Millikin’s prowess rewarded

Although teams don't often get to play a full slate of games because of weather, the pandemic took additional contests in the 2020-21 season.

It was a crazy year for boys basketball, but Pekin's Panthers won a third straight Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division championship.

Although he shared the honor with Wapello's Ken Spielbauer this season, it was Pekin head coach John Swanson's third straight Coach of the Year honor, and it was his third year at the Panthers' helm.

Union area teams had seven of the 10 athletes named to the North Division First Team.

Three Panthers were named to the honor, led by Co-Player of the Year Brady Millikin. He shared the award with Wapello's Maddox Griffin.

Millikin's senior teammates Brock Long and Braden Sobaski were joined by the fourth all-time career scoring leader at Hillcrest Academy, Eli Ours and his senior teammate John Hughes. Then there were two freshmen from Winfield-Mount Union who led the North in rebounding at 9.5 per game - Abram Edwards and Cam Buffington.

Buffington was second in average points per game at 17.6, Edwards seventh at 13.5. Ours' 16.4 was third and Hughes was ninth at 11.2. Long (15.0) and Millikin (14.9) were fourth and fifth.

Ours was third in assists while Edwards (3.1) and Buffington (3.0) were fifth and sixth and Long was ninth (2.6).

Ours was fourth in steals per game while Millikin (2.4), Long (2.4) and Sobaski (2.0) were top 10.

Of players who attempted at least two 3-pointers a game, Long (39.3) was second in 3-point percentage behind teammate Chandler Stull (41.1) and Ours was third (39.1).

Edwards (2.9) was first in the North in blocks per game and Sobaski (2.8) was a close second. Sobaski was 10th in the state in total blocks, Edwards 12th.

Long was first in the North free throw percentage (82.5), Millikin second (82.0), Ours fourth (73.2), Griffin fifth (72.4) and Sobaski (71.4) seventh.

Griffin was one of four players in the state to average more than eight assists per game and one of eight to average at least four steals per game. Millikin was 15th in the state at 5.8 assists per game. Only two players in the state's top 30 of assists averaged less turnovers per game than Millikin's 1.6 average. Griffin was at 2.0.

Griffin was second in the North in field goal percentage at 56.4. Hughes (54.8) was third and Long (53.2) was sixth.

Griffin led the league in points per game (17.6), steals (4.2) and assists (8.2).

Millikin, who did not have a turnover in two postseason games, did whatever was necessary to ensure that his team was in the win column.

'Score, pass, rebound, defend, take care of the ball, he did whatever was needed by his team,” Swanson said.

The Panthers were ranked in Class 2A for much of the season after being a 1A team last season. Millikin was four steals short of a quadruple-double in late January (12 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and six steals) and didn't play in the fourth quarter of the game.

Millikin played his best in big games, producing 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists in the district semifinal and 25 points and eight assists in the district final.

Of course he most often guarded the opponent's best perimeter player and always drew the best defender.

2020-21 Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division Boys Teams

FIRST TEAM

Brady Millikin, senior, Pekin

Brock Long, senior, Pekin

Maddox Griffin, junior, Wapello

Caden Thomas, senior, Wapello

Eli Ours, senior, Hillcrest Academy

Cam Buffington, freshman, Winfield-Mount Union

Cole Lipper, sophomore, Mediapolis

Abram Edwards, freshman, Winfield-Mount Union

John Hughes, senior, Hillcrest Academy

Braden Sobaski, senior, Pekin

SECOND TEAM

Chandler Stull, junior, Pekin

Trenton Murray, senior, Wapello

Rhett Smith, sophomore, Wapello

Ben Egan, sophomore, Mediapolis

Emmanuel Walker, senior, Louisa-Muscatine

Tristan Stokes, senior, Highland

Mason Hodges, senior, Columbus

Cael Lyle, senior, Pekin

Noah Miller, junior, Hillcrest Academy

Tyler Bell, junior, Lone Tree

HONORABLE MENTION

Pekin - Luke Long, sophomore

Wapello - Tate Parsons, junior; Hector Zepeda, senior

Hillcrest Academy - Aaron Hershberger, senior; Grant Bender, sophomore

Winfield-Mount Union - Bryce Wade, senior; Jacob Kongable, senior

Mediapolis - Ryan Ensminger, junior

Highland - Chace Schultz, junior; Conner Grinstead, junior

Louisa-Muscatine - Dawson Wehrle, senior; Ty Northup, freshman

Lone Tree - Adam Knock, junior; Cade Shield, junior

Columbus - Brody Frost, senior; Owen Watson, senior

CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Brady Millikin, senior, Pekin

Maddox Griffin, junior, Wapello

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

John Swanson, Pekin

Ken Spielbauer, Wapello

SOUTHEAST IOWA SUPER CONFERENCE NORTH DIVISION BOYS FINAL STANDINGS

School's records North overall

Pekin 14-1 17-3

Wapello 12-1 16-4

Hillcrest 10-5 13-8

Mediapolis 8-7 8-14

Highland 4-6 4-10

Louisa-Muscatine 5-11 8-13

Lone Tree 2-10 2-17

Columbus 1-13 1-18