The Noblesville girls basketball team has been selected to play in the 2022 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic.
The Millers, who won the Class 4A state championship in February, will play in the famed annual event on Thursday, Dec. 29 at the New Castle Fieldhouse. The boys tournament takes place the next day, Friday, Dec. 30.
The prestigious event, spotlighting the best in Indiana high school basketball, will be held for the 39th time for girls and it will be the 46th edition for the boys.
In the girls tournament, the day begins with an 11 a.m. semi-final game between Bedford North Lawrence and Mishawaka Marian. Noblesville plays in the following second semi-final game, taking on East Central. The consolation game is set for 6 p.m., to be followed by the championship game.
The boys tournament starts with an 11 a.m. semi-final game between North Daviess and NorthWood, followed by Ben Davis taking on Penn. The consolation game tips off at 6 p.m., followed by the championship.
Selecting from the best teams in the state, the girls’ tournament has included 19 teams that went on to win a state championship that season, including 12 class champions and eight class runner-up teams in the past 20 years.
On the boys’ side, 17 participating teams have gone on to win their state championship (including three class champions in the past two seasons), 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 2022-23 school year.
With no seniors graduating from their 25-4 2022 IHSAA 4A championship squad, the Millers will likely enter the 2022-23 campaign as the preseason No. 1 team in Indiana.
Five-foot-10 junior Ashlynn Shade, a University of Connecticut commit averaged team-bests of 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 steals along with 4.1 assists per game and has been named a 2022 Indiana Junior All-Star. Reagan Wilson, a 5-8 sophomore, averaged 10.0 points and led the team at 4.4 assists, 5-9 freshman Meredith Tippner averaged 9.5 points and 6.2 rebounds and 5-4 junior Kaitlyn Shoemaker averaged 9.1 points.
Head coach Donna Buckley is 208-118 in 14 seasons at Noblesville and has a career record of 304-192 in 22 seasons, including stints at Greenfield-Central and Fort Wayne South.
The Millers make their third appearance in Girls Classic history. Noblesville won the consolation game of the 1985 event and was runner-up in 2015. Buckley leads her third team into the Classic – in addition to the 2015 Noblesville appearance, her Greenfield-Central team was the consolation game winner in the 2007 event.
The East Central Trojans have established themselves as perennial winners, claiming four straight 4A sectional championships and averaging over 20 wins per season in that span.
Six-footer Josie Trabel was named an Indiana Junior All-Star after averaging 17.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals, 5-5 junior Laney Baker averaged 9.8 points, junior Caitlyn Dick averaged 4.5 points and 5-8 junior Julia Tiemann averaged 3.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
Head coach Kevin Moore has a 221-88 record in 13 seasons at East Central. He has been named an assistant coach for the 2022 Indiana Girls All-Star team.
Over the past 11 seasons, East Central’s 199-69 mark (.743) is tied for the 12th best in Indiana.
East Central makes its first appearance in event history.
Twenty-seven young women who went on to win the award have participated in the Girls Classic, including 12 of the past 14 Miss Basketball winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright, Stephanie Mavunga, Whitney Jennings, Ali Patberg, Jackie Young, Karissa McLaughlin, Carmel’s Amy Dilk, Jorie Allen and Ayanna Patterson). 13 women to have played in the Classic were named McDonald’s All-Americans and 12 Girls Classic alums have played in the WNBA.
Girls legends who have played in the Classic include Stephanie White, Katie Gearlds, Shanna Zolman, Skylar Diggins, Jackie Young, Kristen Spolyar, Lisa Shepherd, Abby Conklin, April McDivitt, Kelly Faris, Jennifer Jacoby, Jodie Whitaker, Shrya Ely, Tiffany Gooden and Ali Patberg, among others.
Thirty-two men who went on to win the Indiana Mr. Basketball award have participated in the Boys Classic, including 13 of the last 17 award winners (Luke Zeller, Greg Oden, Tyler Zeller, Jordan Hulls, Cody Zeller, Hamilton Southeastern’s Gary Harris and Zak Irvin, Trey Lyles, Kyle Guy, Romeo Langford, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Anthony Leal and Caleb Furst). 26 men to have played in the Classic have been named McDonald’s All-Americans, while 19 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, Noblesville’s Tom Coverdale, Troy Lewis, Woody Austin, Carmel’s Josh McRoberts, Southeastern’s Gary Harris, Luke, Tyler and Cody Zeller, Trey Lyles, Kyle Guy, Romeo Langford, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, among others.
Including entrants in the 2022 Classic, the event has included 100 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 110 different IHSAA-member boys programs in tournament history.
Other girls teams
Bedford North Lawrence – The Lady Stars look to follow up a 24-3 campaign with a strong returning cast from their 4A regional finalist squad and a program that has won 11 consecutive sectionals.
