The Britt family moved into the Indian Creek school district at the start of the 2017-18 school year, but boys basketball coach Drew Glentzer didn’t get to reap the benefits right away.
He’s finding out that there’s something to be said for delayed gratification.
The Britt brothers — senior Cooper and sophomore Mason — have been indispensable assets for the Braves this season, and they’re two big reasons why the team feels good about their chances to advance through the Class 3A sectional at Danville this week.
Indian Creek faces Beech Grove in a first-round game tonight.
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Cooper Britt was in a different uniform a year ago, opting to continue attending Greenwood Christian even after his family had moved — and even though his younger brother was a freshman at Indian Creek.
As it turned out, the two wouldn’t have been able to share the court anyway. Mason had to sit out all of last season with a back fracture.
With just one opportunity left to have his brother as a teammate, Cooper enrolled at Indian Creek this past summer.
"My dad, he always had a dream that we’d play together," Cooper explained, "and it being my senior year, this is our only chance."
They’ve made the most of it.
Despite losing All-County guard Jared DeHart to graduation and having senior Isaiah Lacey sidelined for much of the season with a hand injury, the Braves have pieced together their fifth consecutive 14-win season.
The Britts have had a big hand in that success.
Cooper has become the team’s primary playmaker on offense and a disruptive presence on the defensive end, leading the team in assists (3.2) and steals (3.7). He’s also one of five Braves averaging between eight and 11 points per game.
"I never really was the main scorer on a team," Cooper Britt said, "and I’m still not, probably, but I knew I had to pick it up a little bit."
Mason, meanwhile, has become one of Indian Creek’s biggest threats from outside. He, too, is averaging more than nine points a game — despite what he considers a rusty start to the season after a year off.
Despite the bumps in the road, Mason wouldn’t change one thing about his one season playing together with his older brother.
"It’s been the best season I’ve had in basketball," he said. "I’ve loved it, and it’s been really cool to play on the court with him because we kind of know what each other’s going to do and what we can do. We’ve always played at home in the driveway, played against each other, made each other better, and it’s just been really fun."
The Britts are hoping to keep the fun going for as long as possible. Indian Creek faces a tough sectional field in Danville, one that features three of the top 20 teams in Class 3A according to the Sagarin ratings — but it’s also a winnable one.
Braves coach Drew Glentzer says he has seen a bit of an edge in his team this season.
"I think these kids always kind of play with a chip on their shoulder," Glentzer said. "Some people thinking, ‘Oh, you guys won’t be as good because you lost (DeHart),’ and I think they’ve always kind of played with a little bit of chip due to that.
"Defensively, I think we’re as good as anybody in that sectional. Our kids are confident going in."
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Class 4A Whiteland Sectional
Today
Greenwood vs. Center Grove, 6 p.m.
Franklin vs. Martinsville, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Franklin Central vs. Greenwood/Center Grove winner, 6 p.m.
Whiteland vs. Franklin/Martinsville winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 3A Danville Sectional
Today
Indian Creek vs. Beech Grove, 6 p.m.
Tri-West vs. Danville, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Herron vs. Indian Creek/Beech Grove winner, 6 p.m.
Indianapolis Manual vs. Tri-West/Danville winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class A West Washington Sectional
Today
Shawe Memorial vs. Medora, 6 p.m.
Crothersville vs. Trinity Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
West Washington vs. Shawe/Medora winner, 6 p.m.
Edinburgh vs. Crothersville/Trinity Lutheran winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class A Indianapolis Lutheran Sectional
Today
Greenwood Christian vs. Tindley, 6 p.m.
Central Christian vs. Providence Cristo Rey, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Indianapolis Lutheran vs. GCA/Tindley winner, 6 p.m.
Indianapolis Lighthouse South vs. Central Christian/Cristo Rey winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
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Class 4A Whiteland Sectional
Players to watch: Center Grove — Justin DeGraaf, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Ben Nicoson, Spencer Piercefield; Franklin — Drew Byerly, Cory Richards, Reece Thomson, Blaine Wentzell; Franklin Central — Alan Cox, Javon Small; Greenwood — Matthew Allen, Bryce Hoffman, Devin Lester; Martinsville — Chase Havlin, Reid Staggs, Tyler Stead; Whiteland — Carter Crowe, Isaiah Davis, Luke Helton, Brennan Neal
Sagarin ratings: Center Grove 93.48 (10th in Class 4A, 11th overall), Franklin 82.37 (32nd in 4A, 43rd overall), Franklin Central 72.37 (67th in 4A, 118th overall), Greenwood 72.09 (69th in 4A, 121st overall), Whiteland 71.61 (72nd in 4A, 124th overall), Martinsville 67.84 (87th in 4A, 170th overall)
Outlook: The Trojans, looking to win a third straight sectional for the first time in school history, are the heavy favorites here — but they’re certainly not a sure thing. Greenwood pushed the Trojans to double overtime in the county tournament, and Franklin has proven capable of playing with top competition (even if its recent history against Center Grove hasn’t been great). Most of the field is closely bunches, so there could be some dramatic finishes here, but it would still be a major surprise if someone other than the Trojans — who haven’t lost to anyone ranked lower than sixth in the state Sagarin ratings — takes the title.
