Dandy Dozen: 12 Central Indiana basketball players enjoying breakout senior seasons

We are heading down the homestretch of the high school basketball season. The sectional draw is Sunday, so it will not be long before it gets real. Before we start eliminating teams, let’s take a look at 12 seniors who have made a significant jump from last season:

Jaskirat Banwait, Whiteland

The 6-1 guard was a key player for the Warriors as a junior as he averaged 8.5 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds. Banwait has stepped up his production considerably as a senior for the 12-9 Warriors, averaging 14.6 points, 2.7 assists (1.84 assist-to-turnover ratio) and 2.0 rebounds per game. He is shooting 38.6% from the 3-point line and has 11 games with at least three 3-pointers. Banwait has five games with at least 20 points. He is shooting 85.9% from the free-throw line.

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Javawn Brooks, Brebeuf Jesuit

The 6-foot Brooks, a Dayton football recruit, averaged 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a junior. His numbers have taken a significant jump as a senior. Brooks is averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 61% from the field for the Class 3A second-ranked Braves (13-4). Brooks has scored in double digits in all but two games.

Antwan Dorsett, Purdue Poly

The 6-1 guard averaged 6.2 points as a junior on a 17-win team but with much of that squad gone to graduation, Dorsett has jumped to 12.3 points per game for a team that is 13-4 and has a realistic chance to win Class 3A Sectional 28 at Beech Grove. Dorsett is the leading scorer for a Purdue Poly team that has four players averaging at least 8.5 points per game.

Charles Farrell, Westfield

The 6-2 Farrell was a role player last year for the Shamrocks, averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds, and was on his way to a much bigger season before an injury forced him to miss five games in January. Farrell returned and played the past three games. He is averaging 7.5 points, 1.7 steals and 1.6 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field and 39% from the 3-point line (9-for-23). Farrell has an offer from Trine.

Keenan Garner, Fishers

We expected the 6-6 Garner to have a good season after he averaged 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior at Fishers, his first year playing in Indiana after moving from Germany. Garner has exceeded expectations, averaging 17.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 61% from the field for a team with a 19-1 record and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A. That is a significant jump and a needed one after Jalen Haralson transferred to La Lumiere.

Sheldon Gatlin, Cathedral

The 6-7 Gatlin, who transferred from Carmel before his junior year, played on the junior varsity team last year. He had a breakout with 15 points in the Sneakers for Santa game against Evansville Bosse in early December. Gatlin has nine double-digit scoring games this season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for the 14-4 and Class 4A seventh-ranked Irish. Gatlin is shooting 37.7% (26-for-69) from the 3-point line. He has offers from DePauw, Franklin and Hanover.

Xavier Highbaugh, Cardinal Ritter

The 5-10 Highbaugh was one of Ritter’s top players as a junior, averaging 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He has made a bump across the board this season, averaging 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals. Highbaugh is coming off a 22-point performance in a 60-48 win over Triton Central as he shot 4-for-6 from the 3-point line.

Greg Martin, Lawrence Central

The 6-1 Martin was a junior varsity player last season but has made the most of his jump to the starting lineup as a senior. Martin is coming off an 18-point game against Washington that saw him shoot 6-for-8 from the 3-point line. He is averaging 9.4 points per game for the Bears, who are 10-8 and riding a five-game winning streak.

Dylan Meador, Center Grove

The 5-11 Meador played a significant amount last season for the 22-3 Trojans, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds. His has contributed at a much higher level as a senior, averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds for a 14-4 team. Meador is about as efficient as it gets on the offensive end, shooting 55.4% (31-for-56) from the 3-point line.

Tucker Rahn, Monrovia

The 6-foot guard was one of Monrovia’s top players as a sophomore and junior but has stepped it up another couple notches as a senior. Rahn is averaging 16.5 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for a team that has improved from six wins each of the past two seasons to 10-10 and wins in seven of its past eight games. Rahn is shooting 45.6% (62-for-136) from the 3-point line, a dramatic improvement from his junior year.

Karson Rogers, Kokomo

This list would not be complete without the 6-6 Rogers, who was a role player last year for the Class 4A state runner-up as he averaged 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds and shot 56% from the field. Rogers’ production is through the roof this season as he is leading Kokomo in scoring at 18.2 points per game (a shade ahead of Flory Bidunga at 18.0 points). Rogers is second on the team in rebounding (8.7) and third in assists (3.1). He is shooting 67% from the field for a team that is 19-3 and ranked No. 6 in Class 4A.

Tim Williams, North Central

The 6-1 guard averaged 5.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game as a junior for North Central. Williams has picked up his production as a senior for 13-7 North Central, averaging 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is shooting 50% from the field. Williams had a five-game stretch in January when he averaged 15.6 points and shot 59% from the field.

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

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA boys basketball: Dozen players enjoying breakout senior seasons