Nate Walpole of Whitko was chosen to our Ink Free News Boys Basketball All-Area First Team.

WARSAW –  The 2016 edition of the Ink Free News Boys Basketball All-Area Team features a little bit of everything.

Need a guy to step up and take a shot late in the game with your team down a point?

Try Kyle Mangas of Warsaw.

Need a guy to light up the scoreboard like a Christmas Tree?

Try Nate Walpole of Whitko.

Need a lock down defender?

Try Paul Marandet of Warsaw.

Need a couple of athletic, hard-nosed guys to run your team?

Try Jordan Anderson of Triton or Alec Craig of Tippecanoe Valley.

The second-annual team is highlighted by a slew of talented guards with seven of the 10 players chosen by the IFN Sports Staff listed as backcourt performers for their respective teams.

The All-Star squad also features plenty of familiar faces from last year’s outstanding team. A handful of the players honored this time around were also named to the All-Area team in 2015.

That list includes the outstanding trio of juniors Mangas and Walpole and senior Marandet, who were all in the running this year for the IFN Player of the Year Award which went to Mangas.

IFN First Team

Kyle Mangas, Warsaw – Mangas, a junior guard, has been the go-to-guy all season long for the Tigers (see separate POY story on IFN on Mangas). The 6-3 standout has been a star on a Warsaw team that takes a 21-1 mark into postseason play.

Jordan Anderson, Triton – Anderson has stepped up big time in his senior season for the Trojans. The tough 5-11 guard has helped Triton go 16-7 thus far. He is the top scorer for the Trojans at 14.9 points-per-game, while also averaging 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Anderson, who was a second-team All-IFN choice last year, is shooting 39 percent on his 3-point tries and 82 percent from the free throw line.

Alec Craig, Tippecanoe Valley – Craig has helped the Vikings surge late in the season with his scoring and playmaking ability. The 6-0 junior guard, who is a three-sport standout at Valley, averages a team-high 13.4 points-per-game. He also checks in at 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest for the Vikings, who have won four straight games to improve to 10-12. Craig is shooting 48 percent overall from the field, including 40 percent from deep.

Paul Marandet, Warsaw – Marandet, who was the IFN POY in 2015, has only gotten better this season. The 6-0 senior guard has more than doubled his scoring average from a year ago to 12.4 points-per-game for the Tigers. Marandet also averages 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Tigers, who are 21-1 and ranked No. 6 in Class 4-A. Marandet is shooting 50 percent from the field and 83 percent from the line and is the leader of a defense that ranks fourth in the state in points allowed per game at just 38.9.

Nate Walpole, Whitko – Walpole is one of the big reasons why Whitko is one of the state’s most-improved teams this winter. The 6-0 junior guard ranks among the state’s top scorers at 27.3 points-per-game. He also averages 4.4 rebounds and six assists per game and has connected on 70 treys this season. Walpole, who was named to the first-team last year as well, has led his team to a 13-9 mark after the Wildcats went 6-17 last year and 1-20 two seasons ago.

IFN Second Team

Neil Clampitt, Tippecanoe Valley – Clampitt has been a big key for coach Bill Patrick’s Vikings. The senior guard is averaging 12.3 points-per-game and has been strong down the stretch after missing four games due to a hand injury. Clampitt, who was also a second-team pick last year, averages 4.2 rebounds per outing, while shooting 32 percent from distance and 75 percent from the line. 

Jeremy David, Warsaw – David provides much needed muscle in the interior for the Tigers. The 6-4 junior forward is the top rebounder for Warsaw at 4.5 caroms-per-contest. David also averages 4.7 points-per-game, while shooting a team-high 64 percent from the field.

Riley Rhoades, Warsaw – Rhoades has returned from a knee injury to give Warsaw another athletic performer in the front court. The 6-4 senior forward, who missed the first four games of the season after being injured during football season, averages 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Rhoades, a standout receiver for the Tigers on the gridiron, shoots 52 percent from the field.

River West, Whitko – West has had a stellar sophomore campaign for the Wildcats. The 6-1 guard is scoring at a 15.5 points-per-game clip and also averages 4.5 rebounds per outing. West is shooting 37 percent from deep and connected on 64 triples. He is also shooting an outstanding 83 percent from the line.

Masen Yeo, Triton –Yeo has delivered a little bit of everything in his senior season for the Trojans. The 6-4 forward averages 12.3 points to go with 4.1 rebounds per outing. He is also handing out two assists per game and grabbing 1.7 steals per contest while shooting 33 percent from beyond the 3-point line.