State Finals Preview: Class 4A

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='492317' first='Ke'Adriah' last='Butler'] (2026) of Lawrence North High School.   The 2025 IHSAA State Tournament is now at its end as we have reached the State Finals. 8 out of nearly 400 teams are still playing, and everything has led to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. 4 teams will be crowned "State Champions" this Saturday. Below is a look at the Class 4A matchups, our thoughts and prediction for the Class 4A State Finals, as well as some players to keep an eye on from each team. The game time listed below is in Eastern Time.   .   Class 4A State Finals:   North Rep: Warsaw (26-1) South Rep: Lawrence North (18-8) Game Info: 8:15p, Gainbridge Fieldhouse   Analysis: Warsaw is ranked #5 in the state and Lawrence North shockingly isn't ranked at all, but they are two very skilled, very talented teams who could end up playing one of the more competitive Class 4A games we've seen. Warsaw is coming off of an outstanding regular season where they were 21-1, with their lone blemish being at a very talented Homestead program in late January. They run efficient offense and sets, they play with poise and discipline, and they have a talented cast of shooters that make them incredibly difficult to defend. In fact, they have five players who have made 27 or more 3-pointers on the season, all at or above 30%, and three of those five at or above 43%. 5-9 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='567134' first='Joslyn' last='Bricker'] has been fantastic late in the season. She scored 34 points on 15-19 shooting in the Sectional final, and she scored 35 points on 14-19 shooting in the Semi-State morning game. Her presence handling the ball, taking care of the ball, and getting it where it needs to go has been of equal quality. 5-8 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='403531' first='Brooke' last='Zartman'] has also put together a really nice season. She's had four games of 28 to 31 points and five games with 7 or 8 made 3-pointers. She's also a talented defender, on or off the ball. 6-0 Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='295782' first='Brooke' last='Winchester'] has been a double-double machine for the Lady Tigers, but while she's been willing to do a lot of work inside the arc, she's also a skillful shooter from the perimeter, and a versatile defender with a great motor. 5-7 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='686307' first='Alexis' last='Neely'] and 5-6 Senior wing Braylie Chastain round out the starting lineup, and both of them are big-time energy givers. Neely will handle some in transition, she is offensive-minded and likes to shoot or attack upon receiving the ball, and she will defend. Chastain makes a lot of the "blue-collared" hustle plays, she'll rebound, get after loose balls, and she plays much bigger than her height. 5-7 Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='324082' first='Abbey' last='Peterson'] has given them a boost off the bench this season. She is another one of those terrific perimeter shooting threats, but she can also handle and distribute a little when needed. 5-8 Junior forward Kyra Kiser is also in that primary rotation, and she adds some hustle and physicality, plus she'll rebound and defend inside.   Lawrence North entered the state tournament 13-8, and the last polls were done prior to their postseason play, so let me clarify that I understand why they aren't ranked because of record, but if you do a deep dive, they still could have been. They've played the fifth toughest schedule in the state (out of nearly 400 schools), their losses have come against quality opponents like Lawrence Central (2x), Hamilton Southeastern, and South Bend Washington, among others, and they have a deep, talented team who can match up with just about anyone. Since 1998, the Wildcats have won 14 Sectional titles, 6 Regional titles, 3 Semi-State titles, and they are now looking for their second State Championship, following a runner-up finish in 2019 and a title in 2020. The group starts with the play of 5-7 Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='295799' first='Kya' last='Hurt']. She is a strong guard who has very good ball skill, toughness, and the ability to handle tough situations. Additionally, she has touch outside, she can finish at the rim, and she's a capable defender. 5-9 Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='492317' first='Ke'Adriah' last='Butler'] has really improved over the past 18 months, and she has developed into an outstanding attacker who can slice to the basket, especially right-handed, and finish in and around the paint. Her touch outside has improved, plus she can be a high-level defender. 6-1 Senior post [player_tooltip player_id='295793' first='Jamaya' last='Thomas'] is a handful, and she could cause problems for Warsaw inside, especially if Lawrence North feeds her consistently throughout the game. She is strong/powerful, she loves physicality, and she has soft hands around the basket. 5-11 Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='486537' first='Naja' last='Winston'] adds some versatility to the lineup and could also be a problem for the Lady Tigers to defend. She is long, very athletic, bouncy, and she is constantly moving. She can knock down the occasional 3-pointer, attack the basket, or play inside and rebound/defend. 5-9 Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1038866' first='Kalea' last='Bentley'] has stepped up this year and become an effective 3-point shooter who plays well off of others, 5-7 Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='751044' first='Brooklyn' last='Roberts'] is an athletic combo guard who can get out and go in transition, and 6-1 Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='453218' first='Ashiyah' last='Teague'] is starting to play at 100% after missing games early this season due to an injury. She is long, bouncy, and very active around the paint.   Projected Outcome: Warsaw 61, Lawrence North 54 This game could be a bit of a chess match, because the two teams have a lot of differences, so adjustments are going to need to be made in order for each to match up with the other. Warsaw is a talented perimeter shooting team. They will run good sets to get open, but while Lawrence North will need to run them off of the 3-point line, they will also need to maintain balance, because the Lady Tigers can also attack the basket and finish. At the other end, Warsaw has only seen one team as good at attacking the basket while also having a "big" inside, and that was South Bend Washington two weeks ago. The Lady Tigers won by 10 in that game, but it was hard-fought and fairly low scoring. The Tigers will need to keep the ball out of the paint, whether that means limiting Hurt, Butler, and Winston on the drive, or not allowing Thomas too many post touches. I think early on there will be a lot of tinkering and adjustments. We could very easily see a 6-4 first quarter, or a 26-24 first quarter because they are both trying to figure each other out defensively. In the end, I think Warsaw's shot-making ability is just at a different level right now. They have three players who can consistently shoot it well and score at all three levels. Lawrence North will need to be able to get out in transition and get to the rim, so their best chance is to force Warsaw into tough, contested shots, grab long rebounds, and go.

The featured image is of Ke’Adriah Butler Ke’Adriah Butler 5'9" | SG Lawrence Central | 2026 State IN (2026) of Lawrence North High School.