Nico Mannion won another award in what was one of the greatest basketball seasons by a player in Arizona high school history.
The 6-foot-3 Pinnacle (Phoenix) senior point guard was named by the National Senior Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association.
Mannion, who signed in the fall with Arizona, averaged 30.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists, leading the Pioneers to a second consecutive 6A state championship.
He was named to the ALL-USA Second Team.
Mannion recently played for the West in the McDonald’s All-American Game, teaming up with future UA teammate Josh Green.
Green, who began his high school career at Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) and played at Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix), led Florida power IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) to the GEICO national championship in New York on Saturday, giving No. 1 nationally ranked La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) its only loss of the season.
Mannion is the first Arizona player to be named senior National Senior Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year by the NHSCA.
The point guard was named Gatorade Arizona Basketball Player of the Year and was one of three finalists for the national award.
He was The Arizona Republic’s Player of the Year last season and is a finalist for that again.
