Austin Rivers player of the year

For Austin Rivers, career day at school was always a little bit different. Other students had to explain what their parents did for a living, but not Austin. For as long as he can remember, his dad, Doc Rivers, has been a head coach in the NBA (since 2004 with the Boston Celtics and before that with the Orlando Magic).

“It seemed like my dad was always a thousand miles away, coaching,” says Austin, 18, PARADE’s 2011 Player of the Year. “I’ve been on more planes than I can count.”

But back home in Florida, Austin, a point guard at Winter Park High School near -Orlando, was making his own mark on the court. He had a big senior year, scoring a -season-high 46 points against Florida’s Montverde Academy and 38 points against highly ranked St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). And last month, Winter Park won the state championship for the second year in a row.

By topping PARADE’s list of 40 seniors from 22 states (compiled in association with Sporting News), Austin edged out several other players who had big senior seasons, including Bradley Beal (committed to Florida next year), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville).

Meet the 2011 All-America High School Boys Basketball Team:

Name,        Position, Ht.  High School     College*
FIRST TEAM
Austin Rivers,     G,  6'4"  Winter Park (Fla.)    Duke
Bradley Beal,      G,  6'4"  Chaminade (Mo.)     Florida
Anthony Davis,    C/F, 6'10" Perspectives (Ill.)   Kentucky
Chase Fischer,     G,  6'4"  Ripley (W.Va.)     Wake Forest
Adonis Thomas,     F,  6'7"  Melrose (Tenn.)     Memphis
Rodney Cooper,     G,  6'6"  Russell County (Ala.) Alabama
Dantley Walker,    G,  5'11" Lincoln County (Nev.) UNLV
DJ Gardner,       G/F, 6'6"  Okolona (Miss.)     Mississippi St.
Trevor Lacey,      G,  6'4"  Butler (Ala.)     uncommitted
Wayne Blackshear, G/F, 6'5"  Morgan Park (Ill.)    Louisville

SECOND TEAM
D’Angelo Harrison, G,  6'3"  Dulles (Tex.)     St. John’s
Adam Smith,        G,  6'1"  Fayette County (Ga.)  UNC Wilmington
Tony Wroten,       G,  6'5"  Garfield (Wash.)     Washington
Chane Behanan,    G/F, 6'7"  Bowling Green (Ky.)   Louisville
Cody Zeller,      F/C, 6'11" Washington (Ind.)     Indiana
Trey Burke,        G,  6'1"  Northland (Ohio)     Michigan
Kyle Caudill,      C,  7'0"  Brea Olinda (Calif.)  Boston College
Jahii Carson,      G,  5'10" Mesa (Ariz.)     Arizona St.
LeBryan Nash,      F,  6'7"  Lincoln (Tex.)     Oklahoma St.
Angelo Chol,       F,  6'9"  Hoover (Calif.)     Arizona

THIRD TEAM
Wesley Saunders,   F,  6'6"  Windward (Calif.)     Harvard
Shelby Moats,      F,  6'8"  Waconia (Minn.)     Vanderbilt
Devonta Abron,    F/C, 6'8"  Seagoville (Tex.)     Arkansas
Jarvis Threatt,    G,  6'1"  Highland Springs (Va.)Delaware
Amir Williams,     C,  6'10" Detroit C.D. (Mich.)  Ohio St.
Jordan Baker,      G,  6'3"  Tempe (Ariz.)     Pepperdine
Branden Dawson,    F,  6'7"  Wallace (Ind.)     Michigan St.
P.J. Hairston,    F/G, 6'6"  Hargrave Military (Va.)UNC
James McAdoo,      F,  6'8"  Norfolk Christian (Va.)UNC
Xavier Ford,       F,  6'7"  Harrison (Colo.)     Buffalo

FOURTH TEAM
Julien Lewis,      G,  6'4"  La Marque (Tex.)     Texas
Jake White,        F,  6'7"  Chaska (Minn.)     Wichita St.
Johnny O’Bryant,  F/C, 6'10" East Side (Miss.)     LSU
Tanner Wozniak,    G,  6'5"  Keswick Christian (Fla.)FIU
Myck Kabongo,      G,  6'3"  Findlay Prep (Nev.)   Texas
Reese Morgan,      G,  6'3"  Palos Verdes Pen. (Calif.)Cal Poly
Michael Gilchrist, F,  6'7"  St. Patrick (N.J.)    Kentucky
Colin Gruber,      G,  6'3"  Harbor (Calif.)     N. Arizona
Ryan Spangler,    F/C, 6'8"  Bridge Creek (Okla.)  Gonzaga
Marquis Teague,    G,  6'2"  Pike (Ind.)     Kentucky