J&C Small School All-Area boys basketball team

Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·4 min read

Clark Barrett

Senior, forward

Central Catholic

The numbers: 14.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 42 percent FG, 29 percent 3s, 57 percent FT

The season: Barrett joined his father and brother on Central Catholic's list of 1,000-point scorers, finishing with 1,127. He led the Knights to the Class A state championship game, where he finished with one of his 11 double-doubles this season. Barrett totaled 22 points and 23 rebounds in a win over Covington and his 30 points were pivotal in a 62-61 victory over McCutcheon. Barrett was named Senior Small School All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Carroll's Owen Duff.
Carroll's Owen Duff.

Owen Duff

Junior, guard/forward

Carroll

The numbers: 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.5 steals, 47 percent FG, 36 percent 3s, 81 percent FT

The season: Duff nearly collected a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to defeat Rensselaer in the regional semifinal, then posted 12 points and nine rebounds against Monroe Central to lead the Cougars to their first regional title. He's scored 1,072 points in his first three seasons and helped Carroll amass a 24-2 record as a junior while compiling three double-doubles and scoring 20 or more points six times. Duff was named Underclass Small School All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

North White's Hunter Pogue.
North White's Hunter Pogue.

Hunter Pogue

Senior, guard

North White

The numbers: 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.9 steals, 45 percent FG, 47 percent 3s, 79 percent FT

The season: Pogue helped lead the Vikings to a sectional championship and a 21-4 record as the team's leading scorer and finished his career with 1,381 points. His buzzer beater against Carroll handed the Cougars their only regular season loss. He scored more than 30 points on two occasions and had 11 games with at least seven assists. Pogue received honorable mention Senior All-State from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Southmont's Avery Saunders.
Southmont's Avery Saunders.

Avery Saunders

Senior, forward

Southmont

The numbers: 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 54 percent FG, 77 percent FT

The season: The Mounties had lost eight straight sectional games until Saunders helped lead the program to just its second title and first since 1994. Southmont finished 19-7 and Saunders ended his career with 995 career points after scoring nearly 500 his senior season. Saunders had at least 20 points on 15 occasions, including 30 against Owen Valley on 12 of 15 shooting, which also was one of his seven double-doubles. Saunders was honorable mention Senior All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Carroll's Jake Skinner.
Carroll's Jake Skinner.

Jake Skinner

Junior, guard/forward

Carroll

The numbers: 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 49 percent FG, 30 percent 3s, 67 percent FT

The season: Skinner collected six double-doubles, including 31 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Frankfort and a 19-point, 11-rebound effort in a regional semifinal win over Rensselaer. Skinner's 17 points were a game high against Monroe Central, leading the Cougars to the program's first regional championship. Skinner received honorable mention from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association for its Underclass All-State team after helping Carroll go 24-2.

Covington's Savion Waddell.
Covington's Savion Waddell.

Savion Waddell

Junior, forward

Covington

The numbers: 13.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.0 blocks, 44 percent FG, 63 percent FT

The season: Waddell led a 16-7 Trojan team in scoring, rebounds and blocks. He had five double-doubles and six games with at least four blocks. Waddell corralled a season-high 11 rebounds on five different occasions and had five games with at least three steals.

Second team

Bentley Buschman, senior, guard, North White

16.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals, 50 percent FG, 67 percent FT

Tate Drone, senior, forward, Rensselaer

11.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 48 percent FG, 34 percent 3s, 67 percent FT

Trevor Funk, senior, forward, Clinton Prairie

11.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 59 percent FG, 63 percent FT

Dayton Hoover, junior, forward, Frontier

16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 37 percent FG, 31 percent 3s, 76 percent FT

Garrett McGraw, senior, guard, Clinton Prairie

16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 38 percent FG, 84 percent FT

Clark Obermiller, senior, forward, Central Catholic

12.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 53 percent FG, 65 percent FT

Honorable mention

Chase Almager, Delphi; Nate Corbin, Tri-County; Evan Gagnon, North Newton; Will Harmon and Mason Larkin, Fountain Central; Blayden Huber, West Central; Chris Huerta, Carroll; Alan Karrfalt, Covington; Luke Meek, Rossville; Nate Miller, North White; Logan Oppy, Southmont; Kyle Pickard, Clinton Central; Jadon Riley, Faith Christian; Cy Sammons, South Newton; Owen Snedeker, Seeger; Tristan Wuethrich, Rensselaer

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: J&C Small School All-Area boys basketball team