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Mt. Vernon named to girls tournament field of 2020 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic

–With fields including five first-time participants and teams with collective 181-24 records this past season, another illustrious lineup is set for the 2020 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic on Tuesday, December 29 and Wednesday, December 30 at the New Castle Fieldhouse.

 

The prestigious event, spotlighting the best in Indiana high school basketball, will be held for the 37th time for girls and it will be the 44thedition for the boys. 

 

 2020 Girls’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse - Tuesday, December 29, 2020

11:00 a.m. (ET)           Mt. Vernon (Fortville) vs. Norwell
to follow                     Fishers vs. Evansville Memorial
6:00 p.m.                     Consolation Game
to follow                     Championship Game

2020 Boys’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Wednesday, December 30, 2020

11:00 a.m. (ET)           Blackford vs. Shenandoah
to follow                     Fort Wayne Blackhawk vs. Barr-Reeve
6:00 p.m.                     Consolation Game
to follow                     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 seven class runner-up teams in the past 18 years alone. 

 

On the boys side, 14 participating teams have gone on to win their state championshipwith 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 2020-21 school year.

 

ABOUT THE TEAMS

 

Girls:

Mt Vernon (Fortville) – The Marauders come off a 22-2 finish this season and have a 42-8record over the last two seasons.

 

Losing just two seniors from their Hoosier Heritage Conference championship squad, junior guard Lexi Shelton averaged 16.3 points and 6.0 rebounds, junior frontliner Olivia Yeley averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds and junior guard Abby Worley averaged 7.9 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

 

Julie Sheltonhas a 313-128record in 19 seasons at Mt. Vernon including a 2013 3A championship and 2012 3A runner-up finish.  A 1989 Indiana All-Star after setting nine school records as a player at Seymour H.S., she was a 2017 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

 

Mt. Vernon makes their 4thappearance in the Girls Classic.  They won the 1999 event and participated in the 1986 and 2011 events.   They become just the 3rd school to make four or more appearances in the Girls Classic, joining Bedford North Lawrence (four) and Rushville (five).


Norwell–The Lady Knightsexpect to return all but one player from a 22-5 team that reached the 3A regional finals in 2019-20.

 

Juniors Maiah Shelton (14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds), Kaylee Fuelling (13.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals) and Lauren Bales (6.5 points and 2.6 assists) are leading returning players for the Lady Knights.

 

Head coach Eric Thorntonis 366-172 in 23 seasons at Norwell.  His program’s 200-52 record (.794) over the past 10 seasons is the 9th best winning percentage in the state in that time. He has lead the Norwell girls to 14 straight seasons with 15 or more wins, including eight 20-plus win seasons in that span.

 

Norwell makes their 2nd appearance in the Girls Classic.  They were runners-up in the 2011 eventwith eventual Miss Basketball Jessica Rupright on their roster.  Norwell and Mt. Vernon return to the Girls Classic following 2011 appearances, although they did not face each other in that event.


Fishers – The Tigers return significant firepower from their underclass-laden 23-2 sectional championship team.

 

Indiana Junior All-Star Katie Burton averaged 15.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, junior Audra Emmerson averaged 7.2 points and 2.4 assists and freshman Hailey Smith averaged 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

 

Head coach Lauren Votawhas a 51-24 record in 3 seasons at Fishers.

 

Fishers makes their first appearance Classic history.


Evansville Memorial – Losing just two seniors from their 22-4 sectional championship squad, the Tigers are poised to continue their success.

 

Junior Ryleigh Anslinger averaged 15.8 points and 3.1 steals, junior Peyton Murphy averaged 10.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals, freshman Emily Mattingly averaged 6.2 points and junior Savanah Warren averaged 6.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

 

Head coach Lee Aucker completed his first season as head coach of the Memorial girls program.  Aucker was an assistant for seven seasons under 31-year Memorial head coach Bruce Dockery.

 

Memorial makes their 3rd appearance in the Girls Classic.  Appearing in the 2004 event, they won the Consolation game of the 2010 event, en route to a 2011 IHSAA 3A championship later that season. 
 

