The emergence and maturation of Damien King was evident this season as the Anderson junior continued to develop his skills and his leadership qualities.
Now his talents are not only apparent to the local area but are gaining attention and accolades state-wide.
After leading the area in scoring and rebounding and guiding Anderson to its third consecutive Madison County title, King was named to the Underclass Supreme 15 and to the Indiana Junior All-Stars by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. As a reward for one of the more dominant local performances in recent memory, King has also been named the 2024 THB Sports Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year.
This is the third straight win for Anderson as King followed in the footsteps of former teammates Tyrelle Wills and Ahmere Carson.
“Coach (Donnie) Bowling texted me to tell me, and I was shocked,” King said. “It was a surreal feeling, and I’m extremely blessed.”
This season, the 6-foot-5 guard/forward averaged 23.3 points and 8.4 rebounds — both highs for the THB Sports area — and was also a pest defensively at 2.3 steals and half-a-block per game. He set the tone in the second game of the season with 34 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Lapel and maintained a high level of performance right through Anderson’s third straight county title, when he averaged 19 points in the tournament.
He is proud of his team being the first since Pendleton Heights in 2012 to take three boys titles in a row but even more so that it was a true team effort.
“It meant a lot because everyone was happy on the court,” King said. “Everybody was swarming, playing defense and, at halftime, we had to get some things straight, but we played together.”
King became the first Madison County boys player selected for the All-Stars series since Sean McDermott of Pendleton Heights was picked for the senior team in 2015 and the first Anderson player since DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis — also a senior — and junior Antwaun Boyd, who were both picked in 2006.
The all-star selection and being named one of the 15 best underclassmen in the state are proof positive his talents are being recognized state-wide, not just locally.
“That meant a lot to me,” King said. “Just seeing that I got it and where I’m from means a lot because not too many people get that recognition.”
There is one bit of disappointment in that King and the Indians were unable to claim their first sectional title since 2009 after being upended by undefeated Greenfield-Central.
He said that heartbreak will only serve as fuel and motivation for the team — which returns four starters — to come back better than ever next season.
“We just have to keep going, get back there and go further,” he said. “It would mean a lot to the whole community. The whole gym would be packed when we got back. I can imagine it.”
King is entertaining multiple Division I offers but is in no rush to make a decision. He still has the coming AAU season as well as his senior year at Anderson.
He grew into a physical specimen as a sophomore and improved his leadership abilities this season, but what will he look to improve upon for his final high school season?
“I want to extend my range for the 3-point line, post wor, and ball handling,” he said. “That’s three areas. I want to be more of a combo-guard. Expect big things. Stay tuned.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.