For Immediate Release: March 28, 2013
Contact: Jim Harvin @ 352-338-0750 or jimharvin@gmail.com
GAINESVILLE (March 28) — The eight individual class finalists for the 2013 Florida Dairy
Farmers Mr. Basketball and Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and prep media representatives.
Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in their classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in their class. The two overall winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
Following are the eight finalists for the Mr. Basketball Award:
- RaShawn Powell, Orlando Dr. Phillips, Senior, Guard, Class 8A Player of the Year
Powell, a 6-1 point guard and Memphis signee, averaged 27.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game and made 89 3-pointers in leading the Panthers to a 20-8 season and the regional finals.
- Chris Perry, Bartow, Senior, Forward, Class 7A Player of the Year
Perry, a 6-8 power forward who has signed with South Florida, averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds a game in leading the Yellow Jackets to the state semifinals. He was chosen to play for the U.S. 22-and-under Elite Team.
- Zachary Johnson, Miami Norland, Junior, Guard, Class 6A Player of the Year
Johnson, an athletic 6-2 junior, averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.2 rebounds per game and made 115 3-pointers in leading the Vikings to their second straight state championship.
- Erik Thomas, Wesley Chapel, Senior, Forward, Class 5A Player of the Year
The 6-5 Thomas was one of the state’s most prolific scorers, averaging 32.7 points and adding 16.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game while connecting on 56% from the field for the Wildcats.
- Joel Berry, Orlando Lake Highland Prep, Junior, Guard, Class 4A Player of the Year
Despite missing the first eight games (knee injury), the 6-foot Berry, a North Carolina commit and 2012 Mr. Basketball, led LHP to its first state title, averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals a game.
- Grayson Allen, Providence School of Jacksonville, Junior, Guard, Class 3A Player of the Year
The 6-5 Allen led the Stallions to a 31-1 record and their second state title (2009), averaging 19.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game with 48% FG and 81% FT. He totaled 58 points in their two Final Four wins.
- Ivan Canete, Boca Raton Grandview Prep, Senior, Guard, Class 2A Player of the Year
Canete, a 6-4 guard, averaged 24 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks in leading the Pride to their first state title. He shot 62% from the field, 46% from 3-point range and 84% from the foul line.
- Chris Walker, Bonifay Holmes County, Senior, Forward/Center, Class 1A Player of the Year
Walker, a 6-9 McDonald’s All-America who has signed with Florida, led the Blue Devils to their first state title, averaging a triple-double (25 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks per game) in their two Final Four wins.
Following are the eight finalists for Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year:
- Josh Kohn, Oviedo Hagerty, Class 8A Coach of the Year
After guiding the Huskies to a state runner-up finish in 2012, Kohn, who is in his eighth season at Hagerty, led them to a school-record 27-5 mark and their first state championship.
- Melvin Randall, Pompano Beach Ely, Class 7A Coach of the Year
Randall, the reigning Class 7A COY, led the Tigers to a 28-1 season that was capped by their second straight state championship, the third state title in his tenure (2007) and fourth overall for the program.
- Lawton Williams III, Miami Norland, Class 6A Coach of the Year
Williams, who is the reigning Class 6A COY, guided the Vikings to a 26-5 record and their second straight state title, the program’s fourth state championship in the last eight years.
- Neal Goldman, Tampa Jesuit, Class 5A Coach of the Year
Goldman, a veteran coach of 26 years, led the Tigers to their best season in history as Jesuit posted a 31-1 record en route to winning the program’s first state championship.
- Jeff Turner, Orlando Lake Highland Prep, Class 4A Coach of the Year
In his eighth and final season as head coach at LHP, Turner, the school’s new Associate Athletic Director, guided the Highlanders, who were the 2012 state runner-up, to a 24-5 record and their first state title.
- Jim Martin, Providence School of Jacksonville, Class 3A Coach of the Year
Martin, a 13-year coaching veteran at Providence, led the Stallions to a 31-1 season and the state title, their second state championship under his direction (2009).
- Joe Dawson, Boca Raton Grandview Prep, Class 2A Coach of the Year
Seven was the lucky number for Dawson, a repeat winner as Class 2A COY who led the Pride to their seventh consecutive Final Four appearance, a 30-2 record and their first state championship.
- Poe White, Bonifay Holmes County, Class 1A Coach of the Year
In his eighth year, White led the Blue Devils to their first state title by guiding them to a 20-8 record and ending the season on a 10-game winning streak that included wins over the state’s top three ranked teams.
Final voting numbers by class (top three):
Class 8A
Player School Points Coach School Points
RaShawn Powell Orlando Dr. Phillips 171 Josh Kohn Oviedo Hagerty 184
Logan Hovey Oviedo Hagerty 110 Matt Ruta Apopka 91
Antravious Simmons South Miami 56 (tie) Robert Doctor South Miami 64 (tie)
Schuyler Rimmer Orlando Boone 56 (tie) Tommy Tonelli Tampa Wharton 64 (tie)
Class 7A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Chris Perry Bartow 115 Melvin Randall Pompano Beach Ely 170
Khalil Thomas Pompano Beach Ely 105 Chucky Atkins Orlando Evans 126
Jermohn Queen Martin County 79 Terrence McGriff Bartow 111
Class 6A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Zachary Johnson Miami Norland 123 Lawton Williams III Miami Norland 155
Isaiah Jackson Gainesville 73 Brad Grant Pensacola Pine Forest 126
Chance McSpadden Winter Haven 65 Kelly Beckham Gainesville 67
Class 5A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Erik Thomas Wesley Chapel 122 Neal Goldman Tampa Jesuit 184
Devin Harris Tampa Jesuit 113 Jerry Buckley Jacksonville Bishop Kenny 105
Jimmie Taylor III Suwannee 61 (tie) Donald Lockhart Palatka 67
Kobe Eubanks PLT American Heritage 61 (tie)
Class 4A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Joel Berry Lake Highland Prep 180 Jeff Turner Lake Highland Prep 160
Sam Singer Ransom Everglades 73 John O’Connell Boca Raton St. Andrews 92
Justin McBride Bradford 42 Claude Grubair Ransom Everglades 68
Class 3A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Grayson Allen Jacksonville Providence 145 Jim Martin Jacksonville Providence 159
Nura Zanna Coral Springs Christian 93 Steve Fitzgerald Coral Springs Christian 83
Gary Sampson Miami Dade Christian 41 (tie) Greg Donahue Naples Community School 61
Egor Koulechov Weston Sagemont 41(tie)
Class 2A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Ivan Canete Boca Raton Grandview Prep 133 Joe Dawson Boca Raton Grandview Prep 172
Adonys Henriquez Orlando Christian Prep 114 Reggie Kohn Orlando Christian Prep 111
Adam Gage Seven Rivers Christian 39 Tony Medina Orlando Faith Christian 60
Class 1A
Player School Points Coach School Points
Chris Walker Bonifay Holmes County 175 Poe White Bonifay Holmes County 166
Ed Porter Hawthorne 85 Andrew Moten West Gadsden 98
Raheem Wright Wewahitchka 57 Greg Bowie Hawthorne 93
