Kyle NeddenriepIndianapolis Star
The Indianapolis 500 is in the books, which is means it is time to turn the calendar to June and look ahead to one of the next longest-running traditions in sports in the state: The Indiana-Kentucky All-Stars high school basketball series.
IndyStar Indiana All-Stars week festivities officially begin Sunday when the Junior All-Stars — girls at 2 p.m. and boys at 4 p.m. — play the Kentucky Junior All-Stars at Meyer Gym in Scottsburg. Indiana All-Stars director Mike Broughton believes the series is in the best shape it has been post-pandemic.
“We have 66 teams playing in our high school shootout at Warren Central the day of the All-Star game (June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse),” Broughton said. “That’s a lot more schools and a lot more coaches giving their day to support the All-Stars. We also have 15 schools that have bought block tickets who are bringing their program and feeder system to the game. We’re excited about that.
"If this game is going to survive, it’s going to be on younger people coming to the game. Just in the last two weeks we’ve sold 1,600 tickets from those schools bringing kids from third grade to high school to the game. If you want to be an All-Star, you can’t be it until you see it. We want kids to see it and be part of it.”
The Indiana All-Stars have been around since 1939 with the series against Kentucky starting in 1940. The girls series began in 1976. The Indiana boys own a 104-45 all-time series lead, though Kentucky snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 94-90 win last year in Owensboro, Ky. The Indiana girls lead the series 53-41 but have not swept Kentucky since 2016.
The Indiana All-Stars will play three games: a girls-boys doubleheader against the Junior All-Stars on Wednesday at Memorial Gym in Kokomo (girls game at 6 p.m., boys to follow), at Lexington Catholic High School on Friday (girls at 5:30 p.m., boys to follow) and at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday (girls at 5 p.m.; boys at 7:30 p.m.).
The All-Stars will be led by Mr. Basketball Flory Bidunga of Kokomo and Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen of Bedford North Lawrence.
“This is a series that has withstood the test of time,” Broughton said. “There is a lot of tradition and I tell the players and coaches all the time, ‘This game is bigger than you.’ I know the players by the end of the week will appreciate having been a part of it before they go off to their universities. There are a lot of people who come together to make this week happen. I’m really proud of our past but also excited about what we’ve got going for the future.”
One of the new events added to All-Star week for the first time last year is the “Futures Games”, which will be played Monday at Hamilton Southeastern. Those teams are made up of freshmen and sophom*ores. Played in a North-South format, the girls game will be played at 6 p.m., with the boys to follow.
“We want to honor kids from across the state and also bring them to play against the best competition and see how they perform in a setting like that,” Broughton said. “The competition is greater than it would be at your local high school. It gives us an opportunity to see them in that setting, along with the Junior All-Stars.”
Broughton said ticket sales for the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse are up overall by more than 1,000 from last year’s game. The All-Stars will sponsor Riley Hospital and Special Olympics of Indiana and will make a $5,000 donation on Saturday. Tickets for Saturday can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com by searching Indiana vs. Kentucky.
“We’re excited to give back,” Broughton said. “I think this game transcends generations and should be one that shows the heart of Indiana people.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
2024 INDIANA ALL-STARS BOYS ROSTER
Isaac Andrews, Wapahani (Indiana Wesleyan)
Jack Benter, Brownstown Central (Purdue)
Floy Bidunga, Kokomo (Kansas)
Trey Buchanan, Westfield (Iowa, walk-on)
Micah Davis, Franklin (Eastern Kentucky)
Aaron Fine, Noblesville (Purdue, walk-on)
Keenan Garner, Fishers (IU Indy)
Evan Haywood, Brebeuf Jesuit (Butler)
Jack Miller, Scottsburg (Hanover)
Tyler Parrish, Chesterton (UIndy)
Karson Rogers, Kokomo (St. Francis, Ind.)
Tucker Tornatta, Evansville Memorial (UIndy)
K.J. Windham, Ben Davis (Northwestern)
BOYS JUNIOR ALL-STARS: Talent galore. 2024 roster is loaded.
BOYS FUTURES GAME: Rosters featuring Indiana's top sophom*ores, freshmen
2024 INDIANA ALL-STARS GIRLS ROSTER
Audrey Annee, Center Grove (Army)
Emma Haan, Zionsville (Vermont)
Alli Harness, Carroll-Flora (Western Michigan)
Talia Harris, Fishers (Mercer)
Ellery Minch, Mt. Vernon (DePaul)
Jordyn Poole, FW Snider (Purdue)
Camryn Runner, Hamilton Heights (Evansville)
Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence (Alabama)
Lauren Walsh, Penn
Reagan Wilson, Noblesville (Iowa State)
Faith Wiseman, Indian Creek (Indiana)
Rachel Wirts, Center Grove (Villanova)
Juliann Woodard, Jennings County (Michigan State)
GIRLS JUNIOR ALL-STARS: Meet the 2024 Indiana roster
GIRLS FUTURES GAME: Lillie Graves, Myah Epps headline rosters for 2024
Indiana All-Stars ticket information
>> Admission is $10 per person for the Indiana Juniors vs. Kentucky Juniors doubleheader on Sunday at Scottsburg. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 2 p.m., and the boys follow about 4 p.m.
>> Admission is $10 per person for the Indiana All-Star "Futures Games" on Monday at Hamilton Southeastern. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 6 p.m. and the boys follow about 8 p.m.
>> Admission is $10 per person for the Junior-Senior doubleheader on Wednesday at Kokomo. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 6 p.m., and the boys follow about 8 p.m.
>> Tickets are $15 each for the All-Stars against Kentucky on Friday at Lexington Catholic High School.The girls start at 5:30 p.m., and the boys follow about 7:30 p.m. Tickets areavailable atkentuckybasketballcoaches.org.
>>Tickets are priced from $100 to $10for June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.The All-Star doubleheader has the girls at 5 p.m. and the boys about 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse box office and throughticketmaster.com.
