Here are the 2026 Journal Star boys basketball small-school all-area honorees in alphabetical order, led by player of the year and separated by five first-team selections and five honorable mentions.
FIRST TEAM
Josh Humbles, Manual
The 2026 Journal Star Small-School Player of the Year led Manual to its first state title in 29 years. The 6-foot-3 senior forward becomes the ninth Manual POY since the award began in 1992. His three free throws in the final 20 seconds helped the Rams win the 2026 Class 2A state title. He averaged 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 assists for the Rams, who won 25 games and secured a state-best 18th state trophy. His individual accolades include unanimous all-Big 12 Conference first team and Class 2A Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state first team.
Jaquan Brown, Manual
The 6-foot-4 senior forward put together the near-perfect finale to his prep career by winning the Class 2A state title. Brown scored a game-high 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting in just 27 minutes in the state championship game. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Rams, who secured a state-best 25th state finals appearance. His individual accolades include all-Big 12 Conference second team and Class 2A IBCA all-state honorable mention.
Connor Doe, Brimfield
The 6-foot-2 senior guard helped the Indians to the program’s first regional title in 10 years. His game-high 35 points gave Brimfield a Class 1A regional championship. He averaged 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.8 assists for Brimfield, which finished 25-8. His individual accolades include unanimous first-team all-conference in both the Prairieland-North and Inter-County Athletic conferences, along with Class 1A IBCA all-state special mention.
Jerry Hahn, Deer Creek-Mackinaw
The 6-foot-6 senior forward helped Dee-Mack win its first postseason game in eight years and first regional title since 2018.
Hahn posted nine double-doubles and hit seven 3-pointers in a game.
He averaged 16.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 steals for the Chiefs, who went 26-7 and finish tied for second in the Heart of Illinois Conference.
His individual accolades include all-HOIC first team and Class 1A IBCA all-state second team.
Reggie Postlewaite, Manual
The 6-foot-2 senior guard ended his high school career by helping the Rams win the Class 2A state title. Postlewaite went for 13 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and six assists in the five-point state semifinal victory. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals for Manual, which finished 25-9 and made back-to-back state finals. His individual accolades include all-Big 12 first team and Class 2A IBCA all-state third team.
HONORABLE MENTION
Journal Star Boys Basketball Small-School Players of the Year
Past Journal Star All-Class Boys Basketball Players of the Year
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2026 Journal Star all-area teams | Meet the top small-school boys basketball players
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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