Tyler Ennis Named Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (March 22, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Tyler Ennis of St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) as its 2011-12 Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Ennis is the third Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from St. Benedict's Prep.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Ennis as New Jersey's best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Ennis joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-3 junior guard has led the Gray Bees to a 33-2 record, a No. 2 ranking in the ESPNHS Fab 50 and a berth in the ESPNHS High School Invitational, scheduled for March 29. Through 35 games, Ennis averaged 15.2 points, 7.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals. A First Team All-State performer, he's a member of Canada's U-19 Men's National Team and is rated as the nation's No. 41 recruit in the Class of 2013 by ESPNU.

Ennis has maintained a 3.29 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally assisting the homeless.

"Ennis has strength and size and he does all the things a coach could want him to do," said Billy Armstrong, head coach at Bergen Catholic. "He can shoot it, and he runs his team well. He's just a really good point guard with a very athletic body."

Ennis will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Ennis joins recent Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Players of the Year Michael Gilchrist (2010-11 and 2008-09, St. Patrick High School), Kyrie Irving (2009-10, St. Patrick, Samardo Samuels (2007-08, St. Benedict's Prep), and Corey Fisher (2006–07, St. Patrick) among the state's list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.