Winamac senior John Malchow, Munster sophomore Gracyn Gilliard, International senior Philip Randolph, Alexandria-Monroe junior Jacklynn Hosier, Evansville Christian senior Josiah Dunham, and Silver Creek sophomore Brooklynn Renn have been selected for Dec. 18-Dec. 23 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Malchow is the boys’  winner in District 1.

The Winamac Warriors and Malchow were able to collect fifth place honors last week at the Indiana Kitchen Classic with a 2-1 overall record. The event began on Monday, as they fell at home to North Newton, 42-39. The 6-2 guard did his best, scoring 25 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-7 from deep, but it just wasn’t enough in the narrow defeat.

On Friday, the Warriors returned to the court and were back on track, knocking off the Rossville Hornets, 55-43. Malchow was again strong, scoring 27 points and pulling down seven rebounds in the win, plus he knocked down 8-of-9 shots from the charity stripe.

On Saturday, the Warriors found themselves in the win column once again, battling Delphi to a hard-fought, 48-42 outcome. Malchow scored right at 20 points for his third 20-point outing of the week, plus he was 4-of-8 from long range and grabbed another four boards.

This is the 16th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program, and the fourth season it is being presented by Franciscan Health, a corporate sponsor of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association’s Executive Committee recently met and approved the spring sports postseason tournaments and host sites.

SOFTBALL

Caston came one win short of capturing the Class A state championship in 2023. With several key members returning, the Comets are building toward another season-ending trip to Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium.

Softball sectional championship tournaments will be contested from May 20-25.

For Caston, that starts with a trip to North Miami for the six-team Sectional 52 tournament. Joining Caston and North Miami will be North White, Northfield, Southwood and West Central.

The Sectional 52 champion will host the Fremont Sectional champion in a one-game regional on May 28.

In Class 3A, Tippecanoe Valley is part of the six-team field at the Kankakee Valley Sectional. Those two programs will vie with Culver Academies, Glenn, Knox and Rensselaer Central for the sectional title.

The Kankakee Valley Sectional champion will host the Mishawaka Marian Sectional champion in the regional.

Rochester is the host site for Class 2A, Sectional 37. The Zebras will host Lewis Cass, North Judson-San Pierre, Pioneer, Wabash and Winamac. The sectional champion will travel to the Benton Central Sectional champion for the regional title game.

Softball semistate championships will be played on June 1.

The Softball State Finals return to Bittinger Stadium on June 7-8.

BASEBALL

Rochester will seek its first sectional title since the 2021 season at the six-team Wabash Sectional. The Zebras will compete in Class 2A, Sectional 36 against Bremen, LaVille, Manchester, Pioneer and Wabash.

In Class 3A, Sectional 18, Tippecanoe Valley will travel to Newton Park to compete against Culver Academies, Knox, New Prairie and the host school, Glenn.

Caston is at North White for a six-team sectional in Class A. North White also will host North Miami, Northfield, Southwood and West Central.

The baseball sectionals will run from May 22-27. Regional championship games are June 1. Semistate champions will be crowned on June 8.

The state championship games will be played at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis in June 14-15.

BOYS GOLF

Rochester and Caston will compete against 10 other teams at Dykeman Park Golf Course in the Logansport Sectional. Also joining them will be Frontier, Logansport, North Newton, Pioneer, Rensselaer Central, South Newton, Tri-County, Twin Lakes, West Central and Winamac.

Those teams and individuals advancing will compete in the Lake Central Regional at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

Tippecanoe Valley’s golf program is in the Warsaw Sectional being played at Rozella Ford Golf Club. The 12-team sectional also includes Culver Academies, Culver Community, Huntington North, Lakeland Christian Academy, Manchester, Northfield, Plymouth, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee and Whitko.

Stonehenge Golf Course will be the host site for the Warsaw Regional that will host those advancing out of the Warsaw Sectional.

The golf sectionals will be played either on May 31, June 1 or June 3.

Golf regionals are scheduled for June 6-7.

The Golf State Finals will be played at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel on June 11-12.

GIRLS TENNIS

Rochester will battle with Culver Academies, Knox, North Judson-San Pierre, Plymouth and Triton in the Culver Academies Sectional.

