Though the State Basketball tournament has been canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been an eventful week for Blackhawk Christian boys basketball.
One of the biggest pieces of news came on Tuesday when head coach Marc Davidson was one of two coaches named District 1 Coach of the Year. He shares the honor with Chesterton head coach Marc Urban.
“First of all, it’s a tremendous honor, and I am very grateful,” Davidson said. “Secondly, I am fully aware of the fact that this is a TEAM award, and the credit goes to our players. We’ve got a group of talented players, who have bought into our message as a coaching staff. When you combine talent with buy-in, good things happen.”
Davidson has been the head coach at Blackhawk Christian for seven years. He coached the Braves to a state championship last year. He’s also won two regional titles. And just this year, he and the Braves won their sixth sectional title in seven years.
“I’ve loved playing for Coach Davidson, not just this year, but every year,” junior power forward Caleb Furst said. “He’s a great coach and always pushes us to play tough, selfless, and together. Off the court, he pushes us to grow in our faith in Christ and to continue to develop into young men that follow after God.”
Furst himself provided another big storyline. He was selected to the Indiana Junior All-Star Team. The Indy Star released the selections on Wednesday.
“It’s a huge honor to be named a Junior All-Star,” Furst said. “There’s a lot of great competition in Indiana, so to be named an all-star among other great players is a great honor.”
Furst has had a great career already. He helped lead the Braves to a state championship last year. He has averaged double figures in points per game each of the last two years. This year he was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. He also committed to Purdue on March 2nd.
“When you think about the core values of our program-Humility, Toughness, Empathy, Respect, & Service-that is Caleb Furst to a Tee!” Head coach Marc Davidson said. “I am so excited to watch him continue to develop, both as a player, and more importantly as a person.”
On Friday, March 20th, it was announced that Blackhawk Christian would play in the Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic; a four-team tournament at the New Castle Fieldhouse; on December 30th. They will face a familiar foe in the first round; the Barr-Reeve Vikings. The Braves knocked off the Vikings in the Class 1A State Championship last year. Barr-Reeve has put together four straight 20-win seasons. Win or lose, Blackhawk will play either Blackford or Shenandoah. Those teams are coming off 20 plus-win seasons.
“We are thrilled to be selected to play in the Hall of Fame Classic,” Davidson said. “It is a tremendous honor and will be an incredible atmosphere for players and fans alike. And the chance for us to play 2 very good teams in a regional format- that should be a great experience!”
