Cody Kelley of Gillette Named Wyoming Boys Basketball Gatorade Player Of The Year

In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced Cody Kelley of Campbell County High School 2012-13 Gatorade Wyoming Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Kelley is the third Gatorade Wyoming Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Campbell County High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Kelley as Wyoming’s best high school boys basketball player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Kelley joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior point guard averaged 20 points, 6.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 steals while shooting 61 percent from inside the arc this past season, leading the Camels (23-4) to the Class 4A semifinals.

The 2013 Class 4A Player of the Year, Kelley led Class 4A in scoring, assists and steals. He also averaged 19.8 points and 6.4 assists in five postseason games this year.

Kelley has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

A devoted parishioner in his church community, he has volunteered locally as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with its youth group.

“Cody Kelley has such a great understanding of what’s going on out there, it’s almost like having another coach on the court,” said Campbell County High head coach Mike Curry. “He is such a hard worker. When your best player is also your hardest worker, as a coach that’s a good situation for me to be in.”

Kelley will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Kelley joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Boys Basketball Players of the Year Jason McManamen (2011-12, Torrington High School), Taran Brown (2010-11, Campbell County High School), Dan Estes (2009-10, Laramie), Michael Dietz (2008-09, Natrona County High School), Justin Nelson (2007-08, Campbell County High School), and Kyle Bullinger (2006 – 07, Mountain View) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.