Basketball is the quintessential team game.  All those players that have been honored as MVPs or MOPs certainly couldn’t win games and amass impressive stats without some help.  With that in mind, here are our nods to the Best Supporting Player in each classification.

RURAL

Camari Hale, Quincy Crossroad Academy: The 6’1 senior was the second leading scorer and third leading rebounder for the state champion Scorpions this past season.  With Jabari Boahen, the team’s leading scorer, limited by foul trouble in the state semis, Hale stepped in to bear the scoring load.  In a tough title game contest against Williston, Hale once again came up clutch, leading the team with twenty points.

CLASS 1A

Obinna Ekufu, Weston Sagemont: On a team loaded with perimeter talent, the 6’6 senior was called upon to do a lot of “grunt” work in the paint.  While only averaging a shade under seven points and six rebounds a contest, Okufu’ s paint presence at both ends of the court stood out.  He was consistently a lob and putback threat on offense and a shot challenger and switchable defender on the other end of the court.  He was the Lions’ leading rebounder and shot blocker in two final four games in Jacksonville.

CLASS 2A

Luke Mayberry, Jacksonville Providence: While the 6’2 senior was the only starter not to average double-figures in scoring for the season (9.0 ppg), Mayberry did so many other things well that got the Stallions to the winner’s circle in 2A.  He averaged over five assists per contest and nearly two steals per game.  Mayberry’s ability to hit timely shots and provide a spark at the defensive end of the court was a vital component to the team’s success.  He did a solid job of orchestrating his teammates, communicating what needed to be done, and was an extension of the coaching staff on the court.

CLASS 3A

Aiden Bolden, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian: The 6’7 senior came through in a big way this season.  With FSU Signee Colin Paul out for the year with a knee injury, Bolden took over as a dominating interior player to complement the perimeter artistry of Cayden Daughtry.  Bolden’s combination of strength and athleticism allowed him to score inside in traffic, finish ahead of the defense in transition, and attack the basket off short drives.  Defensively he played big, challenging and changing shots inside, grabbing rebounds and quickly getting the ball out to teammates to start the transition game and being able to switch out and defend in ball-screen action.  His energetic play was contagious with his teammates.

CLASS 4A

Jamarey Harris, Riviera Beach Suncoast: By all accounts, it was a true team effort for the Chargers to win the state title.  Harris, a 5’11 senior, led the team in steals, but came in second in all of the other major categories such as points, rebounds, and assists.  The team was dominant in its two games in Jacksonville, but it was Harris that rose to the top with team highs in points (18) and assists (6) while finishing second in steals (5) in the title game.  With his ability to play with great energy and a high basketball IQ, Harris was a quintessential teammate.

CLASS 5A

Zacuras Dawson, Pembroke Pines Charter: Seeing as the 5’11 junior led his team in scoring at almost 17 points a game as was named Broward’s Co-Player of the year for big schools, this selection may not make much sense.  However, we truly believe in our selection of Robert Guishard as the team and classification’s MVP.  Dawson greatly improved over the course of the season in terms of shot quality and playing under control.  By bringing defensive attention to him, Dawson was able to allow other players to flourish in their roles.

CLASS 6A

Zane Elliott, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas: The 6’6 senior was essentially the only interior presence the Raiders had.  A football standout as well, Elliott brought that kind of mentality to the floor, balancing out the perimeter players’ finesse.  He often kept possessions alive on the offensive end and was quick to start the transition game for his team with quick outlets of defensive rebounds.  Elliott was effective in ball screen action and had the ball-handling, passing, and perimeter shooting skills to pull bigger defenders away from the basket, opening driving lanes for teammates.

CLASS 7A

Felipe Quinones, Miami Columbus: The 6’5 senior and Florida Atlantic signee did a great job in taking the offensive pressure of Caleb Gaskins and Cello Jackson while also leading the team in assists and maintaining a near four-to-one assist/turnover ratio.  Quinones showed he could score from behind the arc or get downhill and attack defenders at the basket.  He has excellent positional size for the point guard spot and is comfortable playing both on and off the ball.

INDEPENDENT

Symone Ghe, Academy of Central Florida: A 7’3 senior, Ghe makes an immediate impact on defense as a shot blocker.  However, ACF usually started off games going to Ghe in the post as he always had a size mismatch and the team would exploit that until opponents stopped it, usually midway to the end of the first quarter.  From that point, Ghe would be used more as a lob threat or decoy, getting the ball to open teammates for shots.  He was named MVP of the SIAA state tournament while never leading the team in scoring.