Player of the year
Markus McGowan
Jr., G, Jeannette
Markus McGowan had a career season at Jeannette, but that doesn’t mean the long-bombing junior shooting guard is content.
Far from it, in fact.
“Was I satisfied? I don’t think so,” McGowan said. “I definitely didn’t plan for it to go out like that, especially for the seniors.”
That means this year’s TribLive Westmoreland County Boys Basketball Player of the Year will be striving for more next winter.
He was selected over Derry junior Stanley Rajkovich and seniors Danny Husenits of Hempfield and Noah Felentzer of Southmoreland, who were also considered.
The 6-foot-3 McGowan led Jeannette (24-3) to the WPIAL Class 2A championship game for the second straight season. The Jayhawks fell to Sewickley Academy but won two PIAA playoff games before falling to Mercyhurst Prep in the quarterfinals.
“If you look back to his sophomore year, he’s grown so much mentally and physically,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “He’s known for being a shooter, but he’s more than that. He’s a scorer. He showed this season that he can get by you off the bounce, he can post up and shoot it from the catch. He’s even added a pull-up off the bounce. So, he’s matured so much with his game.”
McGowan topped 1,000 career points with one prep season remaining, averaging 18.8 points and 3.1 rebounds, while making 63 3-pointers.
He had back-to-back 26-point games in the state tournament.
“I feel like I took a huge step in my game. I feel like I’m more aggressive than I was last year and want the ball more,” McGowan said.
McGowan said one of his goals is to reach 2,000 career points, something that has only been done by two former Jayhawk stars, Terrelle Pryor and Ciara Gregory. He has 1,221 in his three-year career.
McGowan and junior Jayce Powell are primed to assume key roles next season after the graduation of seniors Kymon’e Brown, Xavier Odorisio-Farrow and Noah Sunder.
“What I learned from the seniors was how to be a leader,” McGowan said. “They definitely held me accountable because they knew what I can do, and when I did something wrong, they always said, ‘You’re good. Get the next one.’”
First team
Kymon’e Brown
Sr., G, Jeannette
Floor leader led Jayhawks back to WPIAL Class 2A finals and to PIAA quarterfinals, averaging 14.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals. … Finished with 1,184 career points.
Ian DeCerb
Sr., F, Latrobe
Athletic forward led Wildcats with 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7% from the field for WPIAL Class 5A playoff team. … Has committed to Division III Franciscan.
Zach Feldman
Sr., F, Penn-Trafford
All-around contributor for Warriors, who made WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, the 6-4 forward averaged 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals.
Noah Felentzer
Sr., G, Southmoreland
Streaky scorer led Scotties with 17.5 point-per-game average, also producing 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals for a Class 3A section champion and playoff team.
Danny Husenits
Sr., G, Hempfield
Spartans’ go-to scorer led team back to WPIAL Class 6A playoffs, averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. … Committed to Pitt-Greensburg. … Third all-time scorer at Hempfield with 1,571 career points.
Stanley Rajkovich
Jr., F, Derry
The 6-foot-7 swing-forward led the Class 4A Trojans to first section title since 1957, averaging 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. … Drawing Division I and II college interest.
Logan Walter
Jr., G, Franklin Regional
Had breakthrough season, leading WPIAL Class 5A playoff team with 15.2 points per game. … Also averaged 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals and shot 51.1% from the field.
Michael Wisniewski
Sr., G, Ligonier Valley
A cornerstone in the Rams’ offense, he capped his prep career with a career season, averaging a team-high 19 points per game. Streaky shooter finished with 1,100 career points.
Robert Young
Sr., F, Latrobe
Had dominant moments in his first season with the Wildcats, averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds to go with 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists. … Shot 53.2% from the field.
Second team
Solomon Cain, So., G, Greensburg Salem
Alex Graney, Sr., G, Norwin
Cam Jenko, Jr., F, Belle Vernon
Rodney Johnson, Sr., F, Monessen
Ethan McDonald, Jr., F, Penn-Trafford
Jayce Powell, Jr., G, Jeannette
Webber Rankin, Jr., G, Franklin Regional
Brayden Robinson, Sr., G, Derry
Lucas Simmons, Jr., F, Hempfield
Michael Vargulish-Graver, Sr., F, Ligonier Valley