Ravenscroft senior power forward Ryan Kelly is the 2008-09 Gatorade North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court.
Kelly averaged 25.2 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior. He led the Ravens to their third-straight Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference title. Ravenscroft advanced in the playoffs to the N.C. Independent School Athletic Association 3-A state finals.
Kelly is a member of the National Honor Society and has a 4.1 grade point average.
He has signed with Duke and has been selected to play in the McDonald's All-America Game in Miami.
“This award is the culmination of numerous hours and days working to become the basketball player he can be,” said Ravenscroft coach Kevin Billerman. “This includes rising at 6 a.m. for two years to work on his shooting each day before school for an hour."
Earlier, Durham Hillside's Asia Williams was named as the girls N.C. Gatorade player of the year.
