Ten Best: Central Catholic vs. Indianapolis Tindley
The first game of the day could end up being the best game of the day as Indianapolis Tindley was able to get the last word in as Hunter White scored with just a couple seconds remaining to beat Central…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe first game of the day could end up being the best game of the day as Indianapolis Tindley was able to get the last word in as Hunter White scored with just a couple seconds remaining to beat Central Catholic, 51-49, and become the 1A State Champions.
MVP: Hunter White (Indianapolis Tindley)
Five points. That is all Hunter White had in this game but two of those five came in the final seconds and won Tindley the 1A State Championship game. He had been in foul trouble and never really got into a rhythm but Tindley just needed him to contribute a little bit to help get them the win. Hard to pick anyone else for this spot.
Play of the Game: Hunter White (Indianapolis Tindley)
The play that won the game was a little attacking drive from the left side with a little running floater in the lane. Central Catholic had help coming but it was too slow and White was quick to the gap and found himself with the last two points of the game. Central Catholic tried to get a long inbounds pass but it was deflected and time expired.
Best Offensive Performance: Avery Denhart (Central Catholic)
Nobody really was playing really well on offense for either team but Denhart was the best of the bunch. He finished with 17 points on 6/12 shooting and grabbing four rebounds and three assists. He was the key for Central Catholic early as he was productive in the first half. Things tightened up in the second half and that went away a bit but still, great game from the Senior.
Best Defensive Performance: Carson Barrett (Central Catholic)
Grabbing 11 rebounds and limiting Indianapolis Tindley to just 5 second chance points in this game was a massive achievement for Central Catholic and Carson Barrett. He wasn’t able to contribute much on offense early but he was rebounding big time early on and actually helped to put Central Catholic in the lead for a good chunk of the game. There wasn’t much size in this game but Barrett took advantage of his 6’3 frame.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Sincere McMahon (Indianapolis Tindley)
Easy pick for the best guy off the bunch as the freshman McMahon scored 10 points on 4/9 shooting and 2/5 from behind the arc. He was huge late in the game and was really playing at a high level. He had 5 points in a big stretch in the fourth quarter that gave Tindley some separation and a little breathing room.
Best Intangibles: Chris Murff (Indianapolis Tindley)
While Tindley doesn’t have much size, however, Murff gave them just enough all season long and he picked a great time to possibly have his biggest game scoring 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He was the most consistent player throughout the game and kept things together as Eric Hunter and Hunter White weren’t that great for chunks of the game. He gave them everything he had.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Joe Johnson (Indianapolis Tindley)
When looking back at the stat sheet following the game, Joe Johnson’s 7 points and 7 rebounds and 3 assists is very under-the-radar. This is just an indictment on how much of a group effort this was for Tindley. Johnson had a couple really good set up passes for scores on quick sets in the middle of the game.
Best Underclassmen: Carson Barrett (Central Catholic)
Could also go with McMahon here but Barrett is the one with some interesting intangibles early on in his career. The 6’3 guard can do just about anything and is one of the best passers in the state regardless of class. He showed he can rebound really well and has also scored the ball a ton this year. At his size and his skill, he could be a really good player in a short period of time.
Best Player We Didn’t Talk About: Eric Hunter Jr. (Indianapolis Tindley)
With all that went on in this game, the best player on the floor was Eric Hunter but Central Catholic did a really good job to slow him down. Even so, Eric Hunter Jr. finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists even though he shot just 3/11 from the field.
Best Thing We Learned This Season: Fear Indianapolis Tindley. They had a very successful season this year but the reality is they aren’t losing much this offseason and now they have the experience of making a deep tournament run. This team could look to make it back to Banker’s Life Fieldhouse and are going to be the favorites in 1A again. This team is just too good right now.