Hancock County puts five on AP all-state list

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Greenfield-Central’s Dylan Moles brings the ball up against Eastern Hancock’s Silas Spaulding Saturday. (Mike Brown | For The Daily Reporter)

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Markus Burton and Flory Bidunga presented different problems for prep teams this season.

Burton, the 6-foot-1 senior from Penn, seemed to be a 3-point threat the moment he crossed midcourt. Bidunga, the 6-10 junior from Kokomo, dominated the post.

But the similarly dominant impact they had on games made them popular picks for The Associated Press Boys All-State Team.

Burton received the most votes, with Bidunga finishing a close second in voting by a panel of sports writers, broadcasters and coaches around the state. Players are selected regardless of their grade level or in which class their school competes.

The all-state first team is rounded out by Ben Davis center Zane Doughty, Cathedral center Xavier Booker and Linton-Stockton guard Joey Hart, all seniors.

Burton led the way after scoring a state-best 30.2 points per game. He also grabbed 5.5 rebounds and had 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals after earning third-team all-state honors in 2021-22.

He is staying close to home next season at Notre Dame, where he’s likely to become a cornerstone in new coach Micah Shrewsberry’s rebuilding project. And he is one of six finalists for the coveted IndyStar Mr. Basketball Award after already being named the Gatorade and MaxPreps state athlete of the year and an Indiana All-Star.

“Knowing where I came from and my basketball background, having that No. 1 jersey would mean a lot,” Burton told The South Bend Tribune recently. “I feel like I can do it.”

Bidunga scored 20.2 points and led the state in rebounding (13.8), blocked shots (4.5) and an incredible field-goal percentage of 80.7%.

But last month’s head-to-head matchup didn’t even give Bidunga the edge. Bidunga had 25 points and 22 rebounds, leading Kokomo past Penn 57-55 in the Class 4A North Semistate. Burton scored 27 points, finishing his career with a county-record 2,273 points and No. 20 in state history.

Bidunga was the only underclassmen to make the first team after being a second-team all-state selection last season. He will get another chance to win the Class 4A crown next season after Kokomo lost the state championship game to Doughty’s undefeated Giants.

The 6-9 senior led Ben Davis to a 34-0 mark with averages of 13.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, both team highs, and scored 20 points in the title game. Doughty planned to attend Valparaiso next season but decommitted from the Beacons after coach Matt Lottich was fired recently.

Booker is headed to Michigan State after averaging 15.2 points and 8.3 rebounds at Cathedral while Hart scored 23.7 points for Linton-Stockton, the Class 2A state runner-up. Hart is heading to Central Florida next season.

The second team has two 6-7 sophomores, Fishers point guard Jalen Haralson and Heritage Hills swingman Trent Sisley. Haralson averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists and Sisley averaged 26.3 points and 10.2 rebounds.

They’re joined on the second team by three Purdue recruits — Heritage Christian senior Myles Colvin (19.3 points) and juniors Jack Benter of Brownstown Central (28.7) and Kanon Catchings of Brownsburg (17.5).

Colvin, a guard-forward, joins a Boilermakers squad that already includes the top two vote-getters in Mr. Basketball voting each of the past two years.

The third team consists of Zionsville senior Logan Imes (16.9), Bloomington North senior JaQualon Roberts (19.6), NorthWood senior Cade Brenner (18.0), Ben Davis senior Sheridan Sharp (9.8) and Anderson guard Ahmere Carson (21.5).

Roberts is heading to Vanderbilt while Sharp has decided to play at Nicholls State in Louisiana. Brenner has decided to stay in the state at Huntington after helping NorthWood win the Class 3A state title. Imes had chosen to play for Shrewsberry at Penn State next season but, like Doughty, reopened his recruitment following a coaching change.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — These are the results of the 2023 Indiana Boys All-State balloting, selected by a statewide panel of sports writers, broadcasters and coaches, with names, schools, height and scholastic class:

FIRST TEAM

Markus Burton, Penn, 6-1, Sr.

Flory Bidunga, Kokomo, 6-10, Jr.

Zane Doughty, Ben Davis, 6-9, Sr.

Xavier Booker, Indianapolis Cathedral, 6-11, Sr.

Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton, 6-6, Sr.

SECOND TEAM

Jalan Haralson, Fishers, 6-7, Soph.

