GAINESVILLE (March 23) — The seven individual class finalists for the 2020 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball and Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school boys’ basketball coaches and prep media members.
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 winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
Area players/coaches in bold
The seven finalists for the 2020 Mr. Basketball Award:
Ga’Khari LaCount, Senior, Guard, Coral Park, Class 7A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 17-9 record by averaging 31.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game. He shot 37 percent from 3-point range and 73 percent at the free line while leading Dade County in scoring.
Dionte Blanch, Senior, Guard, East Lake, Class 6A Player of the Year
Blanch led his team to a 26-4 record and a spot in the Final Four by averaging 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He has signed to play college basketball at Murray State.
Emanuel Sharp, Sophomore, Guard, Blake, Class 5A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 22-6 record by averaging a state-leading 31.9 points per game. Added 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 81 percent from the free throw line.
Isaiah Adams, Senior, Guard/Forward, Paxon (Jacksonville), Class 4A Player of the Year
The UCF signee led his squad to a 25-6 record and a spot in the Final Four by averaging 23.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game, including 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game in the postseason.
Yussif Basa-Ama, Senior, Center, St. Andrew’s, Class 3A Player-of-the-Year
Basa-Ama led his team to a 26-5 record and the Class 3A state title by averaging 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He has committed to play basketball at Yale University.
Ven Allen-Lubin, Sophomore, Forward, Orlando Christian Prep, Class 2A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 29-2 record and the Class 2A state title by averaging 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Averaged 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in his team’s state semifinal and final victories.
Marcus Niblack, Senior, Guard, Wildwood, Class 1A Player of the Year
Niblack led his team to a 21-8 record and a spot in the regional finals by averaging 20.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He has committed to the University of Mississippi.
The seven finalists for the 2020 Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year:
Tramaine Stevens, Miramar, Class 7A Coach of the Year
Stevens led his squad to a 24-6 record and the Class 7A state title. In five years at Miramar, he has posted a career record of 103-42 and has one other Final Four appearance (2018).
Terrence McGriff, Bartow, Class 6A Coach of the Year
McGriff led his squad to a 31-1 record and the Class 6A state title. In 18 years at Bartow, he has posted a 328-127 record with two state titles (2010 and 2020) and three other Final Four appearances (2009-13-14).
Eli A. Bryant, Rickards, Class 5A Coach of the Year
Bryant led his squad to a 21-7 record and the Class 5A state title. In 15 years at Rickards, he has a 243-114 record with three state titles (2010-11-20) and a total of five Final Four appearances.
Terrence Williams, Stranahan, Class 4A Coach of the Year
In his third year as the Stranahan head coach, Williams produced a 24-9 record and led his squad to the school’s second straight state championship. His overall record is 71-22.
John O’Connell, St. Andrew’s, Class 3A Coach of the Year
O’Connell’s squad posted a 26-5 record and won the Class 3A state title. It was the first state title for the 35-year coaching veteran who reached three other state finals (1995, 2006 and 2013) while compiling a career mark of 672-262.
Treig Burke, Orlando Christian Prep, Class 2A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 29-2 record and the Class 2A state title. It was the third state title in Burke’s four years at OCP, where he has compiled a 100-21 record while also adding a state runnerup finish in 2019.
Greg Bowie, Hawthorne, Class 1A Coach of the Year
Bowie led his squad to a 25-3 record and his school’s first Class 1A state title. In 13 years at Hawthorne he has posted a 285-82 record with five Final Four appearances, including two state runner-up finishes and this year’s title.
Final voting numbers by class (top three):
Class 7A
Player School Points
Ga’Khari LaCount Coral Park 74
Giancarlo Rosado Palm Beach Lakes 56
Justin Neely Miami Senior 54
Coach School Points
Tramaine Stevens Miramar 110
Sylvester Wynn Sanford Seminole 52
Tony Watson Forest Hill 34
Class 6A
Player School Points
Dionte Blanch East Lake 81
Devin Carter Doral Academy 64
Jordan Sears Mainland (Daytona Beach) 44
Coach School Points
Terrence McGriff Bartow 104
Steve Faulkner Columbia (Lake City) 68
Britt Taylor East Lake 42
Class 5A
Player School Points
Emanuel Sharp Blake 78
Max Jones Clearwater 50
Dallas Graziani Pembroke Pines Charter 40
Coach School Points
Eli Bryant Rickards 82
Dave Roca Pembroke Pines Charter 50
Garrett Hull Naples 42
Class 4A
Player School Points
Isaiah Adams Paxon (Jacksonville) 132
Hunter Hogland Hudson 41
Deebo Coleman West Nassau (Callahan) 38
Coach School Points
Terrence Williams Stranahan 104
Toby Frazier Paxon (Jacksonville) 83
Don Dziagwa Tampa Catholic 45
Class 3A
Player School Points
Yussif Basa-Ama St. Andrew’s 76
Matt Bennett Neumann 46
Logan West Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) 44
Coach School Points
John O’Connell St. Andrew’s 115
James Collins Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) 69
Greg Donahue Community School of Naples 39
Class 2A
Player School Points
Ven-Allen Lubin Orlando Christian Prep 54
Percy Pederson Canterbury 42
A.J. Lopez Schoolhouse Prep 36
Coach School Points
Treig Burke Orlando Christian Prep 84
Ben Jones Impact Christian (Jacksonville) 74
Steven Hayes Mount Dora Christian 32
Class 1A
Player School Points
Marcus Niblack Wildwood 96
Jacob Crews Hilliard 83
Torey Buie Hawthorne 54
Coach School Points
Greg Bowie Hawthorne 117
Myron Saunders Hilliard 66
Jeff Bradley Paxton 37
