News

(New Castle) – With a new name and sponsor, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame proudly announces the fields for the same great Indiana high school basketball event that has been a holiday tournament tradition for decades.

The Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic tournaments are set to feature some of the best teams, players, coaches, and fans in Indiana high school basketball on Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30, 2017 at the New Castle Fieldhouse.

 2017 Girls’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Friday, December 29, 2017

11:00 a.m. (ET)         Martinsville vs. Carmel
to follow                     East Chicago Central vs. Zionsville
6:00 p.m.                   Consolation Game
to follow                     Championship Game

2017 Boys’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Saturday, December 30, 2017

11:00 a.m. (ET)         Oak Hill vs. New Castle
to follow                     Floyd Central vs. Bloomington South
6:00 p.m.                   Consolation Game
to follow                     Championship Game

The prestigious event will be held for the 34^th time for girls and it will be the 41^st edition for the boys. 

Selecting from the best teams in the state, the girls’ tournament has included 18 teams that went on to win a state championship that season, including 11 state champions and five state runner-up teams in the past 15 years alone. 

On the boys side, 13 participating teams have gone on to win their state championship, with six more finishing as state runner-up that season. 

Tickets for the tournaments will be available through participating schools and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in the 2017-18 school year.

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Girls:

Martinsville – The Artesians return an overwhelming majority of their roster from their 21-5 squad that won an undefeated Mid-State Conference championship and sectional title last season. 

5’9” senior Kayana Traylor (Purdue University), who was named a 2017 Indiana Junior All-Star, averaged 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season.  5’5” junior Meredith Deckard averaged 12.4 points, 5’9” junior Jessica Nix averaged 8.2 points and 7.1 rebounds and 5’11” freshman Paige Dorsett averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. 

As part of their most recent season, the Artesians won 13 consecutive games heading into their 4A regional appearance.  They have a 51-21 record over the past three seasons. 

Vince Cerbone is 216-139 in 16 seasons as head coach at Martinsville.

The Martinsville girls make their second ever Classic appearance, returning after their 1997 Classic championship that occurred amidst their 1997 state championship and 1998 4A championship era under HOF coach Jan Conner.

Carmel – Graduating just one senior from one of the state’s top teams in 2016-17, the Greyhounds seem poised for further success on the heels of their 23-4 sectional championship season.

5’10” senior guard Amy Dilk (University of Michigan) averaged 14.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.2 steals as a junior, 5’9” senior Tomi Taiwo averaged 14.0 points and 3.7 rebounds, 6’3” senior Blake Smith (Ball State University) averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds and 5’11” sophomore Jasmine McWilliams averaged 6.0 points and 6.8 rebounds last season.  Dilk and Smith  each were named 2017 Indiana Junior All-Stars.

Carmel has a 46-9 record over the last two seasons and has averaged 21 wins per season over the past three campaigns under head coach Tod Windlan.

Windlan’s mark at Carmel is 63-17 in three seasons, and his teams are 197-112 over a 13-season career with Frankton, Anderson Highland, Delta, Hamilton Heights, Warren Central and Carmel, including leading Hamilton Heights to a 23-3 record and 2013 3A runner-up finish.

The Carmel girls make their third Classic appearance, following their 2005 runner-up finish and 2010 appearance.

East Chicago Central – Led by a dynamic, playmaking point guard and 6’5” towering front liner, both set to return from the Cardinals’ 18-6 season, East Chicago Central looks to be among the state’s best in the 2017-18 season.

5’8” point guard Jenasae Bishop (Boston College), a 2017 Indiana Junior All-Star, averaged 24.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.2 steals.  6’5” Tai-Yanna Jackson averaged 11.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.7 blocks as a sophomore.  5’6” guard Zariah Frierson averaged 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds and 5’4” guard Nia Hurt averaged 6.8 points in their junior campaigns.

The Cardinals are 37-12 over the last two seasons, with only eight of those losses against Indiana competition.

