Four Record-Setters Headline IBCA Players and Teams of Week 12

Four record-setting performances led the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s Week 12 honors, headlined by Bloomfield senior Blake Neill surpassing 2,000 career points and scoring 29 in a 63-48 victory over Eastern Greene. The IBCA release highlighted Neill along with Mt. Vernon (Fortville) senior Luke Ertel and McCutcheon junior Lillie Graves, who each set school career scoring marks, and Center Grove senior Gracyn Gilliard, who broke her own school single-game scoring record.

The IBCA named seven Players of the Week for performances during the week of Jan. 19-24. In addition to Neill, the honorees are Luke Ertel, Lillie Graves, Gracyn Gilliard, Wawasee senior Stephen Akase, Manchester sophomore Wyatt Schroll and Angola sophomore Kendall VanderWal. Players were selected by IHSAA district: “Akase, Schroll and VanderWal for District 1, Ertel and Graves for District 2, and Neill and Gilliard for District 3,” the IBCA release noted.

Team recognition also reflected decisive midseason form. The Kankakee Valley girls, 17-3 and coached by David Walstra, recorded three wins that week, outlasting Knox 71-33, Andrean 39-25 and Griffith 61-40. Class 2A No. 1 Whitko continued its run under Justin Jordan, improving to 20-1 with three lopsided victories: Fort Wayne Wayne 70-29, Maconaquah 76-34 and Northfield 71-38. The IBCA and its Team of the Week coordinators also cited Frankton boys and Kouts boys for standout weeks. “Teams of the Week are cited at the discretion of the program coordinators, former Martinsville coach Kip Staggs for boys and former Brownsburg coach Debbie Smiley for girls,” the association said.

Beyond individual milestones and boxscore dominance, the Week 12 honors illustrate the IBCA program’s dual role in player development and community visibility. Now in its 18th season for Player of the Week recognition and the second season for the Team of the Week program presented by Ballogy, the initiative spotlights achievement across small towns and suburban power programs alike. Sponsorship by Ballogy and coordination by veteran coaches help translate standout games into broader recognition for programs, college recruiters and local media coverage.

For fans and coaches, the selections sharpen focus on post-season positioning and individual legacies. Neill’s 2,000th point cements his place in Bloomfield history, while Ertel, Graves and Gilliard have set new benchmarks for their programs. Kankakee Valley and Whitko’s commanding weeks reinforce their seeding and momentum heading into the stretch run. Expect those storylines to shape rivalries and postseason brackets as the season moves toward conference tournaments and sectionals.