The REPORTER
Fishers junior JonAnthony Hall was named as one of the four Indiana boys basketball players of the week for March 25 to March 30 in the recognition program sponsored by Franciscan Health and coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
All four winners were named from the teams that won state championships last Saturday, with one winner from each of the four classes.
In the Class 4A game, two heavyweights went to battle, with the Tigers knocking off the defending state champion Ben Davis Giants, 65-56. Hall is known best for his defensive prowess, but he was dialed in from the tip, leading all scorers with 23 points, including 14 in the opening quarter. The 6-2 guard added 10 rebounds for the double-double, plus he dished out two assists and collected two steals in the triumph. Hall was recently named to the Indiana Junior All-Star team. Fishers finished the year with an outstanding 29-1 record, avenging its lone loss on the year in the opening round of the sectional.
The other players of the week are Canterbury senior John Parent for Class 1A, Brownstown Central senior Jack Benter for Class 2A and Scottsburg senior Jack Miller for Class 3A.
Parent came up big for the Cavaliers Saturday, scoring 22 points, including seven in the fourth quarter of their 48-41 victory over Bethesda Christian in the Class 1A game. On the day, the 6-5 senior was 8-of-15 from the field, 2-for-5 from deep, and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, while also pulling down 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Parent added two assists and two blocked shots to his effort, as Canterbury finishes the season with an impressive 19-9 mark after starting out just 2-7.
The Class 2A game saw the top two teams in the class face off, with Brownstown Central able to jump out to an early nine-point lead by the first media timeout, and the Braves were able to keep that at two possessions or more for the remainder of the 55-36 win. Benter capped off his stellar career with a 25-point, six-rebound outing. The 6-6 Purdue University commit was 9-of-18 from the field, 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He added four assists, two steals, and two blocked shots to his tally, as the Braves finished the year with an overall mark of 28-4.
Miller helped the Scottsburg Warriors to a 67-57 victory over the Huskies of South Bend St. Joseph in the Class 3A game, scoring a game-high 32 points on a highly efficient 12-of-18 shooting. He was 3-for-6 from distance and 5-of-6 from the stripe as well. The 6-6 wing added four rebounds, an assist, and a steal to his effort, and he will attend Hanover College and play for his father next season. The Warriors finished the season with a 25-5 record.
This was the 16th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program, and the fourth season it has been presented by Franciscan Health, a corporate sponsor of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts. Girls’ winners were chosen each week of their season, through the end of the IHSAA Girls State Finals. Boys’ winners were chosen each week of their season, through today, following the IHSAA Boys State Finals.