| | OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Chris Duhon of Salmen High School in Slidell, La., has been named the McDonald's National High School Basketball Player of the Year, it was announced Monday.
|
 |
|
|
Morgan Wootten presents the Player of the Year award to Chris Duhon. |
Duhon was presented with the Morgan Wootten Award, given annually to the top scholar-athlete selected to participate in the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game.
A 6-2 point guard, Duhon has broken Salmen High School's season scoring record twice while maintaining a 3.5 or higher GPA every year. He averages 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game and will attend Duke University this fall.
Duhon is active in the Pacesetters Youth Ministry in his community, volunteers at the Salmen Youth Basketball Camp every summer and is a frequent guest speaker for youth groups in his hometown.
"We established the McDonald's National Basketball Player of the Year Award in Morgan Wootten's name to both honor the top high school basketball student-athlete, and pay tribute to Wootten's unprecedented achievements as a teacher, mentor and coach," said Bridget Coffing, Vice President, McDonald's Communications. "We could not imagine a more deserving recipient than
Chris Duhon. He epitomizes the exceptional qualities that this award represents."
During his 43-year career as head basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., Morgan Wootten has won five national high school championship titles, and for past three decades every DeMatha senior player has received a four-year college scholarship. Wootten has won more games than any other prep coach in history, surpassing the 1,000-victory mark in 1993. He has served as head of the Selection Committee for the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Team since its inception in 1977.
The Morgan Wootten Award recognizes the nation's top high school basketball senior who demonstrates outstanding character, exhibits leadership, and embodies the values of being a student-athlete in both his schoolwork and community affairs.
The first recipient of the Morgan Wootten Award in 1997 was
Shane Battier from Country Day High School in Detroit, Mich., who now plays for Duke. Ronald Curry of Hampton, Va., now at North Carolina, received the Award in 1998. Last year's recipient was Jason Williams of Metuchen, N.J., who also plays for Duke.
| |
ALSO SEE
McDonald's.com All American Game page
|
