VaPreps AAA All-State - Honorable Mention
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>VirginiaPreps.com is proud to release our fourth annual
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Group AAA All-State Basketball Teams - - First, Second, Third Team and
Honorable Mention selections - - for the 2011-12 campaign.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>So what are the factors that go into the selections
that are made? All are made by me with no
consultation of the coaches simply because that's what the VHSCA team is for in
my opinion. We study individual statistics,
team success, and overall impact. Once
everything is weighed, I try to blend it together and make the best choices
possible, even though we know there's no perfect team or right and wrong picks.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Believe it or not, the First Team selections were the
easiest for me to make. That's not
always the case, but was this season. It
was from there that things got difficult because there are SEVERAL really fine
players that didn't get recognized on Second Team, Third Team or even Honorable
Mention.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>We select five players on First Team, five on Second
Team, five on Third Team and ten for Honorable Mention, making it a total of
25. Below is the complete list with
bios.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
1st Team:
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Anthony 'Big Cat' Barber - - Hampton - - Jr. (
normal'>PLAYER OF THE YEAR)
Frank Mason - - Petersburg - - Sr.
Anthony 'T.J.' Huggins - - T.C. Williams - - Sr.
Marcus Knight - - Gar-Field - - Sr.
Nigel Johnson - - Broad Run - - Jr.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>2nd
Team:
Troy
Caupain - - Cosby - - Jr.
Rashaun Madison - - Norview - - Sr.
Robert Johnson - - L.C. Bird - - Jr.
Mark Hall - - Green Run - - Sr.
Aaron Bacote - - Bethel - - Sr.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>3rd
Team:
Evan
Thorpe - - Henrico - - Sr.
Jay Lane - - Osbourn - - Sr.
Dontrell Brite - -
Nansemond River - - Sr.
Troy Williams - - Phoebus - - Jr.
Zach Elcano - - Westfield - - Sr.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Honorable
Mention:
Zach
Johnson - - King's Fork - - Sr.
Daniel Dixon - - Langley - - Sr.
T.J. Jones - - North Stafford - - Sr.
Taj Owens - - Great Bridge - - Sr.
Jamal Ferguson - - Maury - - Sr.
Micah Thomas - - Highland Springs - - Sr.
Chris Williams - - Oscar Smith - - Sr.
Matt Murphy - - Thomas Edison - - Sr.
Jestin Lewis - - John Marshall - - Sr.
Marcus Banks - - Patrick Henry-Roanoke - - Jr.
normal'>VirginiaPreps.com
Honorable Mention All-State Hoops 2011-12
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Set to play his College Basketball at Army, Johnson
sparked the Bulldogs' playoff run and was the most productive and consistent
King's Fork player as they recorded their sixth consecutive winning season.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 15.9 points, 11
rebounds and two blocks per game while shooting over 60% from the field.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Those numbers came with defenses focusing
their attention on him more times than not, thus making him a no-brainer to be
a Second Team All-Eastern Region and All-Southeastern District First Team
selection.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Johnson plays with a high basketball IQ and an
improving skill-set that allows him to be effective both close to and away from
the rim. While King's Fork was snake-bit
in close games early in the season, things began to turn around down the
stretch in postseason play. In
regionals, Johnson put up 17.6 points and 11.3 rebounds a contest, helping the
Bulldogs knock off reigning two-time State Champion Norcom
in the opening round and then upsetting Beach District Champion
class=SpellE>Landstown in the quarterfinals.
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"Verdana","sans-serif"'>A 6-foot-4 guard who will play his College Basketball
at St. Michael's in Vermont, Dixon could certainly win the honor of the state's
most underrated player. With Langley
missing backcourt mate Austin Vasiliadis the entire
season due to injury, the Saxons leaned heavily on Dixon and he didn't let them
down one point. In fact, during one
stretch in February, he scored 20 points or more in five straight games.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dixon grabbed Liberty District Player of the
Year and All-Northern Region First Team honors.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Dixon averaged 18.2 points per game and made 53
three-pointers, placing third and second respectively in the district in those
categories. At the free-throw line, he
made 75.2% of his attempts. In close
games, he delivered as well with Langley recording nine wins by seven points or
fewer to get the Saxons to the Northern Region Tournament semifinals for the
fourth time in five years. Langley
finished with a 17-9 overall record and 13-1 mark in Liberty District regular
season action.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>This North Stafford newcomer made it challenging for
Northwest Region foes to keep pace. The
6-foot-1 guard transferred to Virginia from South Carolina and quickly became
an instant hit for the Wolverines. North
Stafford won its first Commonwealth District crown since 1986, and credit Jones
for leading them there. He was selected
the Commonwealth District Player of the Year and First Team All-Northwest
Region. More than anything though, he
made his teammates around him better, resulting in North Stafford wins.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Entering the district playoffs, Jones was averaging
22.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and only 2.4 turnovers per game with the
ball being in his hands basically every possession down the floor.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> In a victory over reigning Commonwealth
District Champion Brooke Point, Jones scored 13 points and yanked down a
season-high 18 rebounds to secure the league title.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> North Stafford made it all the way to the
Northwest Region Tournament semifinals, finishing with a 23-4 overall record,
14-2 in league play.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Guiding Great Bridge to a school-record 21 victories
and their first Southeastern District regular season title since 2000, Owens
was an indispensable part of the Wildcats' attack.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Only five times all season did Great Bridge
lose, and they had several memorable wins, such as beating the likes of John
Marshall, Nansemond River and defeating Granby in the opening round of the
Eastern Region Tournament to make it to the Norfolk Scope.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The last time Great Bridge won a district
title 12 years ago, they had lost to the Comets in overtime.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Owens became the seventh player in Great Bridge history
and first since VCU's Briante Weber to eclipse 1000
career points. The senior guard was chosen
Second Team All-Eastern Region and First Team All-Southeastern District.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Owens averaged 14.2 points, five rebounds,
four assists and five steals per contest.
