The Merrimack Valley coaches got together earlier this week and the Rivals Carson Desrosiers was named the League's Most Valuable Player.   As I have said many times before, Desrosiers is the most dominent high shcool basketball player I've witness in my 30 years watching Massachusetts High School basketball.   The numbers speak for themselve as Desrosiers just takes games over.  Last week he posted an incredible 24 points, 18 rebounds, 14 blocks, and 8 assists against a highly rated Saint John's Prep team. Those are crazy numbers.  Desrosiers can do it all and makes everybody on his team better while doing it.   Although there were several players through the last 30 years that were more heavily recruited than Desrosiers and many others that were better scorers than the big man including our own Scott Hazelton, none dominated an entire basketball game the way Desrosiers does.  I know that is hard to swallow for some and I do realize that Ewing is an NBA Hall of Fame basktball player and Hazelton was a scoring machine at the high school level.  But Desrosiers shoots it, blocks it, rebounds it, dribbles it, breaks pressure, and passes the ball like no other big man I've seen.  He is a team leader on and off the court, and just gets it done in every way one can imagine.  Believe it or not, Desrosiers even orchestrates the student fan section for Central Catholic which has taken on a life of its own.  Watching Desrosiers and Central Catholic these days, one might think they are in Indiana and not Lawrecence, MA.  Desrosier's is that talented.

There is more good news for the Rivals and the Merrimack Valley, and his name is Noah Vonleh.  The 6'5" freshman earned All-Conference selection as he had an exceptional year for Haverhill leading his team in all catergories as he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.  Vonleh is the second best player in the league right now behind the Wake Forest bound Desrosiers and he is further along than both Hazelton and  Desrosiers at this point in his career.  By next year, Vonleh will be virtually unstoppable at the high school level.  He is the real deal and you can pencil him in as the next high major division 1 college player to come out of the Merrimack Valley.  He is big, strong, athletic and has so much game.  I am fortunate enough to be in the gym with this young man every day and and I know he goes to sleep every night knowing he's better than the day before. 

Rivals sophomore Luis Puello of Central Catholic was also named to the All-Conference team.  Puello is a great athlete who plays the game hard and with a purpose, and that purpose of course, is to win.  On both ends of the court, Puello get his hands on more basketballs than any other guard in the Merrimack Valley.  He also is the best defender in the league and maybe the state and always has the responsibility of covering the opponents best player.  The bottom line with this young Rival is that if you want to win you better have him on your side.