PRESS RELEASE - Luke Brown poured in 55 points on near flawless shooting in his only game of the week, and the Blackford High School sophomore headlines the recipients in this week’s IBCA/Subway Player of the Week program. (Pictured: Brandon Newman)
Others cited as honorees for the week of Dec. 10-15 are Valparaiso senior Brandon Newman, Center Grove senior Trayce Jackson-Davis, Michigan City senior Hannah Noveroske, Hamilton Southeastern junior Sydney Parrish and Vincennes Rivet senior Grace Waggoner in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Newman and Noveroske are respective boys and girls recipients for District 1. Brown and Parrish received accolades for District 2. Jackson-Davis and Waggoner are winners for District 3.
Brown earned Player of the Week honors for the third time this season after the 6-1 guard scored 55 points with eight rebounds, six assists and six steals to lead the Blackford boys to a 98-34 victory over Elwood. For the game, he sank 21-of-25 field goals, 7-of-8 3-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws as the Bruins improved to 5-1. Brown previously collected POW laurels for the weeks of Nov. 19-24 and Nov. 26-Dec. 1.
The 6-5 Newman averaged 32.3 points and 10.7 rebounds over three games to propel the Valparaiso boys to a 7-0 mark. The Purdue signee opened with 41 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 74-32 victory over Washington Township. He followed with 32 points, 15 rebounds and four steals as the Vikings defeated East Chicago Central 64-55. Newman tallied 24 points with six rebounds and three steals as Valpo outlasted Elkhart Memorial 63-56. Over three games, Newman was 33-of-61 from the field, 9-of-23 from distance and 22-of-30 from the line.
Jackson-Davis averaged 31.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in keying the Center Grove boys (6-2) to a pair of triumphs. First, the 6-9 forward scored 26 points with nine rebounds and two blocks in a 71-57 victory over Whiteland. The Indiana University recruit followed with 36 points, nine rebounds and five blocks as the Trojans topped Avon 56-48. Over both games, Jackson-Davis was 22-of-37 on field goals and 18-of-24 on free throws.
The 6-4 Noveroske averaged 22.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 7.3 blocks as the Michigan City girls went 4-0 in a Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday week. The Xavier University recruit opened with 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks as the Wolves beat Hobart 77-20. She followed with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in a 70-26 decision over New Prairie. Noveroske netted 28 points with 11 rebounds and six blocks in a 69-52 decision over Merrillville. She totaled 28 points with 14 rebounds and eight blocks as the Wolves improved to 10-3 with a 56-40 win over South Bend Riley. Over four games, Noveroske went 38-of-56 from the field and 13-of-17 from the line.
Parrish averaged 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in lifting the Hamilton Southeastern girls (14-1) to two victories. The 6-1 guard tallied 23 points with six rebounds, five assists and two blocks as the Royals doubled up New Castle 76-38. She followed with 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks as HSE beat Fishers 65-41 in the Mudsock Rivalry game. Over both games, Parrish hit 18-of-29 shots, 8-of-14 3-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws.
The 6-0 Waggoner averaged 29.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in keying the Vincennes Rivet girls to a pair of triumphs. Waggoner opened with 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks in a 66-42 victory over Mt. Carmel (Ill.). She also produced 27 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks as the Patriots moved to 10-0 for the season by topping Evansville Memor
ial 61-51. Over both games, Waggoner went 18-of-39 from the field, 3-of-10 from long range and 19-of-22 from the line.
This is the 11th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program and the seventh season it is presented by Subway Restaurants of Indiana, a banner sponsor of the IBCA. Subway, in its seventh season as an IBCA sponsor, encourages athletes to "train hard and eat fresh."
Winners in the Player of the Week are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts. Girls winners will be chosen from now through the week following Feb. 23. Boys winners will be chosen from now through the week following March 23.
Other nominees for Week 7 (2018-19)
District 1 boys– Rashard Balcom, Merrillville; Frankie Davidson, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Connor Essegian, Central Noble; Chase Franz, Eastside; Jake Harmon, Lakeland Christian; Gavin Harrema, Covenant Christian (DeMotte); Clay Hilliard, Plymouth; Cooper Hochstedler, North Judson; Jackson Hughes, Rensselaer Central; Michael Johnson, Concord; Austin Pearison, Jimtown; Will Penny, Logansport; G’Angelo Reillo, Whiting; Hank Smith, Elkhart Memorial; Jake Wadding, Chesterton; Charlie Yoder, Westview; Amiri Young, Hammond; Justin Zumbrun, Bremen.
