SHELBY — Alex Bruskotter has earned his spot in the history of Ohio high school basketball.
Shelby’s 6-foot-7 point guard, Bruskotter was named Friday as the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year.
The announcement came just one day after the Wright State commit was crowned as Ohio’s Division II Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association on Thursday morning.
Shelby coach Greg Gallaway credited Bruskotter’s ability to lead the program in an OHSBCA press release sent Friday morning.
“Alex’s leadership and work ethic has helped Shelby basketball reach its most wins in a season and its first Final Four berth,” Gallaway said. “He has shown tremendous growth over his four-year high school career.
“Outside of all the awards and accolades that Alex has achieved, he always put his team first and was selfless throughout the entire process.”
Bruskotter, a three-time All-Ohioan, is playing in Italy this week on a team that includes Ohio Mr. Basketball and Ohio State recruit Colin White of Ottawa-Glandorf, among other college commits.
Bruskotter leads Shelby to first Final 4 in program history
Bruskotter led the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in scoring at 23.9 points per game during the regular season and ranked second in rebounding (9.0 rpg), assists (6.0 apg) and blocks (1.0 bpg).
He piloted the Whippets to their fifth consecutive MOAC crown before leading Shelby on a historic postseason run.
Shelby boys basketball (25-3) won its first regional championship in program history after upsetting No. 1-ranked and last year’s Division II state runners-up Lutheran West 55-46.
Making their first Division II Final Four appearance, the Whippets fell to Maysville 68-65 in the state semifinals. Bruskotter’s 34 points matched the Division II state semifinal game record set in 2017 by Torrey Patton of Trotwood-Madison.
OHSBCA Players of the Year
The OHSBCA unveiled their boys Players of the Year for the 2023-24 season Friday morning in a press release from Adam Hall, public relations director.
The following players were selected by the OHSBCA as Player of the Year for their
respective division.
Division I: Jonathan Powell, Centerville
Jonathan Powell averaged 19.7 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 1.6 assists per game. The Xavier University commit led his team to a record of 20-9.
Brook Cupps, Centerville head coach, stated, “Jonathan’s athleticism brought a dynamic to our team that only he could bring. His ability to run the floor and create space for
us offensively improved everyone around him.”
“Jonathan is a versatile scorer that is able to consistently score the ball at all three levels, but his ability to shoot the ball from three at such a high percentage makes him a really difficult matchup.
“Jonathan is coachable, a good teammate, and works hard at his game. He thrived against some of the top competition on our schedule.”
Division II: Alex Bruskotter, Shelby
Alex Bruskotter averaged 23 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game. The Wright State University commit led his team to a record of 25-3.
Greg Gallaway, Shelby head coach, stated, “Alex’s leadership and work ethic has helped Shelby basketball reach its most wins in a season and its first Final Four berth.”
“He has shown tremendous growth over his four-year high school career. Outside of all the awards and accolades that Alex has achieved, he always put his team first and was selfless throughout the entire process.”
Division III: Jesse McCulloch, Lutheran East
Jesse McCulloch averaged 23 points per game, 14 rebounds per game, and 4 blocks per game. The Michigan State commit led his team to a record of 23-5.
Sam Liggins, Lutheran East head coach, stated, “Jesse McCulloch is the epitome of what Lutheran East represents — humbleness, hardworking and faith driven. He is truly special!”
Division IV: Duncan Moy, Badger
Duncan Moy averaged 31.1 points per game, 9.9 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game. The California (PA) commit led his team to a record of 16-7.
Joshua Upshire, Badger head coach, stated, “Duncan Moy has been such an integral part of the Badger basketball family.”
“People see the stats and know that he is a good player, but what sets Duncan apart from others is his commitment to his community and school.
“Duncan is such an amazing role model for young kids and we are grateful for all that he has done for our program.”