INDIANAPOLIS — Markus Burton and Flory Bidunga presented different problems for prep teams this season.
Burton, the 6-foot-1 senior from Penn, seemed to be a 3-point threat the moment he crossed midcourt. Bidunga, the 6-10 junior from Kokomo, dominated the post.
But the similarly dominant impact they had on games made them popular picks for The Associated Press Boys All-State Team.
Burton received the most votes, with Bidunga finishing a close second in voting by a panel of sports writers, broadcasters and coaches around the state. Players are selected regardless of their grade level or in which class their school competes.
The all-state first team is rounded out by Ben Davis center Zane Doughty, Cathedral center Xavier Booker and Linton-Stockton guard Joey Hart, all seniors.
Burton led the way after scoring a state-best 30.2 points per game. He also grabbed 5.5 rebounds and had 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals after earning third-team all-state honors in 2021-22.
He is staying close to home next season at Notre Dame, where he's likely to become a cornerstone in new coach Micah Shrewsberry’s rebuilding project. And he is one of six finalists for the coveted IndyStar Mr. Basketball Award after already being named the Gatorade and MaxPreps state athlete of the year and an Indiana All-Star.
“Knowing where I came from and my basketball background, having that No. 1 jersey would mean a lot,” Burton told The South Bend Tribune recently. “I feel like I can do it.”
Bidunga scored 20.2 points and led the state in rebounding (13.8), blocked shots (4.5) and an incredible field-goal percentage of 80.7%.
But last month's head-to-head matchup didn't even give Bidunga the edge. Bidunga had 25 points and 22 rebounds, leading Kokomo past Penn 58-57 in the Class 4A North Semistate. Burton scored 27 points, finishing his career with a county-record 2,273 points and No. 20 in state history.
Bidunga was the only underclassman to make the first team after being a second-team all-state selection last season. He will get another chance to win the Class 4A crown next season after Kokomo lost the state championship game to Doughty's undefeated Giants.
The 6-9 senior led Ben Davis to a 34-0 mark with averages of 13.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, both team highs, and scored 20 points in the title game. Doughty planned to attend Valparaiso next season but decommitted from the Beacons after coach Matt Lottich was fired recently.
Booker is headed to Michigan State after averaging 15.2 points and 8.3 rebounds at Cathedral while Hart scored 23.7 points for Linton-Stockton, the Class 2A state runner-up. Hart is heading to Central Florida next season.
The second team has two 6-7 sophomores, Fishers point guard Jalen Haralson and Heritage Hills swingman Trent Sisley. Haralson averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists and Sisley averaged 26.3 points and 10.2 rebounds.
They're joined on the second team by three Purdue recruits — Heritage Christian senior Myles Colvin (19.3 points) and juniors Jack Benter of Brownstown Central (28.7) and Kanon Catchings of Brownsburg (17.5).
Colvin, a guard-forward, joins a Boilermakers squad that already includes the top two vote-getters in Mr. Basketball voting each of the past two years.
The third team consists of Zionsville senior Logan Imes (16.9), Bloomington North senior JaQualon Roberts (19.6), NorthWood senior Cade Brenner (18.0), Ben Davis senior Sheridan Sharp (9.8) and Anderson guard Ahmere Carson (21.5).
Roberts is heading to Vanderbilt while Sharp has decided to play at Nicholls State in Louisiana. Brenner has decided to stay in the state at Huntington after helping NorthWood win the Class 3A state title. Imes had chosen to play for Shrewsberry at Penn State next season but, like Doughty, reopened his recruitment following a coaching change.