Classes Still Create Hoosier Hysteria
July 27, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
This is the fourth part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
Twenty years ago, Bloomington North High School won the Indiana High School Athletic Association boys basketball championship, defeating Delta 75-54 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
The date, March 22, 1997, is at the same time revered and disdained by traditionalists in the state who saw it as the last schoolboy championship game the state would ever host.
That’s how devout the game of basketball, particularly interscholastic basketball, had become in the Hoosier state during the 87 years a state champion – one state champion, to be precise – was crowned.
Following that 1997 season, the IHSAA moved to a four-class system for its roundball tournaments, like so many of its state association counterparts had done years earlier.
It would be shocking to find more than a small percentage of current high school basketball players around the country unfamiliar with the iconic movie Hoosiers, even though the film is now more than 30 years old.
And, the storyline for that blockbuster unfolded more than 30 years prior to its release, when small-town, undermanned Milan High School defeated Muncie Central High School 32-30 in the 1954 IHSAA title game.
Perhaps it’s because of the David vs Goliath notion, or the fame of the movie that replaced Milan with the fictional Hickory and real-life star Bobby Plump with Hollywood hero Jimmy Chitwood, or the simple fact that Indiana had something other states didn’t.
Whatever the reason, plenty of opposition remains to this day to basketball classification in the state.
The fact is, the small rural schools were regularly being beaten handily by the much larger suburban and city schools as the tournament progressed each season.
Small schools also were closing at a rapid rate following the state’s School Reorganization Act in 1959, as students converged on larger, centralized county schools. From 1960 to 2000, the number of schools entering the tournament dropped from 694 to 381, and in 1997 a total of 382 schools and 4,584 athletes began competition at the Sectional level (the first level of the IHSAA Basketball Tournament).
It was at the entry level of the tournament where school administrators felt the pain of the new class system, but not necessarily for the same nostalgic reasons as the fans who either attended or boycotted the tournament.
At the Sectional round of the tournament, the IHSAA was culling just 2 percent of the revenue, with the participating schools splitting the balance. So, when Sectional attendance dropped by 14 percent in that first year of class basketball, many schools realized a financial loss. It was money they had grown to count on in prior years to help fund various aspects of the department.
Schools cumulatively received more than $900,000 from Sectional competition in 1998, but that total was down from more than $1 million in the last year of the single-class tournament.
Yet, the current format provides a great deal more opportunity and realistic chances at championship runs for schools of all enrollments.
To date, 60 additional teams have championship or runner-up trophies on display in school trophy cases around Indiana.
That was the mission in front of then-IHSAA commissioner Bob Gardner (now National Federation executive director) once the board made its decision: to give thousands more student-athletes the opportunity for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
As any statistician knows, figures can be manipulated to tell any side of a story. Declining attendance in year one of class basketball is such a number.
The truth is tournament attendance had been on a steady downward spiral since its peak of just over 1.5 million in 1962. By the last single-class event in 1997, the total attendance was half that.
The challenge then and today, as it is for all state associations, is to find that delicate balance for those holding onto tradition, those holding onto trophies, and the number of trophies to hand out.
Editor’s Note: Stories from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in 1998 and from a 2007 issue of Indianapolis Monthly provided facts in this article.
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 9, 2026
We’ve nearly reached the end of this boys basketball regular season, and District seedings and brackets will be released Sunday on this website.
But it’s never too late to make a move heading into the playoffs.
See two-time reigning Division 2 champion Warren Lincoln. The Abes are 5-15 but broke a 13-game losing streak Saturday with a 65-64 overtime win over Benton Harbor – one of the top teams in Division 2 this winter at 17-2.
Lincoln finds itself lined up as the second seed in its District if brackets were finalized today. Others have been racing up their respective Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) lists as well, and we’re tracking them all as a season’s worth of work goes into how teams are placed when playoffs begin.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Grand Rapids Northview 63, East Lansing 46 Northview (13-4) put an end to reigning Division 1 champion East Lansing’s 40-game winning streak during the final game of the 2K26 Showcase.
2. Freeland 65, Hudsonville Unity Christian 60 A week that started with a loss to Alma for the Falcons (16-3) ended with a win over the Crusaders (14-3) in a matchup of the top two teams statewide in Division 2 MPR.
3. McBain 44, Beal City 40 The Aggies (15-1) entered undefeated and atop the Highland Conference thanks to a December win over McBain, but the Ramblers (15-1) are lined up now to at least share the league title.
4. Rockford 57, East Kentwood 55 For a few days, the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red had co-leaders as the Rams (14-3) avenged a one-point loss to the Falcons (15-2) from last month – but East Kentwood stands alone again after Hudsonville downed Rockford 62-55 on Friday.
5. Grand Rapids South Christian 50, Grand Rapids Northview 47 (OT) Although Northview’s week ended with a statewide rim-rocker, South Christian (15-2) started it by avenging a January overtime loss to the Wildcats to create a first-place tie in the O-K Gold.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Ann Arbor Huron (17-2) A win over Dexter on Tuesday would set up a first-place showdown Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Red between Huron and Ann Arbor Pioneer, which won their first matchup 60-52 on Jan. 16. Huron’s only other loss this season came to SEC White contender Chelsea, by two points, and the River Rats closed last week with a 66-51 win over the leader of that division, Ypsilanti Lincoln – one of eight Huron victories over teams with at least 12 this winter. Huron has reached at least the Quarterfinals the last three seasons.
