Rosey’s Roundup in Thorntown is an Indiana Basketball Tradition <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are days that are always circled on the calendar and Thursday was one of those days with the Rosey Roundup Basketball Luncheon at Stookey’s Restaurant in Thorntown, Indiana which is located Northwest of a Lebanon not far off interstate 65. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twice a year Administrators, Coaches, Players, Media and Fans from around the State of Indiana gather to share Fellowship, Food and the love of Indiana High School Basketball which is always said in 49 States it’s just Basketball but this is Indiana. The tradition was started by Jim Roesensthil who was the High School Coach of Hall of Fame Basketball player and Purdue great Rick Mount who played for the Lebanon Tigers . Roesensthil and his coaching buddies and players would get together at Stookey’s twice a year once in the fall and once spring to talk about the upcoming season and then recap the season and get ready for the upcoming season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 1998 it has become a tradition that carries on that Coach Roesensthil would be proud of and his daughter has attended in the past and continues honors his memory and legacy. Moderator Jeff “Sweet Lou” Luzzader has been in charge since I have been attending in 2018-19 and always has a great lineup of speakers and I have spoken in the past about covering Indiana University Athletics and the Chipotle Nationals High School Basketball Tournament that has been held at Brownsburg High School in 2024 and Hamilton Southeastern High School the last two years on the same weekend as the final four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2026 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Cliff Hawkins was the main speaker last October and in 2020 was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and continued to Coach despite being on Kidney Dialysis every day. In the of 2025 Hawkins received a Kidney Transplant and his living donor was a was Kira Newkirk played Girls Basketball at DeKalb High School in Auburn, Indiana just North of Fort Wayne and Hawkins was the Boys Basketball Head Coach at the time. Hawkins has known Newkirk since she was 12 years old and she would be at his house with Hawkins Kids as they hungout because as Hawkins put it “Parents always sent their kids to the Coaches House because they thought it was safe place.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hawkins and Newkirk came together to the Roundup on Thursday and Hawkins introduced her to the crowd and both are healthy and doing great and Hawkins is still going strong today because of Newkirk’s selfless and generous act of being a living organ donor and Newkirk joked and told the crowd “She now has Hall of Fame Kidney that she had nothing to do with”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Newkirk talked about when the opportunity came up and saw his name on the list it was an easy decision for her because the impact and the life lessons that she remembers as a 12 year old and playing high school sports and said the first lesson she learned was “Don’t burn your bridges because you never know when will be an opportunity like this to help out someone in need.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Newkirk is nurse and works for the Indiana Doner Network and goes around to promote organ donation because of the impact it has on saving life and because of her kidney donation she saved Coach Hawkins life and he was able to travel to see his kids, attend. Spring training and do many other things. Thier bond will never be broken and will always share a kidney and the impact they have had on each other will always be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main speaker was Brett Yoder who is a graduate of Westview High School in Northeast Indiana who’s team lost to Parke Heritage in the Class 2A State Championship Game in March at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Yoder played for the Warriors in High School and is a teacher in Anderson but goes around and takes pictures of current and former high school gymnasiums around Indiana and does a write up about each one and it’s a project that he has done for the last three years and did an amazing presentation and is far from complete with many more gyms to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other speakers included Matt Martin who is the Director for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle. Trip Lukemeyer who is a Bloomington North Graduate and the head of IHSAA Foundation who talked about the annual impact awards and the amount of scholarships handed out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig who gives an update including a shot clock in Basketball which is up for discussion and the impact that Name, Image and Likeness has since most states have adopted NIL at the High School Level but Indiana is one of a few states that does not have it and does not plan to implement it in the foreseeable future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next Rosey Roundup will be Thursday October 22nd and cost $20 for the meal and trust me i say you will not go home hungry. For any basketball fan in the State of Indiana this is a must attend event. The history and love of Indiana High School Basketball are on display and everyone comes together because in 49 States it’s just Basketball but this Indiana and living in the Hoosier State my entire life there is nothing like Hoosier Hysteria. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rosey’s Roundup in Thorntown is an Indiana Basketball Tradition By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director There are days that are always circled on the calendar and Thursday was one of those days with the Rosey Roundup Basketball Luncheon at Stookey’s Restaurant in Thorntown, Indiana which is located Northwest of a Lebanon …<\/p>\n