Vote for the southwestern Illinois Boys Basketball Player of the Year for 2021-22

Vote for the Belleville News-Democrat’s Boys Prep Player of the Year. Poll closes at 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 11. To vote again, hit refresh.

These players all had outstanding seasons for their respective teams and were chosen as a BND athlete of the week during the winter campaign.

To be clear, this poll is not scientific. In fact, we invite you to vote as many times as you want. It’s all for fun, BND readers.

Looking ahead, anyone can nominate a varsity baseball or softball player for an upcoming poll by emailing gvartanian@bnd.com. The first baseball/softball poll will appear on the BND’s website — www.bnd.com — at 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 12. Please send nominations to Garen Vartanian at gvartanian@bnd.com.

Here are the boys player of the year candidates:

• Kaden Augustine of Gibault Catholic High School: Augustine, a junior guard, finished the season averaging 14.1 points and 3.2 rebounds for the 22-10 Hawks.
  
  
• Gannon Birkner of New Athens High School: Birkner, a junior center, finished the season averaging 20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.72 assists for the 16-16 Yellow Jackets.
• Caleb Burton of O’Fallon High School: Burton, a senior guard, finished the season averaging 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.69 assists per game for the 23-8 Panthers.
• Devin Davis of Collinsville High School: Davis, a senior guard, finished the season averaging 10.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.84 for the 26-6 Kahoks.
• Rini Harris of O’Fallon High School: Harris, a sophomore guard, finished the high school basketball season averaging 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the 23-8 Panthers.
• Tyler Lunning of O’Fallon High School: Lunning, a senior guard, finished the season averaging 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.32 steals per game for the 23-8 Panthers.
• Brady Moore of Breese Central High School: Moore, a senior forward, finished the season averaging 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds for the 28-6 Cougars.
• Dylan Murphy of Columbia High School: Murphy, a junior forward, finished the season averaging 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.63 assists for the 23-9 Eagles.
• Lane Otten of Freeburg High School: Otten, a junior guard/forward, finished the season averaging 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds and for the 20-10 Midgets.
• Jake Ottensmeier of Highland High School: Ottensmeier, a sophomore guard, finished the season averaging 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.97 assists for the 14-16 Bulldogs.

This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 3:00 PM.