(Blackhawk Christian's Caleb Furst is a 2021 Mr. Basketball candidate)

 

Indiana Basketball Source breaks down tomorrow's 2021 IHSAA boys basketball 2A state final between Blackhawk Christian and Parke Heritage.

Blackhawk Christian was the prohibitive favorite to win the 2020 2A title before the pandemic ended the tournament. This year placed the Braves in a similar position. Blackhawk Christian was Indiana Basketball Source’s No. 1 2A from the start. With Mr. Basketball candidate and Purdue signee Caleb Furst leading the way, there have not been many hiccups for Blackhawk Christian this season. The Braves are 27-3 with the losses coming to Homestead, Cathedral, and Elevation Prep. In the postseason, Churubusco gave Blackhawk Christian its toughest game, and that still ended in a double-digit win for the Braves. Churubusco did challenge Blackhawk Christian into the fourth quarter, though.

 

With Furst averaging 21.5 points and 14.3 rebounds, opposing teams obviously must try to slow him. That rarely works as he is skilled with his back to the basket, facing up, and running the floor. If a team stops him in all those areas, Furst will hit the offensive glass. He is shooting a ridiculous 66 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line. Teams cannot foul him and expect it to work out well. His career has been fantastic.

 

Blackhawk Christian is more than a one-player team. Zane Burke stepped up as the ball-handler and secondary scorer last year. The senior guard built on that success this year. For the first month of the season, Burke was the team’s leading scorer. The St. Francis-bound guard averaged 18 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds this season. He became tough to stop off the dribble and in the mid-range.

 

Senior Marcus Davidson provides another offensive option. He averaged 13 points per game while shooting 42 percent from deep. He is another player that loves to work the mid-range game. His fallaway shot from 12-16 feet is his go-to move.

 

Callan Wood and Jacob Boyer round out the starting lineup, but the duo provided opponents need to take them seriously. Marion did not guard Wood to help take away Furst, but Wood buried three after three to make the Giants pay. For the season, Wood and Boyer each shot over 40 percent from three. As a team, Blackhawk shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

 

Gage Sefton and Andrew McIntosh bring a punch off the bench, too. Sefton is another shooter and efficient scorer that can pop for a double-figure scoring night in an instance.

 

Blackhawk Christian is an explosive offensive team. For the season, the Braves averaged 82.7 points. There are few teams equipped to slow down a balanced team like Blackhawk Christian. Is Parke Heritage up to that task?

 

Given its path, Parke Heritage (27-3) is a surprise participant. The Wolves beat a good North Putnam team in the sectional before heading to a regional featuring Shenandoah and Covenant Christian. Parke Heritage dismantled a great Shenandoah team in the regional final to advance. In the semi-state, the Wolves went up against a one-man machine in Colson Montgomery and Southridge. Parke Heritage escaped that game with a four-point win.

 

Sophomore Christian Johnson leads the way for PH. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. He is a good athlete and strong. He is a solid outside shooter, but Johnson is best when operating in the lane. That allows him to get to the free-throw line frequently.

 

Parke Heritage’s second-leading scorer is Connor Davis. At six-foot-four, he is the post presence for the Wolves. He is strong, and that will help offset his height disadvantage a bit. Davis is an old-school post that will move the ball on the perimeter but is looking to score in the paint. He also grabs eight rebounds per game. Parke Heritage needs a big effort from him.

 

The other double-figure scorer for PH is Riley Ferguson. He is a guard with quick feet that prefers to look for the outside shot rather than take the ball to the rim. Ferguson will find gaps to slash to the paint, but he looks for the outside shot first.

 

Junior guard Noble Johnson is a good athlete that does a bit of everything. He is an active defender and rebounder while adding a bucket or two. His ability to keep Blackhawk guards out of the paint will be important to Parke Heritage’s success.

 

The Wolves also bring Robbie Cheatham off the bench as a bigger shooter. He knocked down 15 triples this season.

 

Although Parke Heritage and Blackhawk Christian are both 27-3, the schedules were far different. According to Sagarin.com, Blackhawk played the 59th hardest schedule in Indiana, while Parke Heritage played the 213th toughest.

 

The Wolves have not faced a post player like Caleb Furst. In that first experience, how will Parke Heritage handle him? That is the deciding factor in the game. If Parke Heritage slows Furst then they have a chance of minimizing the Blackhawk guards as it seems like the Wolves’ athleticism matches up well with the Braves’ guards. After Parke Heritage’s showing against Shenandoah, it would be a mistake to overlook them against Blackhawk Christian.