NEW CASTLE – Seventeen men have been named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2023 Silver Anniversary Team, based on outstanding accomplishments as a senior basketball player 25 years ago.
The team includes 10 members named to the 1998 Indiana All-Star squad. Seven other all-state players are included to recognize the top of Indiana’s high school class of 1998. 1998 Indiana All-Stars include Mr. Basketball Tom Coverdale, Adam Ballinger, Kueth Duany, Patrick Jackson, Djibril Kante, Rob Kent, Isaac Kincaid, Maynard Lewis, Rodney Smith, and Greg Tonagel.
The remaining seven, named to various all-state teams are Herman Fowler, Lincoln Glass, Joe Nixon, Jarrad Odle, Steve Reynolds, Adam Seitz, and Brian Wray.
2023 Men’s Silver Anniversary Team members will be honored at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 61st Men’s Awards Banquet on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
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 will soon be available on the Hall of Fame’s website or by calling (765) 529-1891.
ADAM BALLINGER — BLUFFTON
1998 Indiana All-Star, 1 st team All-State…scored a career 1,419 points, 332 blocks, and 657 rebounds during his time at Bluffton…shot 59% for his career from the field and 77% from the free throw line…was honored as the 1996 and 1998 Hilliard Gates ACAC Tournament MVP….went on to play for Tom Izzo at Michigan State where he was the third leading rebounder in the Big Ten during the 01-02 season which earned him 3 rd team All Big-Ten that season, where he also earned pre-season NIT All Tournament Team honors…had a 12 year pro basketball career in Australia’s top league (NBL), where he had 5 consecutive team MVP awards…Ballinger is currently a community coach and program facilitator for the Melbourne United (NBL Team), and living in Melbourne Australia.
TOM COVERDALE — NOBLESVILLE
1998 Mr. Basketball, holding 9 Noblesville High School records including single season records of; points in a game (44 in semi-state), free throws in a season (206), assists in a season (171), career points (1,911)…other records include career points (1,911), rebounds (581), assists (462), FG’s (638), 3 points FG’s (147), and FT’s (488)…his senior season, the Millers went 20-4 and were the Hall of Fame Classic Champions…Coverdale went on to Indiana University where he was honored as the 2002 NCAA Tournament South Region MVP, a 2 year IU team captain, and All Big-Ten 2 nd Team in 2001-02…Coverdale has been inducted into the Hamilton County Basketball Hall of Fame along with the Noblesville High School Athletic Hall of Fame…after Indiana, Coverdale played for he Rockford Lightning (CBA) and was an assistant coach at the University of LA-Monroe and Tyler Texas JUCO…Coverdale is currently in the insurance industry, and has been the for last ten years.
KUETH DUANY — BLOOMINGTON NORTH
1998 Indiana All-Star, a Nike All-American, All Conference MVP and 1997 State Champion at Bloomington North…shot 60% from the floor, 35% from 3 point range his senior year while grabbing 192 rebounds and 96 assists his senior season…played at Syracuse University from 1998-2003 where his senior season, the Orange went 30-5 and won the NCAA National Championship…Duany scored 1,084 points during his career at Syracuse along with averaging 3.7 rebounds for his career…was Captain of the NCAA National Team and Big East Conference Sportsman of the year in 2003…He currently is the President and CEO of Duany Group, LLC.
HERMAN FOWLER — KOKOMO
Was Kokomo’s team MVP scoring a career high 31 points against Richmond, a career high in rebounds (12) against South Bend Clay his senior season…Averaged 17.3 points per game his senior season, along with collecting 144 rebounds, dishing out 44 assists, and stealing the ball 36 times…in his junior season, Fowler recorded the highest individual scoring total in the 1997 state finals with 27 points…after graduation from Kokomo, went on to play collegiate football at Indiana, and was a letter winner…Fowler was employed by GM from 2006-2015, and now works for the United States Postal Service.
