The 2009-10 All-Area Boys Basketball Team
First Team
Christopher Bond | Bowman Academy
6-4, Sr., F
18 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 apg
Scouting report: The leading scorer for the state-champion Eagles could do it all, without one offensive play designed for his benefit. His hustle and rebounding ability made it tough for foes to combat. Will likely find a Division I home even though he is a tweener. His 15 points and nine rebounds in the title game almost met his consistent double-double tendencies.
Joe Crisman | Munster
6-4, Jr., G
14.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.7 apg
Scouting report: Coach Mike Hackett has finally found a prolific scorer, and Crisman is his name. The athletic wing player put up big numbers in many of the Mustangs' top-shelf games, and he helped lead Munster to a regional championship game again. Several D-I coaches were asking about him at the Hall of Fame Classic, and that should continue.
Branden Dawson | Lew Wallace
6-6, Jr., G/F
23.1 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 2 apg, 4.8 spg, 3.1 bpg
Scouting report: The lineup of major Division I coaches at the Class 3A state championship game was there for the 2009-10 Times Player of the Year. His 22 points and 11 rebounds against Washington were good, but most people know he could've done even better. Ranked in the top 30 of his class, the big-time recruit has another season to make amends.
Michael Harris | E.C. Central
6-3, Sr., G
17.7 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 spg, 4.5 rpg
Scouting report: The Cardinals' scoring machine helped E.C. beat eventual 4A state champ Indianapolis North Central in December. That's how good this kid can be. Has several D-I offers on the table, including a strong one from Ball State, and likely will make his choice in the coming months. There wasn't one player who could stop Harris without a little help. He got it and he scored.
Jeremiah Jones | Merrillville
6-3, Jr., G
16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 apg
Scouting report: With several D-I coaches in the house, Jones showed his big-play ability by draining a game-winning 3 against Valparaiso in the final seconds to give his Pirates a sectional championship. He's already been offered by Indiana State, and several more are starting to line up to court the athletic, heady shooting guard.
Brad Karp | Valparaiso
6-3, Sr., F
13.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Scouting report: Score, rebound, pass, defend. The fundamentally sound Karp did a little bit of everything for the Vikings, depending on the situation, and did it well. He nearly willed the Vikings to victory over Merrillville with a monster second half in the sectional championship. Chances are he's got some competitive basketball left in him.
Jake Kitchell | South Central
6-8, Sr., C
22.3 ppg, 15.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 5 apg, 2.2 spg
Scouting report: To say Kitchell did it all for the Satellites wouldn't be a stretch. Not only was he a game-changer on the interior, the Indiana State recruit became a legitimate 3-point shooter and was the guy bringing the ball up the court against defensive pressure. He has the knack for finding the open man, a key when you're constantly drawing double and triple teams.
DeJuan Marrero | Bowman Academy
6-5, So., F/C
14.6 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 apg, 3.5 spg
Scouting report: "Rico" had a game-high 17 points and ripped down 11 rebounds in the Eagles' state title game win over Barr-Reeve at Conseco Fieldhouse last Saturday. After all the drama that surrounded the way his freshman season ended, Marrero was steady and under control in leading Bowman to its first state crown.
Austin Richie | Lowell
6-0, Jr., G
27.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.9 spg
Scouting report: Despite an injured hand for part of the season, Richie finished second in the state in scoring, only behind Fort Wayne Luers' Deshaun Thomas. This gym rat received an offer from Valparaiso University already and has several other schools courting his shooting skills. The scary thing is he will continue to work and will be better next season.
Glenn Robinson III | Lake Central
6-5, So., F
16.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.5 spg
Scouting report: The standout son of former NBA All-Star Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson had a breakout season, putting up numbers against double and triple teams. When his full potential is reached, the sky will be the limit for "Trey." His game will surely improve over the summer, and D-I coaches will be spending a lot of time in St. John over the next two seasons.
Andrew Rudakas | Wheeler
6-5, Sr., F
15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg
Scouting report: He didn't have to shoulder as much of the load for the Bearcats in their run to the Class 2A state championship, but Rudakas was the team's leading scorer for the third season in a row as well as their top board man. An improved perimeter game gave Rudakas an added dimension to his offensive arsenal.
LaTroy Taylor | Lew Wallace
6-2, Sr., G
16.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 5.3 spg
Scouting report: Taylor's clutch 3-pointer in the corner at Conseco Fieldhouse forced overtime against Washington, and his 22 points gave the Hornets their only perimeter threat on a night when they needed a little more. He likely will head to a junior college soon, but Michigan State is one of many schools who are interested in Taylor's services.
Second Team
Michael Albrecht, Crown Point, 5-11, Jr., G | 19 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.8 rpg
As tough as he is good, "Spike" got as many bruises as he did points, but he kept bringing the ball up-court for the battling Bulldogs. Who knows what he could've done had he only had a little more offensive help.
Brandon Clark, Merrillville, 5-10, Jr., G | 11.9 ppg, 4.8 apg
If you were facing the Pirates, your only hope was that Clark would not be feeling it that night. The number of times he got hot in the fourth quarter was almost equal to the big wins the sectional champion Pirates got.
