Boys Basketball
Valparaiso’s Newman ends prep career with flourish, leads Indiana All-Stars over Kentucky
INDIANAPOLIS — Valparaiso’s Brandon Newman didn’t have much time to savor the close of his high school career.
After the 6-foot-4 guard helped his team post a 120-74 rout in Saturday night’s Indiana-Kentucky All-Star game before an announced crowd of 5,683 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, he was scheduled to head Sunday to Purdue with his summer school classes beginning Monday.
“It’s very quick, very quick,” Newman said. “But it’s what I signed up for. I can’t complain.”
Indeed, what a way for Newman to go out representing the Vikings before fully turning his attention to the Boilermakers.
Indiana scored the most points by one team in the annual series that dates to 1940, eclipsing its 119-114 overtime victory in 1987 in Louisville in that season’s second game.
It also was the second-most lopsided result in the series, behind only a 114-60 outcome in 2013 in Louisville in that season’s first game.
Newman, who started both of the games this season, contributed four points, two assists and two steals in 14 minutes as the Indiana All-Stars completed a sweep of Kentucky for the first time since 2016.
“It’s kind of bittersweet, with this being my last high school game,” he said. “But there’s no other way I’d like to end it. We played as a team.
“You could tell we had a lot of fun out there, there was a lot of positive energy and that influenced the scoreboard.”
Newman dramatically influenced the scoreboard Friday night in Indiana’s 97-64 win over Kentucky in Louisville.
He had a game-high 18 points in 18 minutes, to go along with five rebounds and two assists. He shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
“We told ourselves, ‘We’re part of history,’” Newman said. “With us part of this team, we’re in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. We’re one of those teams in the conversation that played the hardest on offense and defense.”
Newman, the Post-Tribune Boys Basketball Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons, averaged 27.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists as a senior at Valparaiso.
He scored a program-record 49 points against Concord and graduated tied for second in program history with Bryce Drew with 1,577 points.
After the Vikings suffered an upset loss to Chesterton in the Class 4A Portage Sectional championship game, he closed this All-Star chapter with a flourish.
“It’s been a great week, to say the least,” Newman said. “I’ve been around a great bunch of people, great teammates, great coaches.
“We all got better this week. We pushed each other in practice and it really showed (Friday) night and (Saturday night).”
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