ECC head coach Eric Kundich is 115-90 in nine seasons leading the program.

It will be the East Chicago Central girls’ 2^nd ever appearance in the Classic, following their 2004 runner-up finish.

Zionsville – Despite the graduation loss of 2017 Indiana All-Star Rachel McLimore from a 25-2 sectional championship team, the Eagles have reason to expect continued success in the 2017-18 season.

5’8” junior Maddie Nolan averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists as a sophomore, 6’0” junior Delaney Richason averaged 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds, 5’9” senior Erin Patterson averaged 7.4 points and 5’11” senior Katie Isenbarger averaged 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Eagles, who were undefeated Hoosier Crossroads Conference champions last season.

As mostly freshmen and sophomores, the Eagles were 20-4 in 2015-16 and now are 45-6 over the past two seasons, the sixth best winning percentage in the state in that timeframe.

Andy Maguire has a 143-153 record in 14 seasons over two stints leading the Zionsville girls program.  He is 217-183 overall in Indiana high school basketball in 19 seasons, including a tenure at Western Boone.

Zionsville makes their first appearance in Girls Classic history.  The Eagles’ boys program finished as runners-up in their 2009 Boys Classic appearance.

Boys:

Oak Hill – Losing just one senior from their 20-4 team, the Golden Eagles used a strong junior class as the anchor of their success and the basis for lofty expectations for the 2017-18 campaign.

6’5” senior Spencer Ballinger averaged 18.1 points and 5.9 rebounds as a junior, 6’4” senior Tyce Frank averaged 15.2 points and 7.3 assists, 6’8” senior Caleb Middlesworth averaged 13.2 points and 6.6 rebounds in an injury-shortened junior season, but was recognized as a 2017 Indiana Junior All-Star, and 6’6” senior David Arens averaged 12.0 points and 4.7 rebounds last season. 

The Golden Eagles were 7-0 Central Indiana Conference champions last season, including a win over eventual 2A champion Frankton in their regular season meeting.  Oak Hill is 43-8 over the past two seasons, 7^th best in the state in that timeframe, and 61-15 over the past three seasons.

Kevin Renbarger has established his program as consistent winners.  174-98 in his 12 seasons as head coach, Oak Hill has delivered nine winning seasons, including five 17+ win seasons in his tenure.

Oak Hill makes their inaugural appearance in the Boys Classic.  Led by eventual Miss Basketball, Courtney Moses, the Oak Hill girls were runners-up in the 2008 Girls Classic.

New Castle – Following consecutive 17-win seasons, the Trojans look to a pair of juniors as leaders for their 2017-18 squad.

6’6” junior Mason Gillis averaged 14.1 points and 10.4 rebounds as a sophomore, 6’0” junior Luke Bumbalough averaged 13.4 points and 3.9 assists and 6’2” senior Niah Williamson averaged 9.3 points as the Trojans’ leading returning players this season.  Gillis and Bumbalough’s season totals were the 5^th and 6^th highest sophomore-season scoring totals in the Trojans’ 100+ year history, joining elite company. 

Daniel Cox is 52-40 in four seasons as head coach at his alma mater, including a 34-15 record over the past two seasons.

New Castle makes their 6^th overall appearance in the Boys Classic and will be a participating host for the fifth time in history.  The Trojans hosted the Classic in 1982 when the event was hosted by a participating team each year.  Since becoming the permanent host site in 1990, New Castle’s boys have participated in the 1993, 2001 and 2006 events, as well as participating in the 1989 Classic at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall.  Along with Bloomington South’s participation in the 2017 event for a 6^th time, New Castle and the Panthers will share the record for most appearances in the Boys Classic.

Floyd Central – Increasing their win totals in each of the last three seasons under head coach Todd Sturgeon, the Highlanders lost just two seniors from last year’s 19-5 squad.

