Gray Collegiate’s Felton named SC Gatorade Player of Year

The honors keep coming in for Gray Collegiate guard Jalek Felton.

The senior was named the South Carolina Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year on Monday. Felton is the 11^th Midlands player to win the award, which began in 1986, and fourth in the last five years. His selection gives the Midlands a sweep in the state’s top two awards with Dreher’s Jaelynn Murray winning the girls player of the year last week.

Felton and Murray are signed to play with North Carolina.

Felton joins his uncle Raymond Felton, a point with the Los Angeles Clippers, as winners of the award. Raymond Felton won his in 2002.

"It is a great way to go out and always special to do something that my uncle did," Felton said. "It is a blessing to put myself in this situation and put smiles on my family’s faces and the people here at Gray. It’s been a great year over here and it’s helped me not only on the court but academic wise as well."

The 6-foot-4 Felton averaged 26.8 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds in his lone season at Gray Collegiate after transferring from Mullins. Felton also shot 83 percent from the free-throw line.

Felton helped the War Eagles to the Class 2A Upper State final in their first season of postseason eligibility. He finished his high school career with more than 2,000 points and had a 50-point game against C.A. Johnson in his final regular-season home game.

Felton, No. 1 ranked prospect in South Carolina and 24th nationally by ESPN, has volunteered locally as a motivational speaker for underprivileged youth and as a youth basketball coach.

Felton also was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic and Allen Iverson Roundball Classic next month. He was co-MVP of the Under Armour Elite 24 game in August and was invited to the Stephen Curry SC 30 Select Camp the past three seasons.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Gray Collegiate’s Felton named SC Gatorade Player of Year."