Xenia High School senior Samari Curtis was announced as Ohio Mr. Basketball Thursday by a statewide media panel.
Curtis will receive the Mr. Basketball award Friday night at the OHSAA boys basketball state tournament.
Headed to the University of Cincinnati, the 6-foot-4 Curtis averaged 34.4 points per game this season to lead the Greater Western Ohio Conference. His 5.8 assists per game ranked second in the league. In his career, he scored 2,109 points, which marks a school-record, as were his 816 points as a senior. This season, he made 224 free throws, which rank ninth in OHSAA history. He made more free throws this season than anyone else in the league even attempted. His 514 career made free throws are 13th in OHSAA history.
Curtis was a first-team All-GWOC selections as a sophomore (23.4 points, 4.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds), junior (29.8 points, 5.2 assists) and senior (34.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists).
Other finalists for the award were Davis Black of Byesville Meadowbrook, Ben Roderick of Olentangy Liberty, Zach Rasile of McDonald, Devon Grant of Lorain, Bo Myers of Logan and Brandon Haraway of Norwalk.