Ryan Willen, Notre Dame

6-8, center

Not long after Ryan Willen returned from injury to join the Notre Dame basketball team, which had stumbled to a 2-3 start, he showed how much of a difference he makes. The senior led the Bulldogs into the final of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament with a 40-point effort against Charleston, avenging a loss from earlier in the season and following up a dramatic win against Scott County Central from the previous night.

That was the beginning.

Willen led the Bulldogs (24-6) to the Class 4 state championship, averaging 23.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game to lead his team in both categories. In addition to banging down low, he showed his range by averaging nearly one 3-pointer per game.

The Bulldogs hammered Sikeston, which beaten Willen-less Notre Dame twice, in the Class 4 district final and then steamrolled into the final four. They outscored St. Charles West 20-8 in the second half to win the title game 48-36.

Willen was named the SEMO Conference Player of the Year (and led the conference in free throw percentage), was the Class 4 MVP as selected by MaxPreps, was an all-state selection by the Missouri Association of Basketball Coaches and the Missouri Sportscasters and Sports writers team.

"Ryan is a fierce competitor," Notre Dame coach Paul Hale said. "He didn't get scared, and he liked playing in the big games.

"I've said it before that he might be the best player I've ever coached. He was the hardest worker on the team, and when your best player is your hardest worker, that's a good combination."

Willen will play next year at Lafayette College, an NCAA Division I school in Pennsylvania.

Read more about Ryan Willen from the Southeast Missourian

See the video interview with Ryan Willen