Florida Mr. Basketball, Coach of the Year announced

(From left) Hawthorne's C.J. Ingram and Williston's Jim Ervin finished fifth and fourth, respectively, in Player of Year and Coach of Year voting.
(From left) Hawthorne's C.J. Ingram and Williston's Jim Ervin finished fifth and fourth, respectively, in Player of Year and Coach of Year voting.
Photos by C.J. Gish

For just the seventh time in the 42-year history of the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball award there is a repeat winner.

Following balloting by a statewide panel of high school boys’ basketball coaches and prep media members, Cameron Boozer, a 6-9 junior forward from Christopher Columbus (Miami), has been recognized as the best boys’ high school player in the Sunshine State for the second consecutive year.

Boozer, the No. 2 overall junior in the country according to 247Sports, averaged 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in leading his team to a 27-4 record and its third straight Class 7A state championship.

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Next season he will have a chance to join Joel Berry II of Lake Highland Prep in Orlando (2012-14) as the only three-time winners of the award.

Other repeat winners include Vernon Carey Jr. of NSU University School (2018-19), Brandon Knight of Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest (2009-10), Nick Calathes of Winter Park Lake Howell (2006-07), Steve Edwards of Miami Senior (1991-92) and Chris Corchiani of Hialeah Miami Lakes (1986-87).

Boozer, who was earlier named the Class 7A Player of the Year, tallied 12 of the 21 first-place votes and 167 points to finish ahead of Class 5A POY Marcus Allen of Miami Norland, who had four first-place votes and 103 points.      

Class 2A POY Lorenzo Cason of Victory Christian (Lakeland) finished third (70), followed by Class 6A POY Josh Harris of Pembroke Pines Charter (42), Class 1A POY C.J. Ingram of Hawthorne (29), Class 3A POY Dante Allen of Miami Riviera Prep (22) and Class 4A POY Jacob Daniels of St. Pete Gibbs (10).

Ingram received one first-place vote and finished fifth overall.

Last week he was recognized as the Class 1A Player of the Year for the second consecutive year after averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game for the Hornets (16-5).

Williston’s Jim Ervin finished fourth in the voting for the overall Coach of the Year.

He led the Red Devils (29-2) to their second straight Class 1A state title in March.

In four years at Williston, Ervin has compiled an 84-26 record and has a 27-year career mark of 428-203.

Larry Murphy of St. Petersburg Gibbs High School was named the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

He led Gibbs to a 27-5 record and the Class 4A state championship, the program’s first state title since 1969.

Gibbs was a final four team for the third straight year and avenged a 2022 semifinal loss to Jacksonville Jackson in this year’s state final.

Murphy, the Class 4A Coach of the Year, finished with 10 first-place votes and 140 points to win the overall award ahead of Class 5A COY Lawton Williams of Norland (121) and Class 7A COY Andrew Moran of Columbus (74).

Ervin finished fourth (34) followed by Class 3A COY Anthony Shahbaz of Riviera Prep (25), Class 2A COY David Roe of Sagemont in Weston (22) and Class 6A COY Dave Roca of Pembroke Pines Charter (15).

2024 FINAL VOTING RESULTS – Florida Mr. Basketball

Player, Total Points, 1st-place Votes

Cameron Boozer, 167, 12

Marcus Allen, 103, 4

Lorenzo Cason, 70, 3

Josh Harris, 42, 0

C.J. Ingram, 29, 1

Dante Allen, 22, 1

Jacob Daniels,10, 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

2018 – Vernon Carey, Jr., NSU University School

2019 – Vernon Carey, Jr., NSU University School

2020 – Isaiah Adams, Paxon School

2021 – Dallan “Deebo” Coleman, West Nassau

2022 – Brice Sensabaugh, Lake Highland Preparatory

2023 – Cameron Boozer, Christopher Columbus High School      

2024 FINAL VOTING RESULTS – Coach of the Year

Coach, Total Points,1st-place Votes

Larry Murphy, 140, 10

Lawton Williams, 121, 6

Andrew Moran, 74, 3

Jim Ervin, 34, 0

Anthony Shahbaz, 25, 2

David Roe, 22, 0

Dave Roca, 15, 0

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, Martin County

2023 – Gaston Rodriguez, Belen Jesuit

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