Country Day’s Miguel Orbe is the Dade 3A-1A Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year
Miami Country Day guard Miguel Orbe’s rise among Miami-Dade County’s top boys’ basketball players mirrors his team’s similar ascent.
Both Orbe and the Spartans carved out a place among the county’s best this season on their way to making school history by reaching the state championship game for the first time.
In recognition of his stellar performance, Orbe is the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for Classes 3A-1A.
Orbe, a 6-3 junior, averaged 21 points, five rebounds and two assists per game, showing off his versatility while leading the Spartans to their best season in school history.
A year after coming up short in the same round, a deep Country Day squad dethroned three-time reigning state champion Riviera Prep in the regional finals to advance to the state final four for only the second time.
There, the Spartans took down Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic in the semifinals. Country Day was unable to overcome perennial state powerhouse Jacksonville Providence in the final.
But the loss provided Orbe fuel for a potential complete run to a championship in his senior season.
“It was really good and we came in with a plan to win it all, but we came up short,” Orbe said. “Next year it’s going to be different. I’m excited. It took a lot of practice and late nights and as a team we locked in and did what we needed to do. We didn’t get the ring, but we know what we need to do.”
Orbe has been part of a gradual rise the past couple of years for Country Day’s boys’ program, which is looking for a breakthrough state championship to put its name on the map at a school known for its 11-time state champion girls’ squad.
Orbe said he developed more as a ball handler and a player who could confidently make a big shot if needed in clutch situations.
“This summer, we worked out and worked out and I got way more comfortable with the ball in my hands in big moments,” Orbe said. “The confidence came. I just felt more confident and comfortable and whenever my team needed me I was there.
“Next year, I’m going in with a different mindset and just take out everyone in front of me. I’m manifesting that we’re going to win our first state title next season.”
