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One of the first texts Crispus Attucks coach Chris Hawkins received after the Tigers clinched their first state finals appearance in eight years on Saturday night?
From Oscar Robertson. Hawkins pulled out his phone at IHSAA basketball state finals media day Monday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and read the message.
“The wonderful Tigers are the best,” Robertson sent. “Good luck next weekend.”
Robertson, 86, led Attucks to the first of back-to-back state championships 70 years ago. The Tigers won in 1955 and ’56, the latter year becoming the first undefeated state champion in Indiana history on the way to a then-record 45 consecutive wins. The 12-time NBA All-Star was in attendance in 2017, leading the cheers and hanging the championship medals around the necks of the players when Attucks won its first state title since 1959.
Semistate wrap: Unlikely hero, road ends for Lawrence North, Orleans heroics
Game-winners and clutch moments: Vote for top semistate performers
The presence of a living legend like Robertson added to the importance of the moment. In 1955, Attucks was the first all-Black school in the country to win a state title.
“He was up here again this fall, doing some things with a documentary, so I got a chance to sit down and talk with him,” Hawkins said. “He supports the program and he’s always available if you want to talk to him or need anything. It’s great having an alum like Oscar Robertson and hopefully he’s able to come in town this Saturday.”
Hawkins said he has not confirmed with Robertson he will attend Saturday’s game. The sixth-ranked Tigers (22-6) will play No. 2 South Bend St. Joseph (26-3) in the Class 3A state finals at 6 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I keep him up to date with everything going on in the season,” Hawkins said. “After the sectional, regional and semistate, he’s had a message each time. He’s a great ambassador for our school and our program.”
∎ The Class 3A matchup has the potential to be a high-scoring matchup. South Bend St. Joseph, last year’s state runner-up, scored a semistate record in a 115-81 win over Maconaquah in the semifinal Saturday and averages a state-leading 77.1 points per game. Attucks is averaging 68.3 points per game. “They want to press and want to get a lot of possessions,” Hawkins said of St. Joseph.
“I think the biggest thing is limiting how many times they can get into the paint and we have to limit our turnovers because they can quickly get into transition and then drive and kick for 3s… we have to be able to guard our yard.”
∎ Orleans coach Tom Bradley, in his 26th season at the school, had one of the most stressful days on Saturday of any of the eight coaches. His Class A No. 4 Bulldogs rallied to defeat No. 2 Hauser 69-67 on Rylan Crocker’s fadeaway jumper in the final seconds, then pulled out a 50-47 win over No. 1 Clay City in the semistate championship at Seymour.
“Last year we lost a five-overtime game to Barr-Reeve in the sectional championship game,” Bradley said. “Those things kind of happened to us. … it was one of those things after the game we were kind of talking about it and it was like, ‘What happened?’ You couldn’t even recall every play because there were so many (big) plays.”
This will be Orleans’ first appearance in the state finals under the modern format, though the teams in 1912, ’13 and ’14 competed in the state tournament before sectionals were created in 1915.
∎ The state finals media day was delayed a bit by Gov. Mike Braun, who addressed the players, coaches and school administrators during the personnel meeting with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
∎ Clinton Prairie coach Chad Peckinpaugh is the third coach in his family to reach the state finals in the past nine years. His father, Rick Peckinpaugh, coached McCutcheon to the Class 4A state finals in 2016, losing to New Albany. His cousin, John Peckinpaugh, coached Kokomo to the 2023 Class 4A state finals, losing to Ben Davis. Chad was an assistant for his dad at McCutcheon for 12 years, including the state finals season.
“We actually had a couple guys from that (2016 McCutcheon) team at our game on Saturday,” said Peckinpaugh, a 1995 Indiana All-Star at McCutcheon. “It was neat they came to support. It’s hard to believe that was nine years ago because it’s still fresh in the memory.”
Third-ranked Clinton Prairie (26-2), making its first state finals appearance, had not won a sectional title since 1982.
∎ The play of Jeffersonville 6-9 senior Tre Singleton has the attention of Fishers coach Garrett Winegar ahead of Saturday's Class 4A state final.
“He’s really developed his game over the last two years to be more versatile,” Winegar said. “He’s not just scoring in the post. He’s attacking off the bounce really well, getting downhill, catching in the high post and making moves … he can move his feet and guard multiple positions. Then obviously you have the post, where everybody is really scared of him. But that’s really just part of it. Then obviously he’s a big stopper inside as well. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
∎ The distance from home kept the family of Fishers coach Garrett Winegar at home for Saturday’s semistate games at Elkhart. His wife, Sable, had 4-year-old Guyton, 3-year-old Griff and 1-year-old Ruckus set up to watch the stream for the morning game at breakfast.
“They will make this trip,” Winegar said of Saturday’s game. “It’s a little shorter.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Streaming: All games streamed on IHSAAtv.org for $20 or $15 per game
Class A: Clinton Prairie (26-2) vs. Orleans (24-4), 10:30 a.m.
Class 2A: Manchester (25-2) vs. University (20-9), 12:45 p.m.
Class 3A: South Bend St. Joseph (26-3) vs. Crispus Attucks (22-6), 6 p.m.
Class 4A: Fishers (30-0) vs. Jeffersonville (23-5), 8:45 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball state finals: Oscar Robertson, more from media day
Continue reading...
