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(NEW CASTLE) – Final preparations are underway for the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic, one of the hallmark events of the Indiana high school basketball season, which will be held this Thursday and Friday at the New Castle Fieldhouse.

Again pairing some of the best players, teams and coaches in Indiana high school basketball, the event sets up for great competition in an iconic venue – the largest high school facility in the nation.

2016 Girls’ City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Thursday, December 29, 2016

11:00 AM (ET) Greenfield-Central vs. Plainfield
to follow         North Harrison vs. Tippecanoe Valley
6:07 PM          Consolation Game
to follow        Championship Game

The four-team lineup for this year’s Girls Classic carries a combined record of 43-12 (.717), including undefeated 3A #1 North Harrison.

The first game begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Greenfield-Central (8-7) facing Plainfield (12-3).  The second game will feature North Harrison (13-0) against Tippecanoe Valley (10-2). The losing teams from the afternoon games will play in the consolation game at 6:07 PM with the championship contest to follow.

Greenfield-Central (8-7) has weathered key injuries early this season with hopes that a mid-season turnaround has begun.  The Cougars began the season without senior point guard Katie Helgason due to a torn ACL suffered in August.  The 2016 Junior All-Star returned to action on December 13 against Shelbyville, less than four months removed from surgery, and has played five games heading into the Classic.  Another team leader, junior Jessica Farrell, also suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Cougars’ 2^nd game of the season.

The Cougars’ star has remained Madison Wise (Iowa State), an Indiana Miss Basketball candidate averaging 24.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.

Head coach Doug Laker is 120-73 in nine seasons leading the program.

Greenfield-Central will make their 3rd appearance in the girls Classic.  The Cougars were runners-up in the 1986 event that they hosted and were consolation game winners in the 2007 event in New Castle.

Plainfield (12-3, IBCA #16, ICGSA 4A #14) has been led so far this season by a duo of Division I recruits, but will likely have to adjust following a key injury last week.

6’1” senior forward Riley Blackwell (Northern Illinois) averaged 15.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game before suffering a knee injury on December 22 that has her status in doubt for the Classic.  5’8” senior Kayla Casteel (University of Evansville) scores 14.9 points with 4.4 rebounds per game and 5’8” junior point guard Samantha Olinger averages 9.0 points and 4.2 assists.

Head coach Curt Benge is 337-156 in 22 seasons leading the program.  He is the 13^th winningest active coach in Indiana high school girls basketball.

Plainfield will make their 3rd appearance in the girls Classic.  The Quakers were consolation winners in the 1996 event and appeared in the 2009 event.

North Harrison (13-0, IBCA #9, ICGSA 3A #1) has completed their pre-Classic schedule unblemished.

6’1” sophomore center Lilly Hatton leads the way with averages of 21.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.9 blocks, while 5’8” junior guard Cali Nolot averages 12.8 points, 3.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals.

The Lady Cats have won 41 of their last 44 games, including a post-season run that took them to a 3A runner-up finish in the IHSAA girls basketball tournament last season.  Their 41-3 record (.932) in that span is unsurpassed in the state and their three losses have come by a combined 10 points.

Head coach Missy Voyles is 218-101 in 14 seasons leading the program.  She served as an assistant coach for the Indiana All-Stars in 2016.

North Harrison will make their first appearance in either the girls or boys Classic.

Tippecanoe Valley (10-2, ICGSA 3A #6) is in the midst of a fantastic three-year run, led by a Division I recruit.

6’0” senior center Anne Secrist (Youngstown State) averages 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.0 steals per game, 5’7” junior guard Addy Miller scores 10.6 points per game and 5’8” senior guard Meredith Brouyette averages 10.3 points for the Lady Vikings.

25-3 3A state runners-up in 2014-15, the Lady Vikings were 25-2 last season.  Including a 10-2 start this season, their 60-7 record (.896) in the past two-and-a-half seasons is the 5^th best winning percentage in the state in that span and they enter the Classic 55-5 in their last 60 regular season games.

Head coach Chris Kindig is 100-48 in seven seasons leading the program.

Tippecanoe Valley will make their first appearance in either the girls or boys Classic.

2016 Boys’ City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Friday, December 30, 2016

11:00 AM (ET) Logansport vs. Lawrence North
to follow         New Albany vs. Warsaw
6:07 PM          Consolation Game
to follow         Championship Game

The four-team lineup for this year’s Boys Classic carries a combined record of 24-5 (.828), with all four ranked in the top 16 of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association statewide poll.

The first game begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Logansport (7-0) facing Lawrence North (6-1).  The second game will feature New Albany (5-2) against Warsaw (6-2). The losing teams from the afternoon games will play in the consolation game at 6:07 PM with the championship contest to follow.

Logansport (7-0, IBCA #9, AP 4A #3) is led by two standout seniors who have the Berries 7-0 for a 2^nd straight year.

