Trio of Local Chargers Voted to All-Arrowhead Conference Team

GALESBURG — Three Carl Sandburg College sophomore men's basketball players hailing from area high schools were voted by coaches to this year's All-Arrowhead Conference men's basketball team.

Koen Derry was a first-team selection, while Jeremiah Babers and David Hise were second-team picks. Sandburg's three representatives on the all-conference team tied Illinois Valley for the most of any school.

Derry, a 6-foot-7 forward from Galesburg High School, shined with the Chargers after transferring from North Iowa Area. In starting all six conference games, Derry led Sandburg with 13.5 points, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest. He shot 56 percent from the field and averaged 5.5 rebounds.

Derry scored in double figures in five of six conference games, putting up at least 15 points four times. He had 15 points and 10 rebounds in Sandburg's Jan. 11 contest at Black Hawk.

Babers, a 6-1 point guard and teammate of Derry's at GHS, also transferred to Sandburg for his sophomore campaign after playing last season at NIACC. Babers led the Chargers with 7.7 assists per game while starting all six Arrowhead contests. He also tied Derry for the team lead at 1.2 steals per game. Babers averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the floor.

Babers had five or more assists in five of the Chargers' conference games, including a season-high 13 assists at Black Hawk. He flirted with a triple-double in Sandburg's Feb. 6 win at home over the Braves, posting nine points, nine rebounds and 11 assists.

A 6-4 graduate of Knoxville High School, Hise started all six Arrowhead games and led the Chargers with a 58 percent mark from the field and 37 percent accuracy from 3-point range. Hise also tied for the team lead at 6.3 rebounds per game. He averaged 9.8 points and 2.2 assists against conference opponents.

In Sandburg's Jan. 18 win over Kishwaukee, Hise led the Chargers with 21 points and nine rebounds while going 9 of 11 from the floor.

2024 ALL-ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
First Team
MVP — Joshua Bocher (sophomore, Kishwaukee)
Wade Simms (freshman, Illinois Valley)
Roderick Watson-Pearcey (freshman, Illinois Valley)
Jalen Smith (sophomore, Kishwaukee)
Koen Derry (sophomore, Sandburg)
Second Team
Qu'Amar Hobbs (freshman, Illinois Valley)
Jase Whiteman (freshman, Black Hawk)
Jeremiah Babers (sophomore, Sandburg)
David Hise (sophomore, Sandburg)
Steph Reed (freshman, Black Haw)
Coach of the Year
Chris Herman (Illinois Valley) 

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