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ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM
player of the year justin james
All-Area First Team
Jean Alexis
Barry Bailey
Anthony Brennan
Traevis Graham
Nick Marder
Brock Miller
Alan Morgan
Domenico Santiago
Coach of the Year
GREG ZUGRAVE
St. Edward’s, third year This season: St. Edward’s went 21-5 in 2013-14 and reached the District 13-3A semifinals. The Pirates set a school record with their 10-game win streak and the 21 wins were one shy of tying the school record, which was set in 1986-87. Despite being a Class 3A program, St. Edward’s beat Sebastian River, Fort Pierce Westwood, Fort Pierce Central and Jensen Beach this season. Quotable: “It’s tough to sum up a year like what we had. We accomplished a lot and we beat a lot of good teams that we respect a lot. We executed game plans well, shared the ball and we played hard. I think the thing that stands out most to me is that they played hard in practice and it carried over into games. I think the kids believed in each other, which is a huge step for a young team.”
Honorable Mention Brannon Shaw
Maxwell Webster
JEAN ALEXIS
Jensen Beach senior forward Statistics: 18.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 2.8 steals per game
BARRY BAILEY
Fort Pierce Central sophomore guard Statistics: 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals per game
ANTHONY BRENNAN
Treasure Coast senior guard Statistics: 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks per game
TRAEVIS GRAHAM
MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
St. Lucie West Centennial’s Justin James is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers 2014 All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year. To see more photos, go to TCPalm.com.
Hard work is paying off
Martin County senior forward/center Statistics: 14.6 points, 5.8 rebounds per game
NICK MARDER
Martin County senior guard Statistics: 9.2 points, 4.1 assists per game
Justin James was St. Lucie West Centennial’s go-to guy, averaging 21.1 points per game in 2013-14
BROCK MILLER
St. Edward’s sophomore forward Statistics: 13 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 2 assists per game
ALAN MORGAN
Port St. Lucie senior guard Statistics: 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds per game
DOMENICO SANTIAGO Port St. Lucie senior center Statistics: 19.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game
BRANNON SHAW
Vero Beach senior guard Statistics: 18.5 points, 7 rebounds per game
MAXWELL WEBSTER
Treasure Coast senior guard Statistics: 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game
By Jon Santucci Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers
Justin James sees himself as a facilitator, not a scorer. The only problem with that is the St. Lucie West Centennial High School junior is an outstanding scorer. Despite taking an average of only 14 shots per game, James averaged 21.1 points per game in 2013-14. Centennial’s 6-foot-6, 180-pound point guard, who also averaged 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year. “I could take more shots, but I like to get my teammates involved,” James said. “I like to see my teammates score. I want to get them in the right place. “I let the game come to me. I don’t try to force shots. I want to take the open shot. I don’t just start shooting. I never just say, ‘I want to take over.’ That’s not me.” Sometimes Centennial coach Chris Carannante wishes James would be a little more selfish. “We know he’s our best chance of winning, but basketball is a five-man game,” Carannante said. “He’s wellrounded, he’s a great scorer, he has great vision and he’s a leader. He led our team in every statistical category that’s important, but it is dangerous to rely on him too much.”
Player of the Year
JUSTIN JAMES
St. Lucie West Centennial junior guard Statistics: James, a 6-foot-6 point guard, averaged 21.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.3 blocks per game in 2013-14. He altered his game this season, no longer double pumping before jumpers and trying to play above the rim as often as possible. James is considered a mid-major college prospect and is being recruited by Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Wyoming and Jacksonville. Coach Chris Carannante: “Obviously, he’s very physically gifted, but he also works incredibly hard. He started on JV his freshman year and we brought him up to varsity and his growth has been incredible to watch. He’s at every offseason workout. He’s just a pleasure to watch grow.”
Throughout the season, area coaches such as Fort Pierce Central’s Chris Maxon and Treasure Coast’s Brad Lehman — both District 6-8A opponents who had to face Centennial twice during the season — said James was the single-best player on the Treasure Coast. Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Wyoming and Jacksonville all
have shown interest in James during the past month and the list of schools recruiting him should only increase after a summer playing with Team Breakdown out of Fort Lauderdale, considered one of the top AAU teams in the state. “I know this is the biggest summer of my life,” James said. “Right now, I’m a mid-major recruit. By the end of the summer, I want to be a topnotch recruit. I think I can do that with all the talent playing around me. I want to be the best player I can be by the end of the summer.” The fact that James is a legitimate college recruit is proof of how hard he has worked during the past few years. When he arrived at Centennial, he was a very skinny 6-foot-2, 135-pounder who worked his way up to being a varsity starter during his freshman year. “We were very impressed and he had nice size, but he wasn’t all put together,” Carannante said. “But he would come in before school every day and he stayed after to get shots in. He’s been doing whatever he can to get better. It shows. He’s gotten better and better at every skill. “We threw him in the fire and he got huge minutes at point guard his freshman year when he may not have been entirely ready, but he did an admirable job for sure. Since then, he went from being a solid player to one of the best kids on the court every night.”
JOHN ALLEN III Lincoln Park senior center WILLY BATTISTINI Jensen Beach senior guard BOBBY BARKER St. Edward’s junior guard BIKO GAYMAN Lincoln Park freshman guard ANTHONY KNIGHTON Fort Pierce Central sophomore forward KAI LARCHER Fort Pierce Central senior guard DENSON LUMENE Martin County senior guard TERRELL MABINS Martin County junior guard DAVEY MARINE Vero Beach senior guard E.J. MONTGOMERY Lincoln Park eighth grade forward KAIMAN PATTERSON South Fork junior guard RODERICK REAVES John Carroll senior guard/ forward DAVONTE RICHARDSON Fort Pierce Westwood senior guard NIGEL SALOMON Treasure Coast junior guard JACK STUBBLEFIELD Pine School senior guard/ forward EDWIN THOMAS John Carroll senior guard SHELDON THOMAS Sebastian River sophomore guard CHRIS WATSON South Fork forward guard
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