Calvary Christian’s Daughtry: Broward 3A-1A Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year
Much like the program he plays for, Calvary Christian guard Cayden Daughtry holds himself to a high standard.
He learned from the example set by former Eagles star forward Shon Abaev, a McDonald’s All-American.
But Daughtry credits someone else closer to home for helping turn him into one of the top boys’ basketball players in the country.
“My mom has always been the person to keep me level-headed,” Daughtry said.
Daughtry’s mother, Dawn, watched her son flourish this season while leading the Eagles back into the national spotlight.
Daughtry’s versatile play at both ends of the court propelled Calvary Christian to the Class 3A state championship and a No. 2 national ranking per MaxPreps.
As such, Daughtry is the Miami Herald’s Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for Broward County for Classes 3A-1A.
Daughtry is the second consecutive recipient of the award for Calvary Christian following in Abaev’s footsteps.
Daughtry is also continuing the legacy of All-Americans for the school.
A 6-2 junior guard who averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game this season, Daughtry earned MaxPreps Junior All-American honors.
“I just learned to be a better leader,” Daughtry said. “Playing with Shon Abaev helped me grow into that role, and I was able to help my team to our success this year. I learned to be tough and keep people accountable. We had a good team dynamic.”
Daughtry’s ability to make plays on the run for his team made him one of the most explosive players in the nation this season while leading the Eagles to a second consecutive state championship and fifth overall.
Daughtry then shined with big performances, including a 31-point effort to lead Calvary Christian to the semifinals of The Throne national tournament in East Rutherford, N.J.
Daughtry will now head into his senior season as a 5-star point guard prospect and rated the No. 16 overall prospect in the nation by 247Sports. He’s also earned several offers from Division-I schools including Miami, FSU, Iowa and recently-crowned national champion Michigan.
“I’ve always been that kind of player and it comes from how much heart and how much love I have for the game,” Daughtry said. “You have to be able to guard every player on the court, not just other guards.”
