TriCounty Brandon Hughes became the latest in a long line of standout Manual High School basketball players in 1994 when he led the Rams to their first state championship since 1930.
Averaging 20.3 points and shooting .498, Hughes was Manualís "go-to" guy in vital situations and it was his two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining that put down Carbondale 6 1-60 in the title game of the Class AA tournament in Champaign.
He was named to the Mid-State 6 all-conference team, was the Journal Star's Metro Player of the Year and selected to all-state teams by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News Gazette and the Associated Press.
He was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the IHSA Sports Report and honored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
He is now attending Barton County Junior College in Kansas.
| 2016 Tri-County Male Athlete of the Year Kendrick Green Kendrick Green (Peoria High School): Three-sport athlete who wrestles, plays baseball and was offered two dozen college scholarships as a football lineman. A two-way starter on the Lions state football champ, he helped the record-setting offense average 57.5 points per game. As a defensive lineman, the All-State player recorded 113 tackles, 33 for loss, 15 sacks and scored a TD. |  |