From many, there will be one. And while there’s still no guarantee contending athletes will win their own state at this point in the season, a number of elite performers are making a case for Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year consideration. Here’s the scoop on the latest top candidate.
Wayne Selden
Senior guard/forward, Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.)
Greatness Present: In a Boston Globe feature last week, Tilton head coach Marcus O’Neill said of Selden: “Athletically, he makes probably the most spectacular plays of anybody we’ve had.”
That’s no small feat considering Tilton produced University of Kentucky freshman phenom Nerlens Noel, who was the projected No. 1 pick in this June’s NBA Draft until his season-ending ACL injury.
But all you have to do is take one look at Selden’s YouTube highlight reel (see above) to get an understanding of what O’Neill means. Selden, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound senior swingman, averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game this season, leading Tilton to the NEPSAC Class AA semifinals.
His 29-point, 20-rebound performance in a 108-105 quadruple-overtime win over Lawrence (Wolfeboro, N.H.) Academy on Jan. 22 wasn’t so bad, either.
Greatness Past: Rated the No. 12 recruit in the Class of 2013 by ESPN, Selden led the Boston Amateur Basketball Club to the 2011 15U AAU National Championship, scoring 20 points with five assists in the title-clinching victory.
On Twitter, Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith called Selden “the most ready guard/wing I have seen in prep school basketball in a LONG time.”
Greatness Future: Selden, a McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic selection, will play for Kansas.
Make no mistake: The Gatorade State Boys Basketball Player of the Year races aren’t over, and the National POY race is now heating up. Time remains for one standout student-athlete among thousands to rise to the top of our list.Check back for daily updates on the top contenders making their case.
