All-Star selections have turned into a can of worms

Lincoln Hale with a dunk during the season.

The 2021 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Star team was announced Monday and Greene County’s career leader in scoring was not on the list. No, this is not a gripe session as to why Linton senior Lincoln Hale did not make the All-Star team. At the same time though, I have been trying to find the logic in the selections and… it’s a struggle.

Hale finished inside the top 25 for career scoring in the history of Indiana high school basketball. Given the history of this state that is a big deal. You would think scoring in the top 25 for a state where basketball goes back over 100 years would get you on the team honoring the top seniors from a given year.

The omission of Hale is not without precedent though. In 2018, Jalen Moore at Cloverdale finished inside the 15 for career scoring. He did not make the All-Star team either.

So that begs the question what more could Hale have done? Maybe Linton could have won its regional?

We have that answer though. Colson Montgomery at Southridge was also an Indiana All-Star candidate. Southridge did win the regional Linton was in but Montgomery did not make the All-Star team.

Well, maybe Hale and Linton just needed to win state? We have that answer too. Curt Hopf at Barr-Reeve won a state title with great stats and he did not make the All-Star team either.

Between the three, those are the best players in our neck of the woods and none of them made the team.

Hale, along with Hopf and Montgomery, did make the high honorable mention list. In a vacuum that is a great achievement. In the context of the All-Star selections, it is a letdown.

The only conclusion I can make is that the jury is out on Southern Indiana basketball. Of the 14 players selected only three were from the southern half of the state.

If you listen to enough of Dan Dakich on his Indianapolis radio show you will eventually hear him downplay high school talent in Southern Indiana. The narrative of anyone can put up a good stat line in Southern Indiana seems to be standard.

That narrative was reinforced with Romeo Langford from New Albany. Langford put up ridiculous numbers in high school and his decision to attend Indiana University was expected to save the Hoosier basketball program. Needless to say, Langford’s time at Indiana was forgettable as the narrative against Southern Indiana players was bolstered.

The message appears to be, “Lincoln Hale put up 40 against White River Valley but let's see him do that against a team from Fort Wayne or Gary.”

Is that fair to Hale and other local basketball players? No, but it does appear to be the reality.

Whatever school Hale attends next year, he will be carrying not only his reputation with him but also the reputation of half the state that feels overlooked.

For the moment, Indiana All-Star selections seem to be a big can of worms.