Warsaw junior Kyle Mangas has been chosen as our Ink Free News Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (Photo by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – One has to excuse Kyle Mangas when he says he’s had a “pretty good” year on the hardwood.

The unselfish, understated Warsaw basketball star would rather talk about his team than about himself any day.

It’s just one of the many endearing qualities that makes Mangas such a tremendous choice for the 2015-16 IFN Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The 6-3 standout backcourt performer was the pick this year as the best in the area in a field featuring a trio of worthy candidates in Mangas, along with Paul Marandet of the Tigers and high-scoring Nate Walpole of Whitko.

Don’t let the soft-spoken, honest and humble nature of Mangas fool you though.

He can ball.

Mangas, a junior guard, led Warsaw to a 21-1 mark in a special regular season for the Tigers. The Class 4-A No. 6 Tigers won their first 20 games of the season, including going 7-0 in the NLC for the second straight year, before a loss to Carmel.

“I’m definitely honored to be selected,” said Mangas of his POY honor. “I just try to keep improving every game and every week. I feel like I’ve had a pretty good year.”

Mangas, who was a first-team pick to the IFN All-Area team last year, averages a team-high 19.5 points-per-game for coach Doug Ogle’s team. He is also averaging 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Mangas is shooting 54 percent from the field overall, including a team-best 46 percent from 3-point range, and 81 percent from the free throw line.

Mangas and Marandet, who was the IFN Player of the Year last season, have been quite a handful for opponents all season long. The dynamic duo are also two of the most improved players in the area.

“I think that the biggest thing for Paul and me are our basketball IQ’s,” noted Mangas. “We have played together since I was in the third grade and we know each other’s strengths. I feel like both of us have improved a ton since last year. We wouldn’t be anywhere this season as a team without Paul. He’s our best defender, a great free throw shooter and has improved his scoring a ton from last season.”

Mangas burst on the scene a year ago as he averaged a team-high 11.8 points-per-game as a sophomore for the Tigers. He has just gotten better this year, especially as the go-to-guy at crunch time for Warsaw. Mangas has hit big shot after big shot late in games this season as Warsaw is 4-0 in overtime contests. He scored the final five points of the game Friday night as the Tigers rallied for a 32-29 win at No. 9 Carroll in the regular-season finale. Mangas finished that game with a game-high 18 points. His game-tying shot in regulation at Fort Wayne Northrop is still being talked about.

Mangas, while maybe not possessing the “Wow” factor of some players, has made his mark on coaches who have had to try and stop him.

“He’s just so efficient,” said Carmel coach Scott Heady of Mangas after facing Warsaw on Feb. 20. “He may not be flashy, but he’s so fundamentally strong with his footwork and his shot fakes. He’s just a smart player. Our No. 1 goal tonight was to keep him off the free throw line and make him earn his points.”

Mangas scored a game-high 20 points in a 36-33 loss to Carmel. The Greyhounds hit a 3-pointer at the final horn to hand the Tigers their only loss of the season. Mangas had hit a trey of his own with 34 seconds to play to tie the game.

“I just try to let the game come to me and mix it up whether it’s scoring in transition or shooting a three,” explained Mangas. “I don’t feel pressure. I just try to let the game come to me and I have confidence in all of my teammates.

“The big thing that has made us successful is that everyone on this team is so unselfish and we play great team defense. That’s all about effort, physical and mental toughness and communication. We all have each other’s backs on defense.”

Ogle, a man who measures his words very carefully, is effusive in his praise of Mangas.

“Without Kyle, we become a very average team right away,” said Ogle. “His 20 ppg. average this year is a lot more impressive because of the attention defensively that he has commanded from teams this season. The defenses against him are a lot better this year, including some of the junk defenses that teams have played on him.

“The biggest thing is that he’s become a better passer this season. He’s a willing passer too and that makes it tough on our opponents. He has improved his ball handling and his court vision too. He’s not afraid to take the big shot at the big moment. He’s efficient and I he’s also relentless. He never lets up.”

Mangas comes from great basketball bloodlines. His father Tim scored 1,030 career points at Wawasee High School and then played at DePauw University. His mother Ann, who is a teacher, was a sophomore member of the 1984-85 Wawasee team that went 23-2 and was state runner-up. His older brother Jake was a starter for the Tigers last season.

Ogle definitely sees the impact that Mangas’ parents have had on his star player, which goes far beyond the basketball court.

“They raised their boys (Jake and Kyle) to be hard-working and humble and the result of that has been very good for our program,” Ogle said. “I can’t tell you how many people that I have had come up to me and tell me how much they appreciate how good of a role model Kyle is. That’s not lost on people who know him.

“It’s very refreshing to see that, especially in 2016 when that’s not always the case. Kyle’s attitude is how you should go about being a high school student athlete. It’s very easy to root for a guy like him.”

Another reason why he’s also a great choice for the IFN Player of the Year.