VaPreps Class 5 All-State Hoops Teams for 2017-18

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 5 All-State Basketball Teams for the 2017-18 campaign with information bios on each player . . .

Class 5 First Team:
Tyrese Jenkins - Varina - Jr.
Amari Cooper - Wakefield - Sr.
Jonathan Norfleet - Salem-VB - Sr.
Nathaniel Pollard - Highland Springs - Sr.
J'Quan Anderson - Albemarle - Sr.
Ashley James - Green Run - Jr.

Player of the Year: Tyrese Jenkins (Varina)
Coach of the Year: Andrew Lacey (Varina)

Class 5 Second Team:
Timon Jones - Henrico - Sr.
Anthony Williams - Varina - Fr.
Marquis Washington - Edison - Sr.
Javon Swinton - North Stafford - So.
Zyan Collins - Freedom-South Riding - Sr.
Shawn Sanders - Green Run - Sr.

Although Jenkins didn't have a monster performance with 30 points or 15 rebounds, he was extremely consistent and influential in Varina winning their first State Championship in school history. The 6-foot-7 junior small forward - who had 20 points and seven boards in their State Tournament quarterfinal loss to Albemarle the year before - had the game-winner against Hampton in this year's State Tournament quarters with 6.4 seconds to play.

In the State Championship game, the Blue Devils were able to erase a double-digit second half deficit thanks to Jenkins posting a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in the 64-60 comeback triumph over Wakefield. That was the 22nd win in a row for Varina. For the 2017-18 campaign, Jenkins averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting an efficient 53% from the floor.

For someone that didn't get his first start until the State Semifinals of his sophomore year against L.C. Bird, Cooper really ascended into one of the premier names in Class 5 as he averaged 15.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for a Warriors team that went 24-7 overall this past year. More importantly, the Region 5C Player of the Year and National District Player of the Year drove Wakefield - along with 2nd Team All-State VHSL guard Ben Horsford - to its first appearance in the State Final since 1961.

The 933 total points Cooper amassed marked the fifth most at Wakefield under Head Coach Tony Bentley since 2002, plus his 616 rebounds are second during that time and his 99 blocks place him third on the list. His efficiency can't be forgotten about as the 6-foot-4 forward shot 59.9% from the field (175-for-292). Next season, Cooper will play at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania before going on to Coppin State University.

Entering the playoffs as a #8 seed, Salem enjoyed a wild and improbable playoff run that few could've seen coming with Norfleet front and center in their upset wins. The 6-foot-1 guard headed to play College Basketball at Wagner was named both the Region 5A Player of the Year and Beach District Player of the Year as he averaged 20 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Norfleet saved his best moments for the playoffs, where his team with a record of just 10-12 overall began by taking out top-seeded Maury, then got 26 points from their Superman to eliminate Norview and stunned Hampton 50-49 on his game-winning three-pointer. As Norfleet put up 22 points per game during the regionals, the Sun Devils won their first region crown in 17 years. He even had 28 points - 22 in the second half - in their State Tournament quarterfinal loss to Highland Springs.

Headed to play at the next level at Eastern Arizona College, Pollard became a stat sheet stuffer for a Highland Springs team that only went 13-12 overall, but really did damage during the postseason on their way to earning its first State Tournament Final Four trip since 2011. The 6-foot-5 senior forward that donned goggles for HSHS averaged a double-double during the regular season and earned First Team All-Region 5B honors.

However, it was during the playoffs where Pollard's all-around abilities proved most evident as he started out by notching a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in an upset of reigning State Champ L.C. Bird, followed by posting 30 points, 12 boards, four steals and three blocks in a regional semifinal triumph over Meadowbrook. If that wasn't enough he had 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the foul line, 16 rebounds, five assists and three steals in their 63-57 win over fellow #8 regional seed Salem in the State Tournament quarterfinals.

Named Region 5D Player of the Year and Jefferson District Player of the Year, Anderson led Albemarle to its first regional title in program history, which few would've predicted after front-court standouts Austin Katstra (UVA) and Jake Hahn (Hampden-Sydney) graduated from their back-to-back State Tournament Final Four squads. This 5-foot-10 senior guard and two-sport standout who also earned All-State accolades in football led the way for the Patriots to their third straight State Playoff trip as well as a gaudy 26-2 overall record.

Anderson was Albemarle's top scorer at 16.4 points per game, plus averaged 4.7 rebounds a contest and had team-highs of 122 assists and 77 steals. He graduated as the program's all-time leader in steals with 183, sits second in career assists with 285 and finished just 109 points away from 1000 for his career to rank ninth in team history.

The 6-foot-3 junior guard scored in double-figures in all 24 games for the Stallions, finishing with averages of 17.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals per contest. His high water mark of 27 came in a 62-46 comeback win over Landstown where they erased a 14-point deficit.

