Monday, March 12, 2012: Coleman, Stewart snare top basketball awards

   Leading off today: Dajuan Coleman of Jamesville-DeWitt was named the winner of the 2012 Mr. New York Basketball award by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York this morning.

   The Miss New York Basketball award was given to Breanna Stewart of Cicero-North Syracuse, making it a Section 3 sweep.

   The Mr. and Miss New York Basketball awards, which go to seniors each year, are widely regarded as the top honor that a N.Y. high school basketball player can earn.

   Coleman, a Syracuse University recruit, will attempt to lead the Red Rams to a record fifth straight NYSPHSAA boys Class A championship this weekend in Glens Falls. He's already a three-time selection to the all-tournament team and a three-time NYSSWA all-state pick.

   Coleman and Stewart have both been selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Games later this month in Chicago.

   Stewart, a contender for national player of the year honors, has led the Northstars to the NYSPHSAA semifinals in her fifth varsity season. Already this month she repeated as Gatorade's New York player of the year and also won the Naismith Award, one of the top national honors.

   The UConn recruit was also selected the 2011 USA Women's Basketball Player of the Year, recognition that typically goes to a college or professional player.

   Bria Smith of Christ the King was the 2011 Miss Basketball winner, and Stewart is the first Section 3 standout to be recognized by the BCANY girls committee.

   Last year's boys co-winners were Jabarie Hinds of Mount Vernon and Achraf Yacoubou of Long Island Lutheran. Brandon Triche was a co-winner in 2009 as a Jamesville-DeWitt senior. Greg Paulus of Syracuse CBA in 2005 is the only other Section 3 boy to win the Mr. Basketball award, which was first presented in 1986.

   Calling all helpers, Part 1: For over four decades, the New York State Sportswriters Association has selected the all-state boys basketball teams. The NYSSWA's Steve Grandin has begun work on assembling the 2012 edition and is once again looking to media members and league chairmen to help in the process.

   Please forward your all-area team, as well as any all-section, all-class or all-league teams to Steve, who is

More N.Y. postseason coverage All sports • NYSSWA site for brackets of tournaments from the past and present seasons. Boys basketball • Road to Glens Falls for scores and stats. • NYSPHSAA tourney brackets • Current state rankings. Girls basketball • Road to Troy for scores and stats. • Current state rankings. Ice hockey • NYSSWA site for tournament brackets. • Current state rankings. Wrestling • 2012 state meet results: D-I | D-II • Final state rankings.

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also seeking specific information (height, weight, grade in school, statistics, honors) for leading players in each of the five state classes.

   Reporters are asked to nominate players by class, also ranking players within the class. As was the case last year, we will not be choosing players by position since roles are often so fluid on the basketball court.

   Please forward info to Steve via email no later than April 8. Although your all-area team may not have been released by that date, it's likely selections will have made by then; the NYSSWA will keep all-area picks confidential prior to publication by your paper.

   Calling all helpers, Part 2: Tom Vartanian, a sports reporter at the Cortland Standard, has stepped up to handle the NYSSWA baseball rankings this spring and is assembling a list of helpers who can supply regional updates each week on top area teams in each class.

   If you're interested in helping by supplying win-loss records and brief notes regarding significant results from the most recent week of action, please make contact with Tom via e-mail.