6’5” junior Cobie Barnes averaged 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds as a sophomore and 6’5” senior Luke Gohmann averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, each earning 1^st team all-Hoosier Hills Conference honors, while 6’2” senior Matt Weimer also averaged 6.7 points.

Floyd Central has progressed from 12 wins three seasons ago to 15 wins two years ago to 19 wins and a 2^nd place finish in the Hoosier Hills Conference standings this past season, behind only 2016 HOF Classic champion New Albany.

Head coach Todd Sturgeon has a 46-23 record in three seasons at Floyd Central.  His previous coaching experience included ten seasons as the head coach at the University of Indianapolis from 1997-2007, leading them to 151 wins and three NCAA Division II national tournament appearances.

Floyd Central makes their 2^nd appearance in Boys Classic history.  The Highlanders participated in the 1985 event at Southridge H.S. under HOF coach Joe Hinton.  

Bloomington South – A model of consistency, the Panthers and HOF coach J.R. Holmes turned in their 22^nd consecutive winning season and bring back significant pieces from their 22-5 sectional and conference champion squad.

6’3” senior Chance Coyle was a 2017 Indiana Junior All-Star after averaging 18.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season. 6’0” senior Phillip King scored 7.3 points and 6’3” sophomore Anthony Leal averaged 6.7 points per game as a freshman.

Bloomington South has won 20+ games three consecutive seasons and in nine of the last 13 seasons.  Over a longer timeframe, the Panthers are the winningest program in the state over the past 20 seasons, the only program to win a full 80% of their games (387-97) since the start of the 1997-98 season.

J.R. Holmes has a 617-214 record in 34 seasons at Bloomington South and 760-332 career record in 47 seasons including stints at Tunnelton and Mitchell.  He is tied as the 2^nd winningest active Indiana high school boys basketball coach and is tied for 4^th in all-time wins, just five wins from 2^nd all-time and 46 wins shy of Jack Butcher’s state record 806 career victories.  He was a 2012 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and becomes the first coach in history to lead five teams into the HOF Classic.

2017 participants Bloomington South and New Castle each make an event-record 6^th Boys Classic appearance.  Among the Panthers’ appearances in 1977, 1986, 1998, 2005 and 2010, they won the 1998 event.

History:
24 young women who went on to win the Indiana Miss Basketball award have participated in the Girls Classic, including each of the last nine winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright, Stephanie Mavunga, Whitney Jennings, Ali Patberg, Jackie Young and Karissa McLaughlin).

Girls legends who have played in the Classic include Jackie Young, Stephanie White, Katie Gearlds, Shanna Zolman, Kristen Spolyar, Lisa Shepherd, Abby Conklin, April McDivitt, Kelly Faris, Jennifer Jacoby, Jodie Whitaker, Shrya Ely and Tiffany Gooden, among others.

26 men who went on to win the Indiana Mr. Basketball award have participated in the Boys Classic, including nine of the last 13 award winners. 24 men to have played in the Classic have been named McDonald’s All-Americans, while 17 have been NBA Draft picks.

Legends to have competed in the Boys Classic include Damon Bailey, Steve Alford, Glenn Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Eric Montross, Sean May, Delray Brooks, Tom Coverdale, Michael Menser, Pat Graham, Troy Lewis, Woody Austin, Josh McRoberts, Gary Harris, Luke, Tyler and Cody Zeller, Trey Lyles and Romeo Langford among others.

Entering the 2017 Classic, the event has included 90 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 100 different IHSAA-member boys programs in tournament history.

Sponsors:
2017 will be the inaugural year under the event title “Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic”

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 7,100 financial advisors serving approximately 3 million client accounts in more than 2,900 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $622 billion. Public since 1983, the firm has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1986 under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com.

Additional event sponsors include adidas, Henry Community Health, WHMB TV-40 and Jostens.

Television:
The Classic will once again be televised in Central Indiana and webcast worldwide by the Hall of Fame’s partner, WHMB TV-40. Details of the broadcast schedule will be made at a later date.