Connor Millikan returns after becoming fourth Nebraska prep basketball player to reach 1,000 points as a sophomore.
It didn't take Platteview's Connor Millikan long to reach 1,000 points. As a sophomore, the 6-foot guard buried 42 points in a 77-69 win over Douglas County West to reach 1,000 points for his career. During the eight-point win, Millikan also broke former Platteview great Bill Milks' school record of 561 points in a season. Milks' record stood for 40 years before Millikan came along.
Millikan enters the 2021-22 season with 1,130 points after ripping the cords for 666 points last season. Tim Brotzki's star player averaged 26.6 points, 3.5 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals an outing to bring back the Cornhusker State's top basketball stat line of a year ago.
A first team all-stater in both the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star a year ago, Millikan produced 12 double-doubles and had the season and career high 42 points against the Falcons. Millikan, a junior in 2021-22, pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds twice last year, dished out a season high eight assists and gathered in five steals twice to take the top spot in this week's Top 10.
Creighton's John Mitchell is the state's top returning scorer, according to MaxPreps' statistics database, and grabs the No. 2 spot this week. Mitchell scored 33.4 points a game a year ago and dished out 1.6 assists, pulled down 3.8 boards, and stole 2.4 enemy balls. Luke Kasten, of Potter-Dix, slides into No. 3 after scoring 22.2 points a game and pulling down 11.6 rebounds an outing last season.
Grand Island's Isaac Traudt poured in 25.3 points an outing and ripped down 9.4 boards per game a year ago to take the No. 4 spot while Blake Sindelar, of Howells-Dodge, rounds out the Top 5 after scoring 19.8 points, dishing out 4.4 assists and grabbing 8.6 boards last winter. Classes A, B, C1, C2, D1 and D2 are all represented in this week's Top 10.
In order to be considered for this week's Top 10, an athlete had to post an average of 15 points, 3.0 assists, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and/or 1.0 blocked shots. Several members of this week's Top 10 qualified in multiple categories.
Nebraska's Top 10 returning boys basketball stat lines
1. Connor Millikan, Platteview (Springfield)26.6 Points | 3.5 Assists | 8.8 Rebounds | 2.4 Steals | 0.0 Blocks
2. John Mitchell III, Creighton33.4 Points | 1.6 Assists | 3.8 Rebounds | 2.4 Steals | 0.1 Blocks
3. Luke Kasten, Potter-Dix (Potter)22.2 Points | 2.7 Assists | 11.6 Rebounds | 2.0 Steals | 0.6 Blocks
4. Isaac Traudt, Grand Island25.3 Points | 1.0 Assists | 9.4 Rebounds | 0.6 Steals | 0.7 Blocks
5. Blake Sindelar, Howells-Dodge (Howells)19.8 Points | 4.4 Assists | 8.6 Rebounds | 2.4 Steals | 0.7 Blocks
6. Calvin Johnson, Axtell16.6 Points | 1.8 Assists | 13.1 Rebounds | 1.3 Steals | 1.4 Blocks
7. Garrett Fortney, College View Academy (Lincoln)19.5 Points | 2.3 Assists | 10.2 Rebounds | 1.8 Steals | 0.3 Blocks
8. Cole Kramer, Sandhills Valley (Stapleton)15.7 Points | 1.6 Assists | 11.4 Rebounds | 2.1 Steals | 2.7 Blocks
9. Trajan Arbuck, Heartland (Henderson)20.0 Points | 6.1 Assists | 3.3 Rebounds | 3.8 Steals | 0.3 Blocks
10. Malachi Washington, Boys Town17.1 Points | 0.8 Assists | 12.7 Rebounds | 0.9 Steals | 1.9 Blocks
