M-A’s Anderson, Terra Nova’s Smith and Woodside’s Perez, and Westmoor’s Ugbaja all PAL basketball MVPs

All three divisions in the PAL award three player of the year awards. Menlo-Atherton’s Jack Anderson was named Bay Division Most Valuable Player. The senior wing averaged a double-double for the season, scoring just under 20 points per game and grabbing just over 10 boards. In PAL play, where the Bears finished third after a 7-3 season, Anderson finished third in the division in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Ta’Saan Clark, who was a first-team, all-division selection, took the Bay scoring title with 20.4 a game.

But Anderson did a little bit of everything. He dished out a little over five assists per game, came up with more than 2.5 blocks and nearly as many steals per game, as well.

M-A head coach Mike Molieri said this year, the division coaches used a wider range of criteria to determine the league MVP. He said in past years, the award would usually go the highest scorer for the division champion.

“They tried to be a little more equitable this year,” Molieri said.

He said each coach for the top three teams in the division nominated a player for MVP and then discussed it. Inevitably, Anderson was the choice.

“He was consistent, game in and game out,” Molieri said.

The Bay Division Defensive Player of the Year honor went to Carlmont junior Franklin Kuo, while Half Moon Bay took home Underclassman of the Year in Gio Garduno-Martin and Coach of the Year going to John Parsons.

Garduno-Martin is only a sophomore, but just completed his second season of varsity play and finished sixth in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game in Bay play. He and Parsons helped lead the Cougars to the Bay Division championship.

In the Ocean Division, two players shared MVP honors: Woodside junior Kevin Perez and Terra Nova senior Vinny Smith.

Perez, a shooting guard, helped lead Woodside to its first PAL title of any kind since the Wildcats won the PAL South Division title in 2000 and their first CCS appearance since the 2019-20 season. Perez finished third in the division in scoring at 14.9 points per game, behind Terra Nova’s Smith and San Mateo’s Zidane Auzarang, who won the division scoring champion at 21.7 ppg.

Smith was the man for the Tigers this season, as he also garnered Ocean Division Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well. He finished second in Ocean Division scoring at 16.9 per game. Overall, his average was 15.9, while also pulling down 10.5 rebounds, handed out two assists, along with nearly two steals and three blocks per game.

San Mateo sophomore Grant Wolfgram was named Underclassman of the Year, while El Camino’s Alfredo Egipto was named Coach of the Year. Despite going just 4-6 in Ocean play, the Colts were a thorn in the side for the rest of the teams in the division. They were swept by division champ Woodside, but the total difference in the two games was just eight points.

In the Lake Division, Danny Ugbaja, of division champion Westmoor, was named Most Valuable Player. A bull of a forward, Ugbaja was sixth in the division in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game. That was 10 points behind Oceana’s James Buenaventura, who was the overall PAL scoring champ, averaging 23.4 points per game in Lake Division games.

Ugbaja’s teammate, Matthew Murillo, earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades; Sequoia’s Nick Henderson, a sophomore, was named Underclassman of the Year after averaging 14 points per game in division play. Westmoor’s Rhod Banda was named Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to their first PAL division title since sharing the 2011 Lake Division title with Capuchino.

It is Westmoor’s first outright title since winning the PAL North crown in 1999.

For the complete list of PAL MVPs and all-league team, go to smcoe.org and click on the “Peninsula Athletic League” button.

WCAL

Serra, which finished third in the WCAL with a 9-5 record, had just one player named to the first-team, all-league squad.

Ryan Pettis, a senior who is headed to Fordham to play basketball in the fall, was the Padres’ selection to the first team.

Three other Padres were named to the second team: seniors Angelo Ghattas and Alex Naber, and junior Mikey Ballout. Andrew McDowell was a honorable mention selection for Serra.

Mitty’s Gavin Ripp was named the WCAL Player of the Year.

For a complete WCAL all-league list, go to WCALsports.org.

WBAL

Sacred Heart Prep’s TJ O’Brien is the lastest Gators’ shooting guard to garner the WBAL’s highest honor, earning the award for Most Valuable Player.

O’Brien led the Gators in scoring with 13.2 per game. He tied for the team lead in 3-pointers made, as both he and Drew Wagner finished with 59.

Wagner and teammate JP Kerrigan were named to the first-team, all-league squad, along with Menlo’s Tate Cohen and Priory Balasz Nykios.

For the complete list of WBAL MVPs and all-league teams, go to wbalsports.org.