Player of the Year

Justin Roberts, Lawrence

The 5-foot-9 point guard recovered from a torn ACL and earned first-team All-Sunflower League honors, averaging 19.9 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 steals. Roberts, the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,549 points, led the Lions to their second straight Class 6A Final Four appearance, posting a 74-19 record in his four-year career. He has committed to play at Toledo.

The 2015-16 Journal-World All-Area Boys Basketball Team, from left: Zach McDermott, Seabury; Isaac McCullough, Ottawa; Mikey Wycoff, Seabury; Hunter Gudde, Free State; Player of the Year Justin Roberts, Lawrence; Coach of the Year Mike Bennett, Mill Valley; Logan Koch, Mill Valley; Seth Breithaupt, Wellsville; Price Morgan, Lawrence. Not pictured: Austin Downing, Eudora; Clayton Holmberg, Mill Valley.

Coach of the Year

Mike Bennett, Mill Valley

The Jaguars won 12 of their final 13 games, capturing their first Class 5A state championship in school history. Back at state for the third time in four years, Bennett led his team to wins over Salina Central, Kansas City (Kan.)Washington and Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel, winning the title game, 87-84, in overtime.

First team

Seth Breithaupt, Wellsville — Breithaupt led the Eagles to the Class 3A state tournament for the third straight season, averaging a team-high 9.8 points with 4.0 rebounds per game. The senior forward earned first-team All-Pioneer League honors, scoring at least 10 points in 12 games to help his team to a 17-7 record.

Austin Downing, Eudora — The Neosho Community College commit frustrated defenders with his ability to drive to the rim. A first-team All-Frontier League selection, Downing averaged a team-best 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game, leading the Cardinals to the Class 4A-I state tournament.

Hunter Gudde, Free State — Gudde averaged a school-record 20.3 points per game and picked up first-team All-Sunflower League honors, shooting 62 percent from the field. Along with his scoring, the 6-foot-3 wing grabbed a team-best 4.4 rebounds per game. An all-state pitcher in baseball, he has committed to play baseball at Johnson County CC.

Clayton Holmberg, Mill Valley — One of the toughest players to guard in the Kaw Valley League with his size and ability to score from anywhere on the floor, Holmberg averaged 12.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. The Washburn University signee was a first-team all-league pick for the Class 5A state champions.

Logan Koch, Mill Valley — After winning a state championship in football, Koch helped the Jaguars become the first school to win state titles in both sports in the same year. The 6-foot point guard and Eastern Illinois basketball signee averaged eight points per game and set up his teammates with six assists per game.

Isaac McCullough, Ottawa — Despite offseason hip surgery, McCullough was one of the best scorers in the Frontier League, averaging 18 points per game while shooting 45 percent from behind the three-point arc. The junior guard led the Cyclones to a 13-8 record, adding 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Zach McDermott, Bishop Seabury — McDermott led the Seahawks to the Class 2A state tournament, their first state berth since 2012. When the 6-foot-2 point guard wasn’t helping his teammates find open shots, he had no problem draining shots from the perimeter, averaging 19.2 points, 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Price Morgan, Lawrence — The 6-foot-4 senior wasn’t the tallest post player in the Sunflower League, but he was dominant with his strength and shooting touch. Morgan, who has signed to play football at Air Force, averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game. He led the Lions to a 22-3 record and was a second-team all-league selection.

Mikey Wycoff, Bishop Seabury — Wycoff missed a few games because of an ankle injury, but he was nearly impossible to stop when he was on the court. The Seahawks’ junior guard averaged a team-high 21.5 points with 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.8 assists per game, slashing past opponents to the rim in transition.

Honorable mention

Jackson Barth, Baldwin; Fred Brou, Lawrence; Perry Carroll, Ottawa; Kasey Conklin, Mill Valley; Miles Dressler, Veritas; Cooper Kaifes, Mill Valley; Bansi King, Seabury; Anthony Harvey Jr., Lawrence; Jacob Jennings, De Soto; Jackson Mallory, Lawrence; Caleb Mann, Wesllville; Kristian Rawls, Free State; Jomain Rouser, Eudora; Chad Stieben, Veritas; Brian Tolefree, Eudora; Chrision Wilburn, Free State.