King of the Court
U-School standout Carey earns FABC’s highest honor
The awards keep rolling in for University School star Vernon Carey Jr.
The Sharks center and Duke signee has added another accolade. He was named Florida Association of Basketball Coaches’ King of the Court, which honors the state’s best basketball player. He was also named the organization’s Class 5A player of the year.
U-School coach Jim Carr was named Class 5A coach of the year after leading Carey and the Sharks to a 27-4 record and second straight state title.
Carey is the first Broward County player to win the FABC’s King of the Court award since it was first handed out in 2012. Past winners include New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox and Chicago Bulls guard Antonio Blakene.
Carey, the son of former Miami Hurricanes and Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Vernon Carey, has earned nearly every award he could win.
He was the Sun Sentinel’s Broward County Class 6A-1A Player of the Year and Florida Dairy Farmers’ Mr. Basketball as a junior.
Carey entered this season with high expectations and met them, averaging 21.1 points and nine rebounds per game. He led U-School through the regular season and into the playoffs until he suffered an ankle injury in the regional finals.
Without Carey, Carr and the Sharks continued to dominate in Lakeland, winning the state semifinal and title game by a combined 64 points.
Carey is also a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade’s Florida Player of the Year this year.
The senior center will have one more chance to play in high school, as the Sharks travel to New York City to play in the GEICO Nationals in April.