Buratto named 4A Player of the Year in IEL

SANDPOINT — Having inflicted plenty of offensive damage against nearly every team in the Inland Empire League this year, sometimes two or three times, Sandpoint shooting guard Stefan Buratto was named the 4A Player of the Year as the IEL all-league team was announced on Monday, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

Buratto averaged 24 points per game this season, while eclipsing the 40 point mark twice, and scored 71 points in the final two losses to Lakeland in the district tournament. While he was a torrid shooter, and could score in bunches, it was his all-around game that made him arguably the league’s best player, regardless of classification.

“He was a great passer, and all of the coaches talked about what a complete player he was,” said Sandpoint head coach Tyler Haynes, who couldn’t remember another Bulldog boy claiming Player of the Year honors. “Even three of the four 5A coaches said they would have voted for him.”

A handful of NAIA schools are showing interest in the 6-foot-3 Buratto, including Whitworth, Northwest Nazarene, Spokane Falls and Columbia Basin. Haynes believes when the college season ends, the recruiting will intensify.

“I think he’s going to be pretty busy in the next two months,” Haynes said. “It will be exciting to see how it shakes out.”

ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS

4A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE

BOYS BASKETBALL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Stefan Buratto, sr., Sandpoint

COACH OF THE YEAR — Tracy Donaldson, Moscow

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR — Taylor Derrick, jr., Lakeland

ALL-IEL — Mac Stannard, sr., Moscow; Joel Underdahl, sr., Lakeland; Nick Clyde, sr., Moscow; Jake Helbling, jr., Moscow; Kyle English, jr., Lakeland.

5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE

BOYS BASKETBALL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Shawn Reid, sr., Post Falls

COACH OF THE YEAR — Mike McLean, Post Falls

CO-NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR — J.J. Stoddard, sr., Lake City; Jake Matheson, jr., Coeur d’Alene

ALL-IEL — Chris Wheelock, jr., Lake City; Deon Watson, so., Coeur d’Alene; Justin Podrabsky, sr., Lewiston; Marcus Colbert, so., Post Falls; Connor Hill, jr., Post Falls.