Selected First Team All-Region and All-Beach District, James also had 23 points in wins over Salem and Phoebus, two teams that reached the State Tournament last winter. For his career, the Virginia Beach product has 713 career points and 142 career steals in three seasons on varsity, where Green Run has gone 63-11 overall during that time.

Down 11 in the third quarter of the State Championship game against Wakefield, Lacey's Blue Devils rallied for a 64-60 victory - the biggest in school history. That wrapped up a 26-2 season for Varina, which closed out the season on a 22-game winning streak and did not lose a single game in the calendar year of 2018.

Lacey's fifth season at the helm of Varina was clearly the best as they've now made the region playoffs four straight years and posted a record of 66-16 over the past 82 games. The Blue Devils have made back-to-back State Tournament trips after having not been to the State Playoffs prior to his arrival since 2002.

Following in the footsteps of older brother Timmy Jones - who won a state title and was co-VHSL State Player of the Year with Marcus Evans from Great Bridge in 2013 - Timon carried on the family legacy as he earned Region 5B Player of the Year honors for a Warriors squad that finished 14-9 overall. The younger Jones averaged 17 points, 6.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while draining 40 three-pointers and shooting 80% from the foul line.

This 5-foot-10 guard ended his Henrico career with 1021 points, 276 assists, 182 rebounds, 108 steals and also made 124 3's. When Jones scored 20-plus points, the Warriors were 5-1, including his 25-point effort and game-winner against Glen Allen in the 10th Annual VaPreps Classic held in Richmond.

Few ninth graders have dazzled as much as Williams, who in his debut season with Varina averaged 13.7 points per game and made 70 three-pointers, tops on the Class 5 State Champions. In fact, he was the only freshman chosen First Team All-Region 5B this past winter.

If you thought the bright lights of the State Championship setting at the VCU Siegel Center would be too much for Williams, think again. All he did was go out and pour in 17 points - with seven in the fourth period - as the Blue Devils rallied for a 64-60 title win over Wakefield. Williams also made plays on defense, averaging 2.3 steals per game on the campaign.

A First Team All-State pick by the VHSL, Washington could be one of the more underrated names on this entire list for a multitude of reasons. The 6-foot-2 senior wing averaged 19.9 points per game and hit on 69.8% of his free-throws (125-of-179).

During the postseason, Washington really raised his level of play, averaging 26 points per game as the Eagles made their State Tournament Final Four appearance since 1970. Edison went 3-0 in games in which he scored 30-plus points, highlighted by a 36-point effort against Langley. With the Eagles down 45-35 with seven minutes to go against Albemarle in the State Tournament quarterfinals, Washington helped them rally for a 64-56 win and had 22 points.

This 6-foot-2 guard and two-sport standout was the main cog in a North Stafford team that won Commonwealth District regular season and tourney titles on their way to posting a 20-5 overall record. Swinton, the Commonwealth District Player of the Year and First Team All-Region performer, averaged 21.8 points per game and routinely harassed the opposing team's best guard with tenacious defense.

To fully grasp Swinton's value, just look at his team's last two playoff games, one of which he missed for undisclosed reasons. In a 64-61 overtime win over perennial power Potomac in the Region 5D quarterfinals, Swinton had 18 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals and four assists. Without him on the floor against Harrisonburg, the Wolverines were knocked out in the region semis 61-42, plus they also lost to Class 4 Heritage of Newport News during the regular season when he was out due to injury.

A versatile 6-foot-3 guard and multi-sport athlete that also excelled in football, Collins helped Freedom-South Riding - which has been open since 2005 - enjoy a banner season. He was named the Potomac District Player of the Year as the Eagles went 22-4 overall, breaking the school-record of 19 victories from the season before.

Collins had no shortage of stellar performances in averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for a Freedom squad that more than held its own in moving up from Class 4 to Class 5. Two examples would be his 27 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a 70-66 win over Wakefield (who won the 6A state title in 2016) as well as 15 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks against district rival Broad Run.

The Stallions earned their first seventh straight regional playoff appearance as Sanders consistently filled the stat sheet with averages of 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on his way to First Team All-Region 5A honors. Also chosen First Team All-Beach District, the 6-foot-5 forward had 12 of his 23 career double-doubles during his senior season.

Set to play his College Basketball at Division II Virginia Union, Sanders showed touch away from the basket as well in leading Green Run with 30 made three-pointers on the season. He wrapped up his Stallions career with 803 points, 495 rebounds and 127 assists over 62 contests while shooting 50.3% inside the arc.

*** See VaPreps 5A All-State Teams for 2016-17 Here ***

*** View VHSL Class 5 All-State Teams for 2017-18 Here ***

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.