Just off of Interstate 65 in Lebanon lies Farmers Bank Fieldhouse, home to the Lebanon Leprechauns.
The Leprechauns? Several local players found their four-leaf clover playing for the fifth-year franchise, which plays in the Midwest Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a professional league made up of teams from across the country.
The league has players with experience playing collegiate basketball, professionally overseas – even former NBA players. Three of the players on this year's team were part of Warren Central's 2017-2018 undefeated team that won a class 4A state championship and finished as one of the top teams in the country.
"My goal outside of basketball is to interact with the community and get more people to come out to the games," said Antwaan Cushingberry, a standout on the Warren Central team of 2018 who went on to play at Saint Francis in college. "I feel like like a lot of people would, they just don't know about it."
They should. The Leprechauns play a fun, fast, entertaining – and winning – brand of basketball. A trip inside Farmers Bank Fieldhouse on Sunday displayed what the franchise is all about.
The Leprechauns attract an impressive crowd and Sunday was no exception. Lebanon squared off in a rivalry game against an in-state foe, the Kokomo Bobkats, for the "Battle of the Belt." The belt serves as a commemorative piece for the rivalry, and ends up in the possession of the winning team.
The first half was a back and forth affair, with the Bobkats up by one and the end of the first quarter, and the Leprechauns taking a two-point lead going into halftime. Both teams played fast, and there were plenty of possessions to go around early.
Lebanon came out in the second half with a point to prove. They started quick, jumping out to an early advantage that got as high as 15 points in the second half. The Bobkats rallied but the Leprechauns won, 127-119, keeping the belt in Lebanon.
For the Leprechauns, Cushingberry scored 24 points, on 6-for-8 shooting from the 3-point line and tallied 10 assists. Meanwhile, former Cincinnati Bearcat Coreontae DeBerry was a force inside, notching 21 points in just 23 minutes. Martavian Payne led the way for Kokomo with 27 points, playing all 48 minutes of regulation.
"It was attacking the basket, I felt like we weren't being the aggressor," Leprechauns' coach Mike Feagans said about Lebanon's second-half success. "Defensively, we wanted to pick it up a little bit and put a little more pressure on them, and our guys did a great job with that. And, getting rebounds; we got some key offensive rebounds in that second half, little putbacks that helped us win the game,"
The Leprechauns created an undeniably unique atmosphere for the avid hoops lover, to anyone looking for local, family-friendly entertainment. Whether it be the red-light green-light competition, mattress race, or a choreographed dance performance by the Emerald Spirits, the organization made sure to incorporate an environment with fun for all ages. Sunday's theme in particular was Omega Harris poster night, which had the Oklahoma City-native signing posters for fans in the lobby postgame.
"We have a great atmosphere." Feagans added on Sunday night's crowd in the fieldhouse. "You know we've got 12 great guys who have a lot of character, and they play great basketball. Our fans helped us get over a couple runs that Kokomo played."
This year’s squad has an impressive influx of local talent, including the three members of the Warren Central state title team. A number of other notable, local high school programs are represented on this year's roster.
Altogether, the Leprechauns have six players with Indiana high school basketball roots.
Leprechaun players Anderson, Hawthorne Jr., Cushingberry, and Rush joined Feagans in early April to talk about the team, the current season, and future goals of the organization.
Similar to the players, Feagans is also from the Hoosier state. His excitement about this year's team and the future of the Leprechauns was abundantly clear.
“We're super excited about this team. Having these guys being local guys in Indy, I feel like we're really tapping into the Indianapolis fanbase and that's been a blessing for us. But, the cool thing is, you look at these guys and our team, you know we've got winners. You got guys who won a state championship, who've won sectionals, regionals, guys who've won TBL championships,” said coach Feagans.
The Leprechauns currently sit at No. 2 in the Midwest Conference with a record of 11-2. Lebanon's roster composition placed a priority on experience, winning, and other intangibles that are pivotal for a successful program. Luckily for the Leprechauns, they were able to find a plethora of local players that fit this criteria.
"To have that piece of the puzzle to be Indiana basketball means so much," Feagans said. "These guys have played against great players, and for them to bring that expertise to our team has just been a great blessing for us."
All of the Leprechaun players have had different career paths. What led them to Lebanon?