Alabama and Mississippi will be center stage Friday night when the 21st annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic tips off at Pelham Civic Complex. The girls will play at 5 p.m., and the boys will follow at 7.
Rosters are listed at the end of the story.
Mississippi comes in with a tall team led by Mississippi Class 4A State Championship game MVP Johnny Zuppardo and St. Stanislaus teammate Daniel Grieves. Zuppardo is the tallest player on either roster at 6-foot-9. Grieves, an Air Force commitment, is 6-6. Mississippi also lists 6-8 centers Rodney Hood of Meridian and Aaron Jones of Gautier.
Alabama's all-stars can counter with a trio of 6-foot-7 forwards including Class 6A state tournament MVP Reggie Spencer of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, William Truss of Vestavia Hills and Jeremy Watson of Homewood. Alabama also features a trio of 6-6 forwards – Roquez Johnson of Carver-Montgomery, Class 5A state tournament MVP Jeremy Bogus of Wenonah and Illinois signee Devin Langford of Lee-Huntsville. Bogus averaged 22 points per game for the 5A state champion Dragons of Birmingham.
Guards Ricky Tarrant of Pleasant Grove and Charles Eaton of Selma have averaged 21.5 and 21.9 ppg, respectively. Tarrant, a Tulane commit, canned 47 points, including 26 of 29 at the foul line, in the Spartans' Central Regional finals win over Russell County at Alabama State University to clinch a Final 48 berth.
Coaching the Mississippi Boys are Keith Robinson of Pascagoula and Herman Sanders of Wingfield. Scott Suttles, who guided Hillcrest to a 32-3 record and the Patriots' second 6A state championship in the last three years, is coaching the Alabama squad along with Russ Wallace of Pickens County (30-1). The Tornadoes won the 1A state championship this season and the 2A state title in 2010. The 2011 team also had one win over Hillcrest.
Players reported Wednesday afternoon, will practice today twice and have a shootaround on Friday. Tip off for the boys game is set for 7 p.m. Mississippi drubbed Alabama last year 112-88 to even the series at 10 wins each. In 2009, Alabama, led by Parker guard Eric Bledsoe, won 78-74. Bledsoe went on to the University of Kentucky last season and was a first-round draft pick in the NBA draft following his freshman year. He is now a starting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Alabama All-Stars also won a close 101-99 decision over Mississippi in the 2008 game.
ALABAMA GIRLS HOLD 11-9 EDGEAlabama's female all-stars hold a slim 11-9 advantage over Mississippi in the first 20 years of the Alabama-Mississippi Classic. However, last year's team was thoroughly thrashed by the quicker, more talented Mississippi all-stars last season, 78-56. That setback snapped a three-game winning streak for Alabama in the annual All-Star Classic. Alabama won in 2009 by eight, 81-73, in overtime in 2008, 89-86, and won in 2007 in a blowout, 90-65.
Alabama has a slight size advantage in this year's game with 6-foot-3 Florida State signee Kristi Mokube of Central-Phenix City, 6-foot Monique Jackson of Central, 6-foot center Tia Faleru of Carroll-Ozark and 6-0 guard Ashley Southern of Deshler. Southern, a Tennessee-Chattanooga signee, is a solid scorer on the wing with a 22.8 ppg average this season. Faleru averaged 19.2 ppg for the Eagles in 2011. She and Jackson are both Ole Miss signees.
Alabama will be hard-pressed to slow down Mississippi's Pashen Thompson, a 6-footer from Southeast Lauderdale High School. She averaged 27.5 ppg this season. The multi-talented Thompson will have plenty of help on the outside from 5-11 forward Krista Donald of Lake High School. Donald, a University of Georgia commitment, averaged 30.3 ppg in 2011.
Coaching the Alabama squad are Nicholas Vinson of Class 1A state champion R.A. Hubbard and Brian Privett of Class 3A state champion Madison Academy. Mississippi's coaches are Mike Coleman of Quitman (28-3) and Charles Moore of Franklin County (24-2).
