Hoosier March Insanity connections: Gamers, coaches with Indiana ties

INDIANAPOLIS — It hasn’t been a banner yr for males’s faculty basketball within the Hoosier State.

Purdue stays the highest males’s faculty basketball group within the state, and is a No. 4 seed within the Large Dance, however has undoubtedly taken a big step again this yr with out two-time reigning consensus nationwide participant of the yr Zach Edey. The Boilermakers rank 350th within the nation in two-point capturing protection. That is proper, 350th.

As for the opposite Indiana groups within the males’s NCAA Match area…

Indiana College missed the sphere of 68 for the second straight season. Many followers have been extra targeted on who will exchange Mike Woodson than anticipating any event success after a season that fell far in need of the lofty expectations for this system. However it nonetheless appeared possible the Hoosiers would sneak into the event area main into Choice Sunday. As an alternative, they have been one of many first few groups on the skin wanting in.

Ball State, Butler, Indiana State, IU Indy, Evansville, Notre Dame and Valparaiso all completed the season beneath .500 in convention play, with a mixed convention report of 49-89.

Whereas it isn’t the most effective yr to guess on an Indiana group to win all of it (reverse jinx, maybe?), there are dozens of gamers and coaches all through the remainder of the event area with connections to the Hoosier State, from former Indiana highschool stars to transfers from Indiana faculties and former Pacers gamers. 

Here is a have a look at a number of of these figures trying to make their mark on March Insanity:

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: Performed 2019-20 season with Butler

A four-star recruit out of highschool, Battle helped Butler College to a 22-9 report in the course of the 2019-20 marketing campaign earlier than the season ended early as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Battle performed in 24 video games, averaging round 11 minutes per sport, and scored in double figures twice. 

Battle spent the following three seasons at Temple, main the Owls in scoring (15 factors per sport) his sophomore yr and rating fourth within the AAC in scoring (17.9 factors per sport) his redshirt junior yr. He spent final season with Arkansas (14.8 factors per sport) earlier than heading to Gonzaga, the place he is once more making an influence. Battle is the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer at almost 13 factors per sport, and has topped 20 factors eight instances this season.

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: From Indianapolis, attended Lawrence Central HS

ESPN ranked Davis because the No. 100 recruit within the nation and No. 4 participant within the state, and he averaged over 21 factors and eight rebounds per sport as a senior with Lawrence Central, main the Bears to a 22-3 report. The Mr. Indiana Basketball finalist spent two years with Louisville, enjoying in 50 video games and scoring 370 factors. 

Davis spent the following two seasons with Seton Corridor, beginning all however one of many Pirates’ video games his second yr there and ending second and third in scoring and rebounding, respectively. For the Rebels this season, Davis is fifth in factors per sport, averaging 10.6, and ranks third on the group in rebounding at 4.6 boards per contest. He scored a season-high 22 factors towards LSU on Feb. 8.

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: Performed two seasons at Indiana College

Bates was a key contributor off the bench in two seasons for the Hoosiers, averaging almost 18 minutes per sport. He averaged 6.1 factors per sport as a sophomore, ranked second on the group with 37 3-pointers in the course of the 2022-23 season, and scored a career-high 22 factors for IU towards Jackson State in November 2022.

Now in his second season with the Missouri, Bates has transitioned into not solely a full-time starter, however Mizzou’s main scorer, averaging simply over 14 factors per sport this yr for the resurgent Tigers. He scored a season-high 29 factors in a December sport towards the preseason AP No. 1 group, Kansas.

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: From Indianapolis, attended Lawrence North HS

Bates is not the one distinguished Mizzou participant with a connection to the Hoosier State. Perkins averaged 18.6 factors, 5.6 rebounds and three.5 assists per sport his senior yr of highschool, serving to energy the Lawrence North Wildcats to a 25-2 report. He was one in all 13 seniors named to the 2020 Indiana All-Star Staff.

Perkins went on to play 4 seasons at Iowa, throughout which the Hawkeyes made three NCAA Match appearances and received the 2022 Large Ten Match title. His senior yr, Perkins ranked second on the group with 14 factors per sport. This season for the Tigers, Perkins ranks prime 5 on the group in factors and assists per contest, and scored a season-high 18 factors Dec. 12 towards Illinois.

Place: Ahead | Indiana Connection: From Tipton, Indiana; attended Tipton HS; performed for Huntington and Evansville

Talking of Illinois, Humrichous earned an Indiana All-Star honorable point out as a senior with Tipton Excessive College in 2020. He performed the primary three seasons of his faculty profession at Huntington (Indiana) College, main the Foresters to a 63-30 report and back-to-back NAIA Match appearances. 

