CHICAGO — In its 31st year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, has announced Alterique Gilbert of Miller Grove High School as its 2015-16 Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Gilbert is the second Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Miller Grove High School.
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 Gilbert as Georgia’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, Gilbert 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, 175-pound senior guard led the Wolverines to a 30-2 record and the Class AAAAA state championship this past season. A 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic selection, Gilbert averaged 21.1 points and 6.1 assists while shooting better than 50 percent from 3-point range. He is rated as the nation’s No. 28 recruit in the Class of 2016 by ESPN and helped Miller Grove to a No. 17 ranking in the USA TODAY Super 25 Expert Rankings.
Gilbert has maintained a 3.67 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics, an area homeless shelter and as a mentor for children with incarcerated parents.
“I have had the pleasure of watching and coaching against Alterique Gilbert for the past four years,” said William Faulkner, head coach at B.E. Mays High. “He has been a class act as a player and person all of those years. He carries himself like every coach would want his players to handle themselves. He is a complete leader and gentleman and also a pleasure to be around. He understands what sportsmanship is and means and will help any player, teammate or opponent be the best that they can be.”
Gilbert has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Connecticut 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 the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, 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.
Gilbert joins recent Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Players of the Year Jaylen Brown (2014-15, Wheeler High School), Isaiah Wilkins (2013-14, Greater Atlanta Christian School), Brannen Greene (2012-13, Tift County High School), Tony Parker (2011-12, Miller Grove High School), Shannon Scott (2010-11, Milton High School), Ryan Harrow (2009-10, Walton High School), Derrick Favors (2008-09 & 2007-08, South Atlanta High School), and Gani Lawal (2006–07, Norcross High School) 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 www.gatorade.com/poy.
