Hyped as one of the more top-heavy classes in Indiana high school basketball at the moment, eighteen junior players found out this week they have earned the honor of making sure the Senior All-Star team is prepared to play their Kentucky opponent in June. The Junior All-Star team is loaded with talent. This will be no mere practice team.The "core" team, a six-man squad that will play in both exhibition scrimmages with the Senior Stars, is again headlined by a pair of Pike teammates. Purdue-bound Robert Vaden and teammate Courtney Lee represent the 4A state champs this year. Another Division I committed player, J.R. Angle of Indian Creek who plans to attend the University of Iowa, will join North Central's A.J. Ratliff and James Hardy of Class 3A state runner-up Fort Wayne Elmhurst. Also for the second year in a row, Hammond Noll lands a player in the "core" six in Gary Patterson.
These six players will make up the core team for the Junior Stars, and will participate in both scrimmages against the Senior Stars, coached by Columbia City's Chris Benedict. The Junior Stars will scrimmage the Senior Stars twice, June 11 and June 18, and will be teamed with an additional six juniors for each of the two games.
Completing the junior team for the "North" game will be Craig Swoope of Carmel, Lavell Cook of Merrillville, Doug Sheckler of Columbia City, Eric Eaton of Northridge, Marcus Moore of Columbia City and Jason Jamerson of Muncie Burris.
Completing the junior team for the "South" game will be Joe Reitz of Hamilton Southeastern, Chuck Flynn of Cathedral, A.J. Graves of White River Valley, Logan Whitman of Northview, Eric Campbell of Gibson Southern and Zach Barrett of Evansville Reitz.
Sites for the exhibition scrimmages have yet to be determined. The girls All-Star teams will hold a similar exhibition preceeding each boys game.
CORE SIX
6'7 SF J.R. Angle (Indian Creek)
6'6 SF James Hardy (Fort Wayne Elmhurst)
6'4 G Courtney Lee (Pike)
5'9 PG Gary Patterson (Hammond Noll)
6'2 SG A.J. Ratliff (North Central)
6'6 WG Robert Vaden (Pike)
NORTH SIX
6'2 SG Lavell Cook (Merrillville)
6'7 C Eric Eaton (Northridge)
6'4 SG Jason Jamerson (Muncie Burris)
6'2 G Marcus Moore (Columbia City)
6'6 PF Doug Sheckler (Columbia City)
6'5 SF Craig Swoope (Carmel)
SOUTH SIX
6'5 F Zach Barrett (Evansville Reitz)
6'2 SG Eric Campbell (Gibson Southern)
6'6 SF Chuck Flynn (Cathedral)
5'11 PG A.J. Graves (White River Valley)
6'6 PF Joe Reitz (Hamilton Southeastern)
6'2 G Logan Whitman (Northview)
