The IBCA has decided to upgrade the organization’s All-State honors program for the 2014-15 season.
The organization still will recognize top players from across the state – boys and girls – with Senior All-State and Underclass All-State accolades. In total, there are four groups of honorees – Boys Senior All-State, Boys Underclass All-State, Girls Senior All-State and Girls Underclass All-State.
Like in the past, the IBCA will use two 22-member panels of coaches (one panel for boys, one panel for girls) to identify All-State candidates and collect information about them. The panel members then will forward that information to a committee chairman for compilation. The respective full committees will meet in March to discuss candidates and vote to select players for various honors.
The IBCA All-State Teams will be announced shortly after those meetings (March 9 for girls, March 24 for boys).
Unlike last season and the past several seasons, when only two levels were chosen within each grouping (a 15-member First-Team All-State Team and an Honorable Mention All-State list of about 120 players), the new format for 2014-15 will include the following sets within each All-State group:
- IBCA Supreme 15 All-State (top 15 players, regardless of the class of a player’s school, taking the place of the old “First-Team All-State”)
- IBCA Large School All-State (15 players from Class 3A and Class 4A schools, not on the Supreme 15)
- IBCA Small School All-State (15 players from Class A and Class 2A schools, not on the Supreme 15)
- An Honorable Mention All-State list of about 85 players.
With the new format, there will be four levels that each senior or each underclass player could be designated within the IBCA’s All-State program.
- IBCA Senior Boys Supreme 15 All-State, IBCA Senior Boys Large School All-State, IBCA Senior Boys Small School All-State and IBCA Senior Boys Honorable Mention All-State.
- IBCA Underclass Boys Supreme 15 All-State, IBCA Underclass Boys Large School All-State, IBCA Underclass Boys Small School All-State and IBCA Underclass Boys Honorable Mention All-State.
- IBCA Senior Girls Supreme 15 All-State, IBCA Senior Girls Large School All-State, IBCA Senior Girls Small School All-State and IBCA Senior Girls Honorable Mention All-State.
- IBCA Underclass Girls Supreme 15 All-State, IBCA Underclass Girls Large School All-State, IBCA Underclass Girls Small School All-State and IBCA Underclass Girls Honorable Mention All-State.
Ultimately, approximately 260 boys and 260 girls will receive honors through this process. That will be 130 seniors and 130 underclass players per gender.
Subway Restaurants of Indiana have partnered with the IBCA the past two years and served as the title sponsor of the IBCA/Subway All-State Teams. IBCA leaders are hopeful that discussions with Subway leadership will result in that partnership being continued for 2014-15.
David Wood of West Lafayette is the chairman of the IBCA’s Boys’ All-State committee. Pat McKee of Columbus North is chairman of the IBCA’s Girls’ All-State committee.
Each committee consists of 22 coaches from across the state. Sixteen coaches represent regional areas from across the state with the charge of identifying top players from approximately 25 schools each in most cases. Six coaches represent the three IHSAA districts, one east and one west from each district. They have the specific charge of identifying top players from Class A and Class 2A schools in this process.
Both committee lists will be posted when they are finalized on the IBCA web site so that coaches from all schools will know which committee member represents their school in the player-identification process.
