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OSUBasketballJunkie · #18 (**permalink**) 03-25-2005, 03:19 PM

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Our Oscar-winners take center court

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</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lawrence North junior Greg Oden (right), whose Wildcats play Saturday for the Class 4A state title, jostles with North Central's Eric Gordon in their regional matchup at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Both were considered for the North suburban area's Player of the Year honor; the 7-foot Oden got the nod. -- Matt Kryger / The Star
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>March 25, 2005

It's time to honor the best boys basketball players in northern Marion, western Boone and southern Madison counties with our Oscar Robertsons.

Hamilton County and Zionsville schools got theirs earlier this month. Now it's time to look at the rest of the North suburban area.

And the winners are . . .

Best actor (player of the year)

The nominees are: Eric Gordon, North Central; Jason Holsinger, Lapel; and Greg Oden, Lawrence North.

Oden is the best player in the country. Lawrence North is loaded with talent, but Oden sets the Wildcats apart in an area full of great teams -- defeating the Sagarin ratings' No. 3 Pike, No. 4 Arlington, No. 7 Terre Haute South and No. 8 North Central in the postseason with No. 2 Muncie Central up next. Oden has raised his level of play this season and taken the Wildcats with him.

Gordon meant as much to North Central as anyone in the state, let alone the area. Holsinger is equally valuable to Lapel, carrying the team to its first state championship game, and has meant as much to his community as anyone.

I wouldn't argue with a choice of either for player of the year, but I'll go with Oden.

Best director (coach of the year)

The nominees are: Cary Chandler, Heritage Christian; Jimmie Howell, Lapel; Jack Keefer, Lawrence North; and Doug Mitchell, North Central.

A difficult decision goes to Howell. He returned to his hometown and snapped the state's longest sectional drought at 62 years, defeated Tri-Central and Lafayette Catholic Central -- arguably two of the three best Class A teams in the state -- in the regional and has the program in the state finals for the first time in its history.

Chandler led Heritage Christian through the minefield of its postseason past to claim the program's first sectional title in its third season in the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

Keefer has molded a supremely talented group of players into the state's best team, and Mitchell led an inexperienced roster through an up-and-down season and the state's toughest schedule to a sectional title.

Short film (best player 5-10 or under)

The nominees are: David Brocker, Heritage Christian; J.R. Howell, Lapel; Ryan King, Lebanon; and Dray Mason, Bishop Chatard.

The pick is J.R. Howell. Jimmie Howell's best coaching move may have been bringing his son along with him from Brownsburg. The 5-foot-9 guard averages 14.2 points and 3.5 assists, shooting 47 percent on 3-pointers, and provided a second scoring option after Holsinger for the Bulldogs' state title run.

Performance by a cast

The nominees are: Brebeuf Jesuit, Bishop Chatard and Heritage Christian.

It's an easy choice -- Heritage Christian. Who was the team's best player? Leading scorer Jeff McIntosh? Center Jared McCowan, who played his best ball at the end of the season when it mattered most? Forward Chad Freije, who contributes in every area? Brocker, the point guard who won the team's MVP award last season?

The answer: All of them.

New star of the year

The nominees are: Eric Gordon, North Central; J.R. Howell, Lapel; Stephen Thomas, Cathedral; and Xavier Weatherford, Lawrence Central.

Gordon is the easiest pick. After fitting his game in and around senior stars A.J. Ratliff and Tony Passley last season, Gordon demonstrated he's one of the country's top high school players this season, leading the metropolitan area in scoring.

Call Star reporter Nat Newell at (317) 444-2610.

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Oden is simply the best player in the nation...period.

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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL STATE FINALS
Backcourt moves to the forefront
Lawrence North's veteran guards mature, thrive while playing in shadow of Oden.

