GREENFIELD — For the first time in a few months, Madison Wise has been without a jersey.
Finally turning in her Greenfield-Central basketball uniform Monday, the senior admitted it was difficult to part ways with the “Old Gold & Blue” after her final high school game Feb. 4.
“I just brought my jersey back. I didn’t want to take it off that night either,” Wise remarked earlier this week. “Actually, I might have slept in it; I don’t remember.”
As expected, the two-time Hancock County Player of the Year won’t be without one for long.
Named a 2017 Indiana All-Star on Wednesday afternoon, Wise will be one of the state’s elite 13 selected to sport the coveted red, white and blue this summer.
The five-star Iowa State recruit is only the third girls basketball player in Greenfield-Central history to be chosen as an Indiana All-Star and first since Janet Meeker in 1989.
“It’s pretty neat,” Wise remarked on being considered for the team prior to Wednesday’s announcement. “Indiana is obviously the basketball state, so getting that honor is amazing and not something you can take for granted.”
Wise is the 10th girls basketball player to earn the distinction from the county since 1978, when Mt. Vernon’s Elizabeth Skinner was selected.
Beth Davis was the first girls player elected to the team from Greenfield-Central in 1988. Overall, the county has had 15 Indiana All-Stars, including both boys and girls, beginning with Mike Edwards of Greenfield in 1969.
“It’s a great honor,” Greenfield-Central head coach Doug Laker said. “That was one of her goals, since a little kid, to be an Indiana All-Star. In a couple of months, she’ll get to carry that torch.”
Wise, who is the county’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball with 2,109 career points, will compete in four games in June with the Indiana All-Star team. The 6-foot-1 forward will play in two exhibition games against the Indiana Junior All-Stars on June 6 and 8 at sites to be determined.
The first of two contests against the Kentucky Senior All-Stars will be June 10 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The final game against Kentucky is June 11 at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown.
All four events will be doubleheaders with the Indiana Boys All-Stars. The Indiana All-Stars program was founded in 1939 with the girls portion introduced in 1976.
“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play, but God has blessed me with a lot of different things in my life, and I’m just grateful to be able to play,” Wise said. “It really is humbling.”
Wise remains in the running for the 2017 Indiana Miss Basketball award, which will be announced from within the Indiana All-Stars group on April 27 at Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis during the IndyStar’s Indiana Sports Awards Dinner.
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2017 Indiana Girls All-Stars
Name, School;Height;Pos.;PPG;College Choice
Chyna Anthony, New Albany;6-1;F;13.2;Northern Kentucky
Riley Blackwell, Plainfield;6-1;F;15.1;Northern Illinois
Dana Evans, Gary West;5-6;G;35.8;Louisville
Maliah Howard-Bass, Columbus North;5-9;G;16.9;Ball State
Nicole Konieczny, South Bend St. Joseph;5-9;G;14.4;Valparaiso
Karissa McLaughlin, Homestead;5-8;G;25.9;Florida
Rachel McLimore, Zionsville;5-10;G;20.7;DePaul
Madisen Parker, Homestead;5-8;G;16.8;Bowling Green
Destiny Perkins, Lawrence North;5-6;G;16.1;Akron
Zion Sanders, Evansville Central;5-8;G;6.9;undecided
Ajanae’ Thomas, North Central;5-9;F;14.4;Indiana State
Macee Williams, Fountain Central;6-2;F;26.1;IUPUI
Madison Wise, Greenfield-Central;6-1;F;23.5;Iowa State
Head coach: Curt Benge, Plainfield
Assistant coaches: Vince Cerbone, Martinsville; Michelle Harter, Warsaw
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