VirginiaPreps.com is proud to release our 10th Annual All-State Basketball Teams.

There are a total of 12 honorees with six players, including a Player of the Year, for First Team and six more on the Second Team.

So what are the factors that go into the choices that are made? All selections are made by me with no consultation of the coaches simply because that’s what the VHSCA and VHSL Teams are designed for in my opinion. However, we try to study individual statistics (some supplied by coaches upon request) as well as factor into the equation team success and overall impact.

Once everything is weighed, we try to blend it all together and make the best choices possible, even though there’s no such thing as a perfect team or right and wrong picks.

It’s never an easy process because there are always many deserving players who don’t get recognized on First or Second Team.

Without further ado, here’s the VirginiaPreps.com Class 1 All-State Basketball Teams for the 2017-18 campaign with information bios on each player . . .

Class 1 First Team:
Luke Lawson - Eastside - Sr.
Calvin Henderson - Lancaster - Sr.
Jake Martin - George Wythe - Sr.
Colyn Sturgill - Eastside - Sr.
Drelyn Ford - Franklin - Jr.
Grayson Honaker - Honaker - Fr.

Player of the Year: Luke Lawson (Eastside)
Coach of the Year: Tim Rice (Lancaster)

Class 1 Second Team:
Noah Atwood - George Wythe - Sr.
Martez Davis - Lancaster - Sr.
Braeson Fulton - Riverheads - So.
Delvin Palmer - Northumberland - Jr.
Deuntae Jefferson - Franklin - Sr.
Joseth Tarleton - Northumberland - Sr.

Big men are a rare breed in Class 1 basketball and Lawson set himself apart in heloping the Spartans to the State Championship game for the first time in program history. The 6-foot-8 forward with versatility to damage both inside and out averaged 19 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while making 55% of his field goal attempts and 41% of his three-point tries.

In the VHSCA All-Star Game, Lawson shared MVP honors with Gate City's Mac McClung, the Class 2 State Player of the Year. What some may not realize is that Lawson's stats would be even better if not for numerous blowouts in which he did not touch the floor in nine fourth quarters. That aside, he was an easy pick for both Region 1D Player of the Year and Cumberland District Player of the Year honors as he led Eastside to a 26-4 overall record along with the third State Playoff trip.

This 6-foot-2 senior guard provided Lancaster with so much during his time with the Red Devils, earning 2nd Team All-State honors as a junior to closing out as a First Team All-Region and All-State performer that won a State Championship in his final game. Henderson had a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds in the State Tournament quarterfinals against Riverheads.

For the season, Henderson averaged right around 12 points, 10 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, making as much of a contribution defensively with his versatility and basketball savvy. In fact, during his four seasons wearing the Lancaster uniform, they went 83-23 overall with three State Tournament Final Four trips, often feeding off his energy and transition plays.

Martin showed he can step up to the plate in a big spot when he scored 20 points in a narrow loss to Radford in the 2017 State Championship game at the Class 1 level. The 6-foot-2 senior guard used that as a springboard into the 2017-18 campaign, earning First Team All-District and All-Region honors to help the Maroons reach the State Tournament Final Four round for the third consecutive year.

In Wythe's heart-breaking 69-65 overtime loss to Eastside in the State Tournament semifinals, Martin put up 23 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the foul line and four three-pointers. For the season, he averaged 21.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 53.6% from the field, 47.7% behind the three-point arc and 83.4% at the foul line entering the State Playoffs. He also went over 1000 points for his career.

Part of Eastside's twin tower combination with Luke Lawson, Sturgill was a true rim portector who broke the school-record for blocks in a game when he rejected 12 in their 81-27 thumping of Twin Valley during the regional semifinals, amazingly doing so in just 16 minutes of play. It was no surprise he garnered First Team All-Cumberland District and First Team All-Region 1D accolades on a squad that made its third consecutive State Tournament appearance.

Signed to play at NAIA Alice Loyd College in Kentucky, Sturgill averaged 14 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field for the 26-4 Spartans. In the team's State Final loss to Lancaster, he put up 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with eight blocks and five boards.

One season after posting 13 double-doubles and earning Second Team All-Region honors, Ford became an even greater force as Franklin raised its win total from 13 to 18 in reaching the regional semifinals. The 6-foot-5 junior power forward notched 22 double-doubles in the 24 games he played, giving him 35 over the past two seasons.

Ford piled up 401 points (16.7 per game), 351 rebounds (14.6 a contest), 100 blocks (4.2 per game) and 38 assists (1.6 per contest) on his way to being named Tri-Rivers District Player o the Year and Region 1A Player of the Year. The ODU football commit collected 17 rebounds in 11 different games, including a 29-point, 18-board, 14-block performance in the regional quarterfinals against Colonial Beach.

Honaker stepped into a picture perfect situation, at a school that shares his last name for one. But beyond that, he joined an experienced, veteran cast that had been through deep playoff runs before in Hartley Hilton, Blake Stinson and Brett Boyd that allowed him to flourish as an immediate impact scorer.

