Indiana Mr. Basketball Showdown
Words. HShoop
Two of the best players in the Hoosier state will headline Saturday’s high school championship action. In fact, both players have the chance to leave Indiana as some of the best in the history of the storied state. Playing in the Class 3A title game against Harding, UNC-commit Tyler Zeller has put together an absurd season, averaging 32.7 points and 10.8 boards per night. 6-11 Zeller doesn’t have the outright athleticism of the current Tar Heel big man, Tyler Hansbrough, but he might be as skilled as Psycho-T is right now.
Zeller put the whole arsenal on display last weekend, in what amounted to the most impressive single day in the history of Indiana high school hoops. In two games, he scored 70 points and grabbed 36 rebounds despite playing sick. In the first game, a regional semi-final against Edgewood, Zeller had 32 and 19. After winning that one, he tallied 38 and 17 in the title game against Evansville Memorial.
And in the Class 2A final, Bishop Luers’ DeShaun Thomas looks to hang his hat on Winchester. Watch out for Thomas - the kid averages 29.8 points and 12.5 boards per game, and recently broke the 1,400 point plateau over his career. And he’s only a sophomore! If he maintains this pace, he could break James Hardy’s state record of 1,823 before the end of his junior year. In his last two postseason games, he’s totaled 48 and 35 respectively.
But ultimately, it looks like Zeller will take the hardwood this year. Thomas’ time will come.
Zeller sucks, over-rated… who cares.