The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - For Justin Cage, the announcement that he is The Indianapolis Star's Indiana Mr. Basketball is a perfect ending to his season.

The Pike High School 6-6 senior center-forward helped guide the Red Devils (29-0) to the Class 4A state championship last month.

"My goal was winning the state championship. This is gravy on the side," he said of wearing the No. 1 jersey for the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series in June.

Cage, a four-year starter, also played on a Pike squad that won the state title in 2001 and finished runner-up in 2002.

"My dad was saying I got two state championships, a (state) runner-up and Mr. Basketball. There's nothing else I can really ask for so I'm grateful," said Cage, who last week signed his national letter of intent to play basketball for Xavier University.

Cage, who averaged 13.4 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds, received 58 of the 247 Mr. Basketball ballots in the wide-open voting among state coaches and media members.

Griffith's 6-10, 350-pound center Kenneth Harris was second in the voting with 18 votes. The rest of the Indiana All-Star team will be announced in the Star next Sunday.

The Indiana-Kentucky boys-girls doubleheaders will be held June 14 at Owensboro, Ky., and June 21 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The competition for the boys All-Star team should be tight. Thirty-two players received votes for Mr. Basketball.

"I know there are a lot of good players out there who could have got it," said Cage, who does not turn 18 until June 26.

Pike coach Larry Bullington said he thought Cage had a good chance to receive the award, given the attention the Red Devils have received.

"I thought he had a 50-50 chance, to be quite honest, with the success we had," he said. "His stats might not jump out at you like some other guys in years past. But Justin only played 23 minutes a game because sometimes we had such large leads from the middle of the third quarter on. He very easily could have averaged over 20 points if our team had a little different set-up."

Bullington said Cage's versatility is his strength.

"He can play in the post, where he played a lot for us this year, but he can also play the point," Bullington said. "So he can play any one of the five positions on the court. He's got great size, and he's just so unselfish. That's why he was such a great player."

Perry Meridian coach Mark Barnhizer, who is the boys All-Stars coach, is familiar with Cage's play since Perry and Pike are Conference Indiana rivals.

"Justin is a good, solid player," Barnhizer said. "I think he kind of gets lost in the Pike shuffle a little bit because he's not what you would call a real flashy player."

Barnhizer said Cage's unselfishness will be a great example for the team.

"I hope some of other kids take the same attitude that he has had playing the last three or four years," Barnhizer said.