Chennault: Daily News Player of the Year

Great bloodlines are not always a total blessing.

While they can give an athlete a good head start, they can also create extra pressure.

In 1981, the Daily News City Player of the Year was wing guard Anthony Chennault, of Public League runner-up Frankford. After starring at Gloucester County (junior) College and Lubbock Christian, an NAIA school in Texas, he went to camp with the Atlanta Hawks and later excelled for a long time overseas.

Flash ahead to now. As we present the 2009-10 Daily News All-City Basketball Team, we announce that this year's Player of the Year is Tony Chennault.

We'll pause as you to say to yourself . . . "Like father, like son."

Chennault, a 6-2 senior wing guard bound for Wake Forest, led Ss. Neumann-Goretti (30-1) to a triple crown of championships - overall Catholic League, City and State AAA - while showing three prominent qualities: skill, savvy and hard-to-match brass.

Chennault scored 555 points in 29 games (19.1) while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor and 64.8 at the line. He added 173 rebounds, 71 assists and 46 steals. His four-year varsity career, all spent as a starter, produced 1,621 points and CL/City championships in his final two seasons.

In the last 26 seasons, only three CL players — Chennault and Roman Catholic's Eddie Griffin (2000) and Maalik Wayns (2009)  — have twice earned coaches' divisional MVP honors.

"Tony is such a competitive kid," coach Carl Arrigale said. "His toughness allowed us to do what we wanted to do.

"If you can't get your best player to buy into what you're doing, you're going to have problems. Tony was with me all the way, even though, because of our lack of size, he had to guard some power forwards."

Thumbnail sketches of the other first-teamers:

* Devonté "DJ" Newbill, Strawberry Mansion: This 6-4 senior wing (and occasional point) guard, who committed to Marquette during the season, is the definition of sensible aggressiveness. Never forced, yet made play after play. Led all city players in points (726) and average (24.2) and ended his career with 1,135 markers. Also averaged eight rebounds, five assists and three steals this season.

* Tyrone Garland, John Bartram: Classic born-scorer. Just as liable to burn you with a 30-footer as an explosive move down the lane. A 6-1 guard, and twice a first team All-City honoree, he's committed to Virginia Tech. One of only five players in city history to reach 2,000 points (2,198). This year scored 688 points in 29 games (23.7).

* Rakeem "Rahk" Brookins, Roman Catholic: Bound for Tulane, this 5-11 senior wing guard, a classic jumpshooter who also boasts quick moves, was the Cahillites' only reliable scorer. He totaled 513 points in 27 games (19.0) while finalizing his career total at 1,382. Also averaged 3.1 assists, 3.2 steals and 3.5 rebounds.

* Tyreek Duren, Neumann-Goretti: This 6-2 point guard, bound for La Salle, displayed a perfect blend of floor leadership and inner fire. Especially devastating against man-to-man. Shot 54.8 percent from the floor, and 42 percent on threes, while scoring 439 points in 31 games (14.2). Boasted almost a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (156-58). Made 86 steals. Scored 1,045 career points.

Our Coach of the Year is Bill Dooley, of Chestnut Hill Academy.

No doubt his team was offensively challenged. Also no doubt he did a tremendous job of getting his players to dedicate themselves to count-their-cavities defense. The result? The Blue Devils (nee Hillers) stormed to two Inter-Ac League firsts in school history - an outright championship and a perfect slate (10-0).

Dooley, formerly the head coach at the University of Richmond, boasts a 25-5 league mark in three seasons. The school's all-time I-A slate beforehand: 178-392. *

To see the Daily News All-Catholic League, click here.

To see the Daily News All-City League, click here.

To see the Daily News All-Public League, click here.