Archbishop Carroll’s Jones is Player of Year
It’s impossible for a single player to beat the perennial powerhouse that is Neumann-Goretti, but that didn’t stop Archbishop Carroll’s Derrick Jones from trying.
The UNLV-bound senior scored 30 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked five shots in Carroll’s 69-67 loss to Neumann-Gorretti in last month’s PIAA Class AAA championship game.
Efforts like that are what make Jones the Times Herald player of the year.
ESPN ranks the 6-foot-6 180-pounder as the best college prospect in the state of Pennsylvania, sixth in the region, fourth small forward in the country and 30th player overall.
Jones finished second in the Philadelphia Catholic League in scoring with more than 17 points per game and was selected by the coaches to the league’s first team.
ones, known for his high-flying ability, has dunking videos on YouTube with more than 276,000 views. He routinely brings the crowd to its feet with highlight reel finishes at the rim and crushing blocks on the defensive end.
Joining Jones on the Times Herald’s First Team All Area are La Salle’s Dave Krmpotich, Germantown Academy’s Tim Guers and Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Andre Mitchell and Jimmy Murray.
Dave Krmpotich — La Salle
Krmpotich made his presence felt in the paint all season for La Salle. The Colgate-bound senior scored more than 12 points per game and drew the attention of opponents on both ends of the floor.
Tim Guers — Germantown Academy
Guers lead Germantown Academy to an Inter-Ac championship in 2015 and earned a spot on the league’s first team. The senior scored 33 points — 27 in the second half and 16 in the third quarter — in the Inter-Ac championship game against Episcopal that the Patriots won, 74-50. The guard will continue his career next year at St. Anselm’s.
Andre Mitchell — Plymouth Whitemarsh
Mitchell did it all for Plymouth Whitemarsh. The Catholic-bound senior led the Colonials to a Suburban One League American Conference title, second place finish in District I Class AAAA and a couple of wins in the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs. Mitchell could hit three-pointers and get to the rim and free-throw line at will during his senior campaign, which ended with him scoring his 1,000th career point against Martin Luther King.
Jimmy Murray — Plymouth Whitemarsh
Murray was the other half of PW’s backcourt that was instrumental to the team’s success. A three-point shooter with NBA range, Murray spread the floor for the Colonials and knocked down big shots on a consistent basis. The senior, who is still undecided about where he will attend college, became a much better defender in his final season, using his speed and instincts to close passing lanes and force turnovers.