From Oscar Robertson. Hawkins pulled out his phone at IHSAA basketball state finals media day Monday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and read the message.
“The wonderful Tigers are the best,” Robertson sent. “Good luck next weekend.”
Robertson, 86, led Attucks to the first of back-to-back state championships 70 years ago. The Tigers won in 1955 and ’56, the latter year becoming the first undefeated state champion in Indiana history on the way to a then-record 45 consecutive wins. The 12-time NBA All-Star was in attendance in 2017, leading the cheers and hanging the championship medals around the necks of the players when Attucks won its first state title since 1959.
Semistate wrap: Unlikely hero, road ends for Lawrence North, Orleans heroics
Game-winners and clutch moments: Vote for top semistate performers
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The presence of a living legend like Robertson added to the importance of the moment. In 1955, Attucks was the first all-Black school in the country to win a state title.
“He was up here again this fall, doing some things with a documentary, so I got a chance to sit down and talk with him,” Hawkins said. “He supports the program and he’s always available if you want to talk to him or need anything. It’s great having an alum like Oscar Robertson and hopefully he’s able to come in town this Saturday.”
Hawkins said he has not confirmed with Robertson he will attend Saturday’s game. The sixth-ranked Tigers (22-6) will play No. 2 South Bend St. Joseph (26-3) in the Class 3A state finals at 6 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I keep him up to date with everything going on in the season,” Hawkins said. “After the sectional, regional and semistate, he’s had a message each time. He’s a great ambassador for our school and our program.”
More from IHSAA basketball state finals media day
∎ The Class 3A matchup has the potential to be a high-scoring matchup. South Bend St. Joseph, last year’s state runner-up, scored a semistate record in a 115-81 win over Maconaquah in the semifinal Saturday and averages a state-leading 77.1 points per game. Attucks is averaging 68.3 points per game. “They want to press and want to get a lot of possessions,” Hawkins said of St. Joseph.
“I think the biggest thing is limiting how many times they can get into the paint and we have to limit our turnovers because they can quickly get into transition and then drive and kick for 3s… we have to be able to guard our yard.”
∎ Orleans coach Tom Bradley, in his 26th season at the school, had one of the most stressful days on Saturday of any of the eight coaches. His Class A No. 4 Bulldogs rallied to defeat No. 2 Hauser 69-67 on Rylan Crocker’s fadeaway jumper in the final seconds, then pulled out a 50-47 win over No. 1 Clay City in the semistate championship at Seymour.
“Last year we lost a five-overtime game to Barr-Reeve in the sectional championship game,” Bradley said. “Those things kind of happened to us. … it was one of those things after the game we were kind of talking about it and it was like, ‘What happened?’ You couldn’t even recall every play because there were so many (big) plays.”
This will be Orleans’ first appearance in the state finals under the modern format, though the teams in 1912, ’13 and ’14 competed in the state tournament before sectionals were created in 1915.
∎ The state finals media day was delayed a bit by Gov. Mike Braun, who addressed the players, coaches and school administrators during the personnel meeting with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
∎ Clinton Prairie coach Chad Peckinpaugh is the third coach in his family to reach the state finals in the past nine years. His father, Rick Peckinpaugh, coached McCutcheon to the Class 4A state finals in 2016, losing to New Albany. His cousin, John Peckinpaugh, coached Kokomo to the 2023 Class 4A state finals, losing to Ben Davis. Chad was an assistant for his dad at McCutcheon for 12 years, including the state finals season.
“We actually had a couple guys from that (2016 McCutcheon) team at our game on Saturday,” said Peckinpaugh, a 1995 Indiana All-Star at McCutcheon. “It was neat they came to support. It’s hard to believe that was nine years ago because it’s still fresh in the memory.”
Third-ranked Clinton Prairie (26-2), making its first state finals appearance, had not won a sectional title since 1982.
∎ The play of Jeffersonville 6-9 senior Tre Singleton has the attention of Fishers coach Garrett Winegar ahead of Saturday's Class 4A state final.
“He’s really developed his game over the last two years to be more versatile,” Winegar said. “He’s not just scoring in the post. He’s attacking off the bounce really well, getting downhill, catching in the high post and making moves … he can move his feet and guard multiple positions. Then obviously you have the post, where everybody is really scared of him. But that’s really just part of it. Then obviously he’s a big stopper inside as well. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
∎ The distance from home kept the family of Fishers coach Garrett Winegar at home for Saturday’s semistate games at Elkhart. His wife, Sable, had 4-year-old Guyton, 3-year-old Griff and 1-year-old Ruckus set up to watch the stream for the morning game at breakfast.
“They will make this trip,” Winegar said of Saturday’s game. “It’s a little shorter.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
115th annual IHSAA boys basketball state finals schedule
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Streaming: All games streamed on IHSAAtv.org for $20 or $15 per game
Class A: Clinton Prairie (26-2) vs. Orleans (24-4), 10:30 a.m.
Class 2A: Manchester (25-2) vs. University (20-9), 12:45 p.m.
Class 3A: South Bend St. Joseph (26-3) vs. Crispus Attucks (22-6), 6 p.m.
Class 4A: Fishers (30-0) vs. Jeffersonville (23-5), 8:45 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball state finals: Oscar Robertson, more from media day
Continue reading...
