Pennington’s Miller is our Prep Player of the Year
Throughout the boys basketball season among local prep schools, there wasn’t a player who carried a team on his back more than Corey Pennington.
Pennington’s 6-foot-1 senior point guard was a dominant force who was always in control, averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Miller is our Prep Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Pennington’s Chandler Fraser-Pauls is our Prep Coach of the Year.
Miller and Fraser-Pauls steered the Red Raiders to a 13-17 record with a tough schedule including wins in four of the last eight games. They reached the NJISAA Prep A state semifinals by avenging a previous loss to Peddie (10-16) with a 76-43 win in the first round.
Also representing Pennington on our All-Prep Team is sophomore guard Brandon Russell, who starred alongside Miller with averages of 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals.
Peddie had a fine season as well with wins against Pennington and Lawrenceville (5-8) while featuring a quartet of standout performers who made our All-Prep Team.
Junior guard Noah Payne (22.1 points per game), senior guard Nyle Coleman (17.6 points per game), junior forward Zack Davis (16.7 points per game) and senior guard Raja Coleman (12.1 points
per game) paced the Falcons’ potent offense on a nightly basis.
In one of the most thrilling games of the year Jan. 25, Peddie outlasted Pennington for an 84-79 road win through 10 lead changes and in a contest where both teams held double-digit leads.
Trailing by 11 with 15:32 remaining, the Falcons closed on a 47-31 run. Miller scored a careerhigh 36 points that night, but Payne countered with
28 and Raja Coleman netted all 17 of his points in the second half to put Peddie over the top.
Elsewhere in the prep scene, senior guard Hampton Sanders shined for Lawrenceville and Army-bound postgrad guard Daniel Vessey starred for Hun (14-13) to earn spots on our All-Prep Team.
Hun won twice against Peddie, once against Pennington, and went 1-1 against Lawrenceville.
The victory came by two points in the Prep A first round before the Raiders bowed out against powerhouse St. Benedict’s in the state semifinals.