Frank Mason and Bobby Sharafeddin, who helped turn the Barrie Day boys basketball program around the last two years, will take their combined talents to Johns Hopkins University next year as both recently committed to the Baltimore school.
"They both got academic packages they couldn't turn down," Mustangs coach Darnell Myers said. "Both of them got academic scholarships. They almost got a full ride. Academically, they're looking at pre-med [so] the academics they really wanted Johns Hopkins had. [Both sets of parents] we're looking at Johns Hopkins and Ivy League schools."
Sharafeddin, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, finished his career as the team's all-time leading scorer with nearly 1,500 points. He pumped in about 20 points per game in each of the past three seasons and earned All-Gazette second-team honors this past winter.
Mason, a 6-3 guard/forward, transferred to Barrie two years ago from Good Counsel and averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds a game last year. He also earned All-Gazette second-team honors and was one of the Potomac Valley Athletic Conferences' top defenders and versatile players.
The pair guided the Barrie program to its two best-ever seasons. The Mustangs compiled a 17-7 mark last year and a 29-7 mark this past season, which included their first PVAC regular-season and tournament titles. They went 16-0 in regular-season conference play and defeated Jewish Day, 52-28, to win the tournament.
"I think both of the kids will do well," Myers said. "Since basketball season, they've gotten bigger and stronger. They work out together every day. When they play in the summer league, hopefully the Kenner League down in Georgetown, that will help them out for next year. They're going to be missed."
Johns Hopkins, a Division III program, has compiled back-to-back 15-9 records and plays in the Centennial Conference. The Blue Jays have won at least 15 games the past six seasons but failed to reach the conference playoffs the past two years.
Head coach Bill Nelson, the winningest coach in school history, has compiled a 245-149 record in 15 seasons. He has led Johns Hopkins to the Division III NCAA Tournament seven times and he last won a conference title during the 1998-99 season. That was also the last year the Blue Jays reached the NCAA Tournament.
|
