2004-2005 Boys Basketball  IHSAA - Class 1A, 2A State Finals Previews A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (3-24-2005)

95^th Indiana State Finals

INDIANAPOLIS (3-26-2005) With no upsets at the semistate level, the 2005 state finals sizes up as one of the best of the class sports era. Four of the of the state's best 10 players, including the undisputed No. 1 junior in the nation, probably the No. 1 senior in the nation and one of the top 30 Indiana scorers of all time, will all be on the floor Saturday.

You have a coach with 499 career wins going for 500, one coach who is coaching his final game, a player with 112 three-point baskets, a team with two 6-7 cousins and the school with the most state championship game wins in state history.

With all due respect to everyone who lost at the semistate level, thank God and Greyhound you're gone.

The night card, with Plymouth and Jack Edison (499-243) against Washington and 6-11 Notre Dame recruit Luke Zeller (19.4 ppg.) followed by 8-time state champ Muncie Central facing the nation's No. 1 player Greg Oden, Division I point guard Michael Conley and defending state champion Lawrence North, could produce the first sellout since Indiana went to a four class state tournament in 1998.

Unfortunately for those of us in NW Indiana, the 'region' will again (for something like the 10^th year in a row) be the ONLY part of Indiana that does not get all four state finals games (this year we get none) live on TV. You will not see any of these games live or on tape delay. You will not see ANY highlights the next Thursday night. Those shows do not recognize the state finals as having any value unless 'region' teams are in them.

Nothing is guaranteed but this could be one of the great state finals' days in history. But, for NW Indiana folks, you won't know unless you go.

1A State Championship

Loogootee (21-4) vs. Lapel (24-3)

INDIANAPOLIS (10:30 EST) The 'people's champion', Lapel brings thousands of fans and their first sectional champion in 62 years into the finals with an up-tempo squad.

The Bulldogs are led by 5-11 guard Jason Holsinger (23 ppg.), who scored 37 in last week's 60-45 win over Blackhawk Christian. Team after team says that Holsinger, Lapel's lead guard, is the best player they have faced.

It will be very interesting to see what Loogootee, a slowdown patient team can do against Lapel, which rides a full-court press. The Lions are a young team with only one senior in 6-4 Bart Hill (9.0 ppg.) and led in scoring by 6-1 sophomore Todd Baker (13 ppg.). Loogootee has not lost to a 1A school and they allow just 41 points a game. But that's a product of a patient offense that shortens the game. Few teams can successfully speed them up.

There comes a time, however, when you bow to the reality of what's occurring. Logic says that good teams (Loogootee traditionally is one) can defense any one player. But no one else has.

The crowds following Lapel have been an intimidating factor. The expectation is that over 5,000 fans will head to downtown Indianapolis from Madison County to see if Lapel can complete a memorable state tourney run.

Lapel has defeated Tri-County and Lafayette Catholic, far better teams than Loogootee. The Bulldogs have lost only to 3A Pendleton Heights (twice) and 4A powerhouse Muncie Central.

The Bulldogs cannot have not come this far to lose it now. Lapel breaks the slowdown in the third period and they win going away. This is the surest bet of the four final games.

Prediction: Lapel 58, Loogootee 44

2A State Championship

Harding (16-9) vs. Forest Park (22-4)

INDIANAPOLIS (12:05 EST) Here's an old-school state tournament matchup with the all-black city team Harding going against the all-white country boys in Forest Park.

No one admits they like the black-white matchups, but they do. Vastly different styles of play. Vastly different styles of life. Coming together on common ground to see who's best. It's the true value of of sports and ballgames like this one go a long way to breaking down barriers in a very conservative state.

Harding is led by pure athletes in 5-10 lead guard Rodney Bell (8.1 ppg.) and 6-5 football star Selwyn Lymon (17.8 ppg.).

Harding sank 17 of 21 from the line to overcome a patient team in John Glenn (20-7) by a 56-46 count last week. That is significant because Harding traditionally is a bad foul shooting team.

The Hawks cause major problems up front with 6-8 Jermaine Muff who scored 14 and blocked three shots last week.

But the Forest Park Rangers are a country song in the making with 6-7 cousins Brandon and Clint Hoff, who combined for 48 points in last week's come-from-behind 76-73 win over Knightstown.

The Rangers average 65 points a game and they may not be able to go slow. 5-10 senior guard Matt Atkins (10.1 ppg.) may be the key but Brandon Hoff (16.4 pg.) and Clint Hoff (12.5 ppg.) have to hold their own on the boards against Lymon, a Purdue football recruit, and Muff, who have played much tougher competition.

The key stat of this game is that Forest Park, which is in the state finals for the second time in three years, has not played a 4A school all season and has met just two 3A teams.

Harding is the smallest school in the talent-rich Summit Athletic Conference (SAC) in Fort Wayne and they have played 16 schools (8 - 4As and 8 - 3As) that are above them in class.

Harding wants to run and Forest Park can't play any other way. This will be high entertainment, not to mention the highest-scoring game of the day. Harding's wing shooter DeAundre Muhammad (15 ppg.) is a key here. Forest Park can't stop everything Harding does and they must key on the point and the post.

The Hawks, who won the 2001 state title, are much more suited to high-octane play than Forest Park is. The Rangers are a talented and tall team but the essence of tournament play is that you advance until you find someone you can't handle. That will happen to Forest Park at high noon Saturday.

Prediction: Harding 82, Forest Park 74

NOTE: Again, there is no TV of these games in NW Indiana. You can hear the finals on WEFM (95.9) FM and that is probably the way to go. Of local NW Indiana broadcast outlets, the Regional Radio Sports Network (RRSN) consistently has the best knowledge and attitude for the game from a state wide perspective. While WJOB and the Region Sports Network (RSN (on WWCA (1270) make no bones about being 'homers' for local teams, they also carry a certain indifference to games that do not involve local squads. Even when they are broadcasting them.

Mike Knezevich, Dave Miller and Paul Condry speak of the games in more of a total Indiana context and, on state finals day, that's probably what you want.

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Revised: March 24, 2005 .