6’4” senior wing Jalen Adaway averages 18.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists, with 6’0” senior point guard Matt Jennings (Grace College) averaging 18.4 points and 4.4 assists.  Senior Hunter DeHaven and sophomore Sam Skaggs each average just over 10 points per game as well.

Head coach Pat Skaggs is 55-21 in four seasons at Logansport and 335-227 in 25 seasons as an Indiana high school basketball head coach.

This will be the first appearance in the Classic for the Logansport boys.  Led by future Indiana Miss Basketball Whitney Jennings, the Logansport girls were consolation winners in the 2012 event.

Lawrence North (6-1, IBCA #6, AP 4A #8) continues to win under one of the state’s  most successful head coaches.

The Wildcats are led by a trio of veterans.  6’7” junior forward Kevin Easley, Jr., 5’10” junior guard Antwaan Cushingberry and 6’9” senior center Ra Kpedi each average double figure scoring this season.

Head coach Jack Keefer, a 2007 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is the fourth winningest coach in Indiana high school basketball history.  The only head boys basketball coach in Lawrence North history, he is 749-303 (.712) in his 44-year career, including 688 victories in 41 seasons leading the Wildcats program.

The Wildcats’ fourth appearance in the Classic will put their perfect record in the event on the line.  Lawrence North has won the Classic championship in each of their three previous appearances (1979, 1989, 2003) and is the only program in girls or boys history to win the title three times.  Additionally, Keefer joins HOF inductees George Griffith and J.R. Holmes as the only men to lead teams into the Classic four times.

New Albany (5-2, IBCA #4, AP 4A #4) is in defense of their 2016 4A championship with recent records set by their superstar and head coach.

6’5” junior Romeo Langford is averaging 29.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists while senior guard Isaac Hibbard averages 12.4 points per contest.  Named MaxPreps.com’s National Sophomore of the Year a season ago, Langford became New Albany’s career scoring leader on December 20 and enters the Classic with 1,508 career points (24.7 career ppg).

Head coach Jim Shannon has a 336-99 record in 19 seasons at New Albany and recently became just the 28^th coach in Indiana boys high school basketball history to reach 500 career wins.  His 501-238 career record in 33 years places him 10^th in Indiana high school wins among active coaches.

New Albany makes their fourth appearance in the boys Classic, following their 1980 and 2001 consolation game victories and in defense of their 2007 Classic championship.

Warsaw (6-2, IBCA #16) follows up a 25-2 regional champion team riding their star to another successful start.

6’3” senior guard Kyle Mangas (Indiana Wesleyan) averages 21.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.  He enters the Classic 31 points shy of 1,000 career points, a mark only 11 Warsaw players have reached.  Senior Jeremy David averages 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds and junior Ross Johnson averages 5.7 points.

Head coach Doug Ogle is 224-103 (.685) in 15 seasons at Warsaw, having led the Tigers to five sectional championships, two regional titles and an appearance in the 2010 4A state finals.

Warsaw makes their third appearance in the boys Classic, following their 1994 Classic championship and 2010 consolation game victory.  The Warsaw girls were winners of the 1988 and 2003 girls events.

SPONSOR:
For the 20^th consecutive season, City Securities Corporation is the title sponsor of the event. Founded in 1924, City Securities Corporation is the oldest and largest independent, full-service investment firm in Indiana. Having financed more projects for Indiana schools and municipalities than any other firm in history, City Securities has, quite literally, helped build the State of Indiana.  Today, City Securities is still a leader in municipal bonds (underwriting 50% of all competitive and negotiated bids), but is also so much more – offering full-service personal investment advisors, as well as expertise in corporate and public finance. A wholly-owned subsidiary of City Financial Corporation, City Securities is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis.

TELEVISION:
The Classic will once again be televised throughout Indiana and webcast worldwide by the Hall of Fame’s partner, LeSea Broadcasting, on WHMB TV-40 in the Indianapolis market and WHME TV-46 in South Bend. Games will be available via live video webcast at http://whmb.lesea.com/sports/live-sports-video-stream/.  

Semifinal games will be broadcast live on WHME TV-46 in South Bend, while they are aired tape-delayed on WHMB TV-40 in Indianapolis at 2:00 and 3:30 Thursday and Friday afternoons.   Consolation and championship games are scheduled to air live each night on both stations.

ENTERTAINMENT:
Halftime performances each evening will include Tony Hoard and the K9 Crew.    Hoard, a New Castle native, has made appearances with his dogs on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and made a long run on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and are regulars at numerous major college and NBA events. 

TICKETS:
Tickets for the event are available through the participating schools and at the New Castle Fieldhouse on the day of the games.  Tickets are $10 per session at the gate. All students in 1^st grade or older require a ticket.

For even more information about the players, teams and history of the event, click here to read our 2016 game notes.