Ben Lippen duo voted Midlands HS basketball players of the week
The votes are in, and Ben Lippen’s Junior De Los Santos and Ny Gipson won the vote for The State’s Midlands High School Basketball Players of the Week.
Thanks for all who voted. There will be a new poll up on Tuesday. Coaches can send nominees to Lou Bezjak at lbezjak@thestate.com by noon on Tuesdays.
Congrats to all the nominees.
Boys Player of Week nominees
Levi Ball, Gray Collegiate: Senior averaged 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals in wins over Brookland-Cayce and Airport.
Jacob Bouchard, Lexington: Bouchard was 5 of 8 from 3-point range and scored 16 points with 4 rebounds in the Wildcats’ lone game, a region win over Irmo.
Courtnie Brown, Columbia: Senior averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in the Capitals’ three games last week.
Hunter Collins, Heathwood Hall: Sophomore guard averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds in wins over Hammond and Northside Christian. It was Heathwood’s first win over Hammond since 2022.
KJ Dupree, Dutch Fork: Sophomore scored 18 points, was 8 of 11 from the field, had 6 rebounds and 2 steals in Silver Foxes’ lone game, a win over Chapin.
Kolton Rogers, Pelion: Senior averaged 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Panthers’ wins over Swansea and Columbia last week.
Jackson Ross, Hammond: Junior scored a career-high 40 points against Cardinal Newman and was a steal short of a triple-double against Wilson Hall. During week, he averaged 25.3 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Junior De Los Santos, Ben Lippen: Senior guard averaged 11.6 points, including a career-high 14, in Falcons’ three games last week.
Treyvon Smith, Mid-Carolina: Eighth-grader scored 19 points, had 14 rebounds, two blocks, two steals in Rebels’ win over Columbia.
D’Marcus Thomas, Westwood: Senior averaged 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in wins last week over No. 1 Ridge View and Spring Valley.
Girls Player of Week nominees
Lakiara Ayona Alexander, Camden: Senior had 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in the Bulldogs’ lone game last week.
Kynadi Breland, Dreher: Sophomore had a career-high 22 points in the Blue Devils’ win over Lancaster.
Aneya Britt, Gray Collegiate: Junior averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 steals in Gray’s two wins last week.
Teonna Draughn, AC Flora: Senior averaged 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3 steals in three wins last week.
Ny Gipson, Ben Lippen: Eighth-grader averaged 19.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals in the Falcons’ two games last week.
Jazz McMillan, Hammond: Junior averaged 19 points a game in three wins last week for the Skyhawks.
Laila Singletary, Irmo: Eighth-grader averaged 32 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals in Irmo’s two wins last week.
Chase Thomas, Blythewood: Senior averaged 26.7 points, 11 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.7 steals in Bengals’ three wins last week.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 1:23 PM.
