Greenfield-Central’s Braylon Mullins hits the game-winning shot while being double-teamed by Pendleton Heights, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)
CARMEL — Greenfield-Central’s boys basketball team dropped two games at the Charlie Hughes Boys Basketball Showcase at Carmel High School Friday.
In matchups with teams expected to be ranked high in the 2024-25 polls, the Cougars lost 71-60 to Jeffersonville and 53-52 to Lawrence North.
Greenfield-Central rising senior Braylon Mullins, a 6-5 guard and 4-star recruit ranked No. 24 in the nation by 247sports.com, scored 22 points in the loss against Jeffersonville. Teammate Michael Johnson, a transfer from Southport High School, scored 14.
Jeffersonville got 35 points from guard Michael Cooper and 23 from 6-8 post player Tre Singleton.
In the second game of the day, the Wildcats scored on a putback with eight seconds remaining to defeat the Cougars.
Johnson led all scorers with 25 points. Mullins had 22 and LN’s Azavier Robinson scored 23.
“It’s good for us and good for our kids (to play these teams),” Greenfield-Central coach Luke Meredith said. “Obviously, nobody likes to lose. We lost on an offensive putback to a Top 5 team that was a regional champ and we lost to a preseason No. 1 or No. 2 Jeffersonville. That’s why you come to the Charlie Hughes and play in front of college coaches. It’s good for our kids and good for our program.
“It challenges us as coaches and challenges our players and that’s what we want to do, we want to be challenged.”
With a lot of eyes on Mullins and some of his opponents, Purdue head coach Matt Painter, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, Michigan head coach Dusty May and Nevada head coach Steve Alford were spotted in attendance.
A number of assistant coaches, including representatives from Alabama, Creighton, Indiana and Notre Dame were also there.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and Alabama head coach Nate Oats are expected to be at Carmel to watch Mullins today.
Mt. Vernon and New Palestine will play today and Sunday. Greenfield-Central will play two more games today.
Mt. Vernon takes on Crispus Attucks at 10:15 a.m. and Portage at 2 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be played at Carmel High School (Blue).
New Palestine has a rematch of last year’s regional championship when it opens play at 2 p.m. against Ben Davis at Carmel High School (Gold). The Dragons face Cathedral at 5:45 p.m. in the Carmel’s freshman/auxiliary gymnasium.
Greenfield-Central wraps up its play with two games on the school’s main gym floor. The Cougars face Ben Davis at 11:30 a.m. and Cathedral at 3:15 p.m.
On Sunday, Mt. Vernon plays Zionsville at 11:30 a.m. and Valparaiso at 2 p.m. Both games are on the main floor. New Palestine plays Carmel on the main floor at 10:15 a.m. and faces Fort Wayne Wayne at 2 p.m. in the fieldhouse on Court 1.
Softball
Blum, Willis in All-Star games
New Palestine senior shortstop Allie Blum and Eastern Hancock senior outfielder Brooklyn Willis will participate in the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana North-South All-Star festivities this weekend at Indiana University.
Blum and Willis will be on the South squad.
The teams practiced and had the annual all-star banquet Friday.
They will play a doubleheader today with the Miss Softball announcement taking place between games.
Blum is one of five candidates for the Miss Softball Award. She is the representative for District 4.
Other nominees include, Hobart’s Keirys Click (District 1), South Bend St. Joseph’s Riley Zache (District 2), Tri-West’s Audrey Lowry (District 3) and Tecumseh’s Jenna Donohoo (District 5).
Blum, headed to the University of Kentucky, had a stellar senior season for the state runner-up Dragons. She led the state in home runs (21), slugging percentage (1.462) and runs scored (61). She hit .548 and had 53 RBI.
Willis, who will play next season at the University of Indianapolis, was just behind Blum in homers with 18. She hit .560 with 49 RBI and also stole 15 bases and scored 47 runs.
