SECOND ANNUAL D9SPORTS.COM DISTRICT 9 PRE-SEASON BOYS’ BASKETBALL ALL-DISTRICT TEAM NAMED

D9Sports.com powered by the RRR Roadhouse

SHIPPENVILLE – The second annual D9Sports.com District 9 Pre-season Boys’ All-District basketball team has a distinctly northern flavor to it this year with four of the five team members coming from the northern half of the district.

Leading the team is the second leading returning scorer in District 9 from last season in Cameron County senior Jordan Crane. Crane is joined by fellow seniors Blair Heimel of Coudersport, Ben Lanich of Bradford, John Bizzak of Kane and Christian Spilman of DuBois Central Catholic. A breakdown of the players in alphabetical order by school follows.

BEN LANICH – SR., F, BRADFORD

Lanich, who was a second-team All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com District 9 selection last season, tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 13.5 ppg, which was good for 21^st in D9, while averaging a double-double (11.5 rpg). He shot 56 percent from the field and was a big reason the Owls repeated as D9 Class AAA champions. He enters his senior season with 543 career points (unofficial).

JORDAN CRANE – SR., G, CAMERON COUNTY

Crane, who was a second-team All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com District 9 selection last season, led the North Tier League while tying for seventh in District 9 in scoring a year ago at 18.7 ppg. He averaged a double-double with 11.3 rpg while adding 3.5 spg and shooting 62.4 percent from the field. He enters his senior season with 783 career points (unofficial).

BLAIR HEIMEL – SR., F, COUDERSPORT

Heimel, the lone returning All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com District 9 first-team All-District selection from last season, tied for 11^th in the district in scoring (16.2 ppg) while averaging a double-double (10.0 rpg). He added 2.5 bpg and 1.6 apg while shooting 59.4 percent from the field. He scored 20 or more points six times and helped Coudersport go 24-3 overall winning the NTL title, taking third in D9 Class A and qualifying for the PIAA Playoffs. He enters his senior season with 507 career points (unofficial).

CHRISTIAN SPILMAN – SR., G, DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC

Spilman, who was a second-team All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com District 9 selection last season, was the starting point guard for the PIAA Class A runner-up Cardinals, who went 27-4 last season winning the AML Title and taking fourth in D9 Class A. He averaged 10.2 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.4 spg and 3.2 rpg while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line. He enters his senior season with 605 career points.

JOHN BIZZAK – SR., F, KANE

Bizzak, who was a second-team All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com District 9 selection last season, led Kane to the District 9 Class AA title and a berth in the PIAA playoffs a year ago by averaging a double-double (12.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg). He enters his senior season with 664 career points.

10 more to watch (alphabetical by school)

Ryan LaBrozzi – Sr., Bradford (13.2 ppg)

Dan Sullivan – Jr., Cameron County (13.5 ppg)

John Hau – Sr., Coudersport (16.2 ppg)

Dom Varacallo – Sr., DuBois CC (11.5 ppg)

Corey Snyder – Sr., East Forest (16.5 ppg)

Mike Punk – Sr., Kane (12.3 ppg)

Kyle Rhoads – Sr., Keystone (12.5 ppg)

Levi Welder – St. Marys (13.2 ppg)

Alex Eckert – Jr., Venango Catholic (20.0 ppg)

Eric Guth – Sr., Venango Catholic (16.0 ppg)