Westfield junior Braden Smith was the boys District 2 winner of the Week 16 IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week for the period of Feb. 15-20 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Smith probably doesn’t get quite the publicity that he should, but last week he certainly made his opponents take notice. In a 67-61 win at Franklin Central last Friday night, the Junior point guard nearly posted a triple-double, helping the Shamrocks to the slim victory. Smith was 8-13 from the field, 2-5 from deep, and he knocked down a solid 12-14 from the charity stripe, scoring 30 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out nine assists, and snagged four thefts in the effort.
The next day, Westfield hosted Decatur Central, comfortably defeating the Hawks, 72-45. Smith again shone brightly by showing off his versatility. The 6-0 junior was 11-of-18 from the floor, he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, and he was 5-6 from the line this game, scoring 29 points in limited time. Smith again collected eight rebounds, and he added five assists and five steals to the win.
The other Players of the Week are Pioneer senior Olivia Brooke, Brownsburg senior Ally Becki, Silver Creek junior Kynidi Striverson, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian senior Caleb Furst and Silver Creek senior Trey Kaufman. Brooke is the girls’ winner, and Furst is the boys’ winner in District 1. Becki is the girls winner in District 2. Striverson is the girls’ honoree, and Kaufman is the boys’ honoree in District 3.
