KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A crazy year begets a crazy awards season with not one, but two winners for the 2021 DiRenna Award as the top boys' basketball player in the Kansas City area.
Lawrence senior Zeke Mayo and Bishop Miege junior Mark Mitchell Jr. will share the award.
This marks the third time since its inception that the DiRenna Award has selected co-winners.
Barstow's Jeriah Horne and Lee's Summit's Blake Spellman shared the honor in 2016, while Pembroke Hill's JaRon Rush and Wyandotte's Victor Williams shared the award in 1998.
Mayo is the Chesty Lions' first DiRenna Award recipient.
"I just think of all the talent that's been through this school," Mayo said, "and for me to win this award is just amazing."
Mayo averaged 21.2 points and 6.8 rebounds this winter, helping Lawrence reach the Kansas Class 6A state semifinals. The 6-foot-3, Rivals three-star combo guard has committed to South Dakota State University.
Mayo was the Lawrence Journal-World's Player of the Year, the Sunflower League Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection. He also earned all-state honors from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle.
Mitchell, who averaged 18 points and six rebounds last season, shared the award after helping lead the Stags to the Kansas Class 4A state championship last month.
"My family's from here ...," Mitchell said. "I just wanted to be included in that group of people. I just want to leave a legacy."
Mitchell, who is one of the top prospects in the 2022 recruiting class, was the Wichita Eagle's Player of the Year and Sports in Kansas' Class 4A Player of the year. He also earned all-state honors from the Topeka Capital Journal, Eagle and Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Mitchell, a first-team All-Eastern Kansas League selection, is the No. 9 prospect in the 2022 graduating class, according to Rivals, and checks in 19th overall, according to ESPN.
247 Sports lists Mitchell as the top 2022 player in Kansas, ranking him 10th nationally and fourth among small forwards.
He's a 6-foot-7 small forward, who Rivals has ranked second at his position, already has offers from Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, USC and Wake Forest — a list that's only expected to grow.
The DiRenna Award, which was created by Dr. James DiRenna Sr., has been awarded annually since 1954 to the top boys' basketball player or players in the Kansas City area.
Originally, it was only awarded to the top male athlete in Kansas City, Missouri, but the award expanded to encompass the entire Kansas City region in the 1980s.
Today, the DiRenna Award is presented by Dr. James DiRenna Jr. and the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association.