Class 3A Danville Sectional
Players to watch: Beech Grove — JaJuan Allison, Gavin Hess, John Parker; Danville — Sam Comer, Connor Jones, Peyton Roof, Dillon Ware; Herron — Tylen Brown, John Ray III; Indian Creek — Cooper Britt, Mason Britt, Zach Pugh, Jace Russell; Indianapolis Manual — Ijazz Abdulleman, Willanta Hankston, Jalen Johnson, Caleb Redman; Tri-West — Taylor Gardner, Luke Robertson, Brayden VanSlyke, Dawson Wolfe
Sagarin ratings: Danville 78.90 (13th in Class 3A, 67th overall), Indianapolis Manual 78.80 (14th in 3A, 68th overall), Beech Grove 77.22 (18th in 3A, 84th overall), Indian Creek 70.59 (36th in 3A, 136th overall), Tri-West 68.02 (48th in 3A, 165th overall), Herron 38.21 (98th in 3A, 376th overall)
Outlook: Good luck figuring this one out. Manual lost to Beech Grove, which lost to Danville, which lost to Tri-West. Where Indian Creek — which didn’t play any of the above teams — fits into that mix is anyone’s guess, but with the exception of a two-win Herron team, everyone has a realistic chance of winning this sectional. It’ll all come down to matchups and who’s hot at the right time.
Class A West Washington Sectional
Players to watch: Crothersville — Logan Brewer, Cable Spall, Josh Thomas, Lane Wienhorst; Edinburgh — Darius Bennett, Bryce Burton, Coltan Henderson, Jordan Myers; Medora — Keaton Seniours, Owen Sullivan; Shawe Memorial — Chandler Cole, Henry Grote, Ethan Stuart; Trinity Lutheran — A.J. Goecker, Tyler Goecker, Mitchell Hackman; West Washington — Holden Bowsman, Parker Green, Jake Strange
Sagarin ratings: West Washington 54.45 (40th in Class A, 290th overall), Edinburgh 52.34 (42nd in Class A, 303rd overall), Crothersville 50.93 (47th in Class A, 313th overall), Trinity Lutheran 48.68 (54th in Class A, 332nd overall), Shawe Memorial 31.26 (91st in Class A, 395th overall), Medora 25.18 (97th in Class A, 402nd overall)
Outlook: If expectations hold, the Lancers’ path to a repeat sectional title will likely run through Crothersville, which edged them 40-38 last month, and the host Senators, who took a 54-47 midseason defeat in Edinburgh. Any of those three teams, and perhaps Trinity Lutheran as well, have a chance to run the table. The Lancers, who received a bye and come in having won five of their last six, have to like their chances.
Class A Indianapolis Lutheran Sectional
Players to watch: Central Christian — Zeke Brown, Taylor Craft, Jeremiah Moore, Kobe Simmons; Greenwood Christian — Andrew Anderson, Champ McCorkle, Styles McCorkle, Quentin Steele; Indianapolis Lighthouse South — Israel Barnett, Ajani Smith, Geaute’ Williams; Indianapolis Lutheran — Matt Alter, Joe Faubion, Riley Wilson; Providence Cristo Rey — Elkin Ramirez, T.J. Thomas, Anthony Williams; Tindley — Adedotun Adegbemigun, Andrew Knox, Josiah Poole
Sagarin ratings: Indianapolis Lighthouse South 68.48 (10th in Class A, 160th overall), Tindley 67.92 (13th in Class A, 168th overall), Providence Cristo Rey 65.10 (19th in Class A, 192nd overall), Greenwood Christian 63.48 (22nd in Class A, 205th overall), Central Christian 61.82 (23rd in Class A, 218th overall), Indianapolis Lutheran 58.57 (28th in Class A, 248th overall)
Outlook: Another closely bunched field that’s too close to call. Tindley and Lighthouse South split a pair of regular-season meetings. GCA beat Central Christian, which beat Providence Cristo Rey, which beat Lighthouse South — all in games decided by seven points or less. The Cougars have beaten the only two sectional opponents they’ve faced, but there’s a realistic path to the title for all six teams in the bracket. There’s no clear favorite here, so buckle up and enjoy what might be one of the most dramatic sectionals in the state this week.
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