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Who is our Bucks/Montco Boys Basketball Coach of the Year?

George School enjoyed a boys basketball season for the ages in 2022-23.

The Cougars won a school-record 24 games and reached the PAISAA state championship game for the first time, dropping a heartbreaking 79-77 overtime decision to Perkiomen School in the final at St. Joseph's.

George School also earned its first league championship in the Friends School League, which it joined in 1981-82, and first title since winning the Penn-Jersey League in 1970-71 (a span of 52 years). A 9-1 league record gave the Cougars the most FSL wins in 41 seasons.

George School basketball coach Ben Luber and senior forward Kachi Nzeh celebrate the Cougars' first Friends School League title.
George School basketball coach Ben Luber and senior forward Kachi Nzeh celebrate the Cougars' first Friends School League title.

Given all of that, George School's Ben Luber is our choice for the Courier Times/Intelligencer Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

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The Cougars are 53-21 in Luber's four seasons at the Newtown private school after going 43-61 in its previous five campaigns. Luber, a former all-state point guard at Council Rock North who scored a school-record 1,969 points in high school and four-year Penn State starter, has built a consistently successful program.

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More: Who is our Bucks/Montco Boys Basketball Coach of the Year?

George School coach Ben Luber makes his point with junior Ivan Ryabov.
George School coach Ben Luber makes his point with junior Ivan Ryabov.

"They were all in, all season," Luber said. "I'm fortunate I get to coach really good kids who want to be better. ... These kids are super-talented and they play well individually, but collectively they got better and better as a group."

Luber was named all-state non-PIAA co-Coach of the Year in 2021-22, when George School ended up 15-5.

And while forward and Xavier commit Kachi Nzeh, The College of Saint Rose-bound guard Dante Weise and versatile starter Carson Mastin are graduating, junior guard Christian Bliss, who has already scored 1,262 points in high school, sophomore center Luke Bevilacqua (13.4 points, 7.7 rebounds in 2022-23) and sophomore sixth man Luke Melniczak give Luber a solid core around which to make another lengthy postseason run next winter.

For subscribers: Here's the 2022-23 Bucks/Montco all-star boys basketball team

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Who is our Bucks County/Montco Boys Basketball Coach of the Year?