By Donovan Stewart
MaxPreps.com
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association released Mr. and Miss Basketball finalists on Tuesday.
The awards will be presented to the top boys and girls in four classifications starting with the Mr. and Miss Basketball awards for Division II-A on Friday, Feb. 27 at Allen Arena on the campus of David Lipscomb University.
The Division II-AA will be presented a night later on Feb. 28. The Miss Basketball awards for Class A, AA and AAA will be awarded at the state title games on March 14 at Murphy Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
The Mr. Basketball awards will be presented a week later on March 21 at the boys state games.
The nominees are below;
Class A Miss Basketball Finalists
Kayla Christopher, Oliver Springs
Andrea Hobson, McEwen
Laken Leonard, Jackson County
Class AA Miss Basketball Finalists
Lashay Davis, Upperman
Chassidy Fussell, Obion County
Lauren March, Marshall County
Class AAA Miss Basketball Finalists
Taylor Hall, Morristown-West
Jasmine Hassell, Wilson Central
Jasmine James, Bartlett
Division II-A Miss Basketball Finalists
Lauren Avant, Lausanne
Alexandria Black, Harding Academy
Jodie Brown, St. Andrew's-Sewanee
Division II-AA Miss Basketball Finalists
Marie Carpenter, Ensworth
Faith Dupree, Webb School of Knoxville
Jessica Goswitz, Webb School of Knoxville
Class A Mr. Basketball Finalists
Reginald Buckner, Manassas
Wes Long, Summertown
Jeremy Sexton, Temple
Class AA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Chase Dunn, Livingston Academy
John Jenkins, Station Camp
Casey Prather, Jackson North Side
Class AAA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Kerry Hammonds, Siegel
Joe Jackson, White Station
Drew Kelly, Centennial
Division II Mr. Basketball Finalists
Marlon Brown, Harding Academy
Meiko Lyles, University School of Nashville
Bobby Parks, St. George's
Division II-AA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Brendan Connolly, Father Ryan
Leslie McDonald, Briarcrest
Gary Pope, Ensworth
Girls Basketball: Riverdale hit with probation
The Riverdale girls basketball program has been hit with two years probation and the school has been fined $1,000 for violating the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association recruiting rule.
The Warriors, 24-4 this season and Class AAA state champions in 2007, were not banned from postseason play but will not be allowed to play in any summer camps or scrimmages.
Riverdale will not play in preseason scrimmages, any Hall of Fame games or invitational tournaments during the first year of the probation. The team can only play in a maximum of 24 games
The Warriors can only practice five times instead of the normal 15 in the summer while the coaches can’t initiate communication with middle school coaches and players for two years.
All communication regarding the program can only be done by the Riverdale administration.
Head coach Hillary Maxwell was suspended by Rutherford County Director of schools Harry Gill for two games in late January.
The Warrior coaches sent a flier to promote a Lady Warrior Middle school night held on Dec. 12.
All middle school girls that are attending schools zoned for Riverdale were invited to attend. But not all of the players at those middle schools are zoned for Riverdale, which broke the recruiting rule.
The team also singled out players and invited them into in the Warriors’ dressing room for food and drinks after the game.
More Girls Basketball: Mount Pleasant finally tastes victory
It had been a long time since the Mount Pleasant girls basketball team won a basketball game.
November 26, 2005 to be exact when they beat Hickman County.
But on Feb. 10, the Tigers broke a 100-game losing streak by defeating Frank Hughes 48-41.
Keona Watkins led the Tigers – who have no seniors on the roster – with 13 points in the victory.
More Girls Basketball: Hassell is an All-American
Wilson Central senior post Jasmine Hassell added another honor this week.
Hassell, a University of Georgia signee and Class AAA Miss Basketball Finalist, was named to the 2009 McDonald’s All-American game that will be played in Miami on April 1.
She will be a member of the East team and will join 23 other players for the event.
Hassell won Miss Basketball last season and is averaging 20 points per game, for the Wildcats (23-5). She is the third girl from the state of Tennessee to make the game since its inception in 2002.
Shelbyville’s Alex Fuller (2004) and Knoxville Webb’s Glory Johnson (2008) made the game previously.
Boys Basketball: Jenkins still on scoring rampage
A day before he was nominated for what should be his second Mr. Basketball award, Station Camp guard and Vanderbilt signee John Jenkins continued his hot hand in a 103-97 two-overtime loss to Gallatin.
Jenkins scored 60 points, including eight 3-pointers, and became the 19th player in history of the state of Tennessee to score 3,000 points for his career.
Jenkins fouled out with 3:15 left in the second overtime, and now has 3,028 points for his career and is averaging 42.6 points per game on the season.
More Boys Basketball: McDonald gets another honor
Briarcrest Christian senior shooting guard Leslie McDonald got an honor this week as he was selected to the 2009 USA Men's Junior National Select Team that will compete in the 12th Annual Nike Hoop Summit.
The US team will take on a team of International players that will compose the world team on April 11 at the Rose Garden in Portland Oregon.
McDonald, a University of North Carolina signee will be the first Tennessean to play in the game since 2007