It was his leadership, defense and hustle that made up for any flaws he
or his teammates had. His class
graduates as the only one at Great Bridge to get to the region tourney all four
years.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Signed to play his College Basketball in the Big East
at Marquette, Ferguson showed off tremendous athletic ability and an
unbelievable first step in attacking the basket as the Maury Commodores posted
a 16-7 overall record, including 10-4 and a second place finish in the always
competitive Eastern District. Ferguson
put up 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists per contest in leading Maury
to the Eastern Region Tournament for the third straight year.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>With Maury losing a four-year starter at the point in
Howard's Sim Frazier, the Commodores had to depend on
Ferguson to make plays whether it was scoring or getting his teammates
involved. He passed both tests,
increasing his scoring average while also playing unselfishly and passing out
of double teams routinely to find an open man.
Named Second Team All-Eastern Region and First Team All-Eastern
District, Ferguson scored 30 points in consecutive games against Granby and
class=SpellE>Norcom in February.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>During his junior season, Thomas averaged 16.5 points
per game and played second banana to Delaware's Jarvis Threatt
on a Highland Springs squad that made it to the Group AAA State Tournament
semifinals. This year, he stepped into a
leading role and it translated into another successful season for the
class=SpellE>Springers, who behind their Second Team All-Central Region and
First Team All-Capital District guard, finished with an 18-9 record, 12-2 in
league play.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Nobody got off to a hotter start than Thomas.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He poured in 44 points in a loss to
Petersburg and averaged 33.9 points per game through the season's first four games.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then an injury forced him to miss four games,
but he would return and dropped 34 against Lee-Davis.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The 5-foot-10 senior guard was money from the
foul line, too, including a perfect 9-for-9 with 27 points in a 65-49 triumph
over Hanover in February. In tight
games, he came through as well, scoring eight points in overtime as the
class=SpellE>Springers beat Armstrong by a count of 72-68.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Signed to play his College Basketball at the Division
II level with Johnson C. Smith, Williams was a terror in the paint for opposing
teams. His tenacity around the rim
earned the 6-foot-5 senior forward Southeastern District Player of the Year
honors and First Team All-Eastern Region.
With Oscar Smith getting tested by a challenging out-of-conference
schedule, Williams had some strong moments, which included being chosen to the
King's Fork Holiday Classic First Team.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The Tigers were able to upset the likes of Great Bridge,
Nansemond River and King's Fork all this year in games where Williams recorded
a double-double. By season's end, he
finished up with 21 double-doubles, second in the region only to Green Run's
Mark Hall. On the season, Williams
averaged 18 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game as Oscar Smith
recorded its third straight winning season.
He graduated with the most rebounds in a season in Tigers history.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>When Murphy was a freshman, Edison posted a 1-19
record. Behind his growth as a player
and a leader, the Eagles have steadily improved and this season made it to the
Group AAA State Tournament as the Northern Region runner-up with a 19-10
overall, 12-2 in the National District.
Their previous State Playoff appearance came in 1970.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> This 6-foot-7 center averaged 14.1 points per
game and was 70-for-108 at the free-throw line.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Murphy was chosen All-Northern Region and First Team
All-National District. As Edison opened up
regional play, Murphy posted career-highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds in a win
over Herndon. Five days later, he had 24
points and 14 rebounds, dominating once again in a regional semifinal victory
over Fairfax to clinch a State Tournament berth for the Eagles.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Those performances guaranteed him a spot on
the All-Northern Region Tournament Team.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>On a John Marshall team with great size, including big
man Marshall Lee Mundin, and sometimes overshadowed
by backcourt mate Willie Mangum, who scored over 20 points per game, Lewis
often proved to be the Justices' most dangerous weapon.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He was named the MVP of the Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament, won by the Justices as they handed Lewis' old school,
Henrico, their only regular season loss.
John Marshall would lose to Henrico in the regional semifinals, but
ended up with a 24-4 record, 16-0 in district play.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Others took notice of Lewis' importance, and that got
him some postseason honors. He was the
Colonial District Player of the Year and chosen All-Central Region First Team.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Lewis averaged 19.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6
assists and 3.5 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and making
35 three-pointers. On the year, he shot
96-for-131 from the foul line and scored over 20 points on 15 different
occasions.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The 5-foot-6 junior guard might be small, but he plays
big for the Patriots. Banks was the Western
Valley District Player of the Year and marveled many with his penchant for
hitting clutch shots and getting on a hot shooting streak to ignite Patrick
Henry. As a sophomore last year, Banks
was runner-up to his teammate Cam Jones for the WVD POY award.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> His game has continued to develop in a wonderful
way, averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the
Patriots as a junior.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>As the point guard, the first objective is to get your
teammates in the flow. He does that, and
also takes advantage of opportunities from the defense, as evidenced by his 69
made three-pointers and 15 games of 20-plus points.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Banks went over the 30-point plateau three
times as well. His turnovers were
relatively with only 58 for the season, too.
Banks along with senior guard B.J. Hamlet let Patrick Henry to a 21-5
overall record, 6-2 in the Western Valley and the team's third straight trip to
the regional semifinals.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
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