In the state of Indiana, one matchup jumps off of the page Saturday in Indianapolis.
Battle Of Big Men Takes Center Stage In Indiana On Saturday
In Class 3A, defending champion Washington (23-4), a program that boasts six state championships on its resume, takes on Culver Academies (19-6), a newbie to the state finals.
On the surface, this seems like a storyline that has already played out around the country, but the team's big men make this one special.
For Washington, a school in southwestern Indiana, 6-foot-11 Cody Zeller mans the middle and averages 24.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. The Indiana recruit is both the top scorer and rebounder in the tournament.
However, Zeller will be only the second tallest player on the court Saturday as Culver Academies, a school in northern Indiana, will look to 7-footer and New Mexico recruit Chier Ajou to slow Zeller in what may be the premier battle of big men this championship season.
In Class 2A, undefeated Hammond Bishop Noll (26-0), a school in the northwest corner of Indiana, looks to complete a perfect season against 2010 runner up Park Tudor of Indianapolis (25-2).
Park Tudor is led by junior Kevin Ferrell, who averages 18.7 points and 6.6 assists. The true point guard has verbally committed to Indiana and is ranked the third best point guard prospect in the country and 23rd best prospect overall per ESPN.
Trevon Bluiett, a 6-foot-5 forward, is the Panthers' most accomplished player inside. He averages 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Hammond Bishop Noll relies on a more balanced scoring led by transfer student Adonis Filer, who averages 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Filer was a Chicago Catholic League first-team pick as a member of a 26-5 Mount Carmel team in 2010. While not signed yet, Filer is fielding about a half dozen Division I offers.
All four state championship games will be webcast in live audio and video at www.espn3.com
Indiana at a glance - All Games ET
Saturday, March 26 @ Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Class 1A
10:30 a.m. - Triton (23-3) vs. Indianapolis Metropolitan (21-6)
Class 2A
12:45 p.m. - Hammond Bishop Noll (26-0) vs. Park Tudor (25-2)
Class 3A
6:00 p.m. - Culver Academies (19-6) vs. Washington (23-4)
Class 4A
8:45 p.m. - Kokomo (23-2) vs. Bloomington South (25-2)
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