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Pocono Mountain West guard Kyon "KJ" Coles Jr. was named the 2025-26 Pocono Record All-Area Player of the Year for boys basketball, as voted on by the seven area coaches. Coles was a unanimous selection for the award.
Coles was the best player on the mountain's best team, averaging 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game on 55/36/92 shooting splits.
"It feels great to win, but there is more to accomplish and that is winning basketball games," Coles said about winning the award. "I wanna thank my entire West coaching staff, teammates and family for supporting me."
Awards season: See who won the Pocono Record GBB Player of the Year
Coles spent the first three years of his career playing alongside the likes of JuJu Pagan and last year's Player of the Year, Adrian Brito. But the senior sniper was the unquestioned No. 1 option as a senior, and head coach Rich Williams was happy to see his player live up to, and in some cases defy, expectations.
"It's always rewarding to see your player prove others wrong. As a real competitor, that should fuel you," Williams said. "This is KJ's team and he's shown that he's a dude. There's a ton of clueless haters on this mountain. There are some very jealous parents, players and coaches from some of these schools — watching him perform like he has this season versus those teams, makes it even sweeter."
Coles, who will continue his college basketball career at Kutztown University, expressed his gratitude for Williams, saying, "He’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, and I am super blessed to be able to have him by my side. He takes a ton of credit for all that I have accomplished in my career."
More: KJ Coles becomes West hoops all-time leading scorer vs. Bethlehem Catholic
While the accomplishment is commendable, Coles could potentially add another milestone to his name — all-time boys leading scorer in Pocono area history. With the playoffs yet to take place, he has a legitimate chance of surpassing Adam Gonzalez's 1,778 points.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: West guard KJ Coles voted unanimous Pocono Record Player of the Year
Continue reading...
Coles was the best player on the mountain's best team, averaging 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game on 55/36/92 shooting splits.
"It feels great to win, but there is more to accomplish and that is winning basketball games," Coles said about winning the award. "I wanna thank my entire West coaching staff, teammates and family for supporting me."
Awards season: See who won the Pocono Record GBB Player of the Year
Coles spent the first three years of his career playing alongside the likes of JuJu Pagan and last year's Player of the Year, Adrian Brito. But the senior sniper was the unquestioned No. 1 option as a senior, and head coach Rich Williams was happy to see his player live up to, and in some cases defy, expectations.
"It's always rewarding to see your player prove others wrong. As a real competitor, that should fuel you," Williams said. "This is KJ's team and he's shown that he's a dude. There's a ton of clueless haters on this mountain. There are some very jealous parents, players and coaches from some of these schools — watching him perform like he has this season versus those teams, makes it even sweeter."
Coles, who will continue his college basketball career at Kutztown University, expressed his gratitude for Williams, saying, "He’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, and I am super blessed to be able to have him by my side. He takes a ton of credit for all that I have accomplished in my career."
More: KJ Coles becomes West hoops all-time leading scorer vs. Bethlehem Catholic
While the accomplishment is commendable, Coles could potentially add another milestone to his name — all-time boys leading scorer in Pocono area history. With the playoffs yet to take place, he has a legitimate chance of surpassing Adam Gonzalez's 1,778 points.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: West guard KJ Coles voted unanimous Pocono Record Player of the Year
Continue reading...
