Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mr. Basketball
Broward’s Vernon Carey Jr. receives award.
DAVIE — Star 2019 basketball recruit Vernon Carey Jr. had an enjoyable conversation with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on Sunday, Vernon revealed after he was presented with the Florida Mr. Basketball award at a ceremony at University School on Monday.
“It was a good meeting. We were talking about life overall — just if I go to that program, how I can take my game to another level, just make it a little better,” said Carey, a junior forward who will possibly have the most high-profile recruitment of any basketball player to come out of Broward County.
“He’s different from a lot of coaches. He just talks about life. It’s not just only basketball to him. He wants to know you as a person.”
After Krzyzewski got his say in with Carey, Duke’s biggest rival, North Carolina, will make its pitch this weekend. Carey says Tar Heels coach Roy Williams will come down to visit him.
According to 247 Sports, he has also recently spoken with Kentucky’s John Calipari and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. During the Sharks’ run through regionals, he told the Sun Sentinel he enjoyed visits to the Spartans’ campus and Miami (his father’s alma mater for football).
While Carey is currently working with a top eight that also includes Kansas, UCLA and Florida, he aims to cut that list down to five in two weeks.
Carey, ranked the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2019 by Rivals and second by 247 and ESPN, won the award presented by Florida Dairy Farmers after a junior season in which he averaged 26.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. The 6-foot-10 forward led the Sharks to the Class 5A state title, their first.
With an opportunity to win again as a senior, Carey could become just the sixth player in the award’s history, which dates back to 1983, to win it multiple times.
“I’m just trying to soak it in because this is my first. I’m just trying to enjoy this,” he said.
Carey is just the second Broward County product to be named Mr. Basketball. Former Pine Crest great Brandon Knight went backto-back in 2009 and 2010. Among other notable award winners: Vernon Maxwell (Gainesville Buchholz, 1984), Vince Carter (Daytona Beach Mainland, 1995), Amar’e Stoudemire (Orlando Cypress Creek, 2002).
Carey noted winning at states as his favorite memory in a season that also included a trip to GEICO Nationals in New York and an appearance in the championship game of the prestigious national postseason tournament.
“He’s different from a lot of coaches. He just talks about life. It’s not just only basketball to him.”
Vernon Carey Jr. on a recent talk he had with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski