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Julien Smith took a seat in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse media room on Monday next to Cathedral teammate Keaton Aldridge Jr. and assistant coach Aundrey Wright. Just one table over were former teammates Luke Ertel and Max Vise of Mt. Vernon.
There was a world where Smith might have been seated at the table next to Ertel and Vise before his transfer to Cathedral. But to see it end this way, playing back-to-back games in the evening session of the high school basketball state finals on Saturday – Cathedral in the Class 3A game, Mt. Vernon following in the 4A game – is just as special.
“Really, for me, it makes it so much better,” Smith said of seeing his former teammates in the state finals. “I’m really glad for them and happy for their success. I’m just really thankful. It’s a blessing that it all worked out.”
The feeling is mutual between Ertel, who played in the same backcourt with Smith, and the junior Vise, who did not play varsity at the same time as Smith but saw his impact.
“I think it’s amazing he gets that opportunity as well,” Ertel said. “We train together, we play together in the summer, so we stay really close and I’m happy for him.”
Said Vise: “He was a leader at Mt. Vernon before he left. I think it’s really cool to see him do his own thing at a school where he’s more the main man.”
The 6-foot Smith, who is signed to play at Mount St. Mary’s in college, is second on the team in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounds (4.6 per game) behind senior teammate Keaton Aldridge Jr. (18.1 ppg, 7.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists). Smith, a 40% shooter from the 3-point line, often draws a defender face guarding him all over the court.
“I don’t think we are (here without him),” Aldridge said. “Not only on the court but off the court. His mentality of working hard – first one in the gym, last one to leave, always working hard in the weight room – is big for us.”
This Cathedral team is a little different than the one that won the Class 4A state championship four years ago. That team was loaded with experienced upperclassmen like Tayshawn Comer (Nevada), Jaron Tibbs (Kansas State football), Xavier Booker (UCLA), Jake Davis (Illinois) and Jaxon Edwards (IU Indy).
The roles of Aldridge and Smith were easy to project with this group. But the rest was a little more uncertain. Braylon Pippins, a 6-5 junior, has emerged to average 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. R’Mani Wells, a 6-5 senior, overcame a midseason slump to finish strong and average 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. Junior Skylar Rodgers (6.6 ppg, 35% 3-pointers) has been consistent through the season and others have played key roles, including freshman guards Ryan Gold Jr. (5.8 ppg, 2.4 assists) and Jayden Kennedy (5.4 ppg in eight games) and sophomores Tristan Lloyd (6.6 ppg) and Jaxson Delaney (4.3 ppg, 3.1 rebounds).
“What we had was the development,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “Our coaching staff, our assistants, do an outstanding job of developing those guys and you could see them jumping into roles. It wasn’t the same guy every night. When you build in the chemistry, they became pretty special. Their back has been against the wall in some tough situations. There was a sea of orange (in the semistate at Seymour against Silver Creek) and we were down eight going into the fourth quarter. They just didn’t give up. They took on the persona of fighters.”
That persona often starts with Aldridge and Smith, the most experienced players on the roster. Aldridge took the lead in carrying Cathedral to a comeback from eight points down in the fourth quarter to knock off top-ranked Silver Creek 73-68 in the semistate championship at Seymour. Aldridge finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
“One of the biggest strengths of our team is we have a lot of different guys who can go off on any night,” Smith said. “Keaton, as you saw on Saturday night with 29 points, he can go.”
The goal for Aldridge and Smith was to bring the rest of the team along with them. That took some trial and error as they learned the personalities of the younger players.
“At the start of the season, they kind of took it personally when we’d say something to them,” Smith said. “I think through the growth of our bonds, they see that we just want the best for them. We’ve done this for years and at this point, we know what’s good and not good. I think them seeing we have the best intentions for them goes a long way.”
Delaney said the transformation of the team into a cohesive unit has been obvious. He compared it to watching the 2018 Warren Central state championship team from afar.
“I think it’s the bond they have off the court,” Delaney said. “Every time I’d go scout, I’d see that Warren Central team together. They spent a lot of time together. This team reminds me of that. It’s not always about the rankings or how much talent you have. It’s about the chemistry of the team and this group has bought into that.”
New Haven lost four of its final seven regular-season games but played a schedule heavy with 4A teams. The Bulldogs clinched their first state finals appearance with a 59-55 win over No. 6 Columbia City in the semistate championship. Tarvar Baskerville, a 6-1 junior, scored the game winning basket with 1.9 seconds remaining.
Baskerville (16.3 ppg), 6-2 senior Jadrien Ezell (10.8 ppg) and 6-3 junior Lavell Ledbetter (8.2 ppg, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists) are the top scorers for the Bulldogs.
Class 3A state finals details: Tipoff at 6 p.m. Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse; game will live streamed on IHSAAtv.org for a cost of $20 or $25 for all four games; Tickets are $20 per person for one session and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Participating schools also have tickets available at the respective schools.
How Cathedral can win: Get it and go. Cathedral is No. 2 in the state in scoring average at 77.4 points per game. It will play into the Irish’s hands if this is an uptempo, high-scoring game.
How New Haven can win: Limit Aldridge. The Bulldogs are not a great shooting team (30.1% from the 3-point line) but allow just 52.9 points per game. New Haven will need to make this more of a low-scoring, halfcourt game.
Prediction: New Haven is a good team. I think the Bulldogs hang with Cathedral in a game maybe closer than some seem to expect. Cathedral 70, New Haven 64.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball 3A final preview, prediction: Cathedral vs. New Haven
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There was a world where Smith might have been seated at the table next to Ertel and Vise before his transfer to Cathedral. But to see it end this way, playing back-to-back games in the evening session of the high school basketball state finals on Saturday – Cathedral in the Class 3A game, Mt. Vernon following in the 4A game – is just as special.
“Really, for me, it makes it so much better,” Smith said of seeing his former teammates in the state finals. “I’m really glad for them and happy for their success. I’m just really thankful. It’s a blessing that it all worked out.”
The feeling is mutual between Ertel, who played in the same backcourt with Smith, and the junior Vise, who did not play varsity at the same time as Smith but saw his impact.
“I think it’s amazing he gets that opportunity as well,” Ertel said. “We train together, we play together in the summer, so we stay really close and I’m happy for him.”
Said Vise: “He was a leader at Mt. Vernon before he left. I think it’s really cool to see him do his own thing at a school where he’s more the main man.”
The 6-foot Smith, who is signed to play at Mount St. Mary’s in college, is second on the team in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounds (4.6 per game) behind senior teammate Keaton Aldridge Jr. (18.1 ppg, 7.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists). Smith, a 40% shooter from the 3-point line, often draws a defender face guarding him all over the court.
“I don’t think we are (here without him),” Aldridge said. “Not only on the court but off the court. His mentality of working hard – first one in the gym, last one to leave, always working hard in the weight room – is big for us.”
This Cathedral team is a little different than the one that won the Class 4A state championship four years ago. That team was loaded with experienced upperclassmen like Tayshawn Comer (Nevada), Jaron Tibbs (Kansas State football), Xavier Booker (UCLA), Jake Davis (Illinois) and Jaxon Edwards (IU Indy).
The roles of Aldridge and Smith were easy to project with this group. But the rest was a little more uncertain. Braylon Pippins, a 6-5 junior, has emerged to average 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. R’Mani Wells, a 6-5 senior, overcame a midseason slump to finish strong and average 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. Junior Skylar Rodgers (6.6 ppg, 35% 3-pointers) has been consistent through the season and others have played key roles, including freshman guards Ryan Gold Jr. (5.8 ppg, 2.4 assists) and Jayden Kennedy (5.4 ppg in eight games) and sophomores Tristan Lloyd (6.6 ppg) and Jaxson Delaney (4.3 ppg, 3.1 rebounds).
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“What we had was the development,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “Our coaching staff, our assistants, do an outstanding job of developing those guys and you could see them jumping into roles. It wasn’t the same guy every night. When you build in the chemistry, they became pretty special. Their back has been against the wall in some tough situations. There was a sea of orange (in the semistate at Seymour against Silver Creek) and we were down eight going into the fourth quarter. They just didn’t give up. They took on the persona of fighters.”
That persona often starts with Aldridge and Smith, the most experienced players on the roster. Aldridge took the lead in carrying Cathedral to a comeback from eight points down in the fourth quarter to knock off top-ranked Silver Creek 73-68 in the semistate championship at Seymour. Aldridge finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
“One of the biggest strengths of our team is we have a lot of different guys who can go off on any night,” Smith said. “Keaton, as you saw on Saturday night with 29 points, he can go.”
The goal for Aldridge and Smith was to bring the rest of the team along with them. That took some trial and error as they learned the personalities of the younger players.
“At the start of the season, they kind of took it personally when we’d say something to them,” Smith said. “I think through the growth of our bonds, they see that we just want the best for them. We’ve done this for years and at this point, we know what’s good and not good. I think them seeing we have the best intentions for them goes a long way.”
Delaney said the transformation of the team into a cohesive unit has been obvious. He compared it to watching the 2018 Warren Central state championship team from afar.
“I think it’s the bond they have off the court,” Delaney said. “Every time I’d go scout, I’d see that Warren Central team together. They spent a lot of time together. This team reminds me of that. It’s not always about the rankings or how much talent you have. It’s about the chemistry of the team and this group has bought into that.”
New Haven lost four of its final seven regular-season games but played a schedule heavy with 4A teams. The Bulldogs clinched their first state finals appearance with a 59-55 win over No. 6 Columbia City in the semistate championship. Tarvar Baskerville, a 6-1 junior, scored the game winning basket with 1.9 seconds remaining.
Baskerville (16.3 ppg), 6-2 senior Jadrien Ezell (10.8 ppg) and 6-3 junior Lavell Ledbetter (8.2 ppg, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists) are the top scorers for the Bulldogs.
A closer look at the matchup between Cathedral and New Haven
Class 3A state finals details: Tipoff at 6 p.m. Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse; game will live streamed on IHSAAtv.org for a cost of $20 or $25 for all four games; Tickets are $20 per person for one session and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Participating schools also have tickets available at the respective schools.
How Cathedral can win: Get it and go. Cathedral is No. 2 in the state in scoring average at 77.4 points per game. It will play into the Irish’s hands if this is an uptempo, high-scoring game.
How New Haven can win: Limit Aldridge. The Bulldogs are not a great shooting team (30.1% from the 3-point line) but allow just 52.9 points per game. New Haven will need to make this more of a low-scoring, halfcourt game.
Prediction: New Haven is a good team. I think the Bulldogs hang with Cathedral in a game maybe closer than some seem to expect. Cathedral 70, New Haven 64.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball 3A final preview, prediction: Cathedral vs. New Haven
Continue reading...
