Midlands players dominate S.C. Basketball Coaches Player of Year awards
Six Midlands basketball players were named top players in their classifications as the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association released its all-state teams Wednesday.
Boys’ players of the year honorees included Dutch Fork’s Jordan Davis (Class 5A), A.C. Flora’s James Reese (Class 4A), Brookland-Cayce’s Lloyd Hemming (Class 3A) and Gray Collegiate’s Jalek Felton (Class 2A).
Dreher’s Jaelynn Murray (Class 4A) and Swansea’s Danae McNeal (Class 3A) were named girls players of the year in their classes.
It’s the second straight player of the year honor for Davis, who was the Class 4A Player of the Year last season. The Dayton signee is averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. Lexington’s Darius Bryant and Blythewood’s Keith Matthews joined Davis on Class 5A team.
Reese is averaging 20.4 points a game and 3.8 assists per game in winning Class 4A top honor. Teammate Christian Brown, Lower Richland’s Clyde Trapp and Ja’Cor Nelson and Ridge View’s Kaiden Rice were picked for the Class 4A team.
Hemming averaged 20 points and 5.5 rebounds in helping B-C to its first Region 5-3A title since 2006. Swansea’s Effix Miller and Fairfield Central’s Chandon Davis were 3A all-state picks.
Felton, the North Carolina signee, is the state’s top prospect and leads the Midlands in scoring at 26.4 points a game. He scored 50 points against C.A. Johnson on Thursday. Juwan Gary, Felton’s teammate at Gray and Keenan’s Tariq Simmons were named to the 2A team.
Murray becomes the second straight Dreher player of the year after Jhileiya Dunlap earned that honor last year. The North Carolina signee is averaging 23.9 points and 10.7 rebounds a game.
Murray was joined on the 4A team by Ridge View’s Armanii Grice, Westwood’s Unique Drake and Lower Richland’s Cailah Hicklin.
McNeal, a sophomore, has helped No. 1 Swansea to a 21-0 record and is averaging 24.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.5 steals and 4.7 assists a game. Swansea’s Lauryn Robinson, Newberry’s Nigeria Davis and Kelsey Felks and Columbia’s Amina Copeland also were 3A all-state selections.
Region 5-5A co-players of year, Spring Valley’s Ashley Williamson and Taiylar DeMoss and Lexington’s Olivia Thompson were named to 5A all-state team.
Class 2A all-state selections included Keenan’s Logan McDaniel, Keenan; Saluda’s Star Ergle, Saluda, Gray Collegiate’s Yamia Johnson and Batesburg-Leesville’s My’Lasia Gates.
South Carolina Basketball Coaches All-State Teams
Class 5A
Silas Crisler, Westside; Hayden Brown, Byrnes; Zeb Graham, Nation Ford; Zach Butler, Dorman; Darius Bryant, Lexington; Keith Matthews, Blythewood; Isaiah Moore, Sumter; Jalen Cameron, West Florence; Jimmy Nichols, Conway; Sharone Wright Jr., West Florence; Shaq Davis, Summerville; Marquis Collins, Goose Creek; Luke Brenegan, Wade Hampton; Ryan DeLuca, Fort Mill; Will Edwards, Wade Hampton
Player of the Year: Jordan Davis, Dutch Fork
Class 4A
Trey McGowens, Wren; Pantry McKinney, Eastside; Kaiden Rice, Ridge View; Devon Young, Aiken; Grant Singleton, Lakewood; Jamal Bryant, Wilson; Devin McCoy, Stall; Clyde Trapp, Lower Richland; Ja’ Morant, Crestwood; Christian Brown, A.C. Flora; Lutwon Burton, Greenville; Bo McKinney, Travelers Rest; Alex Caldwell, Wilson; Blake Walker, Wilson; Ja’Cor Nelson, Lower Richland
Player of the Year: James Reese, A.C. Flora
Class 3A
Braden Galloway, Seneca; Jalen McKelvey, Southside; Jalen Carter, Clinton; Keenan Norman, Dillon; Brendan McHale, Bishop England; Tre’Von Anderson, Ridgeland-Hardeeville; Chandon Davis, Fairfield Central; Tristen Hudson, Seneca; Raymond Williams, Berea; Tyrell Oglesby, Chapman; Malik Williams, Chester; Effix Miller, Swansea; Travis Walter, Loris; Ta’seon Johnson, Timberland; Jermaine Patterson, Bluffton
