The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation awarded the annual Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball honors Sunday night.
Lexington Catholic senior Ben Johnson was named Mr. Basketball. A signee with Bellarmine, who just completed its first season in Division I, he averaged 27 points per game for the Knights, who were 20-3 and lost in the 11th Region semifinals.
Take a walk down memory lane:Looking back at the last 20 Kentucky Mr. Basketball winners
Franklin County’s Brooklynn Miles, a University of Tennessee commit, was the Miss Basketball winner. She led the Flyers to an 18-6 record and the state quarterfinals of the Sweet 16.
The awards process is run by a partnership between the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation (KLEF) and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches (KABC). Only seniors were eligible for the awards.
The voting was finalized in late March early in the KHSAA postseason tournament.
Simon Kenton senior Kelly Niece was the nominee for the boys Eighth Region. He was honored during the ceremony for leading all boys players in scoring (30.1 ppg). On Feb. 26, he became Simon Kenton’s all-time leading scorer in the boys program and finished with more than 2,400 points.
SK finished 16-9 this season, losing at the buzzer in the Eighth Region semifinals to North Oldham.
Highlands senior Sam Vinson was the Ninth Region nominee. He averaged 22.3 points per game this season and stepped it up in the Sweet 16 for the Bluebirds, who won their first state championship earlier this month.
He was named Sweet 16 MVP after averaging 23.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the tournament, and totaling 10 blocks and 11 steals. Highlands finished 30-4.
Vinson, who has signed with Northern Kentucky University, is the first Highlands boys player to have more than 1,500 career points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists. He was a finalist to become Highlands’ second Mr. Basketball winner, following Ross Neltner in 2011, and the school’s third honoree overall, counting Jaime Walz in 1996.
Scott senior Grant Profitt was the 10th Region boys nominee. He averages 18.2 points a game this season for the Eagles, who were 15-10 and 37th District runner-up. He was named first team all-10th Region.
NKU signee Isaiah Mason was also nominated. He was the Fourth Region finalist from Bowling Green High School, where he led the Purples to a 24-3 record and the state quarterfinals.
Northern Kentucky has had three Mr. Basketball honorees: Neltner, Holmes legend Doug Schloemer in 1978 and Pendleton County’s Dontaie Allen in 2019.
Ryle senior Brie Crittendon was the Ninth Region girls nominee. The Eastern Kentucky commit averaged 15 points per game for the Raiders, who finished 23-3 and were state-ranked all season, winning the 33rd District tournament and falling to Notre Dame in the 9th Region semifinals.
Crittendon was a key part of Ryle’s 2019 state champions. Recently named a McDonald’s All-American nominee, she finished with nearly 1,800 career points. She was bidding to become the second Ryle player in a row to win the award, following Maddie Scherr, who just completed her freshman season at Oregon.
Scott senior Mya Meredith was the 10th Region girls nominee. The Western Kentucky commit averaged 20 points per game this season. She missed the postseason with injury for the Eagles, who finished 16-9 and a 10th Region semifinalist.
Scott senior Sofia Allen was earlier named the winner of the annual Donna Murphy Award. She averaged 15 points per game this year for the Eagles.
Past locals to win Miss Basketball include Scherr, Walz, Donna Murphy of Newport (1976), Katie Schwegmann of Bishop Brossart (2001), Erica Hallman of Holmes (2002), and Sydney Moss of Boone County (2012).
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