On Tuesday, the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association released their weekly Player of the Week honors. While no Northeast Indiana player earned the top honor, several were nominated.
Central Noble’s Connor Essegian, Norwell’s Will Geiger, Westview’s Charlie Yoder, Eastside’s Sullivan Kessler and Bellmont’s Morgan Shifferly were all nominees.
Here is the full IBCA release:
2020 is really heating up, and last week provided several statistical outbursts throughout the state, as three of our winners surpassed 40 points in a game, one winner grabbed more than 20 rebounds in a game, and another winner shot 82% (14-17) from 3-point range. Even some of our other top nominees put up huge numbers, including one player pouring in 51 points in a game.
Kouts Junior Cole Wireman, Blackford Junior Luke Brown, Northwestern Senior Tayson Parker, Silver Creek Junior Kooper Jacobi, Penn Junior Trinity Clinton, Marion Senior RaShaya Kyle, and Bedford North Lawrence Junior Chloe McKnight were selected as recipients for the week of Jan. 13-Jan. 18 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Wireman is the boys’ recipient in District-1, while Clinton is the girls’ recipient in District-1. Brown and Parker share boys’ honors in District-2, while Kyle is the girls’ honoree in District-2. Jacobi represents the boys in District-3, while McKnight is the girls’ winner in District-3.
Kouts Junior Cole Wireman led his Mustangs to a pair of wins last week, as Kouts remains undefeated with an 11-0 record. Friday night, Wireman began the weekend with a hot shooting performance, as he buried 11-16 shots from the field, 3-5 from deep, and 6-7 from the charity stripe, adding up to a 31-point contribution for Kouts. He also managed to add six rebounds, a pair of assists, and on steal in the 71-56 win over Washington Township.
Saturday Wireman was even more impressive, as he torched the nets for 46 points. The 5-11 guard was a modest 16-30 from the field, but he was a hot 4-5 from 3-point range and 10-10 from the free throw line, helping Kouts to another victory, this time escaping with a 76-73 win at Rensselaer Central.
Penn’s Trinity Clinton has had a steady Junior campaign, and last week she continued her strong play with a trio of nice efforts. Tuesday evening against rival Elkhart Central, Clinton scored 25 points, grabbed four rebounds, handed out four assists, and collected four steals, as the Kingsmen picked up a conference win.
Three days later, on Friday, the 5-7 guard was at it again, helping Penn push their conference record to a perfect 10-0 on the season with a comfortable victory over John Glenn. Clinton scored another 24 points, while also contributing four rebounds, five assists, a pair of steals, and a blocked shot. The Kingsmen then turned around and played a tough Fort Wayne South Side team on Saturday, prevailing by a score of 64-53 and moving to 20-2 overall this year. Clinton was again stellar, scoring 28 points in the win. She added eight rebounds, as well as five assists.
Blackford’s Luke Brown appears here for the second time this season, and for good reason. The Junior point guard had a so-so shooting night on Friday at Mississinewa, but he still managed to come up with half of the Bruins points, 31 to be exact, in their 84-62 loss. He also grabbed three rebounds, handed out a pair of assists, and collected a steal in the effort.
Saturday, the 6-0 guard posted his highest output of the season with a scorching 54 points. He buried eight 3-point shots in the game, as well as shot a solid 12-15 from the free throw line. Unfortunately, Blackford fell in overtime against Winchester, 98-95. Brown, a Junior, added four rebounds and five assists in the contest.
Tayson Parker of Northwestern shares the District-2 boys’ honors, while also winning this award for a second time this season due to his own offensive eruption. Friday evening, the 6-0 Senior guard made his only game of the week count, knocking down 19-28 shots, 3-4 from long range, and 9-10 from the free throw line, en route to a season high of 50 points. The 50 points are a single-game record for the Tigers, but the Indiana Wesleyan University signee also made it a double-double with his ten rebounds, as Northwestern knocked off a very good Tipton squad 64-59 at Tipton.
Marion Senior RaShaya Kyle was not to be outdone so easily in District-2, as she put together a pair of nice performances last week. Tuesday, at backyard rival Mississinewa, the 6-6 post had her way in the paint, scoring 34 points on 13-22 shooting from the field. Additionally, she grabbed a season high of 25 rebounds and blocked five shots, as the Giants won easily on the road.
Saturday afternoon at conference foe Logansport, the Purdue University signee was again dominant early and often. By halftime, Kyle had already posted a double-double, before finishing the game with 36 points, 14 rebounds, a pair of assists, and six blocked shots. The Giants won their fifteenth game of the season by a score of 77-59.
Kooper Jacobi of Silver Creek put together a really nice weekend for the Dragons. The 6-6 wing helped Silver Creek to an easy 81-57 win against conference rival Brownstown Central on Friday night. He contributed 27 points on 10-15 shooting, 2-4 from 3-point range, and 5-6 from the free throw line. Jacobi also managed four rebounds and an assist for the Dragons.
Saturday, the Junior was once again a blistering 10-15 from the field, but this time it was his 8-8 from the charity stripe that really stood out, as Silver Creek defeated Bloomington North in Bloomington, 70-62. His 28 points, nine rebounds, and three assists were a big boost for the Dragons, as they now stand at 13-1 on the season.
Speaking of shooting performances to note, Bedford North Lawrence Junior Chloe McKnight had one of the best weeks so far this season. On Tuesday, McKnight was 9-12 from the field, an outstanding 7-9 from 3-point range, and a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. She finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal, as the Stars knocked off Columbus East 74-54.
Saturday, against another Hoosier Hills Conference opponent in Floyd Central, the 5-9 wing was 7-9 from the field, an incredible 7-8 from 3-point range, plus 3-4 from the free throw line. This time, in an easy victory, McKnight finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and an assist, while playing limited minutes.
This is the 12th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program, and the eighth season it is presented by Subway Restaurants of Indiana, a banner sponsor of the IBCA. Subway, in its eighth season as an IBCA sponsor, encourages athletes to “train hard and eat fresh”.
Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts. Girls winners will be chosen through the Monday following the IHSAA Girls State Finals. Boys winners will be chosen through the Monday following the IHSAA Boys State Finals.
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