Humrichous spent final season with Evansville, main the Purple Aces in scoring at almost 15 factors per sport and rating second in rebounding (almost 5 boards per sport). Throughout his graduate yr, he is averaging over eight factors and nearly 4 rebounds per contest whereas beginning nearly all of video games. His season-high factors whole was 21 towards Penn State in early January.

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: From Indianapolis, attended Crispus Attucks HS

McMahon averaged a stellar 26.1 factors, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per sport as a senior at Crispus Attucks, capturing over 50% from the sphere and 45% from past the arc. He was named Indianapolis Metropolis Participant of the Yr and as an Indiana All-Star Staff choice. 

He spent his freshman yr of faculty at Western Carolina, showing in 20 video games, earlier than spending the following three seasons at Winthrop. He performed in 95 video games for the Eagles, making 37 begins and averaging round 9 factors per contest. McMahon then transferred to Norfolk State, the place he is averaged 6.1 factors and round 18 minutes per sport whereas main the Spartans with 32 made 3-pointers this yr.

Place: Ahead | Indiana Connection: From Brownsburg, Indiana; attended Brownsburg HS

A consensus four-star recruit, Catchings averaged 17.5 factors and 4.8 rebounds per sport as a junior with the Bulldogs earlier than changing into the primary participant from Indiana to play within the Extra time Elite league. 

Catchings has made a direct influence as a freshman with the Cougars, averaging almost eight factors per sport, and scored a season-high 23 factors on Jan. 28 towards Baylor. In accordance the varsity, Catchings grew to become the one freshman this century to go 8-of-8 from the sphere with at the least 4 3-pointers and three free throws in that victory.

Place: Ahead | Indiana Connection: From New Citadel, Indiana; performed 4 seasons at Purdue

Purdue followers will undoubtedly keep in mind Gillis from his 4 seasons with the Boilermakers, throughout which he appeared in 132 video games and averaged greater than 20 minutes per sport every year. A four-star recruit out of New Citadel Excessive College, Gillis averaged almost 22 factors and over 12 boards per sport as a junior, main the Trojans to the Class 3A Regional title.

Gillis shot 40.7% from 3-point vary in his time with Purdue, ranging seventh on the college’s profession record, and was named 2023-24 Large Ten Sixth Man of the Yr for the group that made all of it the way in which to the nationwide championship sport. This season with the Blue Devils, Gillis has been an everyday contributor, averaging roughly quarter-hour, 2.5 rebounds and 5 factors per sport whereas topping 10 factors 5 instances.

Place: Guard | Indiana Connection: From Indianapolis, attended Pike HS, performed one season at Indiana State

Conwell averaged over 22 factors, almost seven rebounds and three+ assists and steals his senior season at Pike Excessive College and was named the 2022 Marion County Participant of the Yr. He was named to the MIC All-Convention Staff every of his last two highschool seasons and completed his prep profession with over 1,000 factors. 

Conwell performed in all 32 video games his faculty freshman season at South Florida earlier than transferring to Indiana State. He completed eighth within the Missouri Valley Convention in scoring at 16.6 factors per sport final season and likewise averaged 5.8 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists per contest, serving to the Sycamores to a runner-up end within the NIT. This yr, he ranks second on the Musketeers in factors per sport (16.2) and scored a season-high 34 factors in mid-January towards Villanova.

Place: Ahead | Indiana Connection: Attended Kokomo HS

Bidunga was born within the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Kokomo, Indiana, when he was 15 years outdated, attending Kokomo Excessive College, the place he was a two-time Indiana Gatorade Participant of the Yr his junior and senior seasons. His senior yr, Bidunga averaged 19 factors, almost 13 rebounds, over 4 blocked photographs and three assists per sport whereas capturing a sensational 81.4% from the sphere. He was a consensus prime 20 prospect within the nation.

In his freshman season with the Jayhawks, Bidunga has performed in 33 video games (six begins), averaging over 11 mixed factors and rebounds per contest. He scored a season-high 19 factors versus an impressive Houston group in late January.

