Pickerington Central star Devin Royal named Ohio Mr. Basketball
Devin Royal appeared to have entered this season as the envy of every high school basketball player in the state.
Pickerington Central’s 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward was rated the state’s top recruit. He led his team to the Division I state championship as a junior and signed with Ohio State two weeks before the first game of his senior season.
But he still saw one glaring omission on his resume.
Royal came up short in Ohio Mr. Basketball voting last March to Centerville’s Gabe Cupps, whose team lost to Central 55-48 in the state final.
“Once he got it (last year), I wanted to get it this year even more,” Royal said.
In the final week of his high school career, mission accomplished.
Royal was named Mr. Basketball by a statewide media panel Wednesday. He edged Cupps by three points in the voting, 90-87.
“It means a lot,” Royal said. “I’m happy. I wish I’d have gotten it last year, too, but it’s good to have it. It was one of my goals for sure.
“I am really just focused on state right now, but this was a big goal for me. The biggest goal for me walking into this year was to win state back-to-back. I will celebrate this, though. It’s an award I think I earned for all the work I put in.”
Royal is averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds and shooting 64.9% from the field for the Tigers (23-5), who play Centerville (25-3) in a Division I state semifinal Saturday at University of Dayton Arena.
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In its 36th year, Mr. Basketball was first awarded by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted on by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association since 2017.
Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy’s Darryn Peterson was third, followed by Dailyn Swain of Africentric, Jerry Easter II of Toledo Emmanuel Christian, Bede Lori of Caldwell and Luke Skaljac of Brecksville-Broadview Heights.
In the voting, three points were awarded for first place, two for second and one for third.
Royal is Central’s first Mr. Basketball recipient. He is the ninth winner from central Ohio and first since Walnut Ridge’s VonCameron Davis in 2020.
“I’m excited for (Royal) and proud of the season he’s had,” Central coach Eric Krueger said. “He was definitely deserving.”
Other central Ohio winners have been Upper Arlington’s Dane Goodwin (2018), Westerville South’s Kaleb Wesson (2017), Trey Burke of Northland (2010), Northland’s Jared Sullinger (2008 and 2009), West’s Isaac Jefferson (1999) and Independence’s Kenny Gregory (1997).
Ohio Mr. Basketball winners
2023 – Devin Royal, Pickerington Central
2022 – Gabe Cupps, Centerville
2021 – Malaki Branham, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2020 – VonCameron Davis, Walnut Ridge
2019 – Samari Curtis, Xenia
2018 – Dane Goodwin, Upper Arlington
2017 – Kaleb Wesson, Westerville South
2016 – Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior
2015 – Luke Kennard, Franklin
2014 – Luke Kennard, Franklin
2013 – Marc Loving, Toledo St. John's
2012 – Justin Fritts, Mentor
2011 – Trey Burke, Northland
2010 – Jared Sullinger, Northland
2009 – Jared Sullinger, Northland
2008 – William Buford, Toledo Libbey
2007 – Jon Diebler, Upper Sandusky
2006 – O.J. Mayo, Cincinnati North College Hill
2005 – O.J. Mayo, Cincinnati North College Hill
2004 – Jamar Butler, Lima Shawnee
2003 – LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2002 – LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2001 – LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2000 – (tie) Tony Stockman, Medina; Chester Mason, Cleveland South
1999 – Isaac Jefferson, Columbus West
1998 – William "Sonny" Johnson, Garfield Heights
1997 – Kenny Gregory, Independence
1996 – Jason Collier, Springfield Catholic
1995 – Damon Stringer, Cleveland Heights
1994 – Aaron Hutchins, Lima Central Catholic
1993 – Geno Ford, Cambridge
1992 – Greg Simpson, Lima Senior
1991 – Greg Simpson, Lima Senior
1990 – Bob Patton Jr., Youngstown Liberty
1989 – Jimmy Jackson, Toledo Macomber
1988 – Jimmy Jackson, Toledo Macomber
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Pickerington Central's Devin Royal named Ohio Mr. Basketball
