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Young & Graves Share POTY - NEO Wrap Up

By T.J. Peatross, 03/30/17, 10:45PM EDT

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via Dallas Moldovan ( @Moldovan_20 on Twitter)

Get the brooms! Since the OHSAA switched to a four division format in 1988, no one corner of the state has ever swept through State Championship quite like Northeast Ohio did a little over a week ago. Massillon Jackson, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, and Lutheran East all walked away with bragging rights for the next eight months. 

As a way to reflect on this historic season for NEO hoops, let's take a look at a few postseason awards from the 2016-17 year. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our NEO Wrap Up as we break out the crystal ball and look into what to expect next in boys' hoops!

Players of the Year

Kyle Young (Jackson) 2017 

Just days after leading his team to a state championship, Kyle Young hopped on a plane for Phoenix, Arizona to compete in the American Family Insurance Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships.

Tune in to CBS April 2nd at 3:30PM to see how Young fared against some of the country's top leapers. 

It was a pair of slams by the Butler commit that sealed the deal in Jackson's 75-64 win over St. Edward in the Division One semifinal that set the stage for Jackson's match with a previously unbeaten  Cincinnatti Moeller squad. Young, who finished second in the Mr. Basketball voting, made his case all season long for the state's top senior on perhaps the state's best team. 

His averages of 18.0ppg and 6.5ppg were both team highs.

Name: Jayvon Graves

Height: 6'2

Position: Wing Guard

High School: STVM

College: Buffalo

Seniors make plays. That cliché has summed up the senior year for St. Vincent-St. Mary's own Jayvon Graves. After a buzzer beating three against Young and Jackson earlier in the season, Graves decided to take a few steps in the next time around in an anticipated rematch with Trotwood Madison. 

It was his teardrop floater that trickled in right as time expired to propel the Fighting Irish to a state championship game  while simultaneously sending social media into frenzy. 

Graves and company would go on to take care of business against Wauseon in their final game of the season and bring home the school's first title since 2011. 

Expected to make an immediate impact next season in the MAC, the 6'2 wing has matured into an unspoken leader with a game that does all the talking. Graves has dynamite athleticism and possesses the strength to finish above the rim in tight spaces.  

It won't be long before Bulls fans realize why he was such a fan favorite here in NEO!

Most Improved

Brian Roberts (Copley) 2018

Roberts was featured as one of our breakout juniors a few short months ago after leading the Indians in scoring and to a 21-1 regular season record, extending their regular season win streak to 43.  He didn't see much time on varsity as a sophomore, but he emerged as the team's number one option throughout his first year in the starting lineup. Roberts stands at just 5'8 but now holds the single game scoring record at Copley after his 46-point outburst against Firestone back in December. Despite his size, he finds a way to score the ball at all three-levels but needs to add strength this offseason to better absorb contact and defend at a high level. 

All NEO Teams

Special Mention: Jaylen Harris (Cleveland Hts.) 6'5 PF '17,  Logan Newman (St. Thomas Aquinas) 6'2 '17, Brandon McQueen (Cornerstone) 6'1 '17,Justin Boffenkamp (Warren JFK) 6'1 PG/WG '17, Alfonse Hale (Maple Heights) 5'10 PG '18, Maurico Tate (Lutheran East) 6'1 PG '17, Zach Rasile (McDonald) 5'10 WG '20, Marlon Moore (Benedictine) 6'5 PF/WF '17, Sam Hitchcock (Jefferson) 6'5 PF '17

 Honorable Mention: Jordan Fabry (Crestwood) 6'3 WG '17, Deuce Martin (Clearview) 6'1 WG '17, Andrew Carbon (Struthers) 6'1 WG/PG '17, Marcus Ernst (Edgewood) 6'6 WF/WG '17, Peyton Bennington (Wooster) 6'2 WG/WF '17, Tre'Maine Gray (Firestone) 5'11 PG/WG '17, Collin Rittman (Highland) 6'2 WG '18, Jaret Pallotta (Jackson) 6'5 WF '18, Josh Hufstetler (North Olmsted) 6'1 PG '17, D.J. Hancock (Alliance) 6'1 PG/WG '17, Anthony Howell (Ursulne) 6'6 PF '17, Isaiah Washington (East Tech) 5'10 PG '17, Dorian Crutcher (Elyria Catholic) 6'3 WG '18, Dale Bonner (Shaker Hts.) 6'1 PG/WG '18, Donovan Forte (Garfield Hts.) 6'6 PF '18 Jayson Woodrich (Beachwood) 6'4 WG '19, D.J. Dial (Brush) 5'9 PG '19, Will Butler (VASJ) 6'1 WG/PG '17, Josh Lotko (Elyria) 6'5 WF/PF '17, Matt Dimitrijeus (Brecksville) 6'1 WG/PG '17, Mason McMurray (Stow) 6'7 PF '18, Kevin Peterson (Padua) 6'5 WF/WG '18, Donald Johnson (Oberlin) 6'5 PF '17, Ronald Vann (MLK) 6'3 WG '17, Garrett Houser (Archbishop Hoban) 6'1 PG '18, Chad Elliott (Berea-Midpark) 6'1 PG '17, Tyree Harris (Maple Hts.) 6'2 WG '17, Jalil Little (Lorain) 6'1 WG/PG '17, Garvin Clarke (Euclid) 6'0 PG '20, Mitch Clark (Dalton) 6'5 PF/WF '17, G'Warren Douglas (Shaw) 6'6 PF '17, Nate Weinman (Norwayne) 6'7 PF '17, Malique Burton (Holy Name) 6'9 C '17, Antonio McQueen (Warren JFK) 6'6 PF '17, Cross Mason (GlenOak) 5'11 WG, Delshawn Jackson (CCC) 6'0 PG/WG '18


NEO Rooks

Top Underclassman: Alonzo Gaffney (VASJ) '19

Gaffney has been touted as one of the state's top recruits in the Class of 2019 before he ever walked the hallways of Villa Angela-St. Joseph. Fast forward just a year later and the 6'8 forward has blossomed from a prospect into a player, recording two consecutive double-doubles in the state tournament and etching the Vikings' in history as one of three schools to win seven state championships. With a much improved motor and a boost of confidence, Gaffney has become a mismatch for bigs as a result of his athleticism and faceup game.  His stock will continue to rise moving forward as he adds strength to his lengthy frame.  

First Team: Alonzo Gaffney (Villa Angela-St. Joseph) 6'8 PF/WF '19, Garvin Clarke (Euclid) 6'0 PG '20, Zach Rasile (McDonald) 5'10 WG '20, Luka Eller (Lake Catholic) 6'6 PF '20, Jayson Woodrich (Beachwood) 6'4 WG '19, D.J. Dial (Brush) 5'9 PG '19, Brandon Rush (Warrensville Heights) 6'1 WG/PG '19, Grant Huffman (St. Edward) 6'1 WG '20, Erik Painter (Bay) 6'1 PG/WG '19, Kaleb Martin (Green) 5'9 PG '19

Honorable Mention: Luke Frazier (Lake Catholic) 6'0 PG '20, Ken Ganley (Brecksville) 6'4 WG/PG '19, Devon Grant (Lorain) 6'1 PG '19, Andre Harris (Brush) 6'2 WG '19, Lunden McDay (St. Vincent-St. Mary) 6'2 WG '19, Braeden O'Shaughnessey (Poland) 6'1 WG '19, Trey Brooks (Open Door) 6'2 WG '19, C.J. Charleston (Gilmour) 5'10 PG '19

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