Boys:

Blackford – Led by the state’s leading scorer and three-point shooter, stat-stuffer Luke Brown prepares for a senior season with the Bruins after a 21-5 campaign in 2019-20 and the school’s first sectional title in 29 years.

 

Brown, a 6’2” junior guard, averaged a state-best 32.3 points per game and tied for the state lead with 101 made three-pointers. His 7.7 assists per game was 3rdbest in IHSAA boys basketball this season, while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals per contest.  His 2,061 career points through three seasons already places him 42nd in Indiana boys high school basketball history. He has scored 30 or more points in 45 of his 64 career games.

6’3” junior Max Wors averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and 5’11” junior Cam Elam averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

 

Head coach Jerry Hoover is 52-20 in three seasons at Blackford.  In all, he has over 450 wins as a head coach in Indiana high school basketball and was a 2019 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

 

Blackford makes their first appearance in Classic history.
 

Shenandoah – The Raiders return their top three scorers from a 23-2 squad that won the program’s 4th consecutive sectional title and were ranked #1 in the final 2A poll of the season.

 

6’1” junior guard Andrew Bennett averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals, 6’1” junior guard Jake Kinsey averaged 15.5 points and 3.8 assists and 6’1” junior guard Kaden McCollough averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.

 

Head coach Dave McCollough is 111-17five seasons at Shenandoah with five straight 20-win seasons.  The Raiders’ 90-14 record (.865) over the past four seasons is 4th best in the state in that timeframe.  McCollough has a 576-250 record in 36 seasons overall at North Judson, Noblesville and Shenandoah.

 

Shenandoah makes their first appearance in Boys Classic history.  The Shenandoah girls were runners-up in the 2002 Girls Classic en route to a 2003 IHSAA 2A championship that season.


Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian – The Braves return their starting five and all but one senior from their 23-3 sectional champion squad that was ranked 2A #2 and 10th overall in the Sagarin ratings.

 

6’10” forward Caleb Furst (Purdue University) expects to be in contention for the 2021 Indiana Mr. Basketball title after averaging 22.1 points, a state-best 13.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in his junior season.  6’3” junior wing Zane Burke averaged 17.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, 6’0” junior wing Marcus Davidson averaged 15.9 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds and 6’1” junior Callan Wood averaged 7.1 points per game. 

 

Head coach Marc Davidsonis 146-47in seven years at Blackhawk, leading them to six sectional championships, two regional titles and the 2019 1A championship victory against their Classic opponent Barr-Reeve.  Blackhawk’s 94-18 record (.839) over the past four seasons is 6th best in the state in that timeframe.

 

Blackhawk Christian makes their 1stappearance in the Classic. 


Barr-Reeve – The winningest boys basketball team in Indiana over the last 15 seasons, the Vikings continued their success with a 25-1 sectional title team and 1A #1 ranking in an abbreviated 2019-20 campaign.

 

6’3” sophomore Hagen Knepp averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists, 6’3” junior Brycen Graber led all IHSAA boys basketball players with 8.1 assists per game, averaged 8.9 points on 63% shooting from the field, and grabbed 2.6 rebounds. 6’1” junior Devin Graber averaged 7.3 points per game and 6’9” Curt Hopf will join the Vikings for his senior season.

 

With a notable tradition of success at Barr-Reeve, the Vikings have recorded 45 consecutive non-losing seasons. Their 98-12 record (.891) over the past four seasons ties them for the best record in the state in that timeframe and a 329-58 mark (.850) over the past 15 seasons is unsurpassed in Indiana.

 

Head coach Josh Thompson is 51-4 leading the Vikings for two seasons.  He has a career mark of 161-160 in 13 seasons as head coach at Springs Valley, Wood Memorial, Vincennes Lincoln and Barr-Reeve.

 

Barr-Reeve makes their first appearance in Classic history.


History:
26 young women who went on to win award have participated in the Girls Classic, including each of the last 11Miss 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, Kyle Guy and Romeo Langford among others.

 

Including entrants in the 2020 Classic, the event has included 94 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 106 different IHSAA-member boys programs in tournament history.

Sponsors:
2020 is the 4thyear 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 8,100 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $896billion. 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 and partners include adidas, the IHSAA Champions Network, Henry Community Health and Jostens.

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