The squads practiced Wednesday night, today and have a short shootaround on Friday leading up to the first-game tip-off at 5 p.m. CDT. The Alabama-Mississippi Classic alternated between the University of North Alabama's Flowers Hall and Jackson's Hinds Community College for the first 12 years with one year Mississippi hosting at Holmes Community College. It moved to Pelham in 2003 where it has been played ever since.
ALABAMA GIRLS ALL-STARS Player Ht. Pos. School Pt Avg.
Tia Faleru 6'0 C Carroll (21-5) 19.2
Tabitha Bradshaw 5'7 G Brewbaker Tech (29-6) 15.1
Monique Jackson 6'0 C Central-Phenix City (21-6) 13.1
Kristi Mokube 6'3 F Central-Phenix City (21-6) 12.9
Porsha Blue 5'9 G Erwin (29-3) 10.5
Amanda Toliver 5'5 G Minor (21-9) 15
Ashley Southern 6'0 G / F Deshler (20-5) 22.8
Shaquinta Sales 5'10 F / C Tanner (32-3) 16.8
Amara Mayers 5'7 G Madison Academy (36-3) 11.4
Keke Fletcher 5'11 F Madison Academy (36-3) 12
Alicia Williams 5'10 G Fort Payne (27-5) 20.4
Sharin Rivers 5'3 G Sparkman (30-2) 15.3
Coaches
Nicholas Vincent, Head Coach
R.A. Hubbard (Courtland) (22-3)
Brian Privett, Asst. Coach
Madison Academy (36-3)
Brenda Mayes, Administrative
Muscle Shoals ALABAMA BOYS ALL-STARS Player Ht. Pos. School Pt Avg.Charles Eaton 6'3 G Selma (23-9) 21.9
Jamar Pope 6'3 G Sparkman (19-9) 14.5
Roquez Johnson 6'6 F Carver-Montgomery (33-2) 16
Ricky Tarrant 6'1 G Pleasant Grove (28-6) 21.5
Jeremy Bogus 6'6 G Wenonah (30-4) 22
William Truss 6'7 C Vestavia Hills (15-18) 12.4
Jeremy Watson 6'7 F Homewood (22-5) 14
Marvin Whitt 5'9 G Homewood (22-5) 15
Jalen Houston 6'1 G Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (32-3) 12.7
Reggie Spencer 6'7 F Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (32-3) 17.7
Spencer Palmer 6'3 G Madison Academy (12-21) 22
Devin Langford 6'6 G / F Lee-Huntsville (25-9) 16
Coaches
Scott Suttles, Head Coach
Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa) (32-2)
Russ Wallace, Asst. Coach
Pickens County (Reform) (30-1)
Jamie Lee, Administrative
Decatur MISSISSIPPI BOYS ALL-STARS Player Ht. Pos. School Pt Avg.Mychal Ammons 6-6 F Vicksburg (27-4) 21.8
Trey Brown 6-7 F Brandon (21-9) 16.8
Darius Forest 6-6 F Wingfield (22-9) 10.1
Daniel Grieves 6-6 F St. Stanislaus (34-2) 17.1
Rodney Hood 6-8 C Meridian (26-2) NA
Aaron Jones 6-8 C Gautier (13-10) NA
Stanley Magee 6-3 G Pass Christian (29-7) 18.5
Donovan Ross 6-6 F Ridgeland (28-2) 17.8
Deville Smith 5-11 G Callaway (13-11) 22.2
Jarvis Summers 6-4 F Provine (24-3) NA
Bryan Williams 6-5 F Pascagoula (24-8) 12.3
Johnny Zuppardo 6-9 C St. Stanislaus (34-2) 16.0
Coaches
Keith Robinson,
Pascagoula (24-8)
Herman Sanders,
Wingfield (Jackson) (22-9)
MISSISSIPPI GIRLS ALL-STARS Player Ht. Pos. School Pt. Avg.Aquashia Anderson 5-7 G Meridian (16-12) 12.7
