Vernon Carey Jr. Named 2018 Florida Mr. Basketball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Vernon Carey Jr., a junior at NSU University School of Ft. Lauderdale, has been named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.

Vernon Carey Jr.

Carey, who earlier this month was named the Class 5A Player-of-the-Year, averaged 26.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while leading his team to the Class 5A state championship.

Carey tallied 10 of the 21 first-place votes and 136 points to finish ahead of Class 3A POY Nassir Little of Orlando Christian Prep, who had seven first-place votes and 118 points.

Class 8A POY Serrel Smith of St. Petersburg finished third with three first place votes and86 points followed by Class 9A POY Emmitt Williams of Oak Ridge (64), Class 6A POY Elijah Weaver of Rockledge (41), Class 4A POY Zachary Scott of Westminster Academy (32), Class 2A POY Neftali Alvarez of Miami Christian (27), Class 7A POY Colin Castleton of Father Lopez (23) and Class 1A POY Kevon Godwin of Blountstown (17).

The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 26th year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.

2018 FINAL VOTING RESULTS

Player                                                   Total Points         1st-place Votes
Vernon Carey Jr.                                     136                                     10
Nassir Little                                             118                                     7
Serrel Smith                                              86                                     3
Emmitt Williams                                       64                                     0
Elijah Weaver                                            41                                     0
Zachary Scott                                            32                                     1
Neftali Alvarez                                           27                                     0
Colin Castleton                                          23                                     0
Kevon Godwin                                           17                                     0

NOTE: The Mr. Basketball Award was sponsored by Florida Sports News, Inc., from 1983 to 1992

Past Mr. Basketball Winners:

• 1983 – Frank Ford, Kissimmee Osceola
• 1984 – Vernon Maxwell, Gainesville Buchholz
• 1985 – Toney Mack, Brandon
• 1986 – Chris Corchiani, Hialeah Miami Lakes
• 1987 – Chris Corchiani, Hialeah Miami Lakes
• 1988 – Johnny Walker, Quincy Shanks
• 1989 – Douglas Edwards, Miami Senior
• 1990 – Clifford Rozier, Bradenton Southeast
• 1991 – Steve Edwards, Miami Senior
• 1992 – Steve Edwards, Miami Senior
• 1993 – James Collins, Jacksonville Jackson
• 1994 – LeRon Williams, Bradenton Southeast
• 1995 – Vince Carter, Daytona Beach Mainland
• 1996 – Luke Barnes, South Miami
• 1997 – Jason Pryor, Fort Walton Beach
• 1998 – Teddy Dupay, Cape Coral Mariner
• 1999 – Casey Sanders, Tampa Prep
• 2000 – Orien Greene, Gainesville
• 2001 – Adrian McPherson, Bradenton Southeast
• 2002 – Amare Stoudemire, Orlando Cypress Creek
• 2003 – Chris Richard, Lakeland Kathleen
• 2004 – Darius Washington, Orlando Edgewater
• 2005 – Keith Brumbaugh, Deland
• 2006 – Nick Calathes, Winter Park Lake Howell
• 2007 – Nick Calathes, Winter Park Lake Howell
• 2008 – Ray Shipman, Miami Monsignor Pace
• 2009 – Brandon Knight, Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest
• 2010 – Brandon Knight, Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest
• 2011 – Austin Rivers, Winter Park
• 2012 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
• 2013 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
• 2014 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
• 2015 – Antonio Blakeney, Orlando Oak Ridge
• 2016 – Tony Bradley, Bartow
• 2017 – Kevin Knox, Tampa Catholic

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 200 National Research Universities and is a dynamic, private research university providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. Established in 1964, NSU now includes 16 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, a private JK-12 grade school, the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development with specialists in Autism, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, which is Florida’s largest public library. NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU.

March 28, 2018

Contact Information:
Stacey Gonzalez, M.S.
NSU University School Marketing and Communications
954-262-4452 (office)
Stacey@nova.edu