Altamonte Springs Fl- If you watched him play, it was obvious who the best basketball player in Florida was in 2019-2020. He averaged 23.7 points per game, along with 11.1 rebounds per game. He led Paxon to the Gateway Conference Championship, and two consecutive FHSAA Final 4 appearances, their first in over 30 years. In the final voting, he earned 10 out of 19 possible first-place votes, with 125 votes overall. He earned the Class 4A Player of the year award in 2020 to go with his Class 6A Player of the Year trophy from 2019. He’s committed to the University of Central Florida, and is only the second male basketball play from the area to earn the coveted honor of being named Mr. Basketball. The 2019-2020 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball, Isiah Adams.
Adams joins Camille Hobby from Nease with the distinction of being named the top basketball player in the state of Florida in consecutive years. Hobby won the award in 2018-2019. Steffi Sorensen (Bartram Trail), Dorian Williams (Ribault) and James Collins (Jackson) are the only other recipients of the top award from the area. For Adams, it was an amazing year full of spectacular plays and highlight reals, the likes we haven’t seen in years.
Adam’s selection as the top basketball player in the state shines a light on a very polarizing point that has shrouded Northeast Florida. The stigma that the area is not known for it’s basketball compared to South Florida, Central Florida, or even the Panhandle, has lingered in AAU and even journalistic circles. Though Northeast Florida has not won a championship since 2017 (Ribault Girls 2017/Bolles Boys 2015), in 2020 they were still represented by six teams in Lakeland, showcasing some of the best players in the state.
Two players that have early inside tracks to the Miss Basketball and Mr Basketball awards for 2021 are Bishop Kenny’s Jasmyn Roberts and Lee’s Alex Fudge. For now, it’s Adam’s world, and his win is a testament to the hard work and dedication by the players and coaches in the area who continue to make basketball a priority. Creating a basketball factory in Northeast Florida.
Total Points and First Place Votes:
Isaiah Adams (Jacksonville Paxon) 125, 10
Dionte Blanch 91, 6
Marcus Niblack (Wildwood) 64 ,1
Ga’Khari LaCount 57 ,0
Yussif Basa-Ama 53, 1
Ven Allen-Lubin 42, 0
Emanuel Sharp 34, 1
Previous Boys 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
Previous Girls Miss Basketball Winners
1993 – Sabrina Crump, Clearwater Countryside
1994 – Tracy Reid, Miami Central
1995 – LaTonya Washington, Paxton
1996 – LaTonya Washington, Paxton
1997 – LaToya Jordan, Pompano Beach Ely
1998 – Michelle Snow, Pensacola
1999 – Shinikki Whiting, Clearwater
2000 – Binky Martello, Jay
2001 – Natasha Morehead, Panama City Bay
2002 – Dorian Williams, Jacksonville Ribault
2003 – Erlana Larkins, The Benjamin School
2004 – Erlana Larkins, The Benjamin School
2005 – LaQwesha Gamble, Winter Haven
2006 – Steffi Sorensen, Bartram Trail
2007 – Krystal Thomas, Orlando First Academy
2008 – Tiffany Hayes, Winter Haven
2009 – Ashley Jones, Winter Park Lake Howell
2010 – Krystal Saunders, South Broward
2011 – Danielle McCray, Trinity Christian Academy
2012 – Alexis Prince, Orlando Edgewater
2013 – Jessica Thomas, Gainesville Buchholz
2014 – Vionise Pierre-Louis, Grandview Preparatory
2015 – Beatrice Mompremier, Miami Senior
2016 – Nadia Fingall, Choctawhatchee
2017—Rennia Davis, Jacksonville Ribault
2018 – Destanni Henderson, Ft. Myers
2019 – Camille Hobby, Ponte Vedra Nease
