Photo Courtesy: Gatorade
Every year Gatorade chooses 51 high school basketball players (one from each state and Washington D.C.) to win the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award. Selected is the best player in the state on and off the court. The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.
Gatorade Play It Forward works in collaboration with each winner, gifting them the opportunity to donate a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization. The winners are also eligible for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by filming a short video explaining why their organization deserves the additional funding.
Each winner has their own unique story and path to glory. Here is a look at each of New England’s six state winners.
Connecticut: Donovan Clingan (Senior – Bristol Central H.S.)
Photo Courtesy: ESPN
Connecticut’s high school boys’ basketball Gatorade Player of the Year is Donovan Clingan. The 7-foot 2-inch 260-pound center has now won the award for the second consecutive year. Clingan averaged a double-double across the season with 29.9 points and 18.1 rebounds per game while leading Bristol Central to their second consecutive Division II state championship. Clingan’s Rams finished 26-0, completing their second straight perfect campaign and a 43-game winning streak. Ranked 51st nationally in the class of 2022 according to ESPN, Clingan has committed to play collegiate basketball in his home state at the University of Connecticut next season.
Off the court, the 7-footer maintained a 3.5 GPA in the classroom while donating his time at local basketball clinics. In addition, Clingan demonstrated strong character by helping incoming high schoolers acclimate to their new environment as a mentor.
Even the opposition maintained a firm level of respect for Clingan along the way, with Lewis Mills High School head coach Ryan Raponey saying, “Clingan is the most dominant player that I have seen in the last 20-plus years of my involvement as a Connecticut high school player, official and coach.”
Maine: Cooper Flagg (Freshman – Nokomis Regional High)
Photo Courtesy: The Portland Press Herald
Cooper Flagg has become the first ever freshman to be selected as Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Flagg stands at 6’8 and is just 15 years old. In his first season of high school basketball, he averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds per game en route to a Class A state championship. Flagg turned a Nokomis Warrior team that went 1-17 two seasons ago into a top team in the state of Maine, finishing with a record of 21-1. The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year got it done defensively as well with 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game respectively. As a member of the class of 2025, Flagg already holds three NCAA Division I scholarship offers at the University of Maine, University at Albany and Bryant University.
Academically, Flagg was able to keep a 3.67 GPA through his first high school semester. Outside of basketball, he also helped to create a fundraiser for a family friend that provided aid in the cost of cancer treatments. Flagg collaborated with school classmates and faculty to create and sell t-shirts, raising $1,000 in the process.
The praise for Flagg has come from a wide variety of sources with former NBA talent Brian Scalabrine going as far as to say, “I think he could be an NBA player. His feel for the game is exceptional. I think his feel for basketball, besides the height and length and athleticism, his feel for the game is probably better than any high school kid I’ve ever seen.”
Massachusetts: TJ Power (Junior – Worcester Academy)
Photo Courtesy: Telegram
Another big man to add to our list of winners is Worcester Academy’s TJ Power. Power becomes Massachusetts newest Gatorade Player of the Year after posting 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest this season. The 6’9 forward willed the Hilltoppers to the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AA tournament championship this season scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 boards in the title game. According to ESPN, Power is ranked number 49 in the nation in the class of 2023. A transfer from St. John’s High in Shrewsbury, he boasts 14 total scholarship offers, notably from Iowa, Marquette and The University of Connecticut.
It is not only Power’s ability to score and rebound efficiently that makes him dangerous, but also his ability to dominate the game in a variety of ways. “I love TJ’s versatility and his willingness to take what the defense gives him,” explained Cushing Academy head coach James Cormier. “He was a main focus for us (when we played them) and only had seven points in the game, but he impacted their win in so many ways because of his other abilities.”
In school Power has been just as successful, posting an "A" average in the classroom so far this year. The four-star prospect demonstrated his character by volunteering for multiple fundraising campaigns to produce funds for A Shot for Life, which supports cancer and other health research. On top of that, TJ spent free time coaching youth basketball.
New Hampshire: Matas Buzelis (Junior – Brewster Academy)
Photo Courtesy: 247 Sports
The next winner is a point-forward that has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson and Ben Simmons. Brewster Academy’s Mata Buzelis has been named the New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. The 6-foot 9-inch 190-pound standout led the Bobcats to a New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AAA title this winter. In the process, he contributed 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Buzelis transferred to Brewster from Hinsdale Central High in Illinois and is currently ranked number 9 in the country on ESPN’s top 60 recruits for the class of 2023. Many publications claim Buzelis is the best long-term prospect in his class, as he has already earned offers from some of the top schools in the nation. Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas and Arizona headline an impressive list of 24 schools that have extended scholarship opportunities to the junior.
Buzelis is the son of a former Lithuania National Team member. It was through that background that he demonstrated his exemplary character. Buzelis volunteered as an ambassador for the Rimas Kaukenas Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides charitable assistance to Lithuanian children with cancer. Through it all Buzelis kept a “B” average in the classroom.
ESPN basketball’s Paul Bacardi described the diverse skillset of the prospect saying, “Matas Buzelis has a dynamic skill set, but he also has the size of a power forward, he has range as a shooter, a high basketball IQ and is a quality passer.”
Rhode Island: Denzel Correia (Rocky Hill Country – Senior)
Photo Courtesy: Denzel Correia - Nitter
The next winner is 6’3 guard Denzel Correia. The New England Prep School Athletic Council Class D runner-up averaged 21.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Beyond being chosen as Rhode Island’s Gatorade Player of the Year, he was also selected as the 2022 Southeastern New England Conference Player of the Year and is a two-time member of the All-SENE First Team. In his final high school season, Correia led the Mariners to a record of 18-5 while reaching the 1,000-point mark in just his third year at Rocky Hill. He is yet to make a decision on what college to attend in the fall.
As a student athlete, Correia maintained a 3.24 GPA in the classroom. Additionally, he spent time developing and executing leadership activities for middle school students at Rocky Hill.
Not only did Correia claim several accolades, but he also earned the respect of those around him during that time. “Denzel makes other kids better and he is the heart and soul of that team,” said Mike Hart, head coach of St. Andrew’s School.
Vermont: Jonah Cattaneo (Senior – Montpelier H.S.)
Photo Courtesy: Times Argus
Gatorade has selected Jonah Cattaneo as Vermont’s Player of the Year. Standing at an even 6 feet and weighing in at 165 pounds, Cattaneo was not blessed with a large height advantage like many other winners. Nonetheless, the senior guard led his team to a 23-1 record and their second Division 2 state championship in as many years. Cattaneo scored 23.5 points per game while averaging 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals. Gatorade’s award has only expanded his trophy cabinet, as other honors for Cattaneo include Burlington Free Press All-State honors, an All-Metro Selection as a junior and being chosen as the Capital Division Player of the Year during his sophomore season. After scoring 26 points in the state semi-final, and 15 in the championship game, he is yet to make a decision on a collegiate destination.
Similar to the other winners, Cattaneo volunteered at local youth basketball programs. Excellence continued into the classroom for the state champion, as he has maintained a 3.64 GPA.
Defending Cattaneo was a nightmare for opposition coaches all season. Spaulding High School head coach Jesse Willard explained what makes him so difficult to game plan for saying, “Jonah Cattaneo can fill it up in a hurry, he’s incredibly shifty, very quick and handles the ball really well. He can attack the rim or pull up from 25 feet, which makes him incredibly hard to defend.”
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