The Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball games have been canceled for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials from both states announced Thursday.
With governmental leadership in both states implementing stay-at-home mandates, schools being closed for the remainder of the academic year and group gatherings limited to 10 people are fewer through late May, Indiana game director Mike Broughton and Kentucky game director Scott Chalk jointly agreed that the All-Star series would not be contested in 2020.
All-Star leadership from both states understands the seriousness of this pandemic and supports measures being implemented by governmental leadership in both states. Thus with great disappointment, the All-Star leadership is canceling the All-Star competition for this year.
The cancellation includes the Indiana-Kentucky Senior Games (that were to be on June 5 at Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Ky., and June 6 at Southport Fieldhouse in Indianapolis) and the Indiana-Kentucky Junior Games (that were to be on June 1 at Floyd Central High School).
On the Indiana side only, the cancellation also includes the Indiana Junior-Senior Games (that were to be on June 3, site not yet announced) and the All-Star Shootout for current high school teams (that was to be on June 6 at Ben Davis High School).
It is planned that all aspects of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series will resume in 2021. Tentative dates for the 2021 All-Star games will be June 4 in Kentucky and June 5 at Southport Fieldhouse.
“I am sad for the players and coaches who comprise this year’s All-Star teams,” Broughton said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the seniors who made the team, but they do have the satisfaction that they are an Indiana All-Star for life. “We wish all members of the 2020 All-Stars a great transition to college after their fantastic high school careers.”
Broughton also expressed gratitude to Perry Township Schools superintendent Patrick Mapes and Southport High School officials for their work on hosting the 2020 games that now will not be played.
“I want to thank Pat Mapes and Southport High School for their help in setting up this year’s games,” Broughton said. “All fans who purchased tickets for this year’s event at Southport will receive refunds.”
There were several Hamilton County connections to this year’s All-Star games. On the girls side, Hamilton Southeastern’s Sydney Parrish was selected for the All-Star team, while Fishers’ Katie Burton and Carmel’s Bridget Dunn were both named Junior All-Stars. Burton was part of the Core Group and Dunn was in the Red Group.
Noblesville coach Donna Buckley was to be one of the All-Stars assistant coaches, while Fishers coach Lauren Votaw was selected to be an assistant coach on the Junior All-Stars squad.
On the boys’ side, Hamilton Southeastern’s Mabor Majak was named to the All-Star team earlier this week. Carmel coach Ryan Osborn was selected to be the head coach of the All-Star team.
The boys’ portion of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series dates to 1940 with games being played in 78 of the 81 years. Games also were not played in 1943 and 1944 because of World War II. The girls’ portion of the All-Star series was added in 1976, and it had been contested for 44 consecutive years. This will be the first interruption in the girls’ series. The Indiana boys hold a 99-44 advantage in the games with Kentucky. The Indiana girls lead 50-38 in their series with the Bluegrass state.
The Indiana All-Stars were created in 1939 and played a game against the state champion Frankfort Hot Dogs that year. The series against Kentucky was started in 1940.
Indiana-Kentucky Junior All-Star games have been contested five times over the past eight years. That series, with two games each year for boys and girls, has been played in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019. The Indiana Junior Boys lead 6-4 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Junior Girls hold a 9-1 advantage in their series with Kentucky.
The Indiana Junior All-Stars were started in 1996. The Indiana Junior All-Stars have played exhibition games against the Indiana senior All-Stars for 25 years – 1996 through 2019. The Indiana senior boys and Indiana senior girls both hold 39-10 advantages in the Senior-Junior games.
The All-Star Shootout has been held on the day of the Indiana seniors’ home game against Kentucky each year starting in 2009. The Shootout is an event where high school teams each receive two “shootout games” for their teams in the morning or early afternoon. The players and coaches on those high school teams also receive a ticket to attend the Indiana-Kentucky senior games that evening as part of their participation in the Shootout.
Kirk Green/File photo
Carmel’s Bridget Dunn (above) and Fishers’ Katie Burton (below) were both selected as Indiana Junior All-Stars for 2020. They were to join the other All-Stars for the annual Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series in June, but the series has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Richie Hall/File photo