All-Area boys team | Lake

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John Androus LakesLakes limped to an 0-6 start but finished the regular season strong with a 12-8 record over the remainder. A big reason the Eagles were able to rebound? Androus. "John still brought his positive energy every day," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "His leadership was a key at a critical time when the season could have gone in another direction. He is mature in all situations and his strength this year was his ability to see the big picture." Of course, Androus did a pretty good job at scoring, rebounding and dishing out the assists, too. He led the Eagles in all categories with 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

Jeff Arenson StevensonWhen Stevenson needed a basket, Arenson often answered the call. And from anywhere. The 6-foot-5 senior forward was as versatile as they come. "Jeff has got a well-rounded offensive game," Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. "He can score inside and outside, but he is especially crafty around the basket." Arenson averaged 11 points per game, which led the well-balanced Patriots. He also rolled up 5 rebounds an outing. One of his best efforts of the season came in January against Mundelein in which he poured in 29 points and hauled in 10 rebounds.

Mike Brumm Grayslake CentralOne of the best point guards in Lake County, Brumm did it all for Grayslake Central. A senior and three-year starter, he averaged 12.9 points per game and led the Rams in assists (4.3 apg) and steals (2.4 spg) while also directing the offense and handling the ball. "He is a total competitor," Grayslake Central coach Brian Moe said of Brumm. "He hates to lose, even in competitive drills in practice. Without Mike handling the ball for us and getting us into our offense, we wouldn't have been nearly as successful as we have been the last two years."

Ben Brust MundeleinHalf a season by Brust is better than a full season by many. The junior guard broke his leg in a mid-January game against Stevenson and hasn't played since. But it's difficult to ignore what he did prior to his injury. Brust was averaging an area-best 26.3 points per game and showing all kinds of versatility. Primarily a jump shooter earlier in his career, Brust had added driving to the basket with ease, breaking defenders off the dribble. Of course, his three-point shot was still lethal. He drained 48 shots from behind the arc, which still led the team even though he's missed the last six weeks. "Every team was trying to stop him and he still produced," Mundelein coach Dick Knar said of Brust. "He was our emotional leader and when the game was on the line, he wanted the ball." Brust had his best game of the season against Libertyville: a 45-point performance that included 6 3-pointers.

DaVaris Daniels Vernon HillsYes, it's true, Lake County coaches. Daniels is still just a sophomore. He'll be around two more years terrorizing teams with his pretty moves and aggressive defense. "DaVaris is a pure athlete who does a lot of things you cannot coach," Vernon Hills coach Matt McCarty said. "He is a team leader who hates to lose. We built our offense around him knowing that is a strength of his." Daniels ended the regular season with a bang. In his last four games, he scored 22, 22, 26 and 30 points. On the year, he averaged 13.5 points, along with 5.3 rebounds. He also picked up a team leading 66 steals. "He helps our team score hustle baskets off of offensive rebounds and steals and he is extremely coachable," McCarty said. "He learns from his mistakes quicker than any player I have ever coached."

David Duncan WarrenDunking isn't Duncan's specialty, but shooting is. Especially from long range. He canned a team-high 37 percent of his attempts from three-point land this season. "David is our best perimeter shooter," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. "He can shoot, but he can also drive. He is very strong." Duncan, a senior, averaged 11 points a game and hit 50 percent of his field goals and 74 percent of his free throws. One of Duncan's best moments was when he nailed a buzzer-beater against Lockport in the prestigious Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

Riaz Hoveydai Vernon HillsThe foundation for a solid senior season was laid last year when Hoveydai came out of his shell and scored 24 points against North Chicago in a regional championship game. "Since then, he has taken it upon himself to be a team leader on the floor and off," Vernon Hills coach Matt McCarty said. "He worked very hard over the summer to improve his game and he has really blossomed into the quarterback of our offense." Hoveydai averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game while also leading the team in assists at 4.3 per game. Against Wauconda in January, he scored a season-high 24 points while dishing out a school-record 10 assists. Hoveydai will play basketball at Lake Forest College next season.

