Other than a one-year hiatus – after the 1994-1995 basketball season, The Evening Sun has named its basketball all-stars en masse. In other words, if a particular player had an exceptional season within his or her league, we honored that player with a selection to our postseason hoops team.
For the first time, we undertook the process of breaking down the talent across the county, and naming a first team, a second team, and honorable mention selections – a break from our yearly tradition. The second team and honorable mention players were already announced in the Wednesday, March 24 edition, and today, we unveil who we believe are the top players in the area – regardless of their school’s size or the conference that their team plays in.
Breaking it down in simple terms: If The Evening Sun was to put together an all-star team from the basketball players we cover throughout the season, these young men and women would get the starting nod.
We do have one minor anomaly to our selection process this season. Our girls’ team actually has six players instead of five. Looking down the line for Sherburne-Earlville’s ladies, two of its players – each of whom earned co-MVP honors in their league – had virtually identical statistics up and down the line, so we have paired those two as a package deal.
The aim of this year’s selection process was to develop exclusivity amongst the players. Year in and year out, we have named anywhere from 10 to 12 players as first-team Evening Sun All-Stars. The truth, though, is that only five of those players would actually start a real basketball game.
We made it a point this season to view every basketball team in the area – and its players – at least one time (with the exception of Otselic Valley’s girls), and several teams and players we viewed multiple times. After much thought and analysis, the players listed below, we believe, are our circulation area’s most deserving first-team all-stars for the 2009-2010 basketball season.
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Players are listed alphabetically:
Boys
Sean Boise, sr. 6-foot-1, Sherburne-Earlville
Boise averaged in double figures scoring all three of his seasons for the Marauders, and his 20.0 points per game average this season led all Chenango County players. He finished with 854 points over his three-year career, and was a co-Center State Conference Division II MVP.
“He was just a great teammate, and not just a scorer,” said S-E head coach Kevin Vibbard. “If you’re open, he’ll get you the ball. He didn’t force things and was a very good passer. He was just a complete offensive player. He can shoot, penetrate, and was clearly a great finisher.”
Boise was the model of efficiency on his career-best scoring night. On his way to a 34-point night in a win over highly regarded opponent Westmoreland, Boise took just 16 shots from the field – making 10 – and went to the foul line 16 times as well, nailing 11. He scored 20 points or more in seven out of eight games in one stretch, and had nine 20-point games. Not once did a team hold the prolific scoring Boise under 12 points. “I’m glad he made the decision to stick with basketball as a freshman, because he’s probably the best bowler in the school district, too,” Vibbard said.
Richie Bonney, sr., 6-foot-5, Norwich
Bonney came up through the Norwich basketball system as an outside shooting presence. As the biggest player on the NHS team this season, he developed an inside game to complement his guard-like skills, and proved one of the most difficult matchups in the Southern Tier Athletic Conference. “Richie had one of the most outstanding individual seasons I have ever seen a player accomplish, and he did it within the realm of the team concept,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott.
Bonney was second in the area in scoring at 17.5 points per game, led Norwich with 12.1 rebounds, and made 44 percent of his three-point attempts (21-for-48), while leading all Norwich starters in overall field goal percentage at 50.2 percent. Among two-year NHS players, his 561 points are second all-time under Abbott’s 24-year stewardship, and his 385 rebounds are the best two-year total.
Bonney scored 20 points or more eight times reaching a career-high 34 in a win over Chenango Forks. He also led Norwich in blocked shots, and averaged around 1.7 steals per game. Most impressively, he had 18 double-doubles (points and rebounds), grabbing a high of 18 boards on two occasions. “I look at where Richie is now from where he was at the beginning of his junior year, and the improvements in all phases of the game are astounding,” Abbott said.
Josh Borfitz, sr., 6-foot-1, Norwich
Borfitz joined the Tornado’s varsity as a sophomore spot-up sharpshooter, a one-trick pony so to speak. By his coach’s account, he improved in all areas of the game to become a complete basketball player on both ends of the floor.
He was among the area’s leaders in scoring with 14.4 points per game, he led with 59 three-pointers – the third highest single-season total for Norwich – and was among the team leaders on Chenango County’s best team in nearly every category. He was second on the Tornado in rebounding, second in assists, and averaged 1.4 steals per game. “Josh was the ‘circled player’ on every opponent’s game plan when they defended us,” Abbott said. “He was an extremely difficult cover because of his quick release and ability to find the open spots on the floor.”
Borfitz made 41 percent of his three-point attempts, shot 77.3 percent from the foul line, and inside the three-point arc, connected on nearly 54 percent of his shot attempts. The senior lefty was in double figures 14 times reaching a career-high of 30 points against Owego. “You don’t replace a Josh Borfitz, you just marvel at what he has accomplished, and thank him for what he brought to your program,” Abbott said.
Derek Hughes, sr., 6-foot, Norwich
If you’re assessment of a player’s value on a team begins with points scored, then you would totally miss the boat with Hughes. The epitome of an unselfish player, Hughes manned Norwich’s high-powered offense as its point guard, and probably had the ball in his hands more than any other guard in the area. He turned in a remarkable 214 assists while turning it over just 53 times in 22 games against the stiffest opposition of any county team. “It was nerve-wracking to not have Derek on the floor,” Abbott said. “He makes such good decisions, and the game seems to really slow down for him, even at hectic times.”
Hughes ability to find the open man allowed fellow all-stars Bonney and Borfitz to flourish, as well as exceptional spot-up shooter, Casey Edwards. Hughes averaged 9.7 assists per game, and his season total is the second highest in Abbott’s 24-year coaching tenure. He also had three steals per game, and drew 12 offensive charges, the second best in school history. Hughes had 12 double-digit assist games with a high of 18 – one off the school record. “Derek was definitely our coach out on the floor – at both ends,” Abbott said. “He has such a great understanding of the game, and the unique ability to see plays before they develop.”
Cory Seiler, sr., 6-foot, Oxford
