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Indiana boys dedicate series to late Stewart
By Steve Herman, Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana high school basketball All-Stars open camp with thoughts of the one player who isn't with them.
John Stewart, a 7-foot center and University of Kentucky recruit, collapsed and died of a rare heart ailment during a regional tournament game in March. He was added posthumously to the All-Star team for the annual summer series against Kentucky's top high school players.
''We're going to want to win this for Big John, because he would be here,'' Mr. Basketball Jason Gardner of state champion Indianapolis North Central said Friday. ''That's what I want to do for Big John, win the game here and win the game in Kentucky. We roomed together for three years (in AAU basketball) and that was a good relationship.''
All but two of the 13 All-Stars participated in a recent mini-camp. The full camp gets underway on Sunday, and the first of the boys and girls games will be on Saturday, June 19, at Market Square Arena. The rematches will be the following Saturday in Frankfort, Ky.
Stewart, the top player for No. 2-ranked Lawrence North, died of an enlarged heart, a rare condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, during a Class 4A regional loss to top-ranked Bloomington South. Gardner's North Central team beat Bloomington South the next week in the semistate tournament.
''Our families are real close,'' Gardner said of Stewart. ''My mother and his mother are real close. Overall, I think we had a nice relationship.
''We talked about a lot of things because we were always in the room together. On the court, we would have our little jokes but then get serious when it was time to get serious.''
Gardner is an Arizona recruit. The Indiana team also includes Bloomington South's Jon Holmes, who is headed to North Carolina; Kenneth Lowe of Gary West, a Purdue recruit; Gavin Groninger of 3A champion Plainfield, who will play at Michigan; and Rob Robbins of Delta, second in the state in scoring at 29 points a game and a Ball State recruit.
Gardner, Holmes, Groninger, Robbins and Stewart made up The Associated Press All-State first team this year.
''This is as much talent as I've seen on the All-Star team in a long time,'' All-Star coach Joe Otis of LaPorte said. ''This team is blessed with a lot more creative ability, overall shooting ability and athleticism than any team in a long time.
''C'mon, look at the basketball pedigrees,'' he said of the colleges that recruited the Hoosier players. ''If we're lacking anything, it's that power inside.''
Without Stewart, the tallest Indiana players are Martin Brothers of Indianapolis Arlington and Faruk Mujezinovic of Jasper, both at 6-9.
''It is a guard-heavy team,'' Otis said. ''But the success they've all had just says something about the way they play under pressure, and I like that. Some of the less-heralded players, maybe, were just as impressive (in the mini-camp).''
The loss of Stewart, he said, was ''a great tragedy.''
''Everybody's saddened. . . . It's just one of those things that happens that there's really no explanation for. We look at athletes as being invincible, and when these things happen, they're a reminder it can all be taken away from us in a moment.''
The other Indiana All-Stars are Vernard Hollins of Fort Wayne North, Ricky Wright of East Chicago, Brad Borgman of Jac-Cen-Del, Alan Goff of Terre Haute North, Jermaine Dearman of Warren Central and James Scott of 4A runner-up Elkhart Central.
Among the Indiana girls All-Stars are Miss Basketball April McDivitt of Connersville, a Tennessee recruit; Kennitra Johnson of 4A champion New Albany, who will play at Connecticut; Northwestern recruit Natalie Will and Ball State-bound Amy Zercher, teammates with 3A champion NorthWood; Emily Butler of Center Grove, who also will play at Northwestern; Jennifer Callier of 3A runner-up Indianapolis Cathedral, a Michigan State recruit; Jill Hartman of Evansville Memorial, an Indiana recruit; Jeanette Gray of Valparaiso, who will play at Valparaiso; and Kourtney Mennen of Class A champion Clinton Prairie, an Indiana State recruit.
McDivitt, Johnson, Hartman and Gray were first-team All-State selections.
The other All-Stars are Kristen Lowry of Logansport, Jenna Hayes of Indianapolis Roncalli, Dorcas Lawson of Terre Haute South and Heather Cusick of Kokomo.
Ky.-Indiana All-Star series
WHEN/WHERE: June 19 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis and June 26 at Farnham Dudgeon Civic Center in Frankfort
TIPOFF: 5:05 p.m. girls' game; 8:05 p.m. boys' game.
TICKETS: For information, call 1-800-232-5308.
LOCAL CONNECTION: Highlands High School forward Derek Smith is a key member of the Kentucky All-Stars.
