Landry-Walker Player Awards (Video)
Landry-Walker’s 2016-17 LHSAA Class 5A championship rings arrived earlier this month and the Charging Bucs celebrated with an awards ceremony at the school’s Black Box Theatre. Here are the award winners with a bit of analysis for each and click here to check out coach Brian Gibson passing the torch to Wilfred “Coach Bird” Antoine:
Leading Scorer: 2017 G Malik LeGania
Former coach Brian Gibson didn’t believe in handing out “MVP” awards for his teams but the award of leading scorer is, of course, one of the team’s top honors. LeGania averaged 15.2 points per game and was a stabilizing force for the Charging Bucs while much of the roster was occupied helping the football team win the Class 5A title. LeGania is likely headed to a prep school and has a few options at his disposal.
Leading Assister: 2017 PG Lamont Berzat
Berzat is the leader and floor general for any team he’s a part of and that was certainly the case for Landry-Walker upon his return from the football field. A hard-nosed lead guard with a high basketball I.Q., Berzat is always setting his teammates up for good looks while running the show, and will continue to do so at UNO.
Leading Rebounder: 2018 F Devonta “Whop” Jason
Gibson described Jason, affectionately knows as “Whop”, as the “enforcer” for Landry-Walker. A 5-star receiver on the gridiron, Whop brought that same ability to high point the ball and battle through contact to grab tons of boards for the Charging Bucs. He was also the first to the floor in loose ball situations and his hustle was contagious throughout the team.
Outstanding Defender: 2018 F Semaj Matthews
Gibson lauded the progression of Matthews over the years and chose him as the team’s best defender due to his versatility. The 6-foot-6 prospect is an agile, athletic forward who is capable of both protecting the rim and guarding quicker players on the perimeter. Matthews is also a productive player on the offensive end with his ability to finish in the paint and step out beyond the 3-point line and make shots.
Sixth Man: 2019 PG Shadon Green
Green was in and out of the starting lineup as need be for coach Gibson and really shined in his role off the bench following the return of Berzat. He’s capable of running the show much in the same way as his predecessor and is also a good shooter from long range.
Most Improved: 2019 PG Dywan Griffin
Griffin was without question Landry-Walker’s breakout players as a sophomore. He earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Top 28 (finals and semifinals) and is expected to be the workhorse for Landry-Walker in a DEEP 2019 class.
“Brian Gibson” Coach’s Award: 2017 PG Javen Cole
The Coach’s Award was established by Gibson to honor a players who’s contribution may not have always shown up in the stat sheet but was a key part of the team nonetheless. Cole was turned away from the varsity squad for each of his first three seasons but continued to put in the work earn a spot on the team. He finally did so as a senior and became one of the Charging Bucs’ better shooters over the course of the season.
Outstanding Scholar: 2018 F Breshaun Delpit
Delpit was the Charging Bucs’ top player in the classroom and he had a big impact on the floor as well. He helped protect the paint alongside Matthews last season and is expected to have a big year after missing most of the summer with a broken nose.