LINCOLN GLASS — SOUTH BEND CLAY
Glass was the 1998 Top 60 workout MVP, along with being honored in the North/South game as their MVP as well…Glass’ teams were 3x NIC Champs, while Glass earned All NIC 1 st Team and NIC MVP in the 1997-98 season…scoring a career 916 points in 100 games played, Glass graduated from South Bend Clay and played at Lincoln Trail Junior College from 1998- 2000 before transferring and playing at Auburn from 2000-2002…While at Lincoln Trail, Glass was on the All-GRAC 1 st Team, GRAC MVP and 2 nd team JUCO All-American, while being ranked #2 best point guard in the country….during the 2000-01 season at Auburn, Glass was honored with the Auburn 6 th Man Award…Glass played professionally in Europe from 2002-2009…Glass is currently a Spanish proctor and head boys basketball coach at Macon-East Academy in Cecil, Alabama.
PATRICK JACKSON — DELTA
1998 Indiana All-Star, Jackson also was honored with being All-State, All Hoosier
Heritage Conference, HOF Classic All tournament Team, Delaware County Co-Player of the Year, John Wooden MCL Citizen Award recipient, and nominated to the McDonalds All-American Team…Averaged 19 points and 6.9 assists per game as a senior, while scoring 1,241 for his career…played collegiality at Ball State, where he scored a career 1,348 points for the Cardinals where his senior season team was 1 st in the MAC-West, Maui Invite Runner-Up, First Merchants Classic Champions and Elite 8 for the NIT…Jackson is the 13 th All time leading scorer at Ball State, along with #7 in assists, #3 in best 3 point percentage, and #4 in most games played…Jackson is employed in pharmaceutical sales.
DJIBRIL KANTE — BLOOMINGTON NORTH
1998 Indiana All-Star, leading his team to a 28-1 senior season record his junior year, claiming the final single class state championship in 1997… Averaged 10.8 points his senior season at Bloomington North and brought in 123 rebounds that season…Kante graduated from Bloomington North and played basketball at Indiana State where he averaged 7.5 points in his
career with 127 blocks, which ranks third all time in school history…Kante’s ISU teams in 99-00 and 00-01 were MVC Champions, MVP Tournament Champions and two time NCAA Tournament participants, where in 2001 they upset Oklahoma…played 13 years of basketball professionally overseas and won 2 national championships in Argentina and 1 in
Uruguay…Kante is currently a systems consultant.
ROB KENT — JENNINGS COUNTY
1998 Indiana All-Star, holds the school record in assists (career and single season) along with steals (career and single season) at Jennings County…was a 3-time All-HHC team member, while his teams were 4 time sectional champions, and a regional champion his senior season where Jennings County went 21-4…averaged 23.9 points his senior season while dishing out
144 assists and collecting 104 steals…played at University of Indianapolis, averaging 9.1 points and giving out 492 assists (3 rd all-time) while collecting 193 (1 st) steals for his career…Kent has coached on both the girls and boys sides at Jennings County as an assistant but is currently a Senior Project Manager for a construction company.
ISAAC KINCAID — PIKE
1998 Indiana All-Star, helped Pike go 30-1 his senior season, being crowed inaugural IHSAA 4A State Champion and winner of the Tournament of Champions…Averaged 19 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.6 steals his senior season…was All-County, All-Conference, All-Metro, and All-Indianapolis in 1998…continued his career at Illinois State beforetransferring to Ashland College where in 2004 he averaged 18.7 points and 3.2 rebounds…currently employed as a correctional officer.
MAYNARD LEWIS — TERRE HAUTE SOUTH
1998 Indiana All-Star and Mr. Basketball Runner-Up…scored 1,632 points, the 3 rd most in Terre Haute South history…averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals his senior season…was the McMillan Award winner…after graduation attended Purdue University where he scored a career 841 points and grabbed 191 rebounds along with dishing out 111 assists….Lewis is currently a Senior Project Manager.
