Jeffersonville’s Singleton, Cooper make Indiana All-Stars, but state champs Betten, Konieczny left off

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Boys basketball

Michael Cooper and Tre Singleton, the top two scorers on Class 4A state champion Jeffersonville, were selected for the Indiana Boys All-Stars Friday, but Gavin Betten of Class 2A state champion Manchester and Chase Konieczny of Class 3A state champion South Bend St. Joe were left off the list.

Cooper (18.7 points per game) and Singleton (18.2 ppg) guided Jeffersonville to a 67-66 overtime win over Fishers in the state title game Saturday. Fishers’ Justin Kirby also made the team.

Dezmon Briscoe of Class 3A runner-up Indianapolis Crispus Attucks also made the team.

But of the four players who finished in the top 50 on the all-time career scoring list, only one of them – Greenfield-Central’s Braylon Mullins – made the team.

Konieczny, who finished in a tie for 44th with 2,138 points and who averaged 22.6 ppg as a senior, was not selected. Neither were Three Rivers Conference stars Josiah Ball from Maconaquah and Betten, who finished with 2,138 and 2,136 career points, respectively.

Ball was second in the state with his 28.7 scoring average, and Maconaquah won its first sectional title since 2000 and its first regional title since 1999.

Betten was seventh in the state with his 25.4 scoring average and fifth with his 12.0 rebounding average, and his career point total broke both school and Wabash County records. Manchester won their first sectional title since 1995 and their first regional title since 1994 before winning their first semistate and state titles.

The team did include Ben Davis’ Mark Zackery IV, who averaged 7 ppg and missed most of the season due to injury.

“The IndyStar Indiana All-Star team is selected through a balloting process of coaches and media overseen by game organizers from the IBCA,” the IBCA said in a statement announcing the team.

All-Stars game director Mike Broughton “finalized” the team “after observing numerous games and events throughout the season, conferring with coaches, school officials and media across the state,” according to the statement. “Broughton also reviews votes submitted by coaches and media who each could recommend up to 10 players.”

The team will play an exhibition game against the Junior All-Stars at Greenfield-Central June 4 and two games against the Kentucky All-Stars. The first game against Kentucky will be at Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky June 6, and the second game will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis June 7.

Chesterton’s Marc Urban will coach the team, and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks’ Chris Hawkins and Bloomington North’s Jason Speer will be the assistants.

Here is the team. Mr. Basketball, who will be announced at a later date, will be selected from this group:

Indiana Boys All-Stars

Player, school, height, scoring average, college choice

• Chase Barnes, Fort Wayne Wayne, 6-1, 15.7, Indianapolis

• Dezmon Briscoe, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, 6-9, 15.8, undecided

• Michael Cooper, Jeffersonville, 6-3, 18.7, Wright State

• Julius Gizzi, New Palestine, 6-4, 25.7, Indiana Wesleyan

• Justin Kirby, Fishers, 6-4, 13.0, Miami (Ohio)

• Brady Koehler, Indianapolis Cathedral, 6-9, 16.4, Notre Dame

• Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central, 6-6, 31.9, Connecticut

• Dominique Murphy, East Chicago Central, 6-6, 22.6, undecided

• Kellen Pickett, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, 6-9, 18.6, Wright State

• Azavier Robinson, Lawrence North, 6-2, 18.2, Butler

• Tre Singleton, Jeffersonville, 6-8, 18.2, Northwestern

• Mark Zackery IV, Ben Davis, 6-1, 7.0, Notre Dame

Coach: Marc Urban (Chesterton)

Assistant coaches: Chris Hawkins (Indianapolis Crispus Attucks), Jason Speer (Bloomington North)

RTC sports editor Val Tsoutsouris was one of the voters. Voters are to select a Mr. Basketball, a second-place Mr. Basketball and eight more players for a total of 10.

Here was his ballot:

• Braylon Mullins (Greenfield-Central)

• Tre Singleton (Jeffersonville)

• Dominique Murphy (East Chicago Central)

• Dezmon Briscoe (Indianapolis Attucks)

• Gavin Betten (Manchester)

• Josiah Ball (Maconaquah)

• Chase Konieczny (South Bend St. Joe)

• Kellen Pickett (Fort Wayne Blackhawk)

• Julius Gizzi (New Palestine)

• JonAnthony Hall (Fishers)