AARON GORDON’S NUMBERS GAME
2012-13 points per game: 21.6 2012-13 rebounds per game: 15.7 2012-13 total rebounds: 535 (school record) Career points: 2,386 (Central Coast Section record) Career rebounds: 1,666 (CCS record) WCAL Player of the Year Awards: 3 (WCAL record)
Aaron Gordon
Archbishop Mitty-San Jose - Basketball - Senior
If Aaron Gordon didn’t convince any or all doubters of his dominance during his sophomore and junior seasons — in which Archbishop Mitty won back-to-back CIF Div. I state championships — then his senior year had to be the clincher. After graduation took a heavy toll on the Monarchs roster following the 2011-12 season, some wondered if Gordon’s prowess would be good enough to keep a relatively young Mitty team among the state’s elite. Twenty eight wins later, the 6-foot-8, Arizona-bound talent had the Monarchs in the inaugural CIF Open Division state final. Mitty would fall five points shy of a third straight state title, succumbing to national powerhouse Mater Dei 50-45. Gordon finished 22 points, and 20 rebounds. Which, incidentally, was a ho-hum effort for a state final. In three state championship games, Gordon averaged 24.3 points and 20 rebounds. A little more than a week after his final game in a Monarchs uniform, Gordon was in Chicago sporting a McDonald’s All-American jersey and looking like college basketball’s next big thing. Gordon lifted the West to a 110-99 victory with 24
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SportStars™
July 18, 2013
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points and 8 rebounds (both game-highs) and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. On the following week, Gordon was named CalHiSports. com’s Mr. State Basketball for the second straight year. He became just the 10th player to win the award twice, and the first NorCal player to do so since Jason Kidd won it back-toback in 1991 and 1992. Some felt the honors didn’t have to stop there. “I think Aaron Gordon is the national player of the year for his success without a lot of help,” Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Eric Bossi told CalHiSports.com for their story on Gordon as Mr. State Basketball. “What Gordon meant single-handily to his team was incredible. When the staff members and writers at SportStars sat down to create the first Bay Area 75 rough draft, Aaron Gordon was unanimously offered up as No. 1. No debate was needed. We can only hope to have an athlete make it that easy for us in 2013-14. — Chace Bryson
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