• Jordan Geronimo, Maryland ahead: Performed in three seasons with IU from 2021-23, averaging simply shy of 4 factors and three rebounds per sport this season.
• Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Illinois guard: From Lafayette, Indiana; averaging nearly seven factors, two rebounds and over 16 minutes per sport this season.
• Charlie Williams, Lipscomb heart: From Carmel, Indiana; attended Carmel HS; averaging 6.3 factors and a couple of.2 rebounds per sport this season.
• Jake Davis, Illinois ahead: From McCordsville, Indiana; attended Cathedral HS in Indianapolis; averaging 3.2 factors and nearly 10 factors per sport this season.
• Evan Wilson, Akron guard: From Noblesville, Indiana; attended Noblesville HS; has appeared in eight video games this season, averaging 2.8 factors per contest.
• Jake Heidbreder, Clemson guard: From Floyds Knobs, Indiana; averaging 4.1 factors per sport and scored season-high 15 factors vs. Wake Forest in December.
• Xavier Booker, Michigan State ahead: From Indianapolis; attended Cathedral HS; averaging 5.2 factors and a couple of.4 rebounds per video games this season.
• Jalen Washington, North Carolina ahead: From Gary, Indiana; averaging 5.6 factors and three.9 rebounds per sport this season.
• Jerome Hunter, Xavier ahead: performed two seasons at IU, averaging 5.7 factors and three.3 rebounds per sport this season for the Musketeers. 

Place: Head coach | Indiana Connection: Butler graduate, former Valparaiso assistant and head coach

Drew is called the person behind one of many best rebuilds in faculty basketball historical past, main the Baylor Bears to the primary Nationwide Championship in class historical past in 2021, in addition to the primary two Large 12 titles in 2021 and 2022. He inherited a program in shambles, with many years of poor efficiency and a public scandal, and turned it right into a powerhouse, main the group to 12 NCAA Match appearances over the past 17 seasons.

Earlier than his collegiate teaching profession started beneath his father, Homer Drew, at Valparaiso, Scott Drew attended Butler College, serving as a pupil assistant for the boys’s basketball group and graduating in 1993.

Place: Head coach | Indiana Connection: Indiana College graduate, former pupil assistant and assistant coach

Might burst onto the nationwide sports activities scene in 2023, main the Florida Atlantic Owls to their second ever NCAA Match look and a exceptional run to the Closing 4. After a 25-9 common season report and return to the event the following season, Might was employed by the College of Michigan to be its head coach. The 48-year-old has discovered speedy success with the Wolverines, posting a 22-9 general report and rating within the AP Prime 25 ballot for a lot of the season. 

Might’s time in collegiate basketball began within the late 90s as a pupil supervisor for Indiana College beneath legendary coach Bob Knight. He graduated from IU in 2000 and spent three seasons as a video coordinator, after which administrative assistant, earlier than transferring on to different stops earlier than Florida Atlantic.

Place: Head coach | Indiana Connection: Drafted by, performed for Indiana Pacers from 1997-99

Staff captain of the 1996 NCAA nationwide championship College of Kentucky group, Pope, who had served as head coach at BYU, was named head coach at his alma alma mater in April 2024, and has already picked up signature wins and a constant spot within the AP Prime 25. 

Earlier than his teaching profession started, Pope performed basketball professionally in the USA and internationally. He was chosen by the Indiana Pacers within the second spherical of the 1996 NBA Draft, and appeared in 32 video games for the group from 1997-99. His greatest NBA season got here in 2000-01, when he began 45 video games and helped the Milwaukee Bucks attain the Jap Convention Finals.

Place: Assistant coach | Indiana Connection: Former Indiana College head coach, 2000-06

Because the Memphis Tigers write on Davis’ biography web page, “Davis is maybe greatest often called the successor at Indiana to legendary coach Bobby Knight.” He was an assistant beneath Knight for “the Basic’s” last three seasons earlier than taking excessive function following Knight’s firing in 2000. In 2002, Davis led the Hoosiers to a 19-11 common season that ended with a shock run to the NCAA Match title sport. 

Issues went downhill from there, although, with the Hoosiers failing to advance previous the second spherical of the NCAA Match over the following 4 seasons and ending no higher than fourth within the Large Ten. Davis stepped down following the 2006 season, after which had stops with UAB, Texas Southern (the place every reached the NCAA Match 4 instances) and Detroit Mercy earlier than becoming a member of the workers at Memphis.

Place: Head coach | Indiana Connection: Former Indiana College head coach, 2006-08

Sampson was named IU head coach following Davis’ resignation in 2006, leaving Oklahoma after greater than a decade of success. He led the Hoosiers to a pair of 20-win seasons and look within the 2007 NCAA Match, however resigned in February of his second season amid a scandal over recruiting violations involving improper cellphone calls to recruits. 

Sampson spent the following six years as an assistant coach within the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets earlier than returning to school basketball as Houston’s head coach after a five-year present trigger penalty expired. Starting in 2019, the Cougars have reached at the least the Candy 16 in 5 consecutive NCAA tournaments. He is one in all simply 15 coaches in NCAA historical past to guide at the least 4 faculties to the NCAA Match.