What do you think?
Last week Randy Mills posted on our Game Remembered Facebook Page news clippings about the Southern Indiana All-Star team. For a few years around 1960 Indiana had a “traditional” all-star team along with two teams representing the north and the south. (story below kind of explains the format). His post got me thinking about the Indiana-Kentucky All Star Game.
I have followed the games every year, but have only attended two! My Dad took my brother and me to the one in 1971. It was at Butler Fieldhouse (now Hinkle) and I remember being pretty pumped about Pete Trgovich, Mike Flynn, Steve Green, and Monte Towe. In 2011 it was Cody Zeller who drew me and my cousin to the game. I lived out of the state for 33 years, so I might have caught a few more, but in all honesty, since moving back in 2010 I have only attended one game. So just to let you know where I am coming from I turned to an article written by Kyle Neddenriep in the Indianapolis Star written in June of 2022. He titled the story: “Is Indiana ALL STARS vs Kentucky Worth Keeping? Ask players it stills means a lot.”
It seems Indiana is more into it than Kentucky. Indiana holds their home match-up at Gainbridge. Yes, there are plenty of seats, but it has to be a blast for the players from both states to play in an NBA arena. Kentuckynow holds their home game at Lexington Catholic High School. Nothing against Lexington Catholic, but I doubt if the players and fans on both sides get too excited about playing in a high school gym.
Neddenriep has covered this series for around 20 years and has, in my opinion, some very good insights about the games. I found some of his ideas to revitalize the meetings in his article very interesting and well thought out. He concedes that there may never be any more sell outs but things could improve. Here are a few of his suggestions:
- Move the Kentucky game back to Lousiville. Easier drive for Indiana fans. Larger market for walk up ticket sales.
- Create a dunk/3 point shootout. Dunks for the guys. Three point shootout for the girls.
- If the Kentucky series were to end, have the Indiana All-Stars play a two game match up with the Indiana Junior All-Stars in a couple of different locations in the state.
I believe Kyle Neddenriep is on to something. If we dropped playing another state, what would be so bad? We ARE INDIANA. I believe the competition would be greater than playing Kentucky. Why can’t we have our own all-star series? Isn’t it true: IN 49 STATES, IT’S JUST BASKETBALL, BUT THIS IS INDIANA.
I think the model is already in place. Look at the North-South game history. We had a “traditional” All-Star team made up of the top 12 players in the state. This team played Kentucky. Then the North and the South each had teams of 12 players not including those already picked for the “traditional” team. How great is this?! Thirty-six Indiana High Schoolers getting a super experience in basketball and it would be 72 if the girls were to follow this format. I personally think just doing the North VS South and forgetting playing teams from other states would be best. We have enough excellent competition. Why share our platform with others? Forty-eight all-stars from Indiana with North vs South playing in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, or Evansville. How could you go wrong?
And just think, if it was North vs South in 1974, Larry Bird would have got a lot more playing time!!!!! BELOW is an article from 1960 giving you an idea of the 3 all-star teams playing for Indiana:
