MANSFIELD — They were the three best players in Richland County.
And they were rewarded for it.
Shelby's Brayden DeVito, Crestview's Justice Thompson and Mansfield Senior's Kyevi Roane were named the 2024-25 Mansfield News Journal Boys Basketball Players of the Year.
DeVito was named the Division IV Northwest District co-Player of the Year along with Otsego's Kaidyn Hutton. DeVito led the Whippets to a 16-9 record and the Division IV district runner-up trophy after Shelby was gutted by graduation last season. He averaged a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference-best 18.9 points while adding two rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals. He picked up first team All-Ohio honors for his efforts after earning the same in football. He was also first team All-Northwest District, first team All-District 6, Division IV District 6 Player of the Year and first team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.
Thompson earned Division VI Northwest District co-Player of the Year honors along with Colonel Crawford's Brayden Holt and Toledo Christian's Karter Koester. Thompson averaged 25.5 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Cougars and is the program's all-time leading scorer with more than 1,500 points breaking a 60-year-old record. He earned first team All-Ohio honors to go with first team All-Northwest District and first team All-Firelands Conference.
Roane, the Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year, averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals for the Tygers while earning first team All-Ohio, first team All-Northwest District, first team All-District 6 and first team All-OCC honors. He is just the ninth Tyger to score 1,000 career points.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Three standouts share MNJ Boys Basketball Player of the Year honor
