The trophy case in the Carey household just got a bit bigger. NSU University School superstar Vernon Carey Jr. has been named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Florida. Carey is the son of former University of Miami and Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Vernon Carey.
Carey Jr. has been widely recognized as one of the top players in the country, having been named the No. 1 overall prospect by Rivals and third by ESPN. He is set to join head coach Mike Kryzyzewski and Duke next season.
The 6-foot-10, 275-pound Carey has played an instrumental role in leading the Sharks to back-to-back Florida Class 5A state championships. This season, Carey averaged 21.1 points and 9 rebounds per game while leading the Sharks to a 27-4 record. His accomplishments also earned him a spot on the McDonald’s All-American roster.
Carey has also aided the Sharks to consecutive appearances at the GEICO Nationals in New York City. As a junior, Carey helped U-School to a 35-2 record before falling to Montverde Academy (FL) in the national final.
Photo: Dennis Schneidler, USA TODAY Sports
This season, U-School will get an opportunity to avenge that loss in the first round of the GEICO Nationals. The Sharks will match-up with Montverde on Thursday, April 4.
Montverde is loaded with Division I talent with fellow McDonald’s All-American Precious Achiuwa, Balsa Koprivica (Florida State signee), Omar Payne (Florida signee) and Cade Cunningham (one of the top prospects in the Class of 2020).
So, will Carey get a chance to help his squad take down Montverde?
A hindering ankle injury for the future Blue Devil might be the only thing stopping him from adding any further hardware to his preparatory case. Carey suffered an ankle injury in the state regionals and his status for nationals remains in question. Regardless, the legacy of Carey at University School seems to be set in stone. Statistically speaking, he is also the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Representing the state is no easy feat. Past winners of the award include Brandon Knight, Austin Rivers, Ben Simmons, and last year’s winner R.J. Barrett. Barrett, an Ontario native playing for Duke this year, was also the Gatorade National Player of the Year for his senior season at Montverde.
If Carey is done at U- School, he will join a Top 10 recruiting class at Duke in the fall. The Blue Devils have also gained commitments from guard Boogie Ellis out of California and forward Wendell Moore from North Carolina.
Michael Costeines is a contributor for Mars Reel based in South Florida
