Washington 7-foot forward Tyler Zeller has been named the Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball for 2008. The brother of 2005 Mr. Basketball Luke Zeller, Tyler capped a fantastic high school career last month by scoring a state championship game-record 43 points and adding 16 rebounds in leading the Hatchets to an 84-60 Class 3A title game win over Harding.

Zeller, who led the state in scoring at 33.1 points a game, got 257 of 345 ballots from coaches and media from around the state. Randy Davis of Plymouth finished second with 22 votes, with no other player receiving double figures in votes.

Tyler and Luke Zeller comprise the third set of brothers to capture the Mr. Basketball award, which debuted back in 1939. The others are twins Tom and Dick VanArsdale of Indianapolis Manual (co-winners in 1961) and Carmel’s Billy and David Shepherd, who won in 1968 and ’70, respectively.

He’s also the third Mr. Basketball from the Daviess County town, joining his older brother and the 1979 winner, Steve Bouchie.

“When you perform like he did in the regular season and in the postseason, there’s not much doubt,” Luke Zeller, currently a junior at Notre Dame, told the Star. “It’s kind of an amazing thing. Both of us see ourselves as little kids dreaming big dreams, and to see those dreams come to life is pretty awesome.”

Added Tyler: “It was a great year because we won the state championship. Scoring 33 points a game was my role, but everyone knew their role on this team, and we played well in our roles. Anytime I’m around my teammates, we had a great time. We didn’t have anybody who didn’t fit.”

Zeller shot 68.6 percent from the floor for Washington (23-2), which won its fifth state title and second in four years. The North Carolina-bound big man set the school’s season scoring record and also broke the field goal percentage mark. The 1,624 points scored over his career are second only to Luke's 1,727.

“I think you probably have to go back to Glenn Robinson (the 1991 Mr. Basketball who led Gary Roosevelt to the state championship) to find someone who could do all the things he could – shoot from the perimeter, drive the ball to the basket, post up, and score,” Washington coach Gene Miiller told the Star. “It still boggles my mind that a guy averaging 33 points can shoot almost 69 percent from the floor.”

Winners of the Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball title:

1939: George Crowe, Franklin
1940: Ed Schienbein, Southport
1941: John Bass, Greenwood
1942: Bud Brown, Muncie Burris
1943: No award (World War II)
1944: No award (World War II)
1945: Tom Schwartz, Kokomo
1946: Johnny Wilson, Anderson
1947: Bill Garrett, Shelbyville
1948: Bob Masters, Lafayette Jefferson
1949: Dee Monroe, Madison
1950: Pat Klein, Marion
1951: Tom Harrold, Muncie Central
1952: Joe Sexson, Indianapolis Tech
1953: Hallie Bryant, Indianapolis Attucks
1954: Bobby Plump, Milan
1955: Wilson Eison, Gary Roosevelt
1956: Oscar Robertson, Indianapolis Attucks
1957: John Coalmon, South Bend Central
1958: Mike McCoy, Fort Wayne South
1959: Jimmy Rayl, Kokomo
1960: Ron Bonham, Muncie Central
1961: Dick and Tom VanArsdale, Indianapolis Manual
1962: Larry Humes, Madison
1963: Rick Jones, Muncie Central
1964: Dennis Brady, Lafayette Jefferson
1965: Billy Keller, Indianapolis Washington
1966: Rick Mount, Lebanon
1967: Willie Long, Fort Wayne South
1968: Billy Shepherd, Carmel
1969: George McGinnis, Indianapolis Washington
1970: Dave Shepherd, Carmel
1971: Mike Flynn, Jeffersonville
1972: Phil Cox, Connersville
1973: Kent Benson, New Castle
1974: Steve Collier, Southwestern (Hanover), and Roy Taylor, Anderson
1975: Kyle Macy, Peru
1976: Dave Colescott, Marion
1977: Ray Tolbert, Anderson Madison Heights
1978: David Magley, South Bend LaSalle
1979: Steve Bouchie, Washington
1980: Jim Master, Harding
1981: Dan Palombizio, Michigan City Rogers
1982: Roger Harden, Valparaiso
1983: Steve Alford, New Castle
1984: Delray Brooks, Michigan City Rogers, and Troy Lewis, Anderson
1985: Jeff Grose, Warsaw
1986: Mark Jewell, Lafayette Jefferson
1987: Jay Edwards and Lyndon Jones, Marion
1988: Woody Austin, Richmond
1989: Pat Graham, Floyd Central
1990: Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence
1991: Glenn Robinson, Gary Roosevelt
1992: Charles Macon, Michigan City Elston
1993: Maurice “Kojak” Fuller, Anderson
1994: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso
1995: Damon Frierson, Ben Davis
1996: Kevin Ault, Warsaw
1997: Luke Recker, DeKalb
1998: Tom Coverdale, Noblesville
1999: Jason Gardner, North Central (Indianapolis)
2000: Jared Jeffries, Bloomington North
2001: Chris Thomas, Pike
2002: Sean May, Bloomington North
2003: Justin Cage, Pike
2004: A.J. Ratliff, North Central (Indianapolis)
2005: Luke Zeller, Washington
2006: Greg Oden, Lawrence North
2007: Eric Gordon, North Central (Indianapolis)
2008: Tyler Zeller, Washington

Hit the high-tech hardwood by sharing your thoughts on our Boys Basketball message board.