Basketball firepower: Introducing the SJ-R's all-area boys basketball teams

Here are the 24 players selected to The State Journal-Register's Large and Small School Boys Basketball teams. Players are listed alphabetically by team.

LARGE-SCHOOL TEAM

CAMERON APPENZELLER, Chatham Glenwood

The Titans’ 6-foot-5 junior guard helped his team to the 20-win mark and a tie in the Central State Eight Conference by averaging 12.0 points per game on 47.0% shooting (140-for-298). He also led the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. He was the team’s leading scorer in 13 of 32 games.

HENRY BUECKER, Rochester

The 5-10 senior point guard guided the Rockets to their first regional championship since 2005. He led a balanced-scoring team with 10.5 ppg and finished with averages of 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.

AMAREE BURRIES, Jacksonville

The Crimsons’ junior guard averaged 18.3 points per game, which was the second-highest mark in the Central State Eight Conference. He also finished with averages of 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. He made 46.6% of his shots (136-for-292).

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SHAUNASSEY HATCHETT JR., Lanphier

The Lions’ 6-4 junior forward filled a highlight reel with his dunking ability but also scored 12.7 ppg on 56.8% shooting (176-for-310). He led the Lions with 6.9 rpg and blocked 1.8 shots per game.

DREW HAYES, Lincoln

The Railsplitters’ 6-5 junior forward scored 9.2 points and had a team-best 4.5 rebounds per game. He also led the 22-win Railers with 3.1 assists per game and earned a special mention on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A All-State team.

JAIQUAN HOLMAN, Lanphier

The State Journal-Register's Large School Boys Basketball Player of the Year led the Lions with 15.9 ppg and raised his field-goal percentage to 42.4% (177-for-417). The 5-11 junior guard also led the City Tournament champions with 2.7 assists per game and had 2.8 rpg. He was an IBCA Class 3A All-State special mention. He scored 29 in the City Tournament title game over Southeast.

MASON MARSHALL, Chatham Glenwood

The Titans’ 5-11 junior guard led the team with 12.5 ppg and his 77 3-pointers made was second best in the Central State Eight Conference. The IBCA Class 3A All-State special mention finished with 3.3 rpg and 2.6 assists per game.

BRYCE MUSGRAVE, Sacred Heart-Griffin

The Cyclones’ lone senior finished his state championship career by averaging 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He led the team by dialing up 62 made 3-pointers and was the last rotational player from SHG’s first state championship in program history, a Class 3A title in 2022.

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SMALL-SCHOOL TEAM

J.T. ALEXANDER, North Mac

The Panthers’ 6-foot-6 senior forward filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 45% overall and 71% at the free-throw line. He appeared on three different all-tournament teams during the season and was a unanimous all-South Central Conference pick.

LUKE BLACKFORD, Calvary

The Saints’ 6-4 sophomore forward was named a third-team Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 1A All-State selection by leading the team with 21.3 ppg and was second with 7.5 rpg for the Saints. He also averaged 3.2 assists, 3.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game and made 153 of 193 free-throw attempts (79.3%).

ISAAC BROCKSCHMIDT, Beardstown

The 5-11 senior guard for the Tigers, who will play at Quincy University next season, led Beardstown to a 22-win season by averaging 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He finished with 1,225 career points.

CONNOR BROWN, Calvary

The 6-4 senior forward/guard, who helped the Saints win back-to-back regionals for the first time since 2010-11 finished with 18.9 ppg, led the team in rebounds (7.9), assists (4.3) and steals (3.7). He was a 54.6% shooter (247-for-516) overall. He was named to the IBCA Class 1A All-State second-team.

GANNON DODD, New Berlin

The Pretzels’ 6-4 senior forward averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists and finished with more than 1,200 points in his career. He was an all-tournament selection in the Pretzels’ three in-season tournaments and was a third-team IBCA Class 2A All-State selection.

CARTER HUNLEY, Auburn

The junior guard led the Trojans to their second regional title in three seasons with a game-high 19 points in Auburn’s 54-42 win over Greenville in the Class 2A North Mac Regional. While the Trojans had balanced scoring, he led the team with 12.0 ppg on 44.2% shooting (136-for-308). He shot 69.1% (103 of 149) at the free-throw line and connected on 32 3-pointers.

REECE LOHMAN, Nokomis

The 6-5 senior for NHS averaged 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.4 assists per game. He had 137 “stocks” — blocks plus steals — and scored 540 points on 49.7% shooting (218 of 439). He was 92-for-125 (73.6%) at the free-throw line and was an IBCA Class 1A All-State special mention pick.

NOAH LYONS, South County

The 6-1 senior guard/forward led the Vipers in scoring, rebounding, steals and shooting percentage with 15.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.2 steals per game and shot 45% from the field. He also finished with 2.2 assists per game. He also made 70% of his free throws.

NATHAN MATOUSH, Hillsboro

The Hiltoppers’ 6-3 junior guard was second in the South Central Conference with 18.6 ppg and led the team with 6.1 rpg. He scored 578 points on 51.4% shooting (179 of 348), knocked down 38.6% (54-for-140) from behind the 3-point arc and sank 76.6% (164 of 214) of his free throws.

VICTOR MCGILL, Litchfield

The Purple Panthers’ 5-10 senior guard helped steady the ship despite a mid-season coaching change as Litchfield still had its first 20-win season since 2018-19. He averaged 15.8 ppg, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rpg and 1.9 steals. He shot 43.9% (197 of 449) made 43 3-pointers and made 76.7% (69-for-90) of his free throws.

BRYSON MOSSMAN, Jacksonville Routt

The third-team IBCA Class 1A All-State selection and 6-3 sophomore forward had a breakout season with 21.2 ppg on 45.8% shooting (246 of 537). He made 76 3s at a 36.9% clip and was 74.8% at the line (95 of 127). He also averaged 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

ALEX PEACOCK, Edinburg

The Wildcats’ 6-2 junior forward/center surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career and led the team in scoring and rebounding (18.2 and 9.0, respectively).

JULIAN RICE, Riverton

Sangamo Conference coaches didn’t need long to learn the name of this 5-9 freshman guard. The Decatur St. Teresa Christmas Classic tournament MVP averaged 15.1 ppg to help the Hawks finish 23-9. He shot 44.0% (181 of 411) from the floor, 69.4% at the line (59-for-85) and connected on 47 3-pointers. He also averaged 3.4 rpg.

BRAYDEN SALING, Williamsville

The State Journal-Register's Small School Boys Basketball Player of the Year led the Bullets to the Class 2A state tournament semifinals despite a December injury to leading scorer Blake Shoufler. The 5-11 junior guard carried a 13.7 ppg average on 45.5% shooting (178-for-391). He also averaged 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals. He also led the Sangamo Conference with 101 made 3-pointers, all while hitting them 38.8% of the time.

COOPER SCHALLENBERG, Pleasant Plains

The Cardinals’ 6-2 junior guard led the Sangamo Conference with 16.3 ppg and added 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He also made 96 3-pointers, nearly three per game on 39.5% shooting from behind the 3-point line. The third-team IBCA Class 2A All-State pick was steady at the free-throw line, making 101 of 118 there (85.6%).

BRADY SCHMEDEKE, Raymond Lincolnwood

The 6-3 senior forward led the Lancers with 15.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg and shot 62% overall and knocked down 70% of his free-throw attempts.

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA boys basketball: Meet the SJ-R's all-area boys basketball teams