Southmont’s Saunders Named Among Top 60 Senior Boys Basketball Players in Indiana

Avery Saunders of Southmont High School was the lone senior in Montgomery County named to Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s Top 60 senior boys’ basketball players list for the 2021-2022 season.

Saunders, along with other outstanding players, were selected from approximately 1,500 senior players statewide. This event will be at Marian University in Indianapolis on Sunday.

Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s Top 60 Senior Workout is highlighted by five players who will participate in the 2022 IHSAA State Finals on Saturday, March 26th including in AA Connor Essegian, Central Noble, in AAA Richard Brooks, Mishawaka Marian and in AAAA Travis Grayson, Chesterton along with Tayshawn Comer and Jaxon Edwards from Indianapolis Cathedral.

The top two scorers in the state are also featured in the Top 60 Workout. They are Hunter Johnson, South Decatur (31.9 ppg) and Jalen Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop (27.6). Also highlighting the Top 60 players are four Big Ten recruits— in addition to Westfield’s Smith are Connor Essegian, Central Noble (Wisconsin), CJ Gunn, Lawrence North (Indiana) and Fletcher Loyer, Homestead (Purdue). Those four players along with Tae Davis, Warren Central (Louisville) and Carmel’s Suder (Bellarmine) are featured on the front cover of the 2021-22 issue of Hoosier Basketball Magazine are also part of the Top 60 Senior Workout. Nine more seniors— Carmel’s Williams (William & Mary); Tayshawn Comer, Indianapolis Cathedral (Eastern Kentucky); Travis Grayson, Chesterton; Jalen Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop (Illinois-Chicago); Logan McIntire, North Harrison (Evansville); Branden Northern, Silver Creek; Billy Smith, Brebeuf Jesuit (Miami-OH); Ryan Conwell, Pike (South Florida); and Kyle Thomas, Cloverdale (Cedarville) — were pictured on the front cover or the table of content page of Hoosier Basketball Magazine and will also participate in the Top 60 Senior Workout.

Statistical evaluation, game observation and statewide research were conducted throughout the season to determine Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s Top 60. Two sessions of the Top 60 Senior Workout will be hosted on Sunday by Hoosier Basketball Magazine, in conjunction with the IHSAA and the IBCA, at Marian University in Indianapolis.

Boys primarily from Northern and Southern Indiana will participate in the first session. The remaining players, mostly from Central Indiana, will compete during the second session.

Former State Championship Coach Christopher Hawkins (Indianapolis Attucks) will direct both sessions. Four other outstanding IBCA coaches— John Bodey (Central Noble), Larry Upshaw (Gary 21st Century), Patrick Rady (Cloverdale) and Jason Speer (Bloomington North)— have been invited to assist with on-court coaching.

KnowYourBaller will be filming the Boys Top 60 Senior Workout this year. They will provide summary videos with all pertinent clips for all players participating.

Both sessions are open to the public for admis­sion fee of $8 ($5 for students). The Top 60 boys follow.

• Avery Saunders, Southmont
• Jameer Ajibade, Evansville Bosse
• Reggie Bass, Indianapolis Tech
• Tobey Billups, Connersville
• Caedmon Bontrager, Leo
• Richard Brooks, Mishawaka Marian
• Javan Buchanan, Lafayette Jeff
• Brock Buckley, Covenant Christian (Marion)
• Luke Carroll, Hamilton Heights
• Wesley Celichowski, Floyd Central
• Colin Comer, Greensburg
• Tayshawn Comer, Indianapolis Cathedral
• Ryan Conwell, Pike
• Hayden Cutter, Scottsburg
• Tae Davis, Warren Central
• AJ Dixon, Merrillville
• Jaxon Edwards, Indianapolis Cathedral
• Connor Essegian, Central Noble
• Travis Grayson, Chesterton
• Will Grissom, Guerin Catholic
• CJ Gunn, Lawrence North
• Cam Haffner, Westfield
• Mark Hankins, Terre Haute North
• Eli Hoffman, South Dearborn
• Chris Hood, East Noble
• Aaron Humphrey, Tindley
• Chandler Jackson, Warren Central
• Jalen Jackson, Fort Wayne Northrop
• Sam Jacobs, Hamilton Southeastern
• Amhad Jarrard, Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
• Armon Jarrard, Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
• Karson Jenkins, Fort Wayne Snider
• Hunter Johnson, South Decatur
• Cade Jones, Eastern (Pekin)
• Rasheed Jones, Indianapolis Tech
• Randy Kelley, Sullivan
• Sam King, Columbus North
• Nick Klaiber, Bloomington North
• Hagen Knepp, Barr-Reeve
• Aidan Lambert, Fort Wayne Snider
• Fletcher Loyer, Homestead
• Hayden Maiben, Maconaquah
• Neil Marshall, Delta
• Elijah Mattingly, Central Christian
• Chrishon McCray, Avon
• Logan McIntire, North Harrison
• Carson Miller, Bremen
• Branden Northern, Silver Creek
• Christian Nunn, Indianapolis Attucks
• Landon O’Neal, Eastern Hancock
• Aaron Pickel, North Putnam
• Nate Powell, Tipton
• Eric Price, Gary 21st Century
• A.J. Roseman, Indianapolis Chatard
• Brady Ruggles, Danville
• Jeffrey Simmons, Fishers
• Billy Smith, Brebeuf Jesuit
• E.J. Smith, Noblesville
• Tommy Snyder, South Bend Adams
• Peter Suder, Carmel
• Jahni Summers, Evansville Harrison
• Kyle Thomas, Cloverdale
• Shon Tupuola, Brownsburg
• Jordan Turner, Indianapolis Ritter
• Jackson Ullom, Monroe Central
• Carter Waskom, Brownstown Central
• Charlie Williams, Carmel
• Ty Wills, Anderson
• Bobby Wonnell, Taylor

Selected but injured and unable to participate:

• Brevin Hallatt, Blue River Valley
• Braden Smith, Westfield
• Jalen Washington, Gary West

Selected but unable to attend:

(Notables – Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s First Team All-State Players)

• Jamison Dunham, Pendleton Heights
• Will Lovings-Watts, Jeffersonville
• Brandon Rayzer-Moore, Jeffersonville
• Joe Reidy, Woodlan
• Dayveon Turner, Indianapolis Tech