Gabriele named All-State First-Team by BCAM

[caption id="attachment_407" align="alignright" width="215" caption="Hillsdale High School senior Mitchell Gabriele was named a First-Team All-State Selection for Class B by BCAM Tuesday."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on April 15, 2009

While Hillsdale High School senior three-sport star Mitchell Gabriele continues to wait for the right opportunity to continue his athletic career in college, the accolades continue to roll in.

On Tuesday it was announced Gabriele was a first-team all-state selection for Class B on the Basketball Coaches of Michigan (BCAM) "BCAM's Best" team.

Gabriele was named an AP honorable mention recipient in Class B several weeks ago, to go along with being selected for the Jackson Citizen Patriot's Dream Team and being named the County Player of the Year by the Hillsdale Daily News.

Gabriele averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in helping guide the Hornets to a 14-7 mark.

He also averaged 3.2 steals per game and made 55 3-point field goals on the season.
Brad Felix said.

"Mitchell is a great kid man, especially behind the scenes where not many people see the relationship between a player and their coach. Not many days go by where he doesn't come and see me and chat."

Felix said the two have built a very close relationship the last few years, and added that Gabriele must've hugged him five times on the last day of meetings at the end of the season.

Before Gabriele's career came to an end Felix said he matured into the type of floor general every coach dreams of.

"Other than points per game — he put up numbers that I don't know if you totally compare to Tyler (Laser), but assists wise...he's the best assists guy I've coached and he grabbed five or six rebounds a night and led us in steals and deflections," he said.

"And his basketball IQ is the best I've had, he's the best quarterback I've had."