Kalamazoo Central (14-2) The Maroon Giants load up a tough schedule every season and are in the conversation among Division 1 teams to watch most winters. They made a loud statement with a 95-80 win over Muskegon on Jan. 31, and a 40-28 victory over Warren Fitzgerald at the 2K26 Showcase also complements well Kalamazoo Central’s lead in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. The Maroon Giants can clinch a share of the league title Tuesday at Mattawan, which would give them four straight. The lone losses this season were to Division 1 contenders Detroit Martin Luther King and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.
DIVISION 2
Kingsford (12-4) The Flivvers – Division 2 semifinalists a year ago – moved up seven spots to No. 7 in statewide Division 2 MPR this week thanks in part to a 51-49 win over Gladstone that has Kingsford a half-game back of the lead in the Great Northern Conference standings but controlling its destiny with home games against league leader Menominee and second-place Marquette next week. The Flivvers are the only team in the league to defeat Menominee, a statewide contender in Division 3, and they’ve put together seven straight wins after a midseason three-game losing streak that included a two-point defeat against Gladstone.
Michigan Center (17-1) The Cardinals have clinched the Cascades Conference East title after finishing second to Grass Lake a year ago, and they face Brooklyn Columbia Central on Saturday at Spring Arbor for the overall league championship. Michigan Center also is making for an intriguing team in the Division 2 race in its second year after previously playing in Division 3. The Cardinals’ only loss this season came to Marshall on Dec. 13, and they lead for the top seed in a District that includes Adrian and Columbia Central among six teams total and five with winning records.
DIVISION 3
New Haven (15-2) A 58-47 win over Warren Woods-Tower avenged a 41-39 loss from Jan. 20 and made those two tied atop the Macomb Area Conference Gold with one league game left for both. New Haven’s only other defeat this winter came against Adrian, a solid Division 2 opponent, and the Rockets already have their most wins in a season since 2022-23. Only three other opponents have come within single digits of catching New Haven, and tonight could see another test against MAC Silver co-leader Center Line; the Rockets defeated the other leader in that division, Eastpointe, by 10 in early December.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford (15-3) A 69-61 win over Adrian Lenawee Christian last week avenged a 61-60 loss from Jan. 9 and put Whiteford in position to at least share a first Tri-County Conference title since 2017-18. The Bobcats may need to win both of this week’s games against Britton Deerfield and Erie Mason, and total they have four games left before Districts begin – and need just one more win to tie last year’s victory total. Also among highlights this winter is a 55-48 overtime win over Huron League contender Monroe Jefferson that gave Whiteford its home New Year’s Tournament title.
DIVISION 4
Genesee Christian (14-3) The Soldiers have made a nice jump after going 10-15 last season but reaching the Regional Finals. They began this winter 0-2 but have lost only once more over the last two months, and all three defeats were to Division 1 or 2 teams. A 23-point win last week over International Academy of Flint (16-2) was among their best, and add victories over Dryden (10-7) Lenawee Christian (11-7), Maple City Glen Lake (12-3), Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (14-3) and Southfield Christian (13-5) to an impressive list.
Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian (13-3) Harbor Light won 20 games two seasons and 19 last winter, and might be ready to make another jump after advancing to the Regional Finals last year as well. Two losses this time have come against Pickford and Traverse City Christian – both 17-0 – and the third came to Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian (12-3), which Harbor Light should see again in a Northern Lakes Conference crossover. The Swordsmen have five wins over teams with at least 12, and a couple more big opportunities coming up starting with a rematch Thursday against Traverse City Christian.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – South Haven (13-1) at Gobles (14-0) – These are the leaders of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore and Central, respectively.
Wednesday – Romulus Summit Academy North (19-1) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (12-2) at Ecorse – Although the Charter School Conference Tournament concludes Friday, this semifinal matchup pits last season’s Division 2 and 3 runners-up, respectively.
Friday – Auburn Hills Avondale (18-1) at Clarkston (15-3) – If Avondale also defeats Farmington on Tuesday, the Yellowjackets could be playing to clinch the Oakland Activities Association Red title – or Clarkston could be playing to tie or take over first place.
Saturday – Catholic High School League Central Final at Oakland – Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (15-4), Detroit Catholic Central (13-5), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (8-8) and Toledo St. John’s Jesuit remain in the mix with semifinals Wednesday.
Saturday – Grand Blanc (14-2) at Muskegon (14-1) – The Bobcats already have clinched the Saginaw Valley League South title, and Muskegon leads the O-K Green.
Sunday – Detroit Public School League Final at Wayne State – The final two contenders will face off for the city championship, with quarterfinals set for Tuesday and semifinals Friday.
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PHOTOS (Top) Felch North Dickson's Ty King is guarded closely by Marquette's Connor Fierstine during the Sentinels’ 68-34 victory Friday. (Middle) Flint Carman-Ainsworth defenders converge on a Davison player driving the lane during the Cavaliers’ 60-49 win Dec. 19. (North Dickinson/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps. Carman-Ainsworth/Davison photo by Terry Lyons.)