Kendall Coleman, Bishop Noll, 6-1, Sr., G | 16.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg
He was the sparkplug that made the Warriors go. His ability to get to the basket and score against one-on-one defense was devastating. Noll wouldn't have been a regular in the Class 2A Top 10 without Coleman's leadership and skill.
Michael Eleftheri, Boone Grove, 5-9, Sr., G | 16.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 86.5 FT pct.
Never let 'em see you sweat. Eleftheri was profoundly cool under pressure for the Wolves, always seeming to hit the big shot when they needed it the most. The savvy four-year mainstay guided Boone to a 2A sectional title and regional final.
Brandon Grubl, Morgan Twp., 6-1, Jr., G | 22.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.9 spg
A lot of defenders didn't know how explosive Grubl was until he blew by them off the dribble on his way to a finish at the rim or elevated over them to nail a jumper from distance. Even bigger things should be in store next season.
Ryan Reynolds, Boone Grove, 6-5, Sr., F | 15.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.0 apg
Reynolds performed almost effortlessly with a smooth inside game to go with a consistent jump shot. He was a double-double machine for the Wolves en route to 20 wins, a 2A sectional title and regional runner-up finish.
Kyle Ritz, Munster, 6-4, Sr., G | 7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.5 spg
The motor in the Mustangs' engine, Ritz did it all with the ball in his hands. And he had a toughness that was as good as his skill. A knee injury slowed him down his junior and senior year but never could stop him. That was impossible.
Tyrae Robinson, Bowman Academy, 6-2, Sr., G | 15 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2 apg, 3 spg
The flashy guard struggled in the latter part of the state tournament with foul trouble, but always came out strong to help his Eagles pull it out in the end. He scored 11 points in 14 minutes of play at Conseco and helped cut down a championship net.
Zach Rush, Hanover Central, 5-10, Jr., G | 17.2 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.5 spg
The Wildcats set a school record for wins, and much of the success came from Rush and back-court mate Nick Bollenbacher. Winning the PCC championship stopped a drought, and the streak of seasons without a sectional crown could end next season.
Petar Todorovic, Wheeler, 6-5, Sr., G | 12.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg
The top perimeter threat for the 2A state champions, Todorovic led the Bearcats in scoring in its win over Park Tudor. Once just a spot-up shooter, he learned to create off the dribble, making him tougher to defend.
Jerrick Suiter, Valparaiso, 6-3, Jr., F | 11.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.3 apg
Suiter's strength, sound moves and strong hands made him one of the best inside finishers around despite giving up inches to most opponents. Defenders also learned they couldn't leave Suiter alone on the arc either, as he developed a reliable 3-point shot.
Jerrick Ware, E.C. Central, 5-10, Jr., G | 15.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4 apg, 3 spg
The quiet point guard got a voice as the season went on and the Cards were at their best when Ware was, too. With as much playing time as he saw this season, Ware should start next season off with a bang and go from there.
Honorable Mention
Duneland Athletic Conference
Chesterton: Mitch McGary, Fred Price. Crown Point: Jared Smoot. Lake Central: Keith Thomas, Loai Issa. Merrillville: Rico Spikes, Edward Seay. Portage: Dominique Walton. Valparaiso: Andy Martin.
Greater South Shore Conference
Bishop Noll: Ronnye Beamon, Kevin Mullaney. Calumet: Leventes Strong. Lake Station: Ian Enriquez, Dean Flores. River Forest: Ricky Garcia, Ryan Smith, Andrew Eskridge. Wheeler: Najee Bailey, Aleksa Kojcinovic, Donnie Ketchum. Whiting: Elliott Bajda.
Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Clark: Devin Ellis. Gavit: Cedric Smith, Aveeno Nasiloski. Hammond: Grant Brooks, Kendall Harwell. Morton: Greg Flores.
Northwestern Conference
Lew Wallace: Brandon Bradford, Terrell Frank, Aaron Abram. Roosevelt: Thomas Pierce IV. West Side: Michael Fabiyi.
Northwest Crossroads Conference
Andrean: Nick Davidson, Pete Nicksic, John Morgan. Griffith: Jacob Evanich, Kyle Terpstra, Brian Brilmyer, Peter Sepulveda. Highland: Keith Mahler. Kankakee Valley: Evan DeKock. Lowell: Joe Bell. Munster: Brian Stolarz, Ricky Carbajal.
Porter County Conference
Boone Grove: Wayland Roach. Hebron: David Ortiz. Hanover Central: Nick Bollenbacher, Derek De St. Jean. Kouts: Andy Lovall. LaCrosse: Seth Culver. Morgan Twp.: Joel Reinhertz, Jaron Coleman. South Central: Eric Baum. Washington Twp.: Ben Dunn.
Others
Bowman Academy: Nick Moore, Cylk Joseph, KeVan Ford. E.C. Central: Henry Davis, Anthony Williams. Rensselaer: Jacob Goodman, Ben Davisson. Westville: Jesse Mills.
-- COMPILED BY TIMES SPORTSWRITERS STEVE HANLON AND JIM PETERS
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