Hard-nosed defense and all-star games generally don’t go together, but that’s been the message of Kentucky All-Stars boys basketball coach Jeff Morrow.
Indiana’s squad is filled with sharpshooters, and Kentucky can’t afford defensive lapses.
“Our challenge and the message we’ve been preaching is being able to guard consistently,” said Morrow, head coach at Iroquois High School. “That’s sometimes tough in an all-star setting, but we’ve been working most weekends for about six weeks. We’ve come a long way.”
Kentucky and Indiana will continue their annual All-Stars series this weekend, matching some of the states’ top players in the Class of 2024.
Friday’s games are set for Lexington Catholic High School, with the girls game at 5:30 p.m. and the boys game to follow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-kentuckyindiana-all-star-game-tickets-894593101047
Saturday’s games will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with the girls game set for 5 p.m. and the boys game to follow at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices start at $10 and are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Indiana has dominated the boys series that started in 1940, leading 104-45. The Hoosiers have won eight of the last nine meetings, though Kentucky posted a 94-90 victory in Owensboro last year.
Kentucky’s boys are led by Travis Perry, the Lyon County product and University of Kentucky signee. Perry joined fellow guards Quel’Ron House of Seneca and Max Green of Oldham County in the starting lineup Saturday when the seniors beat Kentucky’s juniors, 124-98, at Eastern High School.
Green was 5 for 8 from 3-point range and scored a game-high 27 points.
“Offensively, we’re very, very talented,” Morrow said. “There’s a variety of ways we can score.”
Morrow said Warren Central’s Kade Unseld and Christian Academy’s Jackson Washington will not play this weekend as they recover from injuries. Cooper’s Jashaun Pouncy was added to the roster.
Indiana’s boys are led by Mr. Basketball Flory Bidunga. The 6-foot-10 star from Kokomo has signed with Kansas.
“He’s obviously an inside presence, along with a couple of others, but I’d say their strength is the number of guys who really shoot the ball well,” Morrow said.
While Kentucky’s boys have struggled in the series, Kentucky’s girls have managed a split against Indiana each of the past six years. Indiana leads the series that started in 1976, 53-41.
The girls games will match Kentucky Miss Basketball Trinity Rowe of Pikeville against Indiana Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen of Bedford North Lawrence. Rowe has signed with Southern Miss and Spreen with Alabama.
Here are the complete rosters, with high school and future college for each player:
Kentucky girls – Trinity Rowe (Pikeville, Southern Miss), Reagan Bender (Sacred Heart, Louisville), Dea Bradley (Hart County, Campbellsville), Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (Frederick Douglass, Central Michigan), Anna Drakeford (Mercer County, Thomas More), Destiny Jones (Central, West Georgia), Jasmine Jordan (Boyd County, Rio Grande), Mariah Knight (Butler, Jacksonville), Angelina Pelayo (Sacred Heart, North Carolina-Wilmington), Shaelyn Steele (Russell, Penn State), Abby Varney (Barren County, Georgetown College), Ramiya White (Butler, Virginia Tech). Head coach – Kristy Orem (Pikeville).
Kentucky boys – Travis Perry (Lyon County, Kentucky), Derrell Bateman (Christian County, Trinity Valley), Tyler Doyle (Lexington Catholic, Bellarmine), Ayden Evans (Elizabethtown, Ohio), Max Green (Oldham County, Holy Cross), Quel’Ron House (Seneca, Jacksonville State), Mason Ritter (Bowling Green, Columbia), Brady Shoulders (Lyon County, Mercer), Kade Unseld (Warren Central, Western Kentucky), Jackson Washington (Christian Academy, Florida Gulf Coast), Antonio Williams (Hopkinsville, Three Rivers), Dayton Williams (Butler, undecided), Jashaun Pouncy (Cooper, Thomas More). Head coach – Jeff Morrow (Iroquois).
Indiana girls – Chloe Spreen (Bedford North Lawrence, Alabama); Jordyn Poole (Fort Wayne Snider, Purdue); Reagan Wilson (Noblesville, Iowa State); Camryn Runner (Hamilton Heights, Evansville); Talia Harris (Fishers, Mercer); Audrey Annee (Center Grove, Army); Alli Harness (Carroll, Western Michigan); Emma Haan (Zionsville, Vermont); Lauren Walsh (Penn, undecided); Juliann Woodard (Jennings County, Michigan State); Rachel Wirts (Center Grove, Villanova); Faith Wiseman (Indian Creek, Indiana); Ellery Minch (Mt. Vernon, DePaul). Head coach – Andy Maguire (Zionsville).
Indiana boys – Flory Bidunga (Kokomo, Kansas); Jack Benter (Brownstown Central, Purdue); K.J. Windham (Ben Davis, Northwestern); Micah Davis (Franklin Community, Eastern Kentucky); Aaron Fine (Noblesville, Purdue); Isaac Andrews (Wapahani, Indiana Wesleyan); Evan Haywood (Brebeuf Jesuit, Butler); Trey Buchanan (Westfield, Iowa); Jack Miller (Scottsburg, Hanover); Keenan Garner (Fishers, IU-Indianapolis); Tyler Parrish (Chesterton, Indianapolis); Karson Rogers (Kokomo, Saint Francis); Tucker Tornatta (Evansville Memorial, Indianapolis). Head coach – John Peckinpaugh (Kokomo).
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Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.