Caleb Furst, Indiana All-Stars Hit Milestone in Win over Kentucky
OWENSBORO, Ky. – There's a lot that comes with being Indiana's Mr. Basketball, and Caleb Furst knows that all too well. It's an award that lives in infamy, along with wearing that No. 1 jersey in the All-Star games against Kentucky.
But for the Purdue signee from Blackhawk Christian, being Mr. Basketball doesn't change the way he plays. He cracked open his chin diving for a loose ball during the second half, and blood went everywhere. It took several minutes to clean up, and cemented Furst's legacy a bit, that despite wearing that white No. 1 jersey, he'll always be a non-stop blue-collar worker that sets the tone for his team, wihch 93-70 in Owensboro.
“If the best player in Indiana is diving on the floor for a loose ball, how do you not play hard?” Indiana coach Ryan Osborn said.
Furst had his chin bandaged up but continued playing. He finished with 12 points
“I was diving and then the guy behind me shoved me to the ground a little bit,” Furst said. “I hit my chin a little bit, but I’m all good.”
It was the 100th win in the series for the Indiana team, raising its record to 100-44 in the annual event, which Indiana has swept every year but one since 2009. Blackford's Luke Brown led the way with 18 points, and a strong defensive effort meant a lot, too.
“There were times we really pushed it and got fast-break opportunities,” Osborn said. “But those came off great defensive possessions that led to outlet passes. It’s fun to play that way. You get everybody involved. You’re not stagnant and standing around, watching somebody dribble.”
Brown, who will be playing at Stetson in the fall, was a perfect 4-for-4 from floor in the first half. Lawrence North’s Shamar Avance had 14 points, South Bend Riley’s Blake Wesley had 13 and Brownsburg’s Pierce Thomas had 11 points.
Dashaun Jackson, an Eastern Kentucky recruit, led the Kentucky All-Stars with 20 points.
Kentucky got to within eight points early in the second half before pulling away.
“Our coaching staff was letting us know that this game is bigger than us,” Marion’s Jalen Blackmon said. “We can’t just go out there and play without any structure. How well we played together is because of the coaching staff. (Osborn) is big on defense. Everybody on this team has offensive skills. If we play well on defense, it will lead to better shots on offense.”
The series continues on Saturday at Southport Fieldhouse. The boys' game is at 7 p.m. ET. The girls games starts at 5 p.m.
Box Score
- INDIANA (93)
- Caleb Furst 5-11, 2-2, 12
- Trey Kaufman-Renn 2-4, 0-0, 4
- Luke Brown 7-9, 2-2, 18
- Blake Wesley 6-12, 0-0, 13
- Luke Goode 1-4, 1-2, 3
- J.R. Konieczny 1-6, 0-0, 2
- Jalen Blackmon 1-4, 2-2, 4
- Jayden Taylor 3-3, 0-2, 6,
- Blake Sisley 1-3, 0-0, 2,
- Kooper Jacobi 1-3, 0-0, 2
- Shamar Avance 6-7, 1-2, 14
- Brian Waddell 1-1, 0-0, 2,
- Pierce Thomas 4-8, 0-0, 11
- Totals: 39-75, 8-12, 93
- KENTUCKY (70)
- Ben Johnson 2-8, 0-0, 6
- Sekou Kalle 6-8, 0-0, 12
- Ayden Mudd 4-5, 0-0, 10
- Devin Perry 1-5, 0-0, 3
- Sam Vinson 3-5, 0-2, 7
- Cam Pope 2-9, 0-0, 5
- Dashaun Jackson 7-15, 4-4, 20
- Darrius Washington 1-4, 0-0, 2
- Jacobi Huddelston 0-1, 0-0, 0
- Mason Moore 0-1, 0-0, 0
- Jaquais Franklin 2-5, 0-0, 5
- Noah Dumas 0-0, 0-0, 0
- Totals: 28-66, 4-6, 70
Halftime: Indiana 44-31; 3-point goals: Indiana 7-19 (Thomas 3, Brown 2, Avance, Wesley), Kentucky 10-29 (Johnson 2, Mudd 2, Jackson 2, Perry, Vinson, Pope, Franklin) Rebounds: Indiana 41 (Furst 9, Avance 8), Kentucky 30 (Huddelston 5); Assists: Indiana 20 (Avance 5), Kentucky 9 (Johnson 4),
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.