THE WINNER: Dejounte Murray

THE BASICS

School: Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)
Grade: Senior
Position: Guard/forward
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 175 pounds

Athletic achievement: He averaged 25.0 points, 12.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 3.2 steals per game this past season, leading the Vikings (25-4) to the Class 3A state championship game. Named Mr. Basketball by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association, Murray recorded 24 double-doubles and 14 triple-doubles. In three Class 3A state tournament games, Murray averaged 17.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals, capturing First Team All-Tournament honors. Also the State Player of the Year as named by The Seattle Times and News Tribune, he participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp as well as Nike’s LeBron James Skills Academy, Kevin Durant Skills Academy and Elite Youth Basketball League this past summer.

Academic excellence: Murray has maintained a B average.

Exemplary character: In addition to donating his time as a peer English and mathematics tutor, he has volunteered as part of multiple community service initiatives on behalf of the Jamal Crawford Foundation.

THE PRAISE

“Athletically, he is a beast,” said Craig Jackson, head coach of rival Franklin High. “We played them in the second game of the season, and he scored 52 points, most of them from the perimeter, but when he attacked the rim—whoa! High-flying, graceful and explosive are the words that describe his play. Not to mention that he did some of the same things to grown men while playing in [1998-99 Gatorade Washington Boys Basketball Player of the Year] Jamal Crawford’s summer league.”

THE FUTURE: Murray has signed with Washington.