Already a power, Fishers basketball adds one of state’s top players, Indiana Junior All-Star

• A core Indiana Junior All-Star, Kai McGrew helped Lawrence North to a semistate final this past season.
• Including his freshman year in Colorado, McGrew is closing in on 1,000 career points (911).
• McGrew has a scholarship offers from Mississippi State, San Francisco, UT-Arlington and Louisiana Tech.

One of the state’s top high school basketball players is on the move.

Kai McGrew, who was named a core Indiana Junior All-Star at Lawrence North this season, will start classes at Fishers High School starting Tuesday, according to his family. The 6-9 McGrew averaged 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a junior to help the Wildcats to a 22-7 season and Class 4A semistate championship game appearance.

“The change was made due to his mother’s recent single parent status and the challenges she has encountered with transportation and support,” said McGrew’s uncle, Brandon Lee. “Kai’s residence is now approximately five minutes away from Fishers, which will alleviate some of her burdens.”

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Assuming McGrew is granted full eligibility, he will join a Fishers team that figures to return two of the top guards in the state next season in juniors-to-be Jason Gardner Jr. and Cooper Zachary, but will lose most of the other main contributors from a team that finished 30-1 and Class 4A state runner-up after winning the 4A state title in 2023-24.

McGrew attended Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colo., as a freshman, before moving to Indiana prior to his sophomore season. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots a sophomore on a team that went 25-4 and won a 4A regional championship.

“When we first moved here two years ago, we were staying with my brother closer to LN,” said Keela McGrew, Kai’s mother. “The last two years, we’ve lived in the Fishers area. This works better for me and my son. I’m able to get him back and forth to school easier and my job is closer. It honestly has nothing to do with basketball.”

McGrew has 911 career points, including his 212 as a freshman in Colorado. He has a scholarship offers from Mississippi State, San Francisco, UT-Arlington and Louisiana Tech.

“Our hope is that he will continue to excel academically, which is his primary objective,” Lee said. “Kai has always prioritized his studies. We shall see where basketball will take him in this new road as well.”

The IHSAA’s first-time transfer rule is expected to be fully implemented after the board of directors meeting next month and go into effect on June 1. That rule change allows for athletes to have full eligibility who transfer before they have completed their junior year.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 270-4904.