Three local high school seniors have been named winners of 2026 scholarships from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA).
Greensburg’s Ethan Smith is one of 12 boys players to be presented a Marion Crawley Scholarship, while Norah Haverkos from Oldenburg Academy is one of 16 girls players to receive the same award.
Smith’s head coach at Greensburg was Collin Rigney; Haverkos’ head coach at OA was David Disbro.
Criteria for the Crawley Scholarship includes achievement in basketball, achievement in academics, participation in extracurricular activities and service to one’s school and community. Crawley was a former four-time boys basketball state championship coach — two with the Washington Hatchets and two with the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos — who amassed 644 career wins. He later became the first executive director of the IBCA, serving in that role from 1970-74. He then served as the IBCA assistant executive director from 1974 until he passed away in 1982.
Lincoln Garrett of Batesville was named the boys recipient of the Steve & Jeane Witty Scholarship, named for the IBCA’s current executive director emeritus and his late wife.
Garrett was coached at BHS by his father Aaron.
Steve Witty posted a 266-68 record and was a two-time boys’ basketball state champion coach at Ben Davis, then served from 2002 to 2022 as IBCA executive director. Jeanie Witty was a registered nurse who upon retirement became Steve’s administrative assistant. She passed away in April 2023 after serving the IBCA for 18 years.
The Witty Scholarship awards go to student-athletes who are the child of a current-year IBCA-member coach who plans to pursue a career in education/coaching or a something in a medical field such as a physician, physician’s assistant, nurse or medical technician. This award was started in 2024, and this is the third year for it.
Through the years, the IBCA has awarded about $840,000 in scholarships to Indiana student-athletes.
“I would like to congratulate you for being selected as a recipient,” Steve Witty wrote in informing winners of the various selections. “Thank you for your contributions to Indiana high school basketball, and best of luck as you move on to the college of your choice.”