniors and 15 underclass girls' basketball players have earned IBCA/Franciscan Health "Supreme 15" All-State honors for 2022-23, it was announced Tuesday (Feb. 28).
The IBCA also named Large School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass) and Small School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass).

The "Supreme 15" is the top honor awarded, and players were voted to that group without regard to school size. The Large School and Small School all-state teams are secondary accolades -- the Large School group including players from Class 3A and Class 4A schools and the Small School group including players from Class A and Class 2A schools. Players who make the Supreme 15 are not considered for Large School or Small School honors.

In addition, 90 more seniors and 90 more underclass players were selected honorable mention all-state. The honorable mention laurels are awarded without regard to school size.

Those voted to the 2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health Supreme 15 Senior girls' team are, listed alphabetically: Asiah Baxter, Warren Central; Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer; Cristen Carter, Ben Davis; Asia Donald, Hobart; Nevaeh Foster, Mishawaka Marian; Laila Hull, Zionsville; RaShunda Jones, South Bend Washington; McKenna Layden, Northwestern; Riley Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern; Karsyn Norman, Bedford North Lawrence; Amiyah Reynolds, South Bend Washington; Hailey Smith, Fishers; Saige Stahl, Columbus East; Josie Trabel, East Central; and Amber Tretter, Forest Park.

Those voted to the 2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health Supreme 15 Underclass girls' team are, listed alphabetically: Lillian Barnes, Valparaiso; Addison Baxter, Columbia City; Kennedy Fuelling, Norwell; Avery Gordon, Brownsburg; Jaylah Lampley, Lawrence Central; Lola Lampley, Lawrence Central; Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern; Ellery Minch, Mt. Vernon (Fortville); Jordyn Poole, Fort Wayne Snider; Kira Reynolds, South Bend Washington; Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence; Meredith Tippner, Noblesville; Reagan Wilson, Noblesville; Faith Wiseman, Indian Creek; and Juliann Woodard, Jennings County.


The IBCA/Franciscan Health All-State teams are selected through a process organized by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and presented by Franciscan Health Sports Medicine.

All IBCA-member head coaches have the opportunity to nominate players. A panel of 20 IBCA coaches -- 16 from the current regional areas, three district representatives (one each from IHSAA Districts 1, 2 and 3) and the committee chairman -- then meet to review the nominations, vote and finalize the selections.

Those on the IBCA all-state committee for 2023 included chairman Doug Springer of Northridge plus Brandon Bradley of Kankakee Valley from District 1, DeeAnn Ramey of North Central from District 2 and Kevin Moore of East Central from District 3.

Completing the voting panel were Kristi Ulrich of Penn, Andy Maguire of Zionsville, Curt Benge of Plainfield and Tyler Choate of Evansville North in Class 4A; Steve Scott of Mishawaka Marian, Eric Thornton of Norwell, Kaley May of Danville and Michelle Harter of Connersville in Class 3A; Tony Scheub of Andrean, Justin Jordan of Whitko, Doug Greenlee of Greencastle and Tony Hasenour of Forest Park in Class 2A; and Rick Budka of Morgan Township, Sarah Black of Union City, Amy Macy of Edinburgh and Mike Lang of Trinity Lutheran in Class A.

Franciscan Health Sports Medicine is making a financial contribution to the IBCA Scholarship Fund as the presenting partner of the IBCA all-state teams. As part of the partnership, Franciscan Health Sports Medicine will provide plaques to Supreme 15 honorees and certificates to players receiving Large School All-State, Small School All-State or Honorable Mention All-State recognition. Those items will be made available to each recipient's coach during April, allowing her coach to present the award to each player prior to the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

The IBCA thanks Franciscan Health Sports Medicine for being a partner in this annual project.

The complete 2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health Senior All-State and 2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health Underclass All-State teams for girls basketball are listed below.


2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health Senior All-State
Supreme 15
Asiah Baxter, Warren Central
Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer
Cristen Carter, Ben Davis
Asia Donald, Hobart
Nevaeh Foster, Mishawaka Marian
Laila Hull, Zionsville
RaShunda Jones, South Bend Washington
McKenna Layden, Northwestern
Riley Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern
Karsyn Norman, Bedford North Lawrence
Amiyah Reynolds, South Bend Washington
Hailey Smith, Fishers
Saige Stahl, Columbus East
Josie Trabel, East Central
Amber Tretter, Forest Park

Large School All-State
Savanna Bischoff, Center Grove
Olivia Brown, Hamilton Southeastern
Ava Couch, North Central (Indianapolis)
Taylor Double, Huntington North
Julia Economou, Penn
Eva Fisher, Northridge
Brea Garber, Fairfield
Layla Gold, Indianapolis Cathedral
Isabella Gizzi, New Palestine
Saniya Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop
Bailey Kelham, Garrett
Renna Schwieterman, Jay County
Olivia Smith, Fishers
Ava Weber, Corydon Central
Monica Williams, Lawrence North

Small School All-State
Tori Allen, Andrean
Carley Begle, Forest Park
Caitlyn Campbell, Winchester
Ally Capouch, Kouts
Lauren Colon, Andrean
Gloria Brewer, Greencastle
Kelsey DuBois, University
Olivia Marks, South Central (Union Mills)
Bailey Parham, Tri
Ashlee Schram, Tipton
Payton Seay, University
Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran
Tori Thompson, Lafayette Central Catholic
Madison Vice, Central Noble
Linzie Wernert, Lanesville

Just got the word from my contacts down south. Apparently there was some type of threat or report of an active shooter at the Tell City sectional tonight. As a result the 2nd game between Crawford County and Forest Park has been postponed to Wednesday night.

r/GC

Frankton girls - Departing Coach Stephan Hamaker
FRANKTON, Ind. -- (Updated 2/28) The Anderson Herald-Bulletin is reporting Coach Hamaker has resigned after twelve seasons and two State Finals appearances with the Eagles. Coach has won more than 200 games during his tenure with the Eagles, and last year saw similar success finishing 18-7. Varsity Club report indicates that four seniors and the core of leadership does graduate in May, However, leading scorer and rebounder in 6-0 sr-2-b post Emma Perry and classmate and second reading scorer/PG Amaya Collins are both expected to return. Report continues that there is a pretty athletic, if unproven, group of jrs-2-b that will likely fill out most varsity minutes around the two sr-2-b returners. Competitive groups on the way as well. Report states JV very solid, 8th grade a winner, and 7th with a couple that will likely play varsity. No teaching jobs yet available, and report indicates an April target for a hire. One email insists smart money is inside hire (Possible JV Coach Jeff Bates.) However, outside apps will be accepted.

Was reading a article about a pioneer era recipe for something termed Indiana Sauce. Recipe below dated 1840. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing or even tried it?

INDIANA SAUCE:
4 tbsp. fresh-scraped horseradish
2 tbsp. dried mustard
2 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. celery seed
2 onions, minced
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 c. vinegar

Store in jar. Let stand for a week, then pass through a sieve and bottle securely.