Season Recap

The 2009/10 Tippecanoe Tornados Varsity Boys Team, a freelance homeschool basketball team coached by Ben Gibbs, were 11-9  in regular games, 15-7 in tournaments, and undefeated in the SLCC Conference. They took second in the 14-team Arthur-Okaw Holiday Classic in Arthur, IL, Dec. 28-29. They were SLCC regular season champions (6-0), won the post-season SLCC tournament on Feb. 13, won the ICBA Shootout on January 16, got 4th in the 12-team Lafayette Invitational Tournament on Feb. 27, and reached the Elite 8 in the ICBA State Tournament on Mar. 6. Team box scores and game scores were covered by the Journal and Courier and TV18, which included video highlights of Tornados games during sports news on Jan. 23 and Feb. 26. They played in the first televised (Hometown Sports Indiana) Indiana homeschool basketball game on Dec. 18. The Tornados finished the season with their best ever MaxPreps national and state rankings of 10,854 and 309, respectively, and were seeded No. 7 in the state tournament, their highest since the ICBA went to a 16-team format.

The Tornados are grateful to the Faith Community Center and Faith Christian School for the use of their facilities for games and tournaments, and to the Family Sports Center, their primary practice facility.

Matt Heber, a junior, led the team with 18.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, 70.1% free throw shooting, and 14 double-doubles. He finished with 30.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the last six games.  Heber set new single-game records for rebounds (19), points (44), free throws (17), and 3-pointers (7); season records for total points (768), points per game (18.3), 3-pointers (73), 3-point % (33.3%), field goals (290), free throws (115), 20-pt games (18), and 30-pt games (6).

Senior Andrew Moore averaged 11.8 points/game and led the team in assists (4.5/game) and field goal percentage (50.3%). He joined the 1000-pt club, set a season record of 178 assists, and set new career records for total assists (265) and assists per game (2.45). Senior Nathan Mull joined the 500-pt scoring club, averaged 10.6 points and 3.5 assists per game, and shot 30.6% from 3-pt land. Junior Clay McNeely also joined the 500-pt club and led the team in offensive rebounds (2.6/game), averaged 8.5 pts/game, and shot 47.4% from the field. Matt Banks, a junior, led the team in steals (85), and drawn charges. The leaders were supported by teammates Tim Sebald, Nathan Hurless, Nathan Sipple, Tony Zachman, Eric Cruz, Isaac Sipple and Kyle Harris.

Individual Awards and Recognition:  Isaac Sipple - Tornados Christian Testimony, Kyle Harris - Tornados Most Improved, Matt Banks - Tornados Hustle Award, Nathan Mull - SLCC Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team, Andrew Moore - Tornados Most Valuable Player, SLCC Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team, and ICBA All-Star. Matt Heber - AOC Holiday Classic All-Tournament and Runner-Up MVP, SLCC Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team and MVP, Lafayette Invitational All-Tournament Team and MVP, and ICBA All-Star. Heber was the TV Player of the Game for the Tornados on Dec. 18. The six stat awards went to Matt Heber (Most Rebounds, Most Blocks and Best FT%), Andrew Moore (Best FG% and Most Assists), and Matt Banks (Most Steals).

Game Results