4A Frontrunners: Ben Davis
The season is getting closer and closer and we are starting to dive into the rosters and Sectionals that will help to determine who are the top competition for each class. Today, we take a look into 4A and the frontrunners. We breakdown Ben Davis.
Last Year’s Record: 23-5 (State Champions)
Head Coach: Mark James
Top Returning Players: Aaron Henry (Sr), Cameron Maul (Jr), Tyreese Nibbs (Jr), Jalen Windham (Jr), Jerrian Owsley (So), Jamari London (So)
Top Departures: Joshua Brewer (Graduate), Datrion Harper (Graduate), Jalen Newsom (Graduate), Kyle Finch (Graduate)
New Additions: N/A
Why a Frontrunner: Ben Davis finds themselves in the list of 4A Frontrunners as the defending State Champions. They bring back a good group from the team last year and have an excellent leader in Aaron Henry. Although they graduated three of their top contributors in Brewer, Harper, and Newsom, they will have some guys stepping up in big ways. Aaron Henry will be the focal point of this team and will draw much of the attention on a nightly basis. Jalen Windham came into his own as the season progressed last year and had a great summer with Team Teague. Cameron Maul is another one of those guys that gave good minutes and played well last year. They will need much of the same to compete this year. Owsley and London will bring energy and length to the Giants this season. All in all, the team is eyeing another run deep into the postseason as they search out their second straight State Title.
Outlook: Ben Davis should jump out to a strong start this season as it takes a turn in late December. They will have a tough stretch ahead of them in the months of January and February leading up to postseason play. Lead by Michigan State commit Aaron Henry, this team has the experience and key guys to get back to state. Henry is excellent at getting to the basket and using his length and athleticism to influence a game. He’s been working on his jump shot and will be a tough matchup this year. Windham and Maul will increase their scoring totals this year to work nicely with Henry’s game. Some games that stick out on their schedule include North Central, Warren Central, Carmel, and Indianapolis Cathedral. Cathedral is another team that will be looking to make a push for State Championship. There is a good chance that if this team is clicking on all cylinders come March, we may see another Ben Davis and Fort Wayne North Side matchup for the Class 4A State Championship in Indianapolis.