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Luke Butczynski
Nanticoke
Forward, Senior
Excellent athlete who could have been plugged into any position and succeeded. … Could shoot from the inside and out, rebound, play defense and handle the ball. … Averaged 13 points to pace the Trojans to the state playoffs. … Fired in 58 3-point field goals and put on a display from beyond the arc in the state playoffs.
Jeremy Callahan
Wyo. Seminary
Guard, Freshman
WVC coaches Division 3 MVP. … Excellent perimeter shooter who shot 42 percent from behind the arc with 35 3-pointers in WVC games. … Averaged 14.7 points per game. … Shot 85.1 percent from the foul line. … Averaged 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists. … Improved driving to the basket as the season wore on. … Biggest upside of any player in the WVC.
Collin Cook
Holy Redeemer
Forward, Sophomore
Broke into the starting lineup in first year of varsity play. … Versatile player who had a nose for the ball and was tenacious on both ends of the court. … Averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game. … Shot 48 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free-throw line. … Will provided lineup flexibility over the next two seasons.
Kyle Gegaris
Crestwood
Guard, Senior
Standout athlete who was the TL Player of the Year in boys soccer. … Relentless defender who averaged four steals and five rebounds per game. … Well-rounded player on the offense end of the court. … Averaged 11 points per game, was the Comets’ top 3-point shooter and connected on 75 percent of his free throws.
Will Johnson
GAR
Guard, Sophomore
Incredibly skilled ball handler who dished out 140 assists. … Excelled at beating defenders off the dribble and could take over a game. … Averaged 18.3 points in WVC Division 2 games while adding 28 3-pointers. … Strong on defense as well, finishing with 30 steals. … Not afraid to mix it up inside and totaled 85 rebounds.
Keyshawn Palmer
GAR
Center, Senior
Two-time Times Leader first-team selection. … Powerful, intimidating force inside who used his 6-foot-6 frame to pace the Grenadiers with 252 rebounds and 42 blocked shots. … Also had 18 steals and 14 assists. … Averaged 15.3 points per game and while most came inside he also showed the ability to pop from the perimeter.
Jeff Planutis
Hazleton Area
Forward, Junior
WVC coaches Division 1 MVP after helping te Cougars to the divisional and inaugural District 2 Class 6A championships. … Dangerous from anywhere on the court on offense, pacing the team with 15.6 points per game and a 54 percent field-goal mark. … Second on the team with 26 3-pointers. … Averaged 4.6 rebounds per game and shot 61 percent from the foul line.
Draig Ruff
Wyo. Val. West
Forward, Junior
Vocal leader on the court and in the locker room and one of the team’s top defenders. … Had a smooth mid-range jumper and was strong driving to the hoop. … Averaged 15.2 points per game for one of the WVC’s highest-scoring offenses. … Added six rebounds and four assists per contest. … Will be only starter back in 2017-18.
Josh Samec
Hazleton Area
Forward, Junior
Although 6-foot-7, he was a multi-skilled player. … Led the Cougars with 36 3-pointers. … Also paced the team with nine rebounds per game, a 84-percent success rate from the foul line and 10 double-doubles. … Was second on the team with a 12.5 scoring average. … Shot 49 percent from the field, making him Hazleton Area’s second-best shooter.
Paul Guido
Holy Redeemer
Coach of the Year
Led the Royals to the WVC Division 3 title and its first District 2 title since 2001 and only second in the school’s 10-year history with a 38-36 win over Mid Valley for the Class 3A crown. … Coached a team with no superstars to an 18-9 record, an improvement of five games in the win column from the previous season. … Five of the losses were by five points or less. … Won 13 of the last 15 games.
