With fields including defending IHSAA 3A boys’ champion Silver Creek and a girls’ field with a combined record of 97-10 this past season, the 2019 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic lineups have been set for Friday, December 27 and Saturday, December 28.

The prestigious event, spotlighting the best in Indiana high school basketball, will be held for the 36th time for girls and it will be the 43rd edition for the boys. 

2019 Girls’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse - Friday, December 27, 2019

11:00 a.m. (ET)           Brownsburg vs. Penn; Salem vs. Crown Point
6:00 p.m.                     Consolation Game; Championship Game

2019 Boys’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Saturday, December 28, 2019

11:00 a.m. (ET)           Silver Creek vs. Heritage Hills; Lawrence Central vs. Lafayette Jeff
6:00 p.m.                     Consolation Game; Championship Game

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 class champions and six class runner-up teams in the past 17 years alone. 

On the boys side, 14 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 2019-20 school year.

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Girls:

Brownsburg – The Bulldogs come off a 20-4 finish this season and have a 39-10 record over the last two seasons.

Junior Allison Bosse (Marian University) averaged 15.7 points per game, sophomore Ally Becki averaged 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.5 steals, and junior Mackenzie Stein scored 8.5 points per contest.

Debbie Guckenberger has a 70-29 record in five years at Brownsburg and a career record of 197-162 in 16 seasons. She has been named the head coach of the 2019 Indiana All-Star team.

Brownsburg makes their 2nd appearance in the Girls Classic.  They won the 2010 event, defeating eventual 4A champion Jeffersonville and eventual 3A champion Evansville Memorial, led by sophomore Stephanie Mavunga, who was named 2010 Classic MVP and 2013 Indiana Miss Basketball.

Penn – The Kingsmen return their top three scorers from a 25-1 team that reached the 4A regional finals in 2018-19.

Sophomore Trinity Clinton averaged 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 steals, junior Reganne Pate averaged 12.4 points and sophomore Jordyn Smith scored 10.3 per game.

Head coach Kristi Kaniewski Ulrich is 229-29 in 10 seasons at Penn.  That is best record in the state over the past 10 years.

Penn makes their 2nd appearance in the Girls Classic.  They won 2011 event, defeating Mt. Vernon (Fortville) and Norwell, with Caroline Buhr earning that year’s Classic MVP honors.

Salem – The Lady Lions return four starters from their 24-4 3A semi-state finalist squad.

Junior point guard Leah Miller averaged 14.4 points per game, junior guard Hope Tomlinson scored 10.1, sophomore Karly Sweeney averaged 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds and 6’2” junior Letti Nice averaged 7.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.

Head coach Jerry Hickey has a 92-58 record in 6 seasons at Salem.

Salem makes their first appearance Classic history.

Crown Point – A youthful Bulldogs squad returns significant firepower from their 28-1 4A semi-state finalist squad.

Freshman point guard Jessica Carrothers averaged 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 steals, 6’1” junior Abby Stoddard scored 9.3 points per contest, sophomore Alyna Santiago averaged 6.7 points and 4.2 steals and 6’3” freshman Lilly Stoddard held averages of 5.4 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Head coach Chris Seibert is 77-27 in four seasons at Crown Point and holds a 136-104 career record in ten seasons overall.  He has been named an assistant coach of the 2019 Indiana All-Stars.

Crown Point makes their 2nd appearance in the Girls Classic.  The Bulldogs lost to Rushville and Austin in the 1984 event, but concluded the season as 1985 IHSAA girls basketball state champions.

Boys

Silver Creek – The Dragons will return two sizeable starters from their 25-3 IHSAA 3A championship squad. 

6’8” sophomore Trey Kaufman averaged 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, while 6’6” classmate Kooper Jacobi averaged 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Head coach Brandon Hoffman 151-67 in nine seasons at his alma mater.  He has led the Dragons to a 45-9 record the past two seasons and their 105-26 (.802) record over the past five seasons is 9th best in the state.

Silver Creek makes their first appearance in Classic history.

Heritage Hills – The Patriots return their top four scorers from a 22-2 squad that won 19 games in a row in 2018-19.

6’4” junior wing Murray Becher averaged 20.4 points per game and has been tabbed a 2019 Junior All-Star, 6’2” junior point guard Simon Scherry averaged 15.6 points and 5.1 assists, 6’8”sophomore Blake Sisley averaged 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds and 6’1” junior Cole Sigler scored 7.6 points per contest.

Head coach Nate Hawkins is 57-15 in three seasons at Heritage Hills and has a 121-41 record in seven seasons overall.

Heritage Hills makes their first appearance in Classic history.

Lawrence Central – The Bears return two Indiana Junior All-Stars from their 22-4, Sectional 10 championship squad.

6’6” junior Dre Davis (University of Nebraska) averaged 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, while 6’1” junior point guard Nijel Pack (Kansas State) averaged 16.5 points and 4.1 assists per game. Each were named to the core six of the 2019 Indiana Junior All-Star team.

Head coach Al Gooden is 78-42 in five years at LC with a career mark of 470-270 in 31 seasons overall.

Lawrence Central makes their 2nd appearance in the Boys Classic.  The Bears won the 2015 event by beating McCutcheon and Carroll (FW), led by Classic MVP Kyle Guy, who would later be named that season’s Indiana Mr. Basketball.

Lafayette Jeff – The Bronchos return over 99% of their scoring from an underclass-laden 17-8 squad that had the 7th highest scoring offense in the state in 2018-19.

6’2” Braxton Barnhizer averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a junior, 6’2” Avery Beaver averaged 16.8 points as a junior, 6’8” Brooks Barnhizer averaged 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a sophomore and 6’1” sophomore Ashton Beaver averaged 7.0 points for a Bronchos team that averaged 72.9 points per game and topped 90 points in four contests last season.

Head coach Mark Barnhizer enters his 2nd season at Lafayette Jeff.  In 35 years as a head coach, his teams have a 453-338 career record.

Lafayette Jeff makes their third appearance in Classic history.  They are 0-4 all-time in the event after appearances in 1986 and 2008.  Barnhizer will lead his 2nd team in event history – his  Perry Meridian team went 1-1, winning the consolation game of the 2002 Classic.

History:
26 young women who went on to win award have participated in the Girls Classic, including each of the last 11 Miss Basketball winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright, Stephanie Mavunga, Whitney Jennings, Ali Patberg, Jackie Young, Karissa McLaughlin, Amy Dilk and Jorie Allen). 12 women to have played in the Classic were named McDonald’s All-Americans and 10 Girls Classic alums have played in the WNBA.

Girls legends who have played in the Classic include 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.

28 men who went on to win the award have participated in the Boys Classic, including 11 of the last 15 award winners. 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, 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 2019 Classic, the event has included 92 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 102 different IHSAA-member boys programs in tournament history.

Sponsors:
2019 is the 3rd 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 7,800 financial advisors in more than 3,000 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $725 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 and Jostens.