JOE NIXON — VALPARAISO
1998 All-State Honorable Mention averaging 18 points and 5 rebounds his senior season…Academic All-State honoree, played in Hoosier Basketball Magazine Top 40 workout, and named to the NW Indiana Times All-State Team…4 th in school history in 3 point % (49.6) and 6 th in single season 3’s made (62)… attended DePauw University…played overseas professionally from 2002-2009 in Finland, Romania, Australia, Iran, and Bosnia and Herzegovina…after his playing career attended the Robert H. McKinney School of Law and is now a real estate investor and developer.
JARRAD ODLE — OAK HILL
Led the state in scoring his junior season…All Conference and All State, Co-County Player of the Year in 1997…Holds Oak Hill’s school record for most made FG’s in a season…Averaged 26 points per game his senior season, scoring a total of 1,465 in his career…attended Indiana University, where his senior season he averaged 8.8 points per game helping IU claim Big Ten
Co-Champions and NCAA Runner-Up in 2002…at IU Odle was All Big 10 Academic Team in 2001, Dick Vitale National Player of he Week…member of the Grant County Hall of Fame and Boys and Girls Club of Grant County Board Member and donor…currently employed as an Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
STEVE REYNOLDS — SOUTH BEND RILEY
1998 2 nd team All-NIC at South Bend Riley…scored a career 759 points in 3 seasons…attended Treasure Valley Community College before transferring to Western Michigan after 2 seasons…at WMU averaged 16.9 points his senior season and both seasons was 2 nd Team All-MAC and Team “Coaches Award”…played professionally in Norway and Austria…currently the Athletic Director and Head Girls Basketball Coach at South Bend Washington where in 8 years is 119-81 coaching the 2021 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic Champions, 2021 State Runner Up and 2022 Class 3A State Champions.
ADAM SEITZ — PIKE CENTRAL
1998 USA Today All-USA Honorable Mention, McDonald’s All-American nominee along with the 1998 IBCA All-State 3 rd team in 1998…Averaged 26.8 points his season year while grabbing 220 rebounds…scored a career 1,943 points at Pike Central…was a 3x All-PAC honoree along with being honored as a HBCA All-State, and 1 st Team All State for the Louisville Courier and Bloomington Herald…at University of Evansville, averaged 10.4 points for his career along with grabbing 398 rebounds, handing out 233 assists and 110 steals…was on the All-freshmen team in 99, and the Most Improved Player in the conference in 1999-2000…since 2004 has owned his own trucking business
RODNEY SMITH — PIKE
1998 Indiana All-Star, helped Pike go 30-1 his senior season, being crowed inaugural IHSAA 4A State Champion and winner of the Tournament of Champions…was 2 nd place in the 1997 Indiana High School Slam Dunk Contest…averaged 13.9 points his senior season…Smith attended Purdue University and was the 2000-01 John Wooden Most Valuable Player leading Purdue with 13.9 points, shooting 54% overall, second leading rebounder (4.8) and second leading shot blocker (1.1)…Smith has been employed at Pike Township Schools since 2015.
GREG TONAGEL — LAPORTE
1998 Indiana All-Star, led LaPorte to an 18-8 record his senior season, averaging 21.4
points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 steals…led Valparaiso University to 4 NCAA
tournament appearances and 4 Conference Championships as a player…was a four year starter earning Compaq National Play of the Week, setting single season FT record, honored as Academic All-Conference, and two time team captain…He was employed as the Valparaiso Director of Basketball Operations before becoming Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Indiana Wesleyan University in 2005, where he is 3x NAIA National Championship Head Coach and 3x National Coach of the Year.
BRIAN WRAY — PLYMOUTH
1998 Northern Indiana Player of the Year, leading the state in scoring at 27.2 points per game…was a member of the Indiana Junior All-Star team in 1997…honored on the All-Sectional, All-Regional, All-Semi-State Teams, along with being named All-State Third Team his senior season at Plymouth…Played at Bethel College, where he averaged 7.1 points per game and his team was the Crossroads League Champion, Runner Up NAIA DIV II National Champions…as a freshmen set the Bethel College 3 point percentage record and led NAIA Division II that year, shooting 53%…after graduation from Indiana in 2002, Wray went into business and is currently a General Manager
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