Class 4A Championship Pre-Game Show | We're live from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy as we get set for the Class 4A State Championship between Chesterton & Indy Cathedral!
Fans can watch all... | By Region Sports Nation | That is very very deep. Yeah
and just so sorry for all of my listeners. We had a little
faulty with the audio right now. But Mike kind of just run
over everything you just talked about with the environment and
everything we’ve experienced so far with three games in the
state finals. Yes, so today’s been a very, you know, exciting
day, action packed. Uh you know, we have three games up
until this point right now. The one, two, and three A games. Uh
we’re all great. Uh so, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s an
electric atmosphere in here especially with this one
gearing up as we look across the gym or hit the gym. The
arena here that we’re at Gainbridge Fieldhouse here in
Indianapolis, Indiana. Uh we see, you know, a lot of
Chesterton fans have traveled very well in this one and
that’s no surprise but we do have some special celebrity
guest appearances. Uh coach Tom Izzo’s here. Uh we had to work
with coach Michael Lewis, the new coach for the Ball State
basketball program for the men’s squad and so yeah, he
just last night at a tough loss. UCLA came here this
morning and where he come, he comes to Indianapolis for the
state finals. So, it’s been an outstanding day. And you you
hit it on the head. It’s been an outstanding day. Uh, it’s
been basically three years since we’ve been able to
experience things like this. So, just being able to be back
and see all the fans from everywhere. Just coming in,
filing in, I mean, 300 level seats filling up. Uh, this is
exciting and as you mentioned, division one coaches in the
building. Uh, and you’ll get to our conversation with coach but
I think one thing that stuck out with me, I mean, somebody
will get lucky tonight. Somebody’s going to get an
offer. So, hopefully it’s our region guys but who knows?
Yeah, I mean, I I’ll say this certainly. You can tell you
know, just by talking to, you know, you know, coach Izzo and
you know, couple members of his staff and everything like that
that they’re excited for this game because there’s talent on
both teams. There’s talent on both teams. Uh you know, you
look at some young cats for Chesterton like a guy like
Sims. No. You know, this could be a game for him and then of
course a guy like Travis Grayson who is you know trying
his best to lead his team to being 3 and oh but also, let’s
be real, a crack at, you know, mister basketball. Uh so,
another great performance tonight. Uh because you know,
really put him in that conversation even more so than
he currently already is. Yeah, Travis Grayson. I mean, and
coach Irvin has said this before as well. I I don’t see
how anybody couldn’t consider him as a mister basketball. You
know, undefeated team in the state’s largest class.
Consistent play. He’s had multiple 20 plus point games in
the postseason. I mean, he has my vote if I could vote. You
know, but. Yeah, same here. You know, he’s been outstanding.
You know, he and he’s been a remarkable player in terms of
playing up to the moment and up to the competition. You know,
and the two biggest regular season games of the year or or
maybe well, one of em, the big one against Valpo. He had forty
of the team sixty. Like, you know, he’s one of those guys
where you know, he’s going to always elevate his play. Uh and
he you know, he was outstanding in the regional championship
and so and semi state and so yeah it’s just been a wild ride
for this team but yeah we we caught up with coach Irvin
prior to this one. Uh he mentioned that they came in
yesterday and they practiced here in the arena and the first
few minutes, there was, you know, that really moment where
you recognize like how cool it is that you’re here but he
said, that was only about four or five minutes and then they
got straight to work and it it’s been kind of that ever
since where they just been, you know, working, preparing,
relaxing, watching some basketball, the other games and
here they the court warming up. As you mentioned and that’s the
cool part about the State Championship. You get to
practice at the facility and kind of get that initial. Wow,
I’m here factor out of the way and after that, I think early
on the game, you know, they’ll tip the ball up and then, it’ll
just be basketball. So, hopefully, Urban, I’m sure he
wants his guys and his guys right now just to soak it in a
little bit and soak it in as much as they can but once the
game starts, just understand it’s just basketball. Yeah,
absolutely. It’s just basketball and one of the
things that he mentioned too where we were talking about
like, you know, coach, like, how, how’s the vibe around the
team? How is this? And he’s like, it’s, you know, it’s
obviously really special moment. It’s a really cool
moment but at the same time, like, we just gotta be us. We
gotta be who we are. We gotta play our brand of basketball.
You know, they’re 29 and oh for a reason, folks and you know,
don’t do anything different. Don’t try to change who you are
in game thirty. So, Chesterton, you know, looks like they’re
really poised in this one. Uh you know, he talked about how
it’s going to be a long game with some TV timeouts and to
you to, you know, be focused and to not lose sight of, you
know, what, what it is and that it is essentially just another
game, really, but just, you know, on the big stage and
couple little different things like that, but we’ll see in the
early moments of this one, kind of how things shake out,
would you say so? Yeah, I think early on, like, as I mentioned,
after the tip, you know, I I could see into that first TV
timeout comes. It’s, it’s just, you know, a lot of nerves.
Chesterton is a younger team outside of Grayson and Mullins.
Uh, so, you you really want to get your young guys to
understand that okay after that first time out and that’s kind
of the benefits of a TV timeout. You you get to sit
them down and say okay you’re here now. Now let’s play. And I
think that’s exactly what’s going to happen early in this
one. Yeah and in terms of game plan we we spoke with coach
Urban and you know mentioning about having to play a team
like Indianapolis Cathedral. They have several guys across
the boards that really get it done. Uh as we know Tayshawn
Comer is outstanding but and Xavier Booker have been
tremendous as well especially as of late and so having to
stop or slow down a team like that is going to be very
difficult. You know, it’s one of those things where
Chesterton has played some very very good talent but having
three guys like that on one team and not being able to have
the luxury to hone in on one guy but having to, you know,
have a balance attack on defense and really stop
Division. This one’s going to be very tough. Yeah and
starting lineup all over six foot. That I mean, you you on
the head. They have to stop everybody. But it has to be a
team effort and I think that is what Chesterton strong suit is
team play. They do everything as a team and that’s why
they’re the only undefeated team in Indiana. So, I I think
they’ll do well with that tonight and so, I’m looking
forward to it. Yeah and for you folks that are going to watch
the game on IHSAATV. org. Uh you will see this one. Uh if
you, for some reason are not going to, we’ll have a
scoreboard update after the end of each quarter but one thing
for the folks at home watching in this one, you would expect
or your reasonable to expect that plays the dribble drive,
offense, and there’s going to be a big emphasis for
Chesterton on getting out and defending a three-point line
and not allowing some rhythm threes in this one and so, you
know, as but as Isaiah mentioned, they play as a team
but they’re going to have to continue to do that especially
in the defensive end and finish defensive possessions by Reef
by getting some rebounds and getting out in transition
perhaps too. Yeah and final words on this. I mean, this is
going to be a fun game. I I think at the end of the day,
winner loss, Chester in the community, Northwest Indiana,
they are proud. I mean, you look around. It it is packed on
this Chesterton side and that is public school. They, it’s a
public school. You know, obviously, they have a
community behind them but I think it’s more than just a
community here. I mean, it’s pretty crazy. It’s all over.
This this team has been on such a special run and onlookers
from all over the states have been captivated by this team
and coach Mark Urban mentioned that he would he wants us to
specifically say thanks and that and that he appreciates
all the support that he’s gotten from current and former
coaches of all different sports as well as all people from all
over the area in the region. So, that is our pregame show.
Uh stay tuned on our Facebook page for our live scoreboard.
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