The sectional champion will advance to the Culver Academies Regional.

Tippecanoe Valley is assigned to the Warsaw Sectional along with Columbia City, Whitko, Warsaw and Wawasee.

The sectional champion moves on to the NorthWood Regional.

Culver Academies and Homestead are the northern semistate host sites.

The 2024 state champion will be crowned at North Central High School in Indianapolis.

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley and Caston athletes will compete in the Plymouth Sectional on May 16. Advancing teams and athletes move on to the Goshen Regional on May 23.

The Boys Track and Field State Finals will be held June 1 at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

On May 14, girls track and field sectionals will be held across the state.

Bremen is the host site for 11 teams including Caston, Rochester and Tippecanoe Valley. Also assigned to the Bremen Sectional are Culver Academies, Culver Community, Manchester, North Miami, Plymouth, Triton, Whitko and Bremen.

Kokomo is the regional site on May 21 for those advancing out of the Bremen Sectional.

The Girls Track and Field State Finals are May 31 at Indiana University.

Rochester maintained its undefeated record in the TRC with a Thursday win over North Miami.

Randy Wynn had the call on GIANT fm Sports on WROI.

Also Thursday

#14 (3A) Tippecanoe Valley moved to 11-1 on the season by defeating Winamac, 44-30.

Ava Egolf scored 15 for the Lady Vikings with Chesnee Miller addiing 14.

Sadie Popejoy topped the scoring effort for the Warriors (8-5) with nine.

Maconaquah 62, Peru 30

Peru drops to 0-13

North Judson 46, Culver 19

Rochester, Whitko and Lewis Cass sit atop the girls standings of the Three Rivers Conference with unbeaten league records.

Rochester will try to stay at the top of the leaderboard with a game against North Miami tonight on GIANT fm Sports WROI.

Rochester (4-0), Whitko (3-0) and Lewis Cass (2-0) have yet to face each other and remain unbeaten in TRC play. Meanwhile, North Miami (2-1) and Wabash (1-1) are a game back in the loss column.

Rochester gave Wabash its conference loss last Saturday, 36-14.

North Miami's TRC loss was at home to visiting Whitko on December 2, 57-43.

Rochester (6-6 overall) travels to Whitko on January 6 and will host Cass a week later on January 13.

Whitko is the newcomer when it comes to contending for a conference title. The Wildcats nine wins last season were the most since the program's last winning season, 21-5 in 2016-17. That season ended with a double-overtime sectional championship loss to Central Noble who reached the semistate.

This season, Whitko stands at 8-2 with a three-point loss at Central Noble followed by a loss to fourth-ranked (4A) Columbia City.

At Rochester, the Zebras tonight will try to break a two-game losing streak in the series with North Miami.

Coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. on GIANT fm Sports WROI

Indiana Pacers great George McGinnis, the 1969 Indiana Mr. Basketball who went on to a professional career that culminated in his enshrinement in the Naismith Hall of Fame, passed away early Thursday morning. He was 73. 

McGinnis succumbed to complications from a cardiac arrest suffered last week at his home. He was taken to Community North Hospital where family, friends, and former teammates maintained a vigil of support until his passing. 

McGinnis starred on an unbeaten Indianapolis Washington High School team that won the 1969 state championship, led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore at Indiana University, then helped guide the Pacers to two of their three American Basketball Association (ABA) championships. He earned the ABA’s co-most valuable player (with Julius Erving) in the 1974-75 season. McGinnis then moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was twice named an All-Star. He later played for the Denver Nuggets before returning to the Indiana Pacers, closing his 11-year professional basketball career in 1982. 

He is one of four Pacers (Roger Brown, Mel Daniels and Reggie Miller being the others) to have his Pacers jersey – No. 30 – retired. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2017. 

At 6’8, 235 pounds, McGinnis defined the position of “power” forward but was also a tremendous rebounder, floor leader, and teammate. In the 1975 ABA playoffs, for example, he averaged 32.3 points, 15.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. 

As 1969 Mr. Basketball, he was best known for his 53-point, 30-point rebound performance in the Indiana’s All-Star victory over Kentucky in Louisville’s Freedom Hall. 

