Mike Ridaught
Cameron Boozer, a sophomore from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, has been named the 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball in a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.
The 6-9 forward, who earlier this month was named the Class 7A Player-of-the-Year, averaged 21.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game in leading his team to a 26-4 record and its second straight Class 7A state championship.
Boozer became only the second sophomore in the 41-year history of the award to be named Florida Mr. Basketball, joining Joel Berry II of Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), who is the only three-time winner of the award (2012-14).
Hawthorne’s C.J. Ingram, who was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A Player of the Year, finished seventh in the voting.
Ingram helped lead the Hornets back to the state semifinals by averaging 21.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
Meanwhile, Gaston Rodriguez of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School has been named the 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.
Rodriguez led his team to a 28-4 record and the Class 5A state championship, the program’s first state title. In seven years at Belen Jesuit, he has compiled a 128-64 record, and he is the first coach to win Florida boys’ basketball titles at three different schools (Champagnat Catholic-2000 and Coral Reef-2009).
Rodriguez who was selected as the Class 5A Coach of the Year in a previous round of voting, finished with 13 first-place votes and 177 points to win the overall award.
Williston’s Jim Ervin, the Class 1A Coach of the Year, finished fifth in the voting after leading the Red Devils (25-7) to their first boys basketball state title in program history.
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, Orlando Lake Highland Preparatory
2013 – Joel Berry II, Orlando Lake Highland Preparatory
2014 – Joel Berry II, Orlando Lake Highland Preparatory
2015 – Antonio Blakeney, Orlando Oak Ridge
2016 – Tony Bradley, Bartow
2017 – Kevin Knox, Tampa Catholic
2018 – Vernon Carey, Jr., NSU University School
2019 – Vernon Carey, Jr., NSU University School
2020 – Isaiah Adams, Jacksonville Paxon School
2021 – Dallan “Deebo” Coleman, Callahan West Nassau
2022 – Brice Sensabaugh, Orlando Lake Highland Prep
Past Boys’ Basketball Coaching Winners:
1993 – Bernard Wilkes, Jacksonville Ribault
1994 – John Ellerbee, Malone
1995 – Bob Carroll, Bradenton Southeast
1996 – Wade Edmond, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
1997 – Joey Pons, Fort Walton Beach
1998 – Bruce Rosebrock, Jacksonville Wolfson
1999 – Vernon Eppinette, Port St. Joe
2000 – Anthony Long, Gainesville
2001 – Mark Rickman, Orlando Boone
2002 – Ricky McCullough, Chipley
2003 – Mark Lieberman, Miami Pace
2004 – Mike Gaudy, Cocoa Beach
2005 – Danny Wright, Lakewood
2006 – Matt Hixenbaugh, Winter Park
2007 – Steve Kohn, Winter Park Lake Howell
2008 – Lawton Williams III, Miami Norland
2009 – Kelly Beckham, Gainesville
2010 – Eli Bryant, Tallahassee Rickards
2011 – Fred Ross, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
2012 – Billy Washington, Lake Wales
2013 – Melvin Randall, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
2014 – Ed Kershner, Oviedo
2015 – Melvin Randall, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
2016 – Shane Whitsett, Poinciana
2017 – Darryl Burrows, Dillard
2018 – Sean Campbell, Leesburg
2019 – Greg Watson, Crestview
2020 – Terrence McGriff, Bartow
2021 – Terrence McGriff, Bartow
2022 – John Leon, Stuart Martin County