Kyle Neddenriep

kyle.neddenriep@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s fair to say Kris Wilkes accomplished a lot in his four years of high school basketball.

He was the two-time Marion County Player of the Year. A McDonald’s All-American. A two-time sectional champion at North Central. But ask Wilkes his favorite on-court memory and you might be surprised.

“It was probably just stepping on the court as a freshman,” he said. “It was a sold-out game against Pike. It was a little scary, but it felt good to get out there and play.”

The 6-8 Wilkes, unmistakable for his highlight-reel dunks and stylish (depending on who you ask) medium shorts, may have another favorite memory to add to the collection. The North Central star was named 2017 IndyStar Mr. Basketball, presented by the Indiana Pacers, on Thursday night at the Indiana Sports Awards at Clowes Memorial Hall.

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“I had three goals coming into high school,” Wilkes said. “I missed one of them, which was to win state. But I also wanted to be a McDonald’s All American and be named Mr. Basketball. Two out of three wouldn’t be bad.”

Not at all. Wilkes, who will play for another Mr. Basketball at UCLA in Steve Alford (New Castle, 1983), was named on 185 of the 445 ballots submitted by coaches and media. Castle’s Jack Nunge (Iowa) was second with 84 votes, followed by Fort Wayne Snider’s Malik Williams (Louisville) with 46 and Cloverdale’s Cooper Neese (Butler) with 45.

Wilkes is the fourth Mr. Basketball from North Central, following Jason Gardner (1999), A.J. Ratliff (2004) and Eric Gordon (2007), tying Anderson, Marion and Washington for the most. Doug Mitchell has coached all four at North Central.

“It’s an honor,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had a lot of guys come through here who worked very hard at their craft, starting with Jason Gardner and continuing from there. That’s something you hope to keep as a program.”

Wilkes led North Central to a 77-22 record in his four seasons. He averaged 22.1 points and 7.0 rebounds as a senior for a team that spent much of the season ranked No. 1 after starting 13-0. The Panthers stumbled a bit in the second half, then recovered to win a sectional regarded as the toughest Class 4A field in the state.

It appeared that North Central might be back on course for the state finals. But the Panthers were upset by Ben Davis — a team they’d defeated twice during the season — 47-44 in the regional semifinals at Southport. Ben Davis went on to run the table and win state.

“Usually the teams that win are the teams that limit distractions and get into the postseason and put in work,” Wilkes said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of that, including myself. But we knew beating them a third time was going to be hard. It went their way that night. It was pretty disappointing. I think we could have won it this year. I think we could have won it last year.”

There were still plenty of highlights along the way. Wilkes finished his career at North Central with 1,831 points to rank behind only Gordon (2,178) in program history. He also shot better than 58 percent from the field and improved every year as a 3-point shooter, making 39.3 percent (39-for-99) as a senior.

“Kris has a unique skill package,” Mitchell said. “He’s not only quick but he’s explosive and much stronger than you’d think when you see his build. He’s worked hard to turn himself into a good shooter.”

It started for Wilkes at age 3. He was playing in development leagues at the SportZone near Pike High School almost as soon as he could hold a basketball. By first grade, he was playing on the Indy Hoosiers with Zach Gunn, an Indiana All-Star this year from Hamilton Southeastern. Wilkes and Gunn never left the Indy Hoosiers, playing together all the way through last summer.

“I think even by the fourth grade you could see how serious he was about basketball,” said his father, Greg Wilkes. “He just kind of took it from there. He was fortunate to get with a good program and a good group.”

By his freshman year of high school, Wilkes was a well-known rising star. The moment former Indiana coach Tom Crean offered him a scholarship, Wilkes saw basketball as more than just a favorite pastime. It was a vehicle that could take him somewhere.

“That’s when I really started thinking I could do something with it,” he said.

But as Wilkes rose up the national rankings (he’s No. 19 by Rivals in the 2017 class), he stayed grounded. He attributes that in large part to the upbringing of his parents, Greg Wilkes and Ahkisha Owens, both Arlington graduates. Greg Wilkes is a 22-year veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

“He shows me a good example of how to be a man,” Wilkes said of his dad. “It keeps me out of trouble, too. I hear stories from him all the time about what he sees at work.”

Wilkes was planning to go on a ride-along with his father a few weeks ago. At about 7:30 a.m., Greg called his son. He missed his alarm.

“He goes to work so early, like 4 or 5 in the morning,” Kris said. “I’m not a morning person. But I’m going to go with him before I leave (for UCLA).”

Like many players at his level, Wilkes had opportunities to leave North Central and attend prep school for his senior year. But there was never much of a conversation about leaving home.

“I wasn’t one of those people who didn’t have a good team,” he said. “I had a team that was solid and could go pretty far and probably win it. I knew I had a chance to win Mr. Basketball and do some other things. I had no reason to leave, really.”

Wilkes picked UCLA over Illinois and Indiana in November. He followed closely in March as the rumor mill buzzed about Alford possibly returning home to take the Indiana job. If he had? Wilkes never got that far along in the thought process to know what would have happened.

“He told me he wasn’t going,” Wilkes said. “He texted me after the Kentucky game and said he wasn’t going and said, ‘I’ll see you out here soon.’ I definitely hope I can go out there and make a big impact.”

The only question now is what number he’ll wear when he arrives. He was No. 31 at North Central in honor of former Pacers great Reggie Miller. That No. 31, though, was also worn by Miller at UCLA. It’s retired. Twice, actually. Ed O’Bannon’s No. 31 jersey also was retired by UCLA.

Wilkes said maybe he’ll ask for No. 13. One thing is already certain.

“I’ve already ordered medium shorts,” he said. “I’m set.”

Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Follow him on Twitter: @KyleNeddenriep.

Kris Wilkes file

Family: Father, Greg Wilkes. Mother, Ahkisha Owens. Brother, Anthony Robey (seventh grade).

By the numbers: Played in 99 games over four seasons, winning 77. Finished career with 1,831 points, 548 rebounds, 121 assists, 94 steals and 92 blocked shots. Averaged 22.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and shot 39.3 percent from the 3-point line as a senior (39-for-99). Scored 30 points or more six times in his senior season. Career high was 35 points against Pendleton Heights.

Toughest player you played against in high school: “Romeo (Langford) is definitely up there. He’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for him. Before the season, I was waiting on that game. Not because of playing him individually but just the team in general because (New Albany) was coming off a state championship. There was a lot of buzz. Even people at our school didn’t have faith, so getting the win in that game meant a lot.”

What it’s like playing four years for Doug Mitchell: “He’s definitely a man of life lessons. He wants to teach you stuff in the long run. He might get mad at you in the moment but he’s a good man and a good coach and the record shows it. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. We butted heads sometimes, but I think some people fold by what he says and let it get to them too much. You have to take what he says and listen.”

What it’s like growing up in social media spotlight: “I think it’s getting worse every year with kids getting big media exposure at a younger age. Some of these kids don’t know what they post can be screen shot and it’s there forever. You have to watch what you say. They need to know that.”

On missing high school: “Right now I’m ready for it to be over with. But later in life I know I’ll look back and remember all the fun times and all my friends. I’m going all the way out there (to California) so I won’t see all the people I’m seeing now. I’ll miss it.”