Although plagued by severe back issues in later life, McGinnis was affable, approachable, and immensely loyal to his friends, former teammates and former Pacers coach Bobby “Slick” Leonard.  He was also a successful businessman, forming and running GM Supply, a wholesale industrial supply firm. 

The son of Willie and Burnie McGinnis, George married his high school sweetheart, Lynda, who passed in 2019. He is survived by his sister, Bonnie. 

Statement from the Simon Family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment: 

“From his all-state high school days to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, to his legendary ABA championship runs with the Pacers, George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers. He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete. But he was more than that. George was family. A passionate advocate for his fellow ABA players and a present, smiling face around the franchise, George has been as synonymous with our Pacers franchise as anyone. He will be greatly missed, and all of us at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will keep George and his family in our prayers.” 

The burial will be private, but a celebration of life will take place in Gainbridge Fieldhouse after the first of the year. Details to be announced

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was named to the NBA’s All-Tournament team Monday by a panel of 20 media voters.

Haliburton led the Pacers to the championship game of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament after leading the team to a 6-0 record in while averaging 27.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 13.7 assists per game. 
Haliburton was a unanimous selection to the All-Tournament Team as he earned votes from all 20 of the voting media members. The All-Tournament Team was selected by the panel based on player performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. Players were chosen without regard to position. Haliburton shares honors with Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Los Angeles Lakers forwards Anthony Davis and LeBron James and Phoenix forward Kevin Durant.  
The Pacers return to action tonight as Indiana tips off a four-game road trip in Detroit at 7 p.m. (ET).

Argos posted a girls basketball win over Rochester in Thursday night basketball.

Randy Wynn had the call on GANT fm Sports WROI.

Also Thursday

Caston stayed unbeaten with a win over North Judson, 43-25.  

Isabella Scales and Addison Zimpleman each scored 16 for the Comets (9-0, 2-0 Hoosier North)

Lewis Cass 46, Peru 36

Cass one of three undefeated teams in TRC. Cass and Whitko are 2-0, a half-game behind Rochester (3-0)

Maconaquah 63, Tri-Central 24

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes three men for their contribution as high school basketball officials as the 2024 Men’s Center Circle Officials Award winners.

One graduated from high school in Kosciusko County, another in Cass.

John Lozier, Richard Modricker, and Jerry Taylor will be recognized for their officiating careers.

The late John Lozier, a 1953 graduate of Leesburg High School, played basketball, ran track and played baseball. 

John worked 24 sectionals, 19 regionals, 10 semi-states, and two state finals (1979 and 1980).  He had officiated numerous other tournaments and was named 1982 Roy Gardner Memorial Award winner.  He was a member in North Central (of Kokomo) Officials Association, serving as instructor and rules interpreter for between 10 and 15 years. John also mentored numerous officials in NCOA and in Logansport area.

Richard Modricker was a 1961 Logansport graduate who played basketball and baseball. 

He worked 34 sectionals, 28 regionals, 12 semi-states and one state finals (2005), as well as 2001 Hall of Fame Classic.  A member of the North Central Officials Association for over 56 years, he served as President, Vice President, rules interpreter, a clinician and an observer.

Modricker is retired from a position with Boeing Corporation and resides in Georgia.

Jerry Taylor, a 1974 Greensburg graduate played tennis both at Greensburg and later at Ball State. 

Taylor worked 19 sectionals, 16 regionals, 9 semi-states and 5 state finals (1992, 1996, 2000, 2005, and 2008). He was a 2007 recipient of Roy Gardner Award.  He won 1995-96 IHSAA/NFOA Outstanding Official Award for boys’ basketball in Indiana, and was a member of Western Officials Association, serving as Vice President and scheduling chairman. 

Taylorhas worked with rules interpretation meetings, observation, and as a clinician. 

All Center Circle Officials Award winners will be honored at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 62nd Men’s Awards Banquet on March 20.

A midday reception, free and open to the public, will be held at the Hall of Fame Museum in New Castle.  The evening banquet will take place at the Primo Banquet Hall, which is located on the south side of Indianapolis. 

Banquet reservations are will soon be available on the Hall of Fame’s website, or by calling (765) 529-1891.  For more information, you may also email kayla@hoopshall.com.