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Two top Catholic high school players in the archdiocese have earned prestigious basketball honors.
R.J. Davis, a senior at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, was named Mr. New York State Basketball by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York and Gatorade New York State Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the 2019-2020 season, and Sonia Citron, a junior at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, received the 2019-2020 Gatorade New York State Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year award.
R.J. averaged 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game in leading Stepinac to an 18-9 record and the archdiocesan championship. He shot 87 percent from the free-throw line, 51 percent from two-point range and 34 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
“R.J. has always been a leader for our program, throughout his four years, this year in particular he rose to the occasion and stepped up being more vocal than ever before,” Stepinac coach Patrick Massaroni told CNY. “Every single night he stepped on the court, he performed for the team, his fans and the entire program.”
R.J. was selected to play in the 43rd McDonald’s All-American game in Houston April 1, which was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The 6-foot-1 point guard will play at the University of North Carolina.
“R.J. is known for his on the court ability but people do not understand that he is the all-around student-athlete,” Massaroni said. “He holds a 3.8 GPA in the classroom, volunteers in his community, public speaking opportunities and more. R.J. is going to excel at UNC on the court because he is driven, a hard worker and wants success. Off the court it would not surprise me if he became the face of not only UNC athletics but UNC in general as a school.”
Sonia helped Ursuline to a 24-0 record and the 2019-2020 Section 1 Class AA title.
The 6-foot-1 junior guard entered the Section 1 semifinals averaging 23.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.1 assists per game for Ursuline, which is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. She scored 33 points in the Section 1 semifinal win over Albertus Magnus.
“Ursuline tries to encourage, empower and inspire young women. It has helped me in everything I do,” said Sonia in a 2019 interview with Catholic New York.
In 2019, Sonia helped the United States to a 6-0 record and the 2019 International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) U16 Americas Championship in Chile. She made the all-tournament team after averaging 13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 3.2 steals in 19.4 minutes per game.
“It was amazing just being able to play for my country and be teammates with a great group of players,” Sonia said. “I’m just thankful for the experience.”
Sonia is ranked 16th overall nationally in the Class of 2021 by ESPN and has been offered scholarships from colleges such as Oregon, Stanford, Maryland, Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson, Texas and Michigan.