Brandon Kunz Lake ZurichIt's one thing to get a double-double every once in awhile. It's quite another to average a double-double. Not easy. But Lake Zurich forward Brandon Kunz often made scoring and rebounding look effortless this season as he averaged 12.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. "Brandon is an extremely competitive young man," Lake Zurich coach John Zarr said. "He's been such a valuable asset to our basketball team. He's an outstanding rebounder. It really stands out." In fact, Kunz set a school record this season when he pulled down 23 rebounds against Mundelein. Overall this season, he had six games in which he posted 13 or more rebounds. Twice he went over 20 rebounds. Kunz also hit 52 percent of his shots and rolled up 64 blocked shots.

Jeremy Letchford LibertyvilleIf you like watching old-school basketball, then you would like watching Letchford play. "He's is definitely a throwback to the pure post player that was prevalent in basketball before the game became a perimeter, three-point shooting game," Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil said. "Our team looked to establish Jeremy every night and he put up some very good statistics considering that he faced defenses that were designed to take away his low-post game." Letchford averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds a game and hit 53 percent of his shots. One of his best games this season came in an upset victory over Zion-Benton in which he had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Connor Mooney Lake ZurichMooney has been a star at Lake Zurich for quite some time now. The three-year starter at point guard capped off his hoops odyssey by leading the Bears in scoring with a 17.6-point average. He also was one of the top 3-point shooters in the area, hitting nearly 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. "Connor is the epitome of the gym rat," Lake Zurich coach John Zarr said. "The young man just loves basketball. He's an outstanding shooter, an outstanding ball handler, understands the game extremely well. He gets everyone involved. He's going to be missed. Point guards are extremely difficult to replace. I would consider Connor to be irreplaceable." Mooney was also among the team leaders in assists (1.88 apg) and steals (1.2 spg).

Brandon Paul WarrenAlthough a series of nagging injuries and illnesses proved to be an occasional annoyance, Paul came up with yet another impressive season. The Illinois-bound guard led Warren in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, proving again that he can live up to the hype as one of the top seniors in the state of Illinois. Paul has shown he can do it all. He can pull up for a three-pointer at a moment's notice, drive (and often soar) to the basket and sky for rebounds. "He can be a spectacular player with tremendous jumping ability," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said.

James Poliquin WarrenInjuries slowed Poliquin last year, but not this year. In fact, Poliquin was an iron man, coming off an extended football season on the offensive line and then bringing it every night on the basketball court. He was one of only two Warren players to play in every game this season. The 6-foot-4 senior forward averaged 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and led the Blue Devils with a blistering 66 percent field goal percentage. "James is a very strong and solid inside player for us," Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said.

Josh Rappaport Grayslake CentralWhen the Rams lost starting guard Andrew Sipes to a season-ending knee injury around Thanksgiving, Rappaport moved into the lineup. It's a change that clearly agreed with the former sixth man. Rappaport, a junior, led Grayslake Central with a 13.1 scoring average. He also pulled down a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game. "He really came on for us in the Dundee-Crown game (in mid-January). He scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds," Grayslake Central coach Brian Moe said. "Since then, Josh has consistently been pretty close to double-doubles in every game. His inside scoring, along with his ability to hit three-pointers, has been a huge part of our success this year."

Gilbert Sheehan GrantSheehan has come a long way since his Freshman B-team roots. After modest beginnings, he's now one of the top scorers in Lake County with a 19-point average. He also racked up 8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, both of which lead the team. "He's had a breakout season for us this year," Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said. "He's been fantastic around the basket. He brings high intensity every night and does not back down from anyone. He put our team on his shoulders game in and game out."

Henry Wood StevensonHis stats might not be as impressive as his grades and ACT scores, but Wood played a vital role for the Patriots. "Henry is the steady influence on our team," Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. Wood, who had a knack for delivering clutch plays, averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds and a team-leading 3 blocks per game. "He is our defensive anchor," Ambrose said. "He is so mature and bright and a fun player to watch." Wood is bright in the classroom, too. He scored a perfect 36 on his ACT test and takes multiple advanced placement classes. The 6-foot-6 senior, who was recently named academic all-state by the IHSA, is considering Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale and Penn.