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The task of leading Jeffersonville to its first state finals appearance since 1995 certainly did not fall on one person. But the responsibility of coaching the team is certainly not lost on Sherron Wilkerson, who starred on Jeffersonville’s only state title team in 1993.
He was Mr. Basketball that season but was forced to give up the title when he quit the Indiana All-Stars team and it was awarded to Kojak Fuller of Anderson. Wilkerson ran into trouble at IU and was kicked off the team as a junior in 1996.
But the 49-year-old’s coaching career led him back to Jeffersonville in 2022 and he has the Red Devils in position to play for a Class 4A title against No. 1 Fishers on Saturday night.
IHSAA basketball state finals: 35 players to watch this weekend
All-State teams: IBCA's Supreme 15, large-, small-school top players
“This has been a dream of mine,” Wilkerson said. “So to have it come to fruition, I can’t put it into words. I kind of feel like it’s an opportunity for redemption. As a young man, you try to figure some things out. As a grown man, you got it figured out. I think I’m in that position and I think the information that I have can help them in the path they are on … it’s way beyond basketball.”
Wilkerson said he had 70 text messages waiting for him after the semistate championship win over Lawrence North.
“It gives me cold chills just thinking about it,” Wilkerson said. “It took me two days to respond to it. A lot of people are supporting us.”
Wilkerson said growing up he “did not understand the magnitude of Indiana high school basketball.” But years later, after finishing his college playing career at Rio Grande University and playing professionally for a decade in Sweden, Italy, Russia Brazil and Israel, his experiences and perspective changed. Wilkerson got into coaching at the AAU level for several years, then coached at Herron High School in Indianapolis in 2009-10.
After coaching at IU-Southeast, he went to Lamar and coached with Pat Knight from 2012-14, then at Lincoln Trail Community College (Ill.), before getting into high school coaching at Shawe Memorial in 2018-19. He then coached two seasons at Madison and one at Logansport before taking the Jeffersonville job in 2022.
“Becoming a professional and learning some very valuable life lessons really puts it into perspective,” Wilkerson said. “My personal journey is really beyond basketball. It’s more of a spiritual journey than a basketball journey. Basketball is the tool. But it far outreaches basketball for me from a personal perspective.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sherron Wilkerson brings Jeffersonville back to Indiana state finals
Continue reading...
He was Mr. Basketball that season but was forced to give up the title when he quit the Indiana All-Stars team and it was awarded to Kojak Fuller of Anderson. Wilkerson ran into trouble at IU and was kicked off the team as a junior in 1996.
But the 49-year-old’s coaching career led him back to Jeffersonville in 2022 and he has the Red Devils in position to play for a Class 4A title against No. 1 Fishers on Saturday night.
IHSAA basketball state finals: 35 players to watch this weekend
All-State teams: IBCA's Supreme 15, large-, small-school top players
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“This has been a dream of mine,” Wilkerson said. “So to have it come to fruition, I can’t put it into words. I kind of feel like it’s an opportunity for redemption. As a young man, you try to figure some things out. As a grown man, you got it figured out. I think I’m in that position and I think the information that I have can help them in the path they are on … it’s way beyond basketball.”
Wilkerson said he had 70 text messages waiting for him after the semistate championship win over Lawrence North.
“It gives me cold chills just thinking about it,” Wilkerson said. “It took me two days to respond to it. A lot of people are supporting us.”
Wilkerson said growing up he “did not understand the magnitude of Indiana high school basketball.” But years later, after finishing his college playing career at Rio Grande University and playing professionally for a decade in Sweden, Italy, Russia Brazil and Israel, his experiences and perspective changed. Wilkerson got into coaching at the AAU level for several years, then coached at Herron High School in Indianapolis in 2009-10.
After coaching at IU-Southeast, he went to Lamar and coached with Pat Knight from 2012-14, then at Lincoln Trail Community College (Ill.), before getting into high school coaching at Shawe Memorial in 2018-19. He then coached two seasons at Madison and one at Logansport before taking the Jeffersonville job in 2022.
“Becoming a professional and learning some very valuable life lessons really puts it into perspective,” Wilkerson said. “My personal journey is really beyond basketball. It’s more of a spiritual journey than a basketball journey. Basketball is the tool. But it far outreaches basketball for me from a personal perspective.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sherron Wilkerson brings Jeffersonville back to Indiana state finals
Continue reading...