Sophomore guard Chloe Spreen averaged 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, 5-6 Karsyn Norman has been named an Indiana Junior All-Star after averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals, 5-8 sophomore Madisyn Bailey averaged 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists, and 5-9 junior Mallory Pride averaged 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Head coach Jeff Allen is 179-37 through eight seasons with the Stars, including eight sectional titles and 2018 and 2020 4A regional championships. The Stars’ .829 winning percentage over the past eight seasons is sixth best in the state in that time frame.
This is the Stars’ fifth appearance in the event, tying Rushville for the most Girls Classic appearances. BNL girls teams won the 1990 and 2013 events, one of four programs to have won two Girls Classic championships all-time.
Mishawaka Marian – Led by a high-scoring duo from a 20-6 season, the Knights have expectations to continue their success. Marian’s girls have averaged 21 wins per season over the past five years.
Junior Nevaeh Foster, at 5-9, averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 steals and 5-11 junior Makaya Porter was named an Indiana Junior All-Star after averages of 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
Head coach Steve Scott has a 104-26 record with three sectional championships in five seasons at Marian. His career record of 278 wins in 19 seasons includes tenures at Marian, Elkhart Memorial, South Bend Adams and South Bend Clay.
During Scott’s five seasons leading the Knights program, their .800 winning percentage is tied for 12th best in the state.
Mishawaka Marian makes their first appearance in Classic history.
Boys teams
North Daviess – Losing just two seniors from their 27-3 2022 IHSAA Class 1A champion squad, the Cougars will represent Southern Indiana and small schools in the 2022 Boys Classic.
Junior guard Jaylen Mullen, at 5-11, averaged 16.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists, 6-2 junior Lance Wilson averaged 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists, 6-3 junior Logan Wilson recorded 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and 6-2 junior Braden Stickles totaled 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Head Coach Brent Dalrymple is now 316-213 in 22 years as a head coach, claiming six sectional championships and three regional titles.
The Cougars’ 46-7 record over the past two seasons is fourth best in the state in that period.
North Daviess will be making their first appearance in event history.
NorthWood – The Panthers return a majority of their squad that rattled off 13 consecutive late season wins, reaching the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press 3A poll. They completed the season 25-3 as 3A regional finalists.
Junior guard Cade Brenner, at 6-3, averaged 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists, 6-6 junior forward Ian Raasch averaged 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, 5’10” sophomore Ethan Wolfe averaged 6.6 points and 6-3 sophomore NiTareon Tuggle contributed 5.1 points per game.
Head coach Aaron Wolfe is 253-108 in 15 seasons leading NorthWood.
The Panthers have had 11 winning seasons in the last 12 years, won sectional titles eight of the past 11 seasons and their 192-56 record (.774) over the past nine seasons is the seventh best in the state in that span. The Panthers make their first appearance in Boys Classic history. The NorthWood girls, under Hall of Fame coach Steve Neff, participated in the 1998 Girls Classic.
Ben Davis – The Giants expect to return their top five scorers from a 22-7 4A regional finalist squad that was ranked No. 5 in the final statewide IBCA poll of the season.
Sophomore K.J. Windham, at 6-3, led the Giants in scoring at 12.7 points per game, 6-8 junior Zane Doughty averaged 11.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, junior Sheridan Sharp contributed 9.9 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest, 6-1 junior Clay Butler averaged 7.7 points and 6-5 junior Shaun Arnold 7.0 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Head coach Don Carlisle has a 65-41 record in four seasons at Ben Davis, including three 4A sectional titles and a 2019 4A runner-up finish. Including three seasons at Indianapolis Arlington, Carlisle has 111 career wins in seven years overall with four sectional titles.
Ben Davis makes their third appearance in the Boys Classic. The Giants were champions of the 1984 event and runners-up in the 1994 event to Al Rhodes’ Warsaw team.
Penn – Led by a dynamic scorer, the Kingsmen return nearly 90 percent of their scoring and four starters from their 24-3 4A regional finalist team that finished the season ranked 4A No. 6 in the AP poll.
Six-foot junior Markus Burton was among state leaders in scoring at 26.9 points per game, along with averages of 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals. Burton set the single-season Penn scoring record (734) and has compiled 1,364 career points through three seasons.
Junior guard Joe Smith, at 5-11, contributed 12.7 points, 6-1 junior Joey Garwood averaged 9.2 points and 6-7 junior Josh Gatete held averages of 5.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Head coach Al Rhodes, a 2010 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is the 11th winningest coach in Indiana boys high school basketball history. His career mark of 665-318 (.677), includes a 211-126 record in 14 seasons at his alma mater, Penn.
Penn makes their second appearance in Boys Classic history. Led by Rhodes, the Kingsmen went 1-1 in the 2014 Classic, winning the consolation game. Rhodes will coach in his third Classic – his Warsaw squad won the 1994 event, defeating eventual state champion Ben Davis.