Junior guard Adam Crouch is likely a four-year starter at Indian Creek before his career is over.
Daily Journal file photo
The final seven games Indian Creek played last season were a better glimpse of the team’s potential than the 16 preceding them.
A regional qualifier for the first time since 2000 despite there being only one senior on the roster, the Braves want to parlay that momentum into even greater achievements this time around.
Junior guard Adam Crouch is confident they will.
“As a team, I think we can go further than the regionals,” said Crouch, who returns after averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a sophomore for a squad that finished with a 14-9 record.
“Last year, we were a young team, and we battled Beech Grove at regional, and that was a team with a lot of seniors. Our strength this season is our depth, so Landon (Sichting) and I and anybody else won’t have to play as many minutes.”
Indian Creek won five of its final seven games last season, including the 65-56 loss to Beech Grove in the afternoon semifinal of the Class 3A regional at Lebanon. Crouch, the 6-foot-4 Sichting and another returnee, senior wing Trent Volz, combined for 48 of the team’s points.
Sichting and Crouch, best friends since the two were in elementary school, began testing the varsity waters as freshmen. Sichting led Indian Creek with his 18 points per game last season to go along with 7.8 boards per outing.
Crouch, who can play the 2 or run the point, worked to become more ambidextrous during the offseason. He hopes that makes him more productive in all aspects of what the Braves do at both ends of the floor.
“I really wasn’t strong with my left hand at all last season,” he said. “Now I’m going to the basket more, getting my teammates open for more shot opportunities.”
Despite all his contributions the past two seasons, this will be the first time Crouch is categorized as an upperclassmen. Indian Creek coach Drew Glentzer wants that to show up in facets other than statistics.
“From him, we’re looking for more leadership,” Glentzer said. “Statistically speaking, Adam was a stat stuffer, and now he needs to be more physical and be a better teammate in terms of making everyone around him better.
“Adam practices harder now. He is more aware, and wants to know if he’s going hard enough in practices.”
Half of the eight sectional titles in the history of Indian Creek boys hoops actually took place over one stretch in the single-class era, with four streight net-cuttings from 1980-83.
The final Braves squad in that run is the lone regional champion in program history.
Crouch, Sichting, Volz and the rest of this season’s team look to eventually give them company.
SCOUTING THE BRAVES
Coach: Drew Glentzer
Last season: 14-9, lost to Beech Grove in Class 3A regional semifinal
Key returnees: Brady Connell, Carter Modlin and Trent Volz, seniors; Adam Crouch, Bobby Emberton and Landon Sichting, juniors
Top newcomers: Kaden Martin, Landon Martin and Jagger Statts, juniors; Carter Cooley and Braxton Freeman, sophomores; Carson Robertson, freshman
Outlook: The 6-foot-4 Sichting and the 6-1 Crouch have been a formidable inside-outside combination since their freshman season. Now juniors, they hope to take the next step by leading the Braves to a regional final or, better yet, beyond. How the supporting cast gels, and what kind of depth can be developed over the course of the regular season will ultimately determine if the programs exceeds the 14 wins of the 2022-23 squad.
The 6-5 Emberton (6.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) gained valuable varsity experience last season, as did Modlin (5.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Volz (5.3 ppg) and Connell (3.2 ppg). Twin brothers Kaden and Landon Martin attended Indian Creek through eighth grade, spent the last two years at Martinsville, and are back as 6-3 juniors.
“We have three seniors, and all three kids played a lot of minutes,” said Glentzer, now in his seventh season at his alma mater. “Trent and Carter are probably our best defenders. Obviously, our junior class is very strong. Even though we’re older than last season, we’re still kind of a young team. And we definitely have more depth this season.”