Rhandi Ball 5-11 G/F Pontotoc (24-7) 14.8
Taylor Beverly 5-10 F NW Rankin (24-8) 19.9
Vintrice Briggs 5-9 F Franklin Co. (24-2) 14.6
Dominique Brothern 5-6 G Lanier (30-0) 13.9
Kourtney Coleman 6-0 G/F Byers (29-8) 17.9
Krista Donald 5-11 F Lake (17-11) 30.3
Kelsei Ewings 5-3 G West Point (16-5) NA
Kendra Grant 5-10 G/F Richland (24-3) 14.2
Porsche Jones 5-4 G Quitman (28-3) 10.9
Brianna Lancaster 5-11 F Wayne County (21-5) 11.9
Pashen Thompson 6-0 C SE Lauderdale (25-10) 27.5
Coaches
Mike Coleman,
Quitman (28-3)
Charles Moore,
Franklin County (Meadville) (24-2)
THE ALABAMA-MISSISSIPPI CLASSIC SERIES(1991-2010)
GIRLS 2010 Mississippi 78 Alabama 56 Pelham CC
2009 Alabama 81 Mississippi 73 Pelham CC
2008 Alabama 89 Mississippi 86 OT Pelham CC
2007 Alabama 90 Mississippi 65 Pelham CC
2006 Mississippi 89 Alabama 80 Pelham CC
2005 Mississippi 101 Alabama 83 Pelham CC
2004 Alabama 114 Mississippi 78 Pelham CC
2003 Mississippi 95 Alabama 82 Pelham CC
2002 Alabama 76 Mississippi 71 Miss. College, Clinton
2001 Alabama 87 Mississippi 76 North Alabama, Florence
2000 Mississippi 87 Alabama 82 Holmes JC, Goodman, MS
1999 Alabama 95 Mississippi 85 North Alabama, Florence
1998 Alabama 105 Mississippi 84 Miss. College, Clinton
1997 Alabama 60 Mississippi 54 North Alabama, Florence
1996 Mississippi 88 Alabama 72 Miss. College, Clinton
1995 Alabama 80 Mississippi 77 North Alabama, Florence
1994 Mississippi 92 Alabama 84 Miss. College, Clinton
1993 Alabama 73 Mississippi 66 North Alabama, Florence
1992 Mississippi 74 Alabama 61 Miss. College, Clinton
1991 Mississippi 82 Alabama 66 North Alabama, Florence
Series record: Alabama, 11 wins; Mississippi, 9 wins.
BOYS 2010 Mississippi 112 Alabama 88 Pelham CC
2009 Alabama 78 Mississippi 74 Pelham CC
2008 Alabama 101 Mississippi 99 Pelham CC
2007 Mississippi 118 Alabama 113 Pelham CC
2006 Mississippi 94 Alabama 87 Pelham CC
2005 Alabama 84 Mississippi 79 Pelham CC
2004 Alabama 87 Mississippi 86 Pelham CC
2003 Mississippi 82 Alabama 80 Pelham CC
2002 Mississippi 98 Alabama 67 Miss. College, Clinton
2001 Mississippi 87 Mississippi 83 North Alabama, Florence
2000 Alabama 90 Alabama 82 Miss. College, Clinton
1999 Alabama 95 Mississippi 68 North Alabama, Florence
1998 Alabama 111 Mississippi 76 Miss. College, Clinton
1997 Alabama 110 Mississippi 91 North Alabama, Florence
1996 Mississippi 105 Alabama 97 Miss. College, Clinton
1995 Alabama 85 Mississippi 69 North Alabama, Florence
1994 Mississippi 123 Alabama 111 Miss. College, Clinton
1993 Mississippi 82 Alabama 75 North Alabama, Florence
1992 Mississippi 73 Alabama 71 Miss. College, Clinton
1991 Alabama 103 Mississippi 62 North Alabama, Florence
Series record: Alabama, 10 wins; Mississippi, 10 wins.
