Poll results: Here’s the BND’s high school Boys Player of the Year for southwestern IL​

In the latest Belleville News-Democrat sports poll, we asked readers to cast their vote for the Boys Basketball Player of the Year for 2022-23.

And, when the final tally was counted, the winner emerged as ... Nashville High School’s Bennett Briles.

A senior forward, Briles averaged 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2 blocks per game for the Hornets, who went 20-11, reached the IHSA Class 2A regional semifinals and beat 4 state-ranked teams this season. Briles, who secured 80% of the votes, also shot 73% from the free throw line and 37% from 3-point range, making 56 treys.

Congrats to Briles and our other candidates, along with so many other metro-east players on a tremendous season.

Here were the other Boys Player of the Year candidates for 2022-23:

• Malik Allen, Edwardsville High School, Junior, G. Allen averaged 13.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who finished 20-11 and reached the IHSA Class 4A regional semifinals.

• Kaden Augustine, Gibault Catholic High School, senior, G. Augustine averaged 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.42 assists and 1.13 steals per game in helping the Hawks finish 31-7 and capture the IHSA Class 1A state championship.

• Cody Dickshot, Breese Central High School, senior, G. Dickshot average 11 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Cougars, who went 29-5 while winning the Cahokia Conference (Mississippi Division) with a 10-0 mark and reaching the IHSA Class 2A sectional championship game. According to Cougars coach Jeremy Shubert, Dickshot also had 50 steals, 55 deflections and 100 assists while shooting 52% from the field, 41% from 3-point range and 76% from the foul line. He also earned the following recognition: AP All State Honorable Mention; All Conference - Cahokia Mississippi Division; All Tournament at Effingham St Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament; and All Tournament at the Nashville Invitational Tournament, Shubert noted.

• Rini Harris, O’Fallon High School, junior, G. Harris averaged 11.4 points, 6.3 rebounds., 3.18 assists and 1.67 steals per game in helping the Panthers to a 25-8 mark this season, which included a Southwestern Conference title, an IHSA Class 4A regional championship and advancement to the sectional championship game.

• Myles Liddell, Belleville West High School, junior, F. Liddell led the Maroons in scoring (13 points per game) and steals (32 total) and was the team’s second leading rebounder (5.1 rebounds per game). His efforts helped Belleville West finish 14-16, which included a second place showing at the Chick-fil-A Classic at Belleville East High School.

• Dylan Murphy, Columbia High School, senior, F. Murphy averaged 18 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Eagles, who went 28-5, won the Freeburg-Columbia Holiday Tournament and reached the IHSA Class 2A regional championship game.

• Jordan Pickett, Belleville East High School, senior, G. Pickett, a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville recruit, averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.27 assists and 1.91 steals for the Lancers, who finished 26-7 while winning the Alton Tournament and Chick-fil-A Classic at Belleville East High School and reaching the IHSA Class 4A regional championship game.

• Lane Otten, Freeburg Community High School, senior. Otten averaged 15.7 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block per game for the Midgets while shooting 62.5% from the floor overall and 42.3% from 3-point range. According to coach Freeburg coach Matt Lauer, Otten finished with 1,091 career points, good for 6th all-time at Freeburg. In addition, he made the all-tournament team at the Freeburg-Columbia Holiday Tournament and the Sparta Mid-Winter Classic and also was named to the Cahokia Conference all-conference team as a junior and senior. Otten’s performance helped Freeburg to a 21-12 record, which included winning the Sparta Mid Winter Classic, finishing second at the Freeburg-Columbia Holiday Tournament and reaching the IHSA Class 2A regional semifinals.

• Jake Ottensmeier, Highland High School, Senior, G. Ottensmeier averaged 15.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs, who finished 21-11 and reached the IHSA Class 3A regional semifinals.
  
  

• Macaleab Rich, East St. Louis High School, senior, F. Rich, a Kansas State recruit, averaged 20 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.31 assists for the Flyers, who went 26-9 and placed 3rd at the IHSA Class 3A state tournament.

• Jake Wilkinson, Collinsville High School, senior, F. Wilkinson averaged 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Kahoks, who finished 21-12 and reached the IHSA Class 4A regional finals.

The poll ended at 8 a.m. Friday.

To be clear, this poll is not scientific. In fact, we invite you to vote as many times as you want. It’s all for fun, BND readers.

The next poll will appear on the BND’s website — www.bnd.com — at 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, and will kick off our softball and baseball Player of the Week polls for the spring. Please email nominations to gvartanian@bnd.com.

Previous poll winners: Taylor Smith of Belleville East High School; Cole Stuart of Freeburg High School; Dylan Murphy of Columbia High School; Clareece Davis of Althoff Catholic High School; the Freeburg-Columbia Holiday Tournament; Jordan Lewis of Althoff Catholic High School; Karsen Jany of Columbia High School; David Marshall Jr. of Belleville West High School; Marshall Jr.; Addi Dilley of Red Bud High School; Chase Lewis of Breese Central High School; Sophia Loden of Mascoutah High School; Loden; Lane Otten of Freeburg High School; Bennett Briles of Nashville High School; Kaylyn Wiley of Granite City High School; T’Yonna Burris of Dupo High School; Brandon Scott of Belleville West High School; Shakara “Lyve” McCline of East St Louis Senior High School; and Grant Fridley of Wesclin High School; Cody Dickshot of Breese Central High School; Alyssa Koerkenmeier, Mater Dei Catholic High School; Koerkenmeier; the O’Fallon girls basketball team; and Koerkenmeier.