End of Season Awards: Connecticut All-State

Today, we continue to unveil our all-state teams from throughout New England by taking a look at the all-state teams for the state of Connecticut   This is our final release for New England's six state associations, having previously covered Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.   As a reminder, here is our approach for selecting these teams.   First, the benefit that we have over say, the NBA, is that we don't have to cast any votes until after the state tournaments have taken place. Because of that, these teams will factor in playoff performances.   In each state we'll name a Player of the Year. That player will earn their own recognition, seperate from the all-state teams.   After that we'll name five players to a 1st team and five more to a 2nd team. Construction of the teams will have less to do with positional make up than it will with trying to honor the prospects we believe had the best seasons.   With that being said, let's take a look at the 2024-2025 Player of the Year and All-State teams from Connecticut.   Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='2341304' first='Abdou' last='Toure'] - Notre Dame-West Haven   Connecticut's Gatorade Player of the Year also takes home our Player of the Year honors after leading Notre Dame-West Haven to a CIAC Division I championship. Toure, a 6'6" guard, had a phenomenal junior season, with per game averages of 25.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He had one of his best games of the season in the state final, leading his team to victory with a 27 point - 20 rebound effort. He's one of the top recruits in his class nationally and impresses with his combination of perimeter size, scoring ability, and defensive versatility. He scores at all three levels, is lethal in transition, and makes loud plays on the defensive end of the floor, where he racked up 59 steals and 47 blocked shots this season.     1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2396749' first='Amyre' last='Gray'] - St. Bernard   A lead guard at St. Bernard, Gray was named the ECC Player of the Year for a second straight season after leading his team to a runner-up finish in Division I of the CIAC. The 6'0" senior finished the season with averages of 20.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 steals per game. Gray, a winner above all else, was electric in the open floor, both as a scorer and facilitator. His ability to run an offense and understanding of when to pick his spots as a scorer set him apart. Defensively, he was able to guard in space and did a terrific job of generating turnovers both on the ball and off of it.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2811765' first='Derrick' last='Sheets'] - Manchester   A key piece on Manchester's Division II CIAC state championship team this winter, Sheets wrapped up a stellar career by averaging 21.0 points per game. The 6'1" guard made over five threes per game and finished the season with 117 made threes on the year and a career total of 1,296 points. One of the top combo guards in the state, Sheets took on a major scoring role this winter and as his statistics show, was one of the top perimeter shooters in Connecticut. He's a good athlete with a quick first step and showed the ability to create seperation off the bounce, which helped him to open up his mid-range game.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2685923' first='Elijah' last='Parker'] - Holy Cross   The recipient of the Waterbury area's Billy Finn Award, Parker wrapped up a storied career as a four-time All-NVL selection and his school's all-time leading scorer with 2,251 career points. The 6'3" guard avered 26.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game and will continue his playing career at Central Connecticut State. Parker was an elite scorer this winter and proved difficult for any team to stop with just one defender. His size on the perimeter gave him an advantage against smaller guards, but he also showed the athleticism and physiciality needed to score at the rim against size. His all-around offensive game impressed every time he took the floor.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2453029' first='David' last='Smith'] - Glastonbury   Smith had a terrific senior season for Glastonbury and wraps up his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,610 career points. For the season, he averaged 28.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game, and scored a school single-game record 51 points against Windsor. A 6'4" wing, Smith is an elite athlete that really improved his skillset over the last year. While he could take over games with his physical gifts, it was his evolution as a scorer that set him apart. He had to be accounted for in transition, could get buckets out of ball screens, and really came along as a perimeter shooter. Defensively, he was a terror on the ball and a really good rebounder in space.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2452952' first='Ryan' last='Tolliver'] - Northwest Catholic   Arguably the top forward in the state, Tolliver helped Northwest Catholic win its first CCC championship this winter while averaging 18.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. The 6'7" forward was a two-time All-CCC selection and will continue his playing career at Northern Kentucky. Tolliver's versatility stood out each time he took the floor as he had the ability to operate as the hub of an offense with his ball-handling and decision making, while also serving as an ultra-versatile defender. His feel for the game, ability to make reads out of ball screens, and inside-out scoring where some of his best attributes. He's a high IQ defender that does a great job as a grab and go rebounder.     2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2568504' first='Josh' last='Charlot'] - Notre Dame Prep   Only a sophomore, Charlot has already put together an impressive high school career, leading Notre Dame Prep to back to back SWC tournament championships. The 5'8" guard averaged 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 4.0 steals per game this winter, with an impressive 3.5-to-1.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. A dynamic lead guard, he's at his best in the open floor, when he attacks the basket off the bounce, and playing out of ball screens. He does a great job of seeing the floor and can really create easy baskets for his teammates. Defensively, he's terrific on the ball and moves to well laterally that it's hard for opponents to go by him.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2811653' first='Cayden' last='Smith'] - Bloomfield   Smith, a 6'2" lead guard, put together one of the most impressive statisical seasons in the region for Bloomfield. The senior finished his career with over 1,200 points and 1,200 assists and averaged 17.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 12.8 assists, and 3.7 steals this winter. He has great positional size and next level floor vision, both of which allow him to make almost every pass imaginable. He's really improved as a perimeter shooter and when you combined that with his ability to get to the rim off the bounce, proves to be a difficult cover. His creativity in the open floor leads to a lot of easy baskets around the rim.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2546839' first='Kamryn' last='Salters'] - Notre Dame Prep   The versatile 6'3" guard had an outstanding final season of high school basketball in Connecticut, helping lead Notre Dame Prep to the CIAC Division I state semifinals. Salters, a senior, averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, and finished his career with 1,340 points. A bigger guard that can play through contact, he has the ability to play on or off the ball and does a good job as both a scorer and decision maker. He's a three level scorer, makes good decisions with the ball in his hands, and rarely turns the ball over. Defensively, he can guard up and down a lineup and when he pursues the basketball, normally comes down with the rebound.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2546908' first='Amare' last='Marshall'] - St. Bernard   Marshall wrapped up an impressive career at St. Bernard with a third straight ECC Division I championship and a trip to the CIAC Division I state championship game. The 6'6" forward averaged 11.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game this winter, proving to be one of the state's most versatile forwards. The lefty has the ability to make shots from the perimeter or to score with his back to the basket in the paint, but really impresses when he makes plays off the bounce from the perimeter. His combination of size, length, and a quick first step makes him a tough cover when he gets downhill. Defensively, he's a versatile ball-screen defender that can really rebound the basketball.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2553708' first='Landon' last='Krygier'] - Notre Dame-West Haven   The junior played a pivotal role for Notre Dame-West Haven this winter as they took home the CIAC Division I state championship. A 6'5" forward, Krygier averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 64.3% from the floor and 40.0% from three. A physical presence around the rim, he has a college ready frame and an advanced skillset, making him the perfect compliment to Toure this winter. While he can get to the basket and finishing with authority above the rim, his ability to space the floor as a shooter really stood out. He makes good decisions with the basketball and can guard up and down a lineup, while also providing a presence on the defensive glass.

Today, we continue to unveil our all-state teams from throughout New England by taking a look at the all-state teams for the state of Connecticut