BY MIKE HUTTON

Post-Tribune

 

Washington is no stranger to the state finals.

The Hatchets have traveled to the state championship 16 times and won five titles.

They'll be gunning for a sixth Saturday when they play Lew Wallace, a school that is making its first appearance in Indianapolis for the championship.

Both teams have a marquee player that carries them.

Branden Dawson, a 6-foot-7 leaping machine who is ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation, is averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds.

The Hatchets' go-to player is Cody Zeller. Zeller is just as coveted by major colleges as Dawson is. He is listed on the Hatchets' roster as 6-10 but coach Gene Miller said he is really 6-8.

Miller calls him the most diverse skill-wise of the three Zeller brothers. Tyler, who is at North Carolina now, was a pure center at 7-0.

Luke, at 6-11, played more like a small forward for Notre Dame.

Cody Zeller is a skilled passer and shooter who can run the offense but who is still called upon to mix it up inside.

"He is just a versatile ball player who can do a lot of things," Miller said.

So, who is going to guard Dawson and who is going to guard Zeller?

Don't expect Dawson to draw Zeller as an assignment and don't necessarily expect Zeller to pick up Dawson.

Look for the Hornets to rotate Branden Bradford, their 6-5 center and possibly Aaron Abram, a 6-4 forward, on Zeller. Dawson might guard Zeller in crunch time.

The Hatchets might turn to Robert Pittman, their 6-6 center, to guard Dawson. This gives both Dawson and Zeller the opportunity to roam around and swat shots.

The key for both teams could be the play they get from ancillary players, like LaTroy Taylor, a 6-2 guard for Lew Wallace.

Sam Gines and Dylan Evans, a couple of guards for the Hatchets, average nearly 10 points each. They both take the scoring load off Zeller.

Washington has been pretty good at shutting down opponents, holding them to 38 percent shooting from the field and just 43 points per game.

They'll be selective about pushing the ball up the court because tempo is key for them.

 

Click Here for the story from the Post-Tribune