Trent Sisley, Heritage Hills, 6-7, Soph.

Myles Colvin, Heritage Christian, 6-7, Sr.

Jack Benter, Brownstown Central, 6-5, Jr.

Kanon Catchings, Brownsburg, 6-8, Jr.

THIRD TEAM

Logan Imes, Zionsville, 6-4, Sr.

JaQualon Roberts, Bloomington North, 6-8, Sr.

Cade Brenner, NorthWood, 6-3, Sr.

Sheridan Sharp, Ben Davis, 6-3, Sr.

Ahmere Carson, Anderson, 6-2, Sr.

HIGH HONORABLE MENTION

Jamie Hodges, Michigan City; Mason Jones, Valparaiso; Brauntae Johnson, Fort Wayne North; Ashton Williamson, Gary 21st Century; Ian Raasch, NorthWood; Jaron Tibbs, Indianapolis Cathedral; Josh Furst, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Jaylen Mullen, North Daviess; Luke Almodovar, Noblesville; Brandon Trilli, Munster; Sam Orme, Carmel; Clay Butler, Ben Davis; Tyler Parrish, Chesterton; Jordan Woods, Hammond Central; Deaglan Sullivan, Mishawaka Marian; Joey Brown, Indianapolis North Central; A.J. Lux, Crown Point; Weston Aigner, Castle; Taray Howell, Evansville Bosse; Keegan Manowitz, Jennings County; Gage Sefton, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Dominique Murphy, East Chicago Central; Bauer Maple, Maconaquah; Luke McBride, Norwell; Micah Davis, Franklin.

HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical order) Isaac Andrews, Wapahani; Markus Ankney, Center Grove; Landon Biegel, Oak Hill; Peyton Bledsoe, Loogootee; Trey Buchanan, Westfield; Joe Burke, Randolph Southern; Dezmon Briscoe, Indianapolis Attucks; Darrion Brooks, New Haven; Sabien Cain, University; Camron Casky, Indianapolis Pike; Colby Champman, Rensselaer; Kody Clancy, Scottsburg; Jermaine Coleman, Park Tudor; Peter Combs, Bloomfield; DaJohn Craig, Lawrence Central; Austin Cripe, West Noble; Nolan Cumberland, Tippecanoe Valley; Jake Davis, Indianapolis Cathedral; Cale Donoho, South Spencer; Josiah Dunham, Evansville Christian; Alex Ellenson, Northridge; Luke Ellspermann, Evansville Memorial; Cooper Farrall, Culver Academy; Aaron Fine, Noblesville; Jaxson Gould, Warsaw; Jackson Graff, North Posey; Brycen Hannah, Glenn; Ameer Harris, South Bend Clay; Derron Hazzard, Riverton Parke; Ben Henderson, Harrison (West Lafayette); Isaac Higgs, Evansville Reitz; Jase Howell, Madison-Grant; Jaelyn Johnson, Portage; Carter Kent, Jennings County; Chase Konieczny, South Bend Joseph; Jevon Lewis, Fort Wayne Wayne; Luke Linderman, Bloomington North; Malachi McNair, Evansville Harrison; Dylan Moles, Greenfield-Central; Tyler Myers, Evansville Day; Marcus Northern, South Bend Washington; Blaine Nunnally, New Palestine; Kellen Pickett, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Steven Reynolds, South Bend Washington; Nick Richart, Zionsville; Azavier Robinson, Lawrence North; Matthew Roettger, Peru; Alex Romack, Westfield; Ron Rutland III, Indianapolis Attucks; Luke Saylor, Heritage; Justin Sims, Chesterton; Shane Sims, Evansville Harrison; Tre Singleton, Jeffersonville; Joe Smith, Penn; Coda Snyder, Bloomington Lighthouse; Robert Sorenson, Guerin Catholic; Jacob Spaulding, Eastern Hancock; Silas Spaulding, Eastern Hancock; Shayne Spear, Kokomo; Ian Stephens, New Palestine; Nolan Swan, Tipton; Dar’e’on Thornton, Mishawaka Marian; Jaymen Townsend, Marion; Lonte Ward, Indianapolis Lutheran; Logan Webb, Linton-Stockton; Josh Williams, Connersville; K.J. Windham, Ben Davis; Gavin Wisley, Bloomington South; Devon Woods, Pike.