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</TD></TR><TR><TD>7-foot center Greg Oden is the centerpiece of Lawrence North's lineup, but certainly not its only reliable weapon. -- Matt Kryger / The Star

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Related content

• Boys scoreboard
• Ask the expert: Pat McKee
• Preps Plus

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Saturday's games

At Conseco Fieldhouse
Tickets: Session, $10; season, $18

CLASS A
• Lapel (24-3) vs. Loogootee (21-4), 10:30 a.m.

CLASS 2A
• Harding (16-9) vs. Forest Park (22-4), 12:30 p.m. (approx.)

CLASS 3A
• Plymouth (22-3) vs. Washington (26-2), 6:30 p.m.

CLASS 4A
• Muncie Central (27-1) vs. Lawrence North (23-2), 8:30 p.m. (approx.)
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>By Pat McKee
<SCRIPT ********************></SCRIPT>pat.mckee@indystar.com
March 25, 2005

With standout Greg Oden in the middle, it's easy to understand how his backcourt teammates on the Lawrence North High School boys basketball team are overshadowed.

But heading into the Class 4A state title game Saturday against Muncie Central, the Wildcats' Mike Conley, Brandon McPherson and Tyler Morris are sure to be in the spotlight at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I think our guards are great," said Oden, a 7-foot junior who leads the third-ranked defending state champions with averages of 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. "When people want to talk about me, I try to talk a lot about them. I know what they mean to the team."

Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer is aware of how seniors Alex Daniel (13.1 ppg), Ty Riddle (13.1) and Josiah Miller (12.9) can dominate a game for the No. 2 Bearcats (27-1). Keefer agreed they are excellent players, but he wouldn't want to trade sets of guards.

"With Greg on our team, I'm not sure people realize how good our other players are," Keefer said. "Mike and Brandon are three-year starters, and both are very capable.

"Because of Greg and Mike, Brandon takes a back seat at times, but when he's needed to step up, he will. While Tyler has become a starter only in the latter part of this season, his game has really come around."

Conley, a 6-1 junior who averages 10.9 points and 5.1 assists, said he and his teammates aren't concerned about headlines.

"The Muncie Central guards are good, and they deserve attention," Conley said. "But we're not worried about personal goals. Our focus is on the team being its best."

McPherson, a 6-1 senior who adds 9.5 points and 2.0 assists, said he thinks Lawrence North's perimeter group is better. He pointed at college choices to support his view. McPherson is going to Valparaiso, Morris is bound for Eastern Kentucky and Conley is considering several major programs. By contrast, the Muncie guards are undecided.

According to Bearcats coach Matt Fine, Daniel is getting looks mostly from the NCAA Division II level, Riddle from Division III and NAIA schools and Miller from junior colleges.

"We've got three Division I guys," McPherson said. "But I like it when people doubt us. It just makes us want to show what we can do. I also like it when people put their focus on Greg. It just opens things for us."

Conley missed six games this season with a toe injury, but all three Lawrence North guards said his absence contributed to the group's development.

"That helped a lot," said Morris, a 6-foot senior who averages 4.6 points and 2.6 assists. "That time gave me a lot of confidence and made us a stronger corps, especially with (senior) Brandon Coffer and (junior) Brandon McDonald. They also got more time.

"Then when Mike came back, everything clicked together and we're on a roll."

Added Conley, "It took a couple of games for people to step into roles when I was out, but that gave Tyler and Brandon some time to run the team. Now I don't have to bring the ball up every time. We all can play the point or the two (shooting guard). We're all comfortable in either place, and the coaches are comfortable with that, too."

Fine clearly prefers his trio: the 6-2 Daniel, a hard-nosed leader who averages 5.1 assists; the 6-foot Riddle, a dead-eye shooter who is hitting 41 percent from 3-point range (88-of-213); and the 5-11 Miller, a slashing scorer and quick defender.

Still, he respects the Lawrence North backcourt.

"Their three guards are as good as any in the state," Fine said. "It should be a classic battle of two great teams led by three guards apiece."

Call Star reporter Pat McKee at (317) 444-6182.

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That team is simply loaded.