Peckinpaugh, Hoffman, Thompson named coaches for 2024 IndyStar boys' Indiana All-Stars
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665
March 20, 2024 IBCA Director of Special Projects
John Peckinpaugh of Kokomo has been named head coach for the 2024 IndyStar boys' Indiana All-Stars, games director Mike Broughton announced Wednesday (March 20).
Peckinpaugh will be assisted by Brandon Hoffman of Silver Creek and Josh Thompson of Barr-Reeve. Hoffman was a Junior All-Star assistant in 2015, and Thompson was a Junior All-Star assistant in 2021.
Players chosen to the 2024 boys' All-Stars will play three games in June -- one exhibition game against the Indiana Junior All-Stars as well as home-and-home contests against the Kentucky All-Stars.
Peckinpaugh directed Kokomo to a 25-4 record in 2023-24, including championships of the North Central Conference, the Kokomo/Phil Cox Memorial Invitational and the Lafayette Jefferson Sectional. In three seasons with the Wildkats, his teams are 68-17, including a Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2023. In five seasons as a high school varsity coach, he is 90-41.
A 2008 graduate of Muncie Central, Peckinpaugh played on Class 4A state runner-up teams for the Bearcats in 2005 and 2006. He went on to Purdue-Fort Wayne, where he played four seasons for the Mastodons and earned a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership and supervision in 2012.
Peckinpaugh began his coaching career as an assistant at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne in 2012-13. He was a graduate assistant at Purdue-Fort Wayne in 2013-14 before compiling a 54-40 record as head coach at Indiana Tech over three seasons from 2014-17. He assisted again at Purdue-Fort Wayne in 2017-18, then was head coach at Wheeling Jesuit University in 2018-19, finishing 9-21 at the West Virginia school. He was head coach at Noblesville High School for two seasons, going 22-24 with the Millers, before accepting the assignment at Kokomo.
Hoffman is 239-108 in 14 seasons as coach at Silver Creek, his alma mater, including a 14-10 mark this past season. His tenure includes seven sectional titles plus regional, semi-state and Class 3A state championships in 2019 and 2021. It may have been three titles in a row if not for the 2020 season being truncated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 1998 graduate of Silver Creek, Hoffman was a three-year varsity player for the Dragons. He attended Hanover College, was a four-year letterman for coach Mike Beitzel and received a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2002. After graduation, Hoffman returned to Silver Creek as JV coach for seven seasons. He then became the Dragons' varsity coach in the fall of 2010.
Thompson has compiled a 134-29 record in six seasons at Barr-Reeve, including a 25-3 ledger this past season. His Vikings have won four sectionals, three regionals, two semi-states and the 2021 Class A state title. In 17 seasons as a head coach, Thompson has a 244-185 overall record with six sectional crowns. He previously went 30-80 in five seasons at Springs Valley, 53-51 in four seasons at Wood Memorial and 27-24 in two seasons at Vincennes Lincoln.
A 1999 graduate of Bloomfield High School, where he played on a Class A state runner-up team in 1998, Thompson played one season at Hanover College and completed his bachelor's degree in education at Indiana University in 2003. He earned a master's degree from Olivet Nazarene University in 2005 and an administrator's license from Oakland City University in 2006. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Bloomfield, then assisted at Loogootee for four seasons before becoming a head coach in the fall of 2007 at Springs Valley.
The Junior-Senior exhibition game is set for June 5 at Kokomo. The first game against Kentucky will be June 7 at a site to be announced later. The final game against Kentucky will be June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All three dates will be doubleheaders with the IndyStar girls' Indiana All-Stars.
The Indiana Junior All-Stars will play two girl-boy doubleheaders this year -- June 2 against the Kentucky Junior All-Stars in Scottsburg and June 5 against the Indiana Seniors at Kokomo. The second IndyStar Indiana All-Star Futures Games doubleheader, featuring top freshmen and sophomores in an Indiana North-South format, will be played June 3 at Hamilton Southeastern.
Rosters for the 2024 Indiana girls' All-Stars and the 2024 girls' Junior All-Stars previously were announced. Rosters for the 2024 boys' All-Stars, the 2024 boys' Junior All-Stars, the 2024 girls' Futures Game and the 2024 boys' Futures Game will be announced later.
The Indiana All-Stars program was founded in 1939 when the Indiana boys' All-Stars played the state champion Frankfort Hot Dogs. The series with Kentucky began in 1940, and the girls' portion of the All-Stars was added in 1976. The Junior All-Stars, boys and girls, were added in 1996. The All-Star senior girls have played Kentucky every year since 1976, except 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The All-Star senior boys have played Kentucky in all but three years since 1940 -- 1943 (World War II), 1944 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic).
The Indiana Senior boys lead 104-45 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior boys lead 41-11 in games against the Indiana Junior boys. The Indiana Junior boys lead 7-5 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 53-41 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 41-11 in games against the Indiana Junior girls. The Indiana Junior girls lead 11-1 in their series with Kentucky. In the inaugural Futures Games, the North girls prevailed 73-63 and the South boys won 100-96.
The Indiana portion of the All-Star Games is organized and produced by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The Indianapolis Star, with its IndyStar brand, is the title sponsor. Hoosier Shooting Academy is a presenting partner of All-Star Week, and Energy Systems Group is a presented partner of the June 8 All-Star doubleheader at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
2024 IndyStar Indiana All-Star key dates
Sunday, June 2 — Indiana Juniors vs. Kentucky Juniors at site TBA — girls, 2:00 p.m.; boys, to follow; admission, $10 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Monday, June 3 – Indiana All-Stars “Futures Games” doubleheader at Hamilton Southeastern (13910 E. 126th St., Fishers, IN 46037) – girls, 6:00 p.m., boys, to follow; admission, $10 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Wednesday, June 5 — Junior-Senior All-Star game at Kokomo (200 S. Apperson Way, Kokomo, IN 46901) — girls, 6:00 p.m.; boys, to follow; admission, $10 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).
Friday, June 7 — Indiana at Kentucky at TBA — girls, time, TBA; boys, to follow, time TBA. Ticket information, TBA.
Saturday, June 8 — Indiana vs. Kentucky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204) — Senior girls, 5:00 p.m.; Senior boys, to follow (about 7:30 p.m.). Ticket information, TBA.