Publication date: 06-12-99
By Steve Herman, Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana high school basketball All-Stars open camp with thoughts of the one player who isn't with them.
John Stewart, a 7-foot center and University of Kentucky recruit, collapsed and died of a rare heart ailment during a regional tournament game in March. He was added posthumously to the All-Star team for the annual summer series against Kentucky's top high school players.
''We're going to want to win this for Big John, because he would be here,'' Mr. Basketball Jason Gardner of state champion Indianapolis North Central said Friday. ''That's what I want to do for Big John, win the game here and win the game in Kentucky. We roomed together for three years (in AAU basketball) and that was a good relationship.''
All but two of the 13 All-Stars participated in a recent mini-camp. The full camp gets underway on Sunday, and the first of the boys and girls games will be on Saturday, June 19, at Market Square Arena. The rematches will be the following Saturday in Frankfort, Ky.
Stewart, the top player for No. 2-ranked Lawrence North, died of an enlarged heart, a rare condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, during a Class 4A regional loss to top-ranked Bloomington South. Gardner's North Central team beat Bloomington South the next week in the semistate tournament.
''Our families are real close,'' Gardner said of Stewart. ''My mother and his mother are real close. Overall, I think we had a nice relationship.
''We talked about a lot of things because we were always in the room together. On the court, we would have our little jokes but then get serious when it was time to get serious.''
Gardner is an Arizona recruit. The Indiana team also includes Bloomington South's Jon Holmes, who is headed to North Carolina; Kenneth Lowe of Gary West, a Purdue recruit; Gavin Groninger of 3A champion Plainfield, who will play at Michigan; and Rob Robbins of Delta, second in the state in scoring at 29 points a game and a Ball State recruit.
Gardner, Holmes, Groninger, Robbins and Stewart made up The Associated Press All-State first team this year.
''This is as much talent as I've seen on the All-Star team in a long time,'' All-Star coach Joe Otis of LaPorte said. ''This team is blessed with a lot more creative ability, overall shooting ability and athleticism than any team in a long time.
''C'mon, look at the basketball pedigrees,'' he said of the colleges that recruited the Hoosier players. ''If we're lacking anything, it's that power inside.''
Without Stewart, the tallest Indiana players are Martin Brothers of Indianapolis Arlington and Faruk Mujezinovic of Jasper, both at 6-9.
''It is a guard-heavy team,'' Otis said. ''But the success they've all had just says something about the way they play under pressure, and I like that. Some of the less-heralded players, maybe, were just as impressive (in the mini-camp).''
The loss of Stewart, he said, was ''a great tragedy.''
''Everybody's saddened. . . . It's just one of those things that happens that there's really no explanation for. We look at athletes as being invincible, and when these things happen, they're a reminder it can all be taken away from us in a moment.''
The other Indiana All-Stars are Vernard Hollins of Fort Wayne North, Ricky Wright of East Chicago, Brad Borgman of Jac-Cen-Del, Alan Goff of Terre Haute North, Jermaine Dearman of Warren Central and James Scott of 4A runner-up Elkhart Central.
Among the Indiana girls All-Stars are Miss Basketball April McDivitt of Connersville, a Tennessee recruit; Kennitra Johnson of 4A champion New Albany, who will play at Connecticut; Northwestern recruit Natalie Will and Ball State-bound Amy Zercher, teammates with 3A champion NorthWood; Emily Butler of Center Grove, who also will play at Northwestern; Jennifer Callier of 3A runner-up Indianapolis Cathedral, a Michigan State recruit; Jill Hartman of Evansville Memorial, an Indiana recruit; Jeanette Gray of Valparaiso, who will play at Valparaiso; and Kourtney Mennen of Class A champion Clinton Prairie, an Indiana State recruit.
McDivitt, Johnson, Hartman and Gray were first-team All-State selections.
The other All-Stars are Kristen Lowry of Logansport, Jenna Hayes of Indianapolis Roncalli, Dorcas Lawson of Terre Haute South and Heather Cusick of Kokomo.
Ky.-Indiana All-Star series
WHEN/WHERE: June 19 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis and June 26 at Farnham Dudgeon Civic Center in Frankfort
TIPOFF: 5:05 p.m. girls' game; 8:05 p.m. boys' game.
TICKETS: For information, call 1-800-232-5308.
LOCAL CONNECTION: Highlands High School forward Derek Smith is a key member of the Kentucky All-Stars.
Publication date: 06-12-99
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