Player of the Year: Lloyd Hemming, Brookland Cayce
Class 2A
Dontarius James, Andrew Jackson; Foster Bridges, Landrum; Matthew Kormylo; Southside Christian; JaQuan Felton, Marion; Sidney Robinson, Burke; Cameron Johnson, Calhoun County; Tariq Simmons, Keenan; Kendrick Holloman, Lee Central
Trey Smith, Landrum; Rod Cullver, Fox Creek; Juwan Gary, Gray Collegiate; Jeremiah Greene, Carvers Bay; Kenny Brown, Whale Branch; Jordan Rodgers, Blacksburg; Quinton Alston, Kingstree
Player of the Year: Jalek Felton, Gray Collegiate
Class A
Mike Hill, Lewisville; Javarzia Belton, Calhoun Falls; Keyshawn Toney, Williston-Elko; Corey Fields, Baptist Hill; Johama Tisdale, C.E. Murray; Braxton Wedgeworth, Bethune-Bowman; Tawon Buie, Charleston Math & Science; Marlo Gilmore, Hunter Tyler Kinard; DeAndre Green, Great Falls; Shawn Lowe, Ware Shoals; Darius Williams, Hemingway; Mateo Durant, McCormick; Aaron Rivers, Timmonsville; Darius Taylor, Hemingway; Tyson Bettis, Ridge Spring Monetta
Player of the Year: Desmond Pressley, Hemingway
GIRLS
Class 5A
Quin Byrd, Hillcrest; Laimani Simmons, Woodmont; Jasmine Webb, Dorman; RiKoya Anderson, Rock Hill; Ashley Williamson, Spring Valley; Taiylar DeMoss, Irmo; Alexis Tomlin, Carolina Forest; Anika Simpson, Mauldin; Skylar Blackstock, Wando; Meredith Christopher, Fort Mill; JaRae Smith, Woodmont; Mikenzi Walker, Gaffney; Lenaejha Evans, Conway; Olivia Thompson, Lexington; Clare McTighe, Wando
Player of the Year: Mariah Linney, Goose Creek
Class 4A
Armanii Grice, Ridge View; Jasmine Stanley, Colleton County; Madisen Smith, Greenville; Diamon Shiflet, Greer; Kiana Adderton, Myrtle Beach; Amari Young, North Augusta; Jah’Cha Whitfield, Crestwood; Unique Drake, Westwood; Kamryn Jackson, Hilton Head; Aquera Johnson, North Myrtle Beach; Cailah Hicklin, Lower Richland; Camille Hobby, Daniel; Saquita Joyner, Hartsville; Aysha Scott, South Aiken; Miniya Reese, Travelers Rest
Player of the Year: Jaelynn Murray, Dreher
Class 3A
Anne Hamilton, Seneca; Quadijah Moore, Emerald; Nigeria Davis, Newberry; Nia Pressley, Indian Land; Ikela Green, Loris; Rhetta Moore, Bishop England; Quanjia; Drayton, Ridgeland-Hardeeville; Khamele Manning, Dillon; Amina Copeland, Columbia; Tamia Grate, Pendleton; Anayah Rice, Southside; Kelsey Felks, Newberry; Lauryn Robinson, Swansea; Mahogny Green, Manning; Taquasia Lampkin, Battery Creek
Player of the Year: Danae McNeal, Swansea
Class 2A
Bailey Breazeale, Christ Church; Lauren Cook, Christ Church; Mary Ashley Moore, Ninety Six; Tajea Barr, Ninety Six; Logan McDaniel, Keenan; Star Ergle, Saluda; Yamia Johnson, Gray Collegiate; A’Lexxus Sowell, Andrew Jackson; A’Yanah Lucus, Lee Central; My’Lasia Gates, Batesburg-Leesville; Katelyn Kinard, Bamberg-Ehrhardt; Karimah Jenkins, Burke; Shadea Kelly, Burke; Serenity Hunt, Mullins; Ariaher Morrisey, Marion
Player of the Year: Brittani McDonald, Mullins
Class A
Tamara Jackson, Green Sea Floyds; Jayla Ravenell, Cross; Chelsie Edwards, C.E. Murray; Alaya Simmons, Charleston Math and Science; Simone Durant, Lamar; Makyla Commander, Timmonsville; Taylor Peay, Whitmire; Destiny Edwards, McCormick; Grace I. Johnson, Denmark-Olar; Jessman Darby, North; Talaysia Cooper, East Clarendon; Olivia McDaniel, Lake View; Roche Brown, Estill
Co-Player of the Year: Crystal Preston, Ridge Spring Monetta
Co-Player of the Year: Toniyah Wideman, McCormick
This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Midlands players dominate S.C. Basketball Coaches Player of Year awards."