Cooper Neese named Mr. Basketball finalist
Cloverdale senior Cooper Neese was named on Wednesday as one of four finalists for the state’s prestigious IndyStar Mr. Basketball award given to the top senior boys’ basketball player.
Neese is joined as a finalist for the award by Castle’s Jack Nunge, North Central’s Kris Wilkes and Fort Wayne Snider’s Malik Williams, as determined by a vote of coaches and media.
The 6-foot-4 Neese led the Clovers to their third straight sectional title and finished fourth in the state in scoring at 27.2 points per game. The Butler-bound Neese ended his career as the seventh-leading scorer in state history with 2,496 points.
“It is an absolute blessing and honor to be in this group to represent the state of Indiana,” Neese said on his Twitter account. “God has given blessing on blessings.”
The 6-10 Nunge led Castle to a 24-4 record and a Class 4A semistate appearance as a senior. The Iowa recruit averaged 22.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game and shot 37 percent (37 for 100) from the 3-point line. Nunge scored 1,376 career points.
Wilkes, a UCLA recruit and McDonald’s All American, led North Central to back-to-back sectional titles as a junior and senior and 77-22 overall record in his four seasons. The 6-foot-7 Wilkes averaged 22.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a senior, shooting 39.3 percent (39-for-99) from the 3-point line. He was twice named the Marion County Player of the Year and finished his career with 1,831 points.
The 7-foot Williams, a Louisville recruit, led Fort Wayne Snider to a 17-7 record. Snider lost to Fort Wayne North Side, the Class 4A state runner-up, in the sectional. Williams averaged 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots as a senior and shot 36.1 percent (44-for-122) from the 3-point line.
The winner will be announced at the Indiana Sports Awards banquet on April 27. To find out more information about the event and to get tickets, visit sportsawards.indystar.com.
The award will be handed out by 1969 Mr. Basketball George McGinnis, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.
Neese is expected to become the seventh Indiana All-Star from Putnam County, joining Rick Ford (1968) and Chad Tucker (1983) as honorees from Cloverdale.