District 1 girls– Sophie Bussard, Tippecanoe Valley; Jessica Carrothers, Crown Point; Trinity Clinton, Penn; Carissa Garcia, Fort Wayne Concordia; Bethany Hayden, John Glenn; Kagnie Hoffman, Argos; Hailee Kline, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian; Olivia Klinger, Washington Township; Hanna Knoll, Angola; Aleena Mongerie, Munster; Faith Owen, Garrett; Ayanna Patterson, Homestead; Darliesha Reed, Hammond Gavit; Maddie Ryman, Warsaw; Madeline Schumacher, North Judson; Lindsey Simpson, Knox.
District 2 girls– Taylor Boruff, Taylor; Ella Collier, Danville; Maggie Cora, Tri-West; Cassidy Crawford, Tipton; Hannah Farrell, Greenfield-Central; Kaylee Fuelling, Norwell; Maggie Gutwein, Twin Lakes; Sydney Jacobsen, Harrison (West Lafayette); Madison Jones, Western Boone; Tatum Neal, Clinton Prairie; Alaina Omonode, West Lafayette; Emmie Pugh, Cambridge City Lincoln; Zakia Rasheed, Bishop Chatard; Delaney Richason, Zionsville; Dakoyta Sloss, Muncie Central; Cameron Tabor, New Castle.
District 3 boys– Blake Barker, Columbus North; Michael Boshears, Brownstown Central; Christian DeArmitt, Southwestern (Shelby); Wyatt Felling, Triton Central; Gabe Gladish, Barr-Reeve; Hunter Hopwood, Vincennes Lincoln; Kristian Lander, Evansville Reitz; Anthony Leal, Bloomington South; Bradley Nalley, Corydon Central; D.J. Redding, Evansville North; Josiah Ricketts, North Posey; Blake Sisley, Heritage Hills; Trevor Taylor, Edgewood; Reece Thomson, Franklin; Christian Tucker, Springs Valley; Andrew Welage, Greensburg; Dawson Witte, Gibson Southern.
District 3 girls– Addy Blackwell, Bloomington South; Natalie Boesing, Providence; Averi Davidson, North Central (Farmersburg); Mariah Day, Jac-Cen-Del; Nan Garcia, Jeffersonville; Rebekah Gordon, Heritage Hills; Lilly Hatton, North Harrison; Sydney Jaynes, Trinity Lutheran; Tabby Klem, Gibson Southern; Maycee Lange, Vincennes Lincoln; Jenny Lundy, Northview; Makinzi Meurer, North Knox; Micah Morrison, Greensburg; Tenleigh Phelps, Triton Central; Hailee Robbins, Franklin; Elise Scaggs, Mooresville; Allison Stogsdill, Brown County; Ella Thompson, Center Grove.
2018-19 winners
Oct. 29-Nov. 3–District 1 girls:Darliesha Reed, Hammond Gavit.District 2 girls: Madison Jones, Western Boone. District3 girls:Addy Blackwell, Bloomington South, and Amani Brown, Terre Haute South.
Nov. 5-10 – District 1 girls: Sydney Freeman, Central Noble, and Dash Shaw, Gary West. District 2 girls: Maggie Cora, Tri-West.District 3 girls: Hannah Sisk, Princeton.
Nov. 12-17 – District 1 girls: Sophie Bussard, Tippecanoe Valley. District 2 girls: Alaina Omonode, West Lafayette, and Cameron Tabor, New Castle. District 3 girls: Lilly Hatton, North Harrison.
Nov. 19-24 – District 1 boys:Sam Skaggs, Logansport. District 1 girls: Mila Reynolds, South Bend Washington. District 2 boys:Colton Brown, Covington, and Luke Brown, Blackford. District 2 girls: Ella Collier, Danville. District 3 boys: Drew Buhr, Austin. District 3 girls: Nan Garcia, Jeffersonville.
Nov. 26-Dec. 1 – District 1 boys: Colin Kenney, Marquette Catholic. District 1 girls: Lilliann Frasure, North Judson. District 2 boys:Luke Brown, Blackford. District 2 girls: Jayla Smith, Lawrence North. District 3 boys:Josiah Ricketts, North Posey. District 3 girls:Jewel McCormick, Springs Valley.
Dec. 3-8 – District 1 boys: Tanner Behnfeldt, Fremont. District 1 girls: Emma Nolan, Marquette Catholic. District 2 boys:Zach Banks, Westfield. District 2 girls: Grace Hunter, Bellmont. District 3 boys: Kade Badger, Henryville. District 3 girls: Myah Montgomery, Southridge.
Dec. 10-15 – District 1 boys:Brandon Newman, Valparaiso. District 1 girls: Hannah Noveroske, Michigan City. District 2 boys:Luke Brown, Blackford. District 2 girls: Sydney Parrish, Hamilton Southeastern. District 3 boys:Trayce Jackson-Davis, Center Grove.District 3 girls: Grace Waggoner, Vincennes Rivet.