All-RTC4 boys basketball: Caston’s super soph Mollenkopf is Player of Year

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

RTC Boys Basketball Player of the Year Logan Mollenkopf

It was early in the Caston boys basketball team’s sectional quarterfinal game against North White in which Logan Mollenkopf dribbled quickly down the court and dunked.

One could say that it was a microcosm for Mollenkopf’s season. He did things all year that put him head and shoulders above everybody else – literally.

And for that, the sophomore guard-forward is our RTC4 Player of the Year.

This is the sixth year that RTC4 has given out this honor, and Mollenkopf is the first Caston player to receive it after averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

He is already past the 800-point mark for his career, and he is a tough cover for opponents. Sag back on him and he will shoot over you. Close out hard on him, and he will drive right by you. Put a smaller defender on him, and he will score on you in the post.

He was held to single digits in scoring just four times in 25 games, and in two of those games, he scored nine.

Mollenkopf headlines our All-RTC4 boys basketball team.

Alas, this marked the fifth consecutive year in which no RTC area team advanced beyond the sectional. It was certainly a year of change at Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley, Culver and North Miami, all of whom broke in new coaches.

The theme of the year might have been defense, as area teams really seemed to drill down on keeping their opponents away from the rim and valued that more than piling up the points on offense.

We would like to thank area coaches for sending us their stats. They certainly help out and help fill in the blanks when we cannot make it to games. We also like to thank them for talking to us after games. Their insights are always very much appreciated.

Having said that, this list is ours and ours alone, and we are totally responsible for it.

First team

• Logan Mollenkopf (Caston) (RTC Player of the Year) – As a pure scorer, Mollenkopf is on his way to being Caston’s best scorer since 2002 grad Eric Walsh. In fact, he’s probably ahead of where Walsh was at the same grade level.

Get ready for a fun next two years at Caston.

• Jonas Kiser (Rochester) – If you watched Rochester play more than a game or two this year, you probably could have guessed that Kiser led the Zebras in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). But would you have also guessed that Kiser, a rugged 6-4 forward, also led the team in assists? Kiser was the focal point of the offense all year and grew quickly into the role.

• Lane Hook (Caston) – Like Mollenkopf, Hook could not be easily pigeonholed. The 6-5 junior big man averaged 15 ppg and 6.7 rpg, and he helped keep attention away from Mollenkopf. He has a refined post game, but he can also shoot the trey.

• Justin Potthoff (Winamac) – Potthoff was a steady force all year, leading the Warriors in scoring (12 ppg) and rebounding (4.4 rpg). Winamac operated as a selfless unit, and they prided themselves on what they did together. Having said that, we wanted to give an outstanding senior his due.

• Owen Omondi (Tippecanoe Valley) – We did not know what to expect about Valley coming into the season – new coach, new roster. The only thing we were pretty sure about was that they had Omondi, who averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, leading the team in both categories. He also was an outstanding defender, often taking on bigger forwards and centers while only standing 6-1.

Second team

• Zhayne Hellums (Argos) – We knew Hellums was a good shooter, but he became a complete scorer this year as a junior. He can score off the drive, and he can score in the midrange as well as hit the 3. Assuming he stays healthy, he will have a shot for 1,000 career points next year.

• Kale Deardorff (North Miami) – The improvement of Deardorff, a senior point guard, was symbolic of the improvement the entire North Miami team made. The Warriors have gone from three wins two years ago to eight wins last year to 15 wins this year. The 15 wins were the most for North Miami in 16 years. This was a team that relied on balanced scoring, but it was Deardorff’s leadership that stood out.

• Jaybin Hines (Winamac) – Hines was the dynamic floor general for the Warriors, replacing his older brother Brendan, who graduated. Jaybin Hines averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. The son of a Winamac assistant coach, he sacrificed some scoring to get others involved.

• Mekhi Austin (Argos) – A junior, Austin was forced into the point guard spot early in the season after a teammate quit, and he averaged 13 points and 2.9 assists per game. Austin found the spots on the floor that were advantageous for him and increased his scoring dramatically.

• Gabe Scott (Pioneer) – There is much to like about Scott’s game. He is 6-4, rangy and athletic and capable of playing both on the inside and outside. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds for a team that played at a relatively slow pace. We could see those numbers taking a jump next year.

• Carson Paulik (Rochester) – Paulik started the year as a versatile utility guy, but by the end of the year, he was undoubtedly the point guard, capable of getting the team into their offense as well as being their most reliable 3-point shooter.

Honorable mention

• Will Malchow (Winamac)

• Mack Calhoun (Argos)

• Wes Parker (Tippecanoe Valley)

• Ryan Meredith (North Miami)

• Ethan Burgess (Winamac)

• Parker Zeider (Winamac)

• Shiloh Rine (Pioneer)

• Caleb McCuen (Culver)

• Carson Harness (Caston)

• Karston Black (North Miami)

• Micah Rans (Pioneer)

• Lake Musall (North Miami)

• Gavin Mollenkopf (Caston)

• Kolton Howard (Culver)

RTC Boys Basketball Players of the Year

• 2021 – Kyle Reinartz (Rochester)

• 2022 – J.J. Morris (Argos)

• 2023 – Tayde Kiser (Tippecanoe Valley)

• 2024 – Sean Richard (Argos)

• 2025 – Drew Bowers (Rochester)

• 2026 – Logan Mollenkopf (Caston)