2A Bowman Academy vs. Park Tudor

This is the match-up that everyone has been anticipating since Bowman Academy moved up to 2A starting this season. Bowman was expected to roll to a state championship last season, but those plans were ruined by Morgan Township in a sectional upset. They entered the tournament just 12-8 this year, but that is extremely deceiving. They play a monster schedule of the top teams in Chicago and the Indianapolis area. Tipton was the first team to challenge Bowman so far in tournament play.

There are a lot of Division 1 programs that would have liked to have Bowman’s frontline of DeJuan Marrero, Stephan Hawkins, and Elijah Ray. All three are heading to Division 1 programs next season and Marrero is a lock for the Indiana All-Star team. Marrero does most of his damage on the offensive glass. If Park Tudor is going to win, they will have to get a body on Marrero which won’t be easy out of Park Tudor’s 2-3 zone that they always play.

Park Tudor is having a great season, entering the state championship game with a record of 24-2 (I was at their loss to Pike, who is also having a good tournament run). This is Park Tudor’s third straight championship game appearance.  They lost to Wheeler in 2010 and beat Bishop Noll last season.

Park Tudor is led by Mr. Basketball frontrunner Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell was a one-man show when he led Park Tudor to the championship game as a sophomore. That isn’t the case anymore with sophomore Troy Spears verbally committed to New Mexico, Trevon Bluiett having a sensational sophomore campaign, and role players that can shoot from the outside like Paul Bayt (Manhattan signee) and J.B. Rapp.

I expect this game to be close throughout. It will likely come down to if Park Tudor can knock down open 3’s when Ferrell draws two or three defenders and if Park Tudor can limit Bowman to one shot a possession.  Bowman doesn’t have any consistent outside shooters, but if they get 2 or 3 shots a possession it won’t matter how poorly they shoot.