Breaking Down Indiana All-Star Team Candidates

The 2021 class is one of the deeper in-state classes in recent years and with that will come a difficult decision when narrowing it down to name the Indiana All-Star team, with 13 players making the cut.

Those chosen to the team typically play in three games. One against the Indiana Junior All-Stars and then two games against the Kentucky All-Stars. Last year’s games were cancelled due to COVID. This has been a yearly tradition in the state of Indiana since the 1930’s.

We are going to break it up into different tiers of candidates, anywhere from guys who should be ‘locks’ to some names on the outside looking in.

Tier 1:

Caleb Furst Caleb Furst 6'9" | PF Blackhawk Christian | 2021 State #34 Nation IN (Blackhawk Christian; PF)

The Purdue signee is averaging 22 points and 13 rebounds per game this season for Blackhawk Christian and is one of the most dominant forwards in the state and one of the best players in the country.

Trey Kaufman Trey Kaufman 6'8" | PF Silver Creek | 2021 State #39 Nation IN (Silver Creek; PF)

Teaming up with Furst at Purdue will be Kaufman. He is averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists for Silver Creek. He missed most of the first half of the season to an ankle/foot injury but has been exceptional since retuning.

He is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana.

Blake Wesley Blake Wesley 6'5" | SG South Bend Riley | 2021 State #95 Nation IN (South Bend Riley; SG)

At times Wesley can be one of the forgotten members of the talented trio sitting atop the state rankings. The Notre Dame signee is averaging 27 points, 6 rebounds and nearly 3 steals per contest for South Bend Riley.

Luke Brown Luke Brown 6'1" | PG Blackford | 2021 State IN (Blackford; SG)

The Stetson signee is averaging 32 points, 6 assists and 3 steals per game and is one of the most talented scorers the state has every seen. He recently became the No. 5 overall scorer all-time in the state of Indiana.

Brooks Barnhizer Brooks Barnhizer 6'5" | SF Lafayette Jeff | 2021 State #203 Nation IN (Lafayette Jefferson; SF)

Having one of the best statistical seasons in recent years, Barnhizer is definitely a name that flies under-the-radar at times due to some of the competition level he plays against. Despite that, the Northwestern signee is averaging 35 points, 11 rebounds and close to 7 assists per game this season.

Tier 2:

Luke Goode Luke Goode 6'6" | SF Homestead | 2021 State #107 Nation IN (Homestead; SG/SF)

Goode has seen some of his spotlight taken away due to his new teammate in Fletcher Loyer Fletcher Loyer 6'4" | SG Homestead | 2022 State #108 Nation IN . However, the Illinois signee is still averaging 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game for an undefeated Homestead squad.

’JR’ Douglas Konieczny Douglas Konieczny 6'8" | SF South Bend St. Joseph | 2021 State #156 Nation IN (South Bend St. Joseph; SG)

Soon-to-be teammates at Notre Dame with Wesley, Konieczny broke St. Joseph’s all-time scoring record recently of over 1,700 total points. He is averaging 31 points this season.

Jalen Blackmon Jalen Blackmon 6'2" | PG Marion | 2021 State #244 Nation IN (Marion; PG)

The all-time leading scorer at Marion, Blackmon is averaging 31 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season. The Grand Canyon signee has been exceptional for his whole career.

Tier 3:

Pierce Thomas Pierce Thomas 6'5" | SG Brownsburg | 2021 State #153 Nation IN (Brownsburg; SF)

The only thing that has kept Thomas from being a sure lock is Brownsburg’s record. Hanging around .500 for most of the season, Thomas has been steady as always. The Butler signee is averaging 23 points and 6 rebounds this season.

Jayden Taylor Jayden Taylor 6'4" | SG Perry Meridian | 2021 State #224 Nation IN (Perry Meridian; SG)

Another Butler signee, Taylor is averaging 26 points and 6 rebounds per game for Perry Meridian. He has helped improved the team’s record drastically from a season ago.

Isaiah Stafford Isaiah Stafford 6'1" | PG Crispus Attucks | 2021 IN (Crispus Attucks; PG)

After transferring from Illinois at the beginning of the season due to the state pushing back the start date for high school athletics, Stafford has been a terrific player for Attucks. He is averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game so far this season. He is not only one of the best point guards in the class, but one of the top all-around players.

Tier 4:

Shamar Avance Shamar Avance 6'1" | PG Lawrence North | 2021 State IN (Lawrence North; PG)

Avance has been one of the best surprises this season and a main reason for that has been the work he put in over the summer. He is averaging around 19 points and 3 assists per game this season.

Gus Etchison Gus Etchison 6'0" | PG Hamilton Heights | 2021 State IN (Hamilton Heights; PG)

The Western Michigan signee is averaging 32 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game and despite just 6-feet tall, he is one of the top scorers in the state.

Kooper Jacobi Kooper Jacobi 6'6" | PF Silver Creek | 2021 State IN (Silver Creek; SF)

The teammate of Trey Kaufman Trey Kaufman 6'8" | PF Silver Creek | 2021 State #39 Nation IN , Jacobi is a terrific secondary option for Silver Creek. The Toledo signee is averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was a main reason for the success of Silver Creek while Kaufman was out due to injury.

Blake Sisley Blake Sisley 6'8" | PF Heritage Hills | 2021 State IN (Heritage Hills; C)

Sisley set the Heritage Hills all-time rebound record earlier this season and has been a huge reason for the success of the program the past few seasons. The Evansville signee is averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds a game this year.

Other Notable Names:

Lincoln Hale Lincoln Hale 6'5" | SG Linton-Stockton | 2021 State IN (Linton-Stockton; SG)