It’s Glenn and then
Wrapping up 2019 with the all-decade team for Northwest Indiana...
One last list for 2019. My alldecade boys basketball team:
1. Glenn Robinson III, Lake Central, 6-foot-6 guard, 2012: Snubbed by his father’s alma mater, Robinson showed Purdue what a mistake the Boilermakers had made, helping Michigan get to the NCAA championship game against Louisville during his freshman season for the Wolverines. Robinson averaged 21.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior at Lake Central. Currently plays in the NBA with Golden State.
2. Branden Dawson, Lew Wallace, 6-6 forward, 2011: The greatest rebounder of the decade from Northwest Indiana, Dawson averaged 29 points, 19 rebounds and 5.6 assists as a senior. He led the Hornets to the 200910 Class 3A state title game. He was also a McDonald’s AllAmerican. Dawson finished seventh in career rebounding at Michigan State. He helped the Spartans get to the Final Four as a senior
3. Eugene German, 21st Century, 6-0 guard, 2016: German pulled off one of the greatest feats in Indiana All-Star history when he made the team after its top 40 workout, sinking all eight of his 3-point shots. He averaged a state-leading 33.5 points as a senior, then averaged 20.4 points last season for Northern Illinois. German is on the verge of breaking NIU’s career scoring record. He had 1,883 points through Friday. Former Merrillville basketball coach T.J. Lux holds the record with 1,996.
4. Sasha Stefanovic, Crown Point, 6-4 guard, 2017: The all-time leading scorer for the Bulldogs, Stefanovic was an Indiana All-Star and the 2016-17 Post-Tribune Player of the Year, averaging 20 points and seven rebounds. Helped the Bulldogs to sectionals titles in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Made a running 25-foot 3-pointer against Valparaiso to send the 2015-16 sectional title game into overtime. Currently plays at Purdue.
5. Brandon Newman, Valparaiso, 6-5 guard, 2019: The Post-Tribune Player of the Year for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Newman averaged 27.2 points and 8.8 rebounds as a senior and led the Vikings to the sectional title, their first since 2010-11. Newman is second in scoring in Valparaiso history with 1,577 points. Currently plays at Purdue.
6. Damien Jefferson, East Chicago Central, 6-5 guard, 2016: Jefferson averaged 26 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a senior and 23 points as a junior. A spectacular jumper, he helped the Cardinals win a sectional title in the 2015-16 season. He started at New Mexico, but transferred and now plays at Creighton.
7. Tremell Murphy, Griffith, 6-6 forward, 2016: It’s hard to separate Murphy from his twin brother Anthony, but for this team, it’s necessary. A 6-6 forward, Tremell is the best shutdown defensive player on this list. He averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds as a senior. Anthony was slightly better in the defensive department but not quite as good offensively. Tremell helped the Panthers get to the 2014-15 3A state championship game. Currently plays at Drake. 8. Spike Albrecht, Crown Point, 5-11 guard, 2011: Northwest Indiana knew Albrecht was a great player. It took the rest of the world more time to figure that out. Averaged 21 points and five assists as a senior, but was ignored by Division I colleges. Went to prep school, and his only major Division I offer came from Michigan. Albrecht scored 17 points in the 2013 national championship game against Louisville. Finished his career at Purdue.
9. Ryan Fazekas, Marquette, 6-8 forward, 2015: Fazekas led the Blazers to a 2013-14 Class A state title and a 2014-15 state runner-up finish. He averaged 20.9 points and five rebounds as a senior.
Currently plays at Valparaiso University.
10. Joe Crisman, Munster, 6-4 guard, 2011: Helped the Mustangs to an undefeated regularseason record in 2010-2011. The sturdy guard averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists as a senior. Went to play at Loyola University. He’s now in medical school.