And score the 6-foot-tall did, setting a Virginia record for points by a freshman with 601, equaling out to 22 per contest. To go with that, he averaged five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game to help the Tigers make their way back to the State Tournament on their way to a 24-4 overall finish. Honaker was one of two freshmen - along with Grundy's Cade Looney - to earn First Team All-Region 1D accolades.

WIth some hinting that Rice would retire following the 2017-18 campaign, the Red Devils made it a postseason to remember for their Head Coach as they brought home the program's second state title. Unlike the 2012 squad that featured a D-1 talent in Melvin Gregory that brought home the crown, this Lancaster bunch wasn't the definite favorite and had to overcome some obstalces, most notably a fierce local rival and a team much taller than them in the title game.

Rice's group beat Northern Neck District rival Northumberland for the Region 1A Championship, then beat the Indians again in a fifth meeting - with the season series deadlocked at 2-2 - in the State Tournament semifinals. In the State Championship game against an Eastside team that had won its seven previous playoff games by an average of 27.1 points, the Red Devils neutralized the Spartans two big men measuring in at 6-foot-7 or taller with speed and quickness to notch a 52-49 victory.

Lancaster closed out with a 22-6 overall record.

This 6-foot-2 senior guard got to experience plenty of winning during his George Wythe career, where the Maroons posted a record of 101-14 and made the State Tournament Final Four three straight years. Atwood was a First Team All-District and All-Region selection with averages of 18.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game heading into the State Playoffs.

Even with top scorer Malik Johnson having graduated from the season before, Atwood assumed a leadership role alongside Jake Martin to make sure Wythe remained in the title hunt. He scored more than 1450 points in his caeer, and in his final season, shot 48.1% from the field, 43.9% from three-point land and 77.4% at the charity stripe.

An undersized post player at 6-foot-1, Davis was a consistent performer for the State Champs as he averaged a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with two steals per contest. The First Team All-Northern Neck District and First Team All-Region 1A selection never shied away from the big moment and didn't let the Spartans impose their will on them in the title game.

Davis was a big-time difference maker in their 53-42 win over Northern Neck District rival Northumberland in the State Tournament semifinals as he poured in a game-best 23 points that night to allow the Red Devils to move on to the Siegel Center. During his time at Lancaster, Davis won 83 games, played in three State Tournaments, two State Championships and won a ring his final time out.

When Fulton earned 2nd Team All-State honors as a freshman with averages of 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, the Gladiators knew the future would be bright for their basketball program moving forward. Though the final record of 12-14 overall might not indicate it, Riverheads made noise behind this 5-foot-11 sophomore guard and reached the State Playoffs.

Fulton and sophomore classmate Grant Painter - both of whom have committed to James Madison University for baseball - earned First Team All-Region 2B honors. As for Fulton, he averaged 17 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He scored a game-high 22 points in their loss to eventual State Champ Lancaster in the quarterfinals.

A two-sport standout for the Indians who also shined on the gridiron, Palmer had Northumberland in Championship contention on the hardwood with his play from the point guard position. The 5-foot-8 junior scored 21 points against Essex in the regionals and twice hit for 20-plus points on eventual State Champ Lancaster, another Northern Neck District rival of theirs.

Entering the State Tournament, Palmer was averaging 14.6 points (310 total), 6.9 rebounds (148 total), 6.1 assists (127 total) and 4.3 steals (91 total) per game while shooting 67% from the free-throw line and 45% from the field. The First Team All-Region 1A performer helped the Indians finish 21-6 overall with a challenging scheduled and earn their first State Tournament Final Four appearance since 1996.

Chosen both First Team All-Region 1A and All Tri-Rivers District, Jefferson played in 25 of Franklin's 26 games and helped them get to the doorstep of the State Tournament. The 5-foot-5 senior guard put up 298 points (11.9 per game), 157 assists (6.3 per contest) and 74 steals (3.0 per game) as the Broncos finished 18-8 overall.

As a junior, Jefferson was a Second Team All-State Performer that also earned co-Conference 41 Player of the Year honors. This past season in Franklin's 79-74 region playoff win over Colonial Beach, he had 16 points and seven assists.

One can certainly argue that without Tarleton, Northumberland doesn't have its deepest playoff run in 22 years. The 5-foot-10 senior guard earned First Team All-Region 1A honors as he averaged 16.1 points (347 total), 4.3 assists (91 total), and 3.1 steals (68) per game entering the State Tournament to go with 93 rebounds.

Tarleton's 26-point performance in a region playoff win over Essex was impressive, but even more so was the 30 points with seven three-pointers, including four in the opening stanza, of their 86-66 triumph over Cumberland in the State Tournament quarterfinals. He entered the State Playoffs with 30 three-pointers as well as 17 charges taken, showing his commitment to the defensive end of the court.

*** See VaPreps 1A All-State Teams for 2016-17 Here ***

*** View VHSL Class 1 All-State Teams for 2017-18 Here ***

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