These 34 IHSAA boys basketball players left an impression over holiday tournament season

Here are 34 players who left a positive impression on me in games I covered in person during the high school boys basketball holiday tournaments:

Brandon Addison, Brownsburg

The sophomore guard provided a spark for Brownsburg at the Hall of Fame Classic, going for 12 points, four steals, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench in a 56-48 loss to Brownstown Central.

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Payton Baird, South Bend Riley

The 6-5 senior and Bethel recruit hit a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to beat Jeffersonville 60-58 in the first round of the Fishers tournament, where he led his team to a third-place finish. I also had a chance to see him at the Kokomo tournament, where he scored 24 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line in a 49-48 win over Mt. Vernon and had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 62-49 win over Mishawaka.

Harper Baker-Lands, Plainfield

There can’t be many freshmen as ready as the 6-3 Baker-Lands, who handles the ball a lot for the Quakers. I watched him in a 68-62 overtime loss to Mt. Vernon at the Kokomo tournament, where he scored 13 points on 3-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line with five assists and five rebounds. Bright future.

Jaxson Bell, North Central

The 6-3 senior guard does a little bit of everything for the Panthers, including score 18 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of a 52-50 win over Louisville Trinity. Bell is a big reason why the Panthers are off to a 6-2 start heading into Friday’s game at Ben Davis.

KC Berry, Decatur Central

The 5-11 senior guard is coming off a football season that lasted until late November as the Hawks reached the Class 5A state finals but he is starting to get it going with a 20-point game in a 64-60 win over New Castle, which followed 22 points in a 57-45 win over Norwell. Berry was 9-for-16 from the 3-point line in those games combined at the New Castle holiday tournament.

Flory Bidunga, Kokomo

Forget the stats for a minute. The 6-9 Bidunga is a target for every opponent. He gets beat on, fouled hard, knocked around. Yet you never see him lash out or disrespect an opponent. Bidunga just does his job and plays hard. He had 23 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots in an 87-58 win over Brownsburg in the third-place game of the Hall of Fame Classic, which followed 16 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in a 69-59 loss to Crispus Attucks.

Dezmon Briscoe, Crispus Attucks

The 6-8 Briscoe rose to the occasion in a matchup with Bidunga in the Hall of Fame Classic opener, going for 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in a 69-59 victory. He had a quieter championship with four points, seven rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot in a 76-51 win over Brownstown Central for the championship.

Grady Carpenter, Tipton

The 6-5 junior had 16 points, eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots in Tipton’s 67-39 win over Lewis Cass. Carpenter is an outstanding passer. He was also 7-for-11 from the field in the win.

Garrett Clark, Portage

I like how this 6-3 junior plays. Clark had 11 points as Portage gave Fishers all it could handle for three quarters in an eventual 62-45 loss to the Tigers. Clark gets after it on both ends of the court and plays a big role for a 6-3 team.

Chace Coomer, Brownstown Central

The 6-5 Coomer hit several big shots in Brownstown Central’s 56-48 win over Brownsburg in the first game of the Hall of Fame Classic, going for 15 points on 3-for-7 shooting from the 3-point line. He also had 14 points (3-for-3 from 3) in the Braves’ 76-51 loss to Crispus Attucks in the championship.

Melakih Cunningham, Decatur Central

The 6-5 junior seems to just be scratching the surface of his potential. Cunningham had 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in a 57-45 win over Norwell and had nine points, three rebounds and three assists in a 64-60 win over New Castle.

P.J. Douglas, Jeffersonville

The 6-4 junior finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, in a 58-52 win over Mt. Vernon in the first round of the Kokomo tournament. The Red Devils, who went 3-3 combined in the Kokomo and Fishers tournaments, will be tough in the south part of the Class 4A bracket. Douglas is a big reason.

Keenan Garner, Fishers

The 6-6 Garner played well in the semifinals and finals of the Fishers tournament with 18 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots in a 62-45 win over Portage and 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 74-42 win over Chesterton. He was named co-MVP of the tourney.

Zachary Greene, Lake Central

This 6-2 junior is probably a little off the radar, but the lefty guard is an athletic defender and can score, going for 11 points in Lake Central’s 61-45 win over Pike.

Colby Hall, Brownstown Central

The 6-6 junior went for 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in Brownstown Central’s 56-48 win over Brownsburg in the Hall of Fame Classic and led the Braves with 22 points (10-for-17 shooting) with six rebounds and two assists in a 76-51 loss to Crispus Attucks in the championship.

Parker Hehman, Brownstown Central

The senior point guard was a big reason for the Braves’ 56-48 win over Brownsburg at the Hall of Fame Classic, committing just one turnover while scoring 11 points with three assists and three rebounds (3-for-8 shooting from 3). Hehman had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in the loss to Attucks in the championship.

