The accolades keep coming for area boys basketball players and coaches.
For the third consecutive year, a hoops player in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area has been voted No. 1 in his class.
Williston 6’4 junior guard/forward De’Andre Harvey was the leading vote-getter for the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Class Player of the Year.
Harvey led the Red Devils (16-12) to a regional final appearance by averaging 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
He scored a team-high 14 points in a 45-43 loss at Hawthorne in the FHSAA Rural-Region 4 Final on Feb. 17, which ended Harvey and Williston’s two-year run as state champions and instead sent the Hornets to the final four in 2025.
Harvey, who transferred to The Rock School’s National team for his senior season, led the way with 105 points.
Last year as a sophomore Harvey scored a career-high 31 points at Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel) and was the team’s only returning starter this season.
Hawthorne senior forward Chasion Wilson, who scored a game-high 17 points against the Red Devils in the region final, finished second in the voting with 98 points.
Wilson, who averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, also scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 55-50 loss at home to Williston in the Rural-District 7 championship game.
Harvey had a team-high 17 points in the loss.
In Lakeland, Wilson was 7-of-8 from the floor and finished with a game-high 16 points in a 69-44 win against Graceville in the Rural state semifinals. He had a game-high 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals in a 59-38 win against Crossroad Academy (Quincy) in the state championship game.
“Chas brought some physicality to the program, some charisma, and it didn’t take long for him to jell with our guys,” Bowie said of the Lake Worth transfer. “He just came in and they meshed…Hawthorne is a special place, and you’ve got to be kind of different to play at Hawthorne. You’ve got to have thick skin.”
The past two years, CJ Ingram of Hawthorne was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A Player of the Year. He averaged 24 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game for the Hornets (16-5) during his junior season at Hawthorne, which ended in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs (56-51 loss vs. Fort White).
Ingram, who was named the 1A Players of the Year as a sophomore, could have had a chance at a three-peat but transferred to Montverde Academy for his senior season.
Hawthorne coach Greg Bowie dominated the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Class Coach of the Year with 155 points, followed by Colin Anderson of state runners-up Crossroad Academy with 75 points.
Bowie, who guided Hawthorne to its eighth final-four appearance in 18 seasons, led the Hornets to a 20-3 record and their third state title in program history (1987 and 2020).
Elven Sheppard, who led Fort White to its first-ever state semifinal appearance, was third with 55 points.
The Indians finished 15-10 with a 46-37 loss to Crossroad Academy in the Rural state semifinals.
Every finalist in each of the eight classifications will be considered for the overall Player of the Year (Mr. Basketball) and the overall Coach of the Year award. The two winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
The eight finalists for the 2025 Mr. Basketball Award:
Cameron Boozer, Columbus, Senior, Forward, Class 7A Player of the Year
The McDonald’s All-America led his team to a 27-3 record and a fourth straight Class 7A state championship by averaging 22.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Signed with Duke University.
Dwayne Wimbley, St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Forward, Class 6A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 30-2 record and the Class 6A state championship by averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Signed with Florida State University.
Dylon Hanna, Blanche Ely, Senior, Guard, Class 5A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 20-9 record and the Class 5A state championship by averaging 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Josh Lewis, Blake, Senior, Forward, Class 4A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 24-5 record and a spot in the regional finals by averaging 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
Shon Abaev, Calvary Christian, Senior, Forward, Class 3A Player-of-the-Year
The McDonald’s All-America led his team to a 22-1 record and the Class 3A state title by averaging 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Signed with the University of Cincinnati.
Alex Lloyd, Westminster Academy, Senior, Guard, Class 2A Player of the Year
Led his team to a spot in the regional semifinal before losing 76-75 to eventual state champion Riviera Prep. Averaged 27.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Signed with the University of Florida.
Matt Able, Sagemont, Senior, Guard, Class 1A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 22-8 record and the Class 1A state title by averaging 20.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.7 steals per game.
De’Andre Harvey, Williston, Junior, Guard/Forward, Rural Class Player of the Year
Led his team to a 16-12 record and a spot in the regional finals by averaging 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
The eight finalists for the 2025 Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year:
Mark Griseck, Windermere, Class 7A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 26-6 record and a state runner-up finish. Griseck has led three different schools to state runner-up finishes (Olympia, 2019 and P.K. Yonge, 2003 and 2007) and has posted a 462-203 record in 23 years as a head coach.
Julius Sandi, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 30-2 record and the Class 6A state championship, the school’s first state title since 2001. In five seasons at Aquinas, Sandi has compiled a 109-25 record.
J.R. McNabb, Blanche Ely, Class 5A Coach of the Year
In his first year as head of the Ely boys’ program, McNabb led his squad to a 20-9 record and the Class 5A state championship, the school’s ninth boys’ state title and first since 2019. McNabb also won girls’ state titles with Ely in 2020 and Somerset Academy in 2018 and 2019.
Edward Schuler, Stranahan, Class 4A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 25-7 record and the Class 4A state title. It was the school’s fourth state title in the past seven years (2019-20-22-25). In five years at Stranahan, Schuler has posted a 92-30 record.
Colt McDowell, The Villages, Class 3A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 26-6 record and a state runner-up finish. It was his third Final Four appearance in the past four years, including another state runner-up finish in 2023. In 11 years, McDowell has compiled a 215-81 record.
Anthony Shahbaz, Riviera Prep, Class 2A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 25-6 record and a third straight state title. In six years, Shahbaz has compiled a 160-60 record at Riviera Prep, including a state runner-up finish in 2022.
David Roe, Sagemont, Class 1A Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 22-8 record and a third straight state title. In eight years, Roe has a 157-64 record at Sagemont, including a state runner-up finish in 2022.
Greg Bowie, Hawthorne, Rural Class Coach of the Year
Led his squad to a 20-3 record and the inaugural Rural Class state title. In 18 years, Bowie has posted a 356-110 record with eight Final Four appearances and another state title in 2020.