NEW PALESTINE – There is not a day that goes by that Bradly Basila does not talk to his mother on the phone or Facetime.
On Monday night, considering it was about 2:30 a.m. in the Congo, a text message would have to do. It was good news his mom could wake up to in the morning. Her son, after putting up 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in his North team’s 120-103 win over the South, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Futures Game.
“I just went to the locker room and texted her,” Basila said with a smile.
The 6-8 Basila smiles a lot, which would seem to run counter to the menacing way he can attack the basket. He came to the United States just 16 months ago, enrolling at Chesterton in January of 2025. Basila played in the final nine games of his freshman season.
“It was still new,” Chesterton coach Marc Urban said. “A lot of things were really new.”
In addition to learning a new basketball team, a new school and a new country, there was a language barrier to overcome. More than a year later, Basila is much more at ease – on and off the court.
“When I came here, I just started learning,” Basila said. “I just want to learn and learn and keep working. Right now, my shot is better than it was last year. I’ve been working on my shot, my touch. I’m having fun. Basketball is fun.”
It is fun when you are seeing the work pay off. Basila averaged 13.2 points and 6.0 rebounds as a sophomore for Chesterton, then took that momentum into the spring with his Indiana Elite team. Basila picked his first Division I offers in May from Ball State and Oral Roberts.
On Monday night, Basila showed off his athleticism with a couple of impressive dunks. He also drilled a couple of 3-pointers in the first half, finishing 9-for-15 from the field, including 2-for-4 from the arc and connection on all three of his free throws.
“He’s taking jumps and leaps in his game in his development because he’s working really hard at it,” Urban said. “He’s getting more comfortable and he’s put on a lot of weight. I think he’s about 200 (pounds) now, so that strength is helping him. He’s shooting a lot better and rebounding a lot better. He still has a ways to go and has an opportunity to make another big jump as long as he keeps sticking with it. But you feel good to see it pay off for kids that have put in the work.”
If not for Basila, Blackford sophomore Mari Leggett may have won his second consecutive Futures Game MVP. But just the mention of Basila’s name brought a smile to the 6-5 Leggett’s face. The two play together with Indiana Elite.
“His motor, he just doesn’t stop,” said Leggett, who finished with 13 points. “He’s a machine. He rebounds everything and doesn’t complain. He’s just a great teammate. He’s so easy to play with.”
Basila’s performance on Monday was an eye-opener. If he can stay on his current trajectory, there will be plenty of nights like that coming for Basila – and a lot more to text his mom about.
“I have great teammates who helped me when I came here,” he said. “They helped me with my English. Last year was horrible. Now it’s a lot better. They helped me a lot and I really appreciate that. And I have a great coach who shows me when I don’t know how to do something.”
Other notes from Monday’s Futures Game
>>>Penn sophomore Caleb Coolman only scored five points, but finished with eight rebounds and five assists.
“Games like this I approach it like, ‘Get other people the ball,’” he said. “You don’t really get anything out of scoring 30 points in all-star game. I like getting other people the ball, so it was cool.”
>>>Oak Hill’s Will Tonagel, one of just four freshmen in the game, finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Tonagel was 3-for-6 from the 3-point line. His father, Indiana Wesleyan coach Greg Tonagel, was in attendance.
>>>Merrillville sophomore Charles Hardiman finished with 16 points for the North.
>>>New Albany sophomore Noah Washington was in attendance but unable to play due to a hamstring pull. Washington said he is hoping to be back to the court in June. His teammate, freshman Karson Stoudemire, finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
>>>Lawrence North sophomore Chandon Gilbert had 17 points, a team-high 10 rebounds and five assists for the South.
>>>Princeton guard Quintyn Voltz led the South with 21 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the 3-point line.
>>>Hamilton Southeastern’s Varschon Clark had 15 points and seven rebounds for the South.
>>>Anderson’s Don Bowling III had 14 points and five rebounds for the North, including nine points in the second half.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA basketball: Chesterton’s Bradly Basila shines in Futures Game