Hudson Horvath, Park Tudor

The junior guard had nine points and four steals in Park Tudor’s 68-46 win over Evansville Reitz and went for 16 points the following day at North Central in a 64-57 loss to Lake Central. Horvath is averaging 18.0 points and 4.3 rebounds and shooting 37.8% from the 3-point line on the season.

Chris Hurt, Crispus Attucks

The junior guard probably gets a bit overlooked on a talented Attucks team but is a major part of the puzzle. Hurt had 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting with four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 76-51 win over Brownstown Central in the championship of the Hall of Fame Classic. He also had 16 points, five assists and five steals in the Tigers’ 69-59 win over Kokomo.

Nijah Jewell, North Central

The junior guard brings athleticism and energy to the Panthers’ lineup and he can score, too. Jewell played well in North Central’s 52-50 win over Louisville Trinity, finishing with 12 points.

KJ Mark, Park Tudor

The junior guard had a big game with 14 points in a 68-46 win over Evansville Reitz at North Central. Mark is a high-energy guard who is averaging 9.9 points and shooting 44.4% from the 3-point line.

Malachi McNair, Evansville Harrison

The 6-6 senior should get some Indiana All-Star attention. McNair had 18 points and five rebounds in a 60-46 loss to Carmel and came back with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 72-63 win over Pike. McNair was 19-for-26 from the field in the two games at North Central.

Taden Metzger, Fishers

The senior guard went off for 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line in the Tigers’ 74-42 win over Chesterton in the championship of the Fishers tournament. Metzger was 12-for-21 from the 3-point line in the three games to win the title.

Tyler Parrish, Chesterton

The senior guard has a lot on his plate as a scoring and distributor for Chesterton. Parrish, a Junior All-Star last season, had 24 points in a 66-57 win over South Bend Riley in the semifinals of the Fishers tournament. His range is out to 25 feet.

Grant Porath, Brownsburg

The 6-1 senior kept Brownsburg afloat in the first game of the Hall of Fame Classic, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and two steals in a 56-48 loss to the Braves.

Papi Rivera, North Central

The junior guard is the Panthers’ leading scorer and had a good showing at the Paul Loggan Memorial invite, including the pass that led the game-winning shot by Jaxson Bell in the Panthers’ 52-50 win over Louisville Trinity. Rivera averaged 20.0 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and shot 7-for-14 from the 3-point line in wins over Trinity and Evansville Reitz.

Karson Rogers, Kokomo

The 6-6 senior had 10 points and eight rebounds in a 69-59 loss to Crispus Attucks in the first round of the Hall of Fame Classic and went for 22 points on 11-for-12 shooting with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in an 87-58 win over Brownsburg.

Ron Rutland III, Crispus Attucks

Smooth scorer. The senior guard and UIndy recruit went for 16 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in Attucks’ 69-59 win over Kokomo in the first round of the Hall of Fame Classic. Rutland then had 15 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals in the Tigers’ 76-51 win over Brownstown Central for the championship.

Collin Schmidt, Plainfield

The 6-7 senior had 17 points and eight rebounds in a 68-62 loss to Mt. Vernon in the Kokomo tournament. Schmidt is an efficient shooter who plays a key role in a lot of areas for the Quakers.

Justin Sims, Chesterton

The 6-6 senior had 14 points in Chesterton’s 66-57 win over South Bend Riley in the semifinals of the Fishers tournament and had 14 in Chesterton’s 74-42 loss to Fishers in the championship. Sims battled foul trouble but is a major factor when he’s on the court.

Tre Singleton, Jeffersonville

The 6-8 junior had 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting with three rebounds and two assists in the game I covered at Kokomo, a 64-59 win over Warren Central. Singleton averages 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Jake Smith, Lake Central

The 6-6 Smith had 14 points in a 61-45 win over Pike in Lake Central’s first game at the Paul Loggan Memorial invite at North Central and then had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in Lake Central’s 64-57 win over Park Tudor. Smith is a big season why the Indians are undefeated.

Julien Smith, Mt. Vernon

The sophomore guard was outstanding in a 68-62 overtime win over Plainfield in the Kokomo tournament, scoring 25 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line. Mt. Vernon lost close games to Jeffersonville and South Bend Riley in the final two games at Kokomo, but Smith averaged 19.5 points in those two games.

Noah Smith, Plainfield

The 6-8 sophomore is a big-time talent. Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Warren Central at the Kokomo tournament. He was in and out of the lineup in a loss to Mt. Vernon in the first round. Big things ahead for Smith.

Robert Walker, Warren Central

The 6-2 senior was on fire at the Kokomo tournament, setting a tournament record with seven 3-pointers (13 attempts) in a 64-59 loss to Jeffersonville. Walker finished with 28 points in that game, then had 18 points and nine rebounds in a 74-67 win over Plainfield, going 4-for-8 from the 3-point line.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school boys basketball top players in holiday tournaments