The IHSAA Executive Committee presents the Arthur L. Trester & Ray Craft Mental Attitude Awards to the outstanding senior participant in each classification of the boys basketball state finals. The recipients of these awards, who were nominated by their principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in basketball. The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, the presenting sponsors of the state tournament, donate a $1,000 scholarship to each school in the name of the recipient.

The 4A, 3A and 2A awards are named in honor of the late Arthur L. Trester who served as first commissioner of the Association from 1929 to 1944. Trester helped Indiana high school sports and the IHSAA emerge from the Great Depression in a position of preeminence unmatched by perhaps any other state in the nation.

Beginning in 2016, the Class A award was re-named in honor of Ray Craft, the long-time associate commissioner who served from 1983 to 2008. Craft was involved at nearly every level of Indiana secondary education and interscholastic athletics during his career including administering the boys basketball state tournament for many years. He was also a starting senior guard on Milan High Schools 1954 state championship basketball team.

From 1917 to 1943 the award was known as The Gimbel Medal for Mental Attitude in honor of Mr. Jake Gimbel of Vincennes, who awarded the medal each of those years until his passing prior to the 1943 tournament. In 1944, the award became known as the IHSAA Medal for Mental Attitude. In 1945, the IHSAA Board officially named the award The Arthur L. Trester Medal for Mental Attitude.

Recipients were given a medal each year from 1945 through 1964, hence The Arthur L. Trester Medal for Mental Attitude. Since 1965, the award has been made in the form of a plaque with a copy of the original medal incorporated on the face of the plaque, hence The Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude.

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IHSAA Basketball Mental Attitude Award