Troy Barnies called the Mr. Maine Basketball trophy “my baby” as he cradled it in his arms Friday night.
He saw only one drawback to his new bundle of joy, though.
“Now I have to prove myself to everyone in the dunk contest and the All-Star Game (today),” he said. “I feel like if I don’t, people won’t think I’m worthy.”
Barnies became the first Edward Little boys’ basketball player to win Mr. Maine Basketball Friday night at an awards banquet held Friday night in Bangor.
Barnies won out over fellow semifinalists Andy Shorey of Mountain Valley and Gardiner’s Sean McNally.
Ashley Cimino of Catherine McAuley was named Miss Basketball. Mr. and Miss Basketball is the highest individual award presented to a male and female basketball player in the state. It is awarded for commitment, dedication and excellence throughout the player’s high school career.
“I didn’t think I was going to win it because Andy Shorey and Sean McNally are so good,” Barnies said. “Its incredible.”
“I was not prepared at all for my speech. I just had to thank the important people, so I think I got it out good,” he added. “I thanked my parents (Stanley and Lorie) and obviously Coach (Mike) Adams.”
Adams earned the distinction of becoming the first Mr. Basketball winner to coach a Mr. Basketball winner. He won the award as a Mt. Blue senior in 1990.
“I almost fell out of my chair. I think all of us were just too nervous or too respectful of the other players to get our hopes up too much,” Adams said. “Its a real honor, because I know how much that award means to me and has meant to me, and to share that with Troy is special.”
The 6-foot-7 Barnies averaged 22.8 points, tops in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, and 12.4 rebounds per game. He led EL to an undefeated regular season, the KVAC championship and the top seed in the Eastern A playoffs, where the Eddies lost to Hampden Academy in the quarterfinals. He was named the KVAC’s CO-player of the year in Class A South, earning the honor for the second straight year. He has signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Maine next season.
“Being recognized with the great players in the state of Maine past – Ralph Mims, Nik Caner-Medley – its just incredible,” Barnies said. “I feel like I’m a part of it now.”
Shorey, a 6-foot-4 center, averaged 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game to earn the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year honors. He also picked up his second straight Class B tourney MVP award while leading the Falcons to their second state championship game in a row. Mountain Valley beat Camden Hills two weeks ago to win its first state title since 1994.
“I was just proud to be standing up there with both of those guys,” said Shorey, who tallied over 1,200 points for his career. “I had no clue (who would win). I thought any three of us could have gotten it.”
The 6-foot-8 McNally shared KVAC South Player of the Year honors with Barnies after averaging 20.6 points and a KVAC-leading 16.1 rebounds. And like Barnies, he has signed to play for the University of Maine next season. He led the Tigers to a 12-8 record before they were booted from the Eastern A quarterfinals by Mt. Blue.
Cimino averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game while leading McAuley to its second Western A title in three years. She will be playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 28, becoming the first Maine high school player to participate in that game.
The Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star Basketball Games will still be played today, as scheduled, at Newsman Gymnasium on the campus of Husson College. The event tips off at 8:30 a.m. with the state free throw championship. The Boys’ C/D game follows at 9:15 a.m., then the slam dunk competition at 10:30 a.m. The Boys’ A/B game tips off at 11 a.m., followed by the Girls’ A/B game at 12:30 p.m. The three-point shooting contest gets under way at 1:45 p.m. before the Girls’ C/D game wraps up the event at 2:15 p.m.
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