Mater Dei HS (29‑6)

Top Players

• 6-4 JR Luke Barnett
• 6-4 SR Owen Verna (ST. JOSEPH'S)
• 6-9 SR Blake Davidson (NEVADA)
• 6-5 JR Malloy Smith
• 6-1 SR Riley Hale
• 6-8 SOPH DeMarcus Henry

Monarchs At A Glance

High school basketball’s winningest active coach Gary McKnight brings Mater Dei to its 11th City of Palms Classic – with a 28-10 tournament record, three championships (2006, 2008 & 2023 Sunshine) and three third-place finishes on his Fort Myers resume. … Mater Dei sputtered after a 26-2 start, leaving McKnight two games short of a 12th state title, but battled rival St. John Bosco to the wire in a 71-68 playoff loss that featured 24 lead changes and 13 ties. Three key players return in sharpshooter 6-4 JR Luke Barnett (14.7 ppg, 3 rpg), who made 113 3-pointers last season, St. Joseph’s commit 6-4 SR Owen Verna (14 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.2 apg) and Nevada pledge 6-9 SR Blake Davidson (11.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg). The extremely deep Mater Dei lineup also features 6-5 JR Malloy Smith (2.6 ppg), son of TNT’s Kenny Smith, heady defender 6-1 SR Riley Hale and 6-8 SOPH DeMarcus Henry. … Mater Dei has won one national championship (2014), 11 California state crowns, 24 CIF Southern Section banners and 40 of 42 league titles since McKnight took over in 1982. His 1,272 career victories (140 losses) leave the 72-year-old coach just two wins shy of DeMatha legend Morgan Wootten and 61 behind national record-holder Robert Hughes (Fort Worth Dunbar TX). During the McKnight Era, nine of his players have gone on to play in the NBA.