Bradly Basila picks up two Division I scholarship offers and the MVP plaque at the Indiana All-Stars Futures Game Monday in New Palestine

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The rapid growth curve Bradly Basila hopped on the day he arrived in Chesterton in the middle of his freshman season hasn’t slowed down any this offseason.
The Class of 2028 basketball prospect played well enough at a Mishawaka exposure tournament in May that he received his first Division I scholarship offer from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. The next offer came from a school closer to home: Ball State. Coaches from Oklahoma State, Bradley, Iona, Bellarmine and Liberty have contacted him but have not yet offered.
His two offers came before the 6-foot-7 forward played Monday night in the North-South Indiana All-Stars Futures Game, which features 24 top freshman and sophomores from the previous season.
Basila led the North to a 120-103 victory, totaled 23 points and 10 rebounds and was named the game’s MVP.
Chesterton coach Marc Urban took Basila to the game at New Palestine High School, a nearly three-hour drive each way.
“I think he was 3 for 5 from the 3-point line, had some good takes, and really didn’t force anything, which was good,” Urban said. “He got open for some 3s, was benefiting from some dump-offs, had a couple of drives, and I think he had three dunks.”
The positive impression Basila made extended beyond factors that can be quantified statistically, according to Urban.
“The one thing I was really proud of watching was he had a really good energy and vibe about him,” Urban said. “He was up on the bench encouraging guys on his team. I got a ton of compliments after the game about that and I think that piece is really important.”
The Futures Game is in its fourth year and is part of the Indiana All-Stars program. Basila became the second native of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo named as MVP of the Futures Game. Flory Bidunga, now at Louisville after two seasons at Kansas, won the award in the inaugural game in 2023.
Both Bidunga and Basila earned the honors by playing their games, not by trying to show off for talent evaluators.
“Sometimes in those all-star games, you have guys who just do their own thing and play outside themselves, and I thought Bradly played really hard and really represented us and himself well,” Urban said.
Basila was back on the court Tuesday night playing two games for Urban on the first night of the Chesterton Summer League, where doing your own thing isn’t an option.
Urban discussed subtle ways that he expects Basila to improve during the eight games of the summer league on four Tuesday nights in June, and in other summer events, such as the prestigious Charlie Hughes Tournament at multiple high schools in the Indianapolis area (June 26-28).
“He has the ability to beat you one on one and if he can continue to learn how to use angles and keep learning how to read in a ball screen, on a catch, driving close-outs, those things are the next layer of growth for him,” Urban said.
Basila’s high school coach gives the junior-to-be high grades for learning.
“He listens really well,” Urban said. “He wants to improve in everything he does and that part’s fun. He continues to try to get better and he’s done a great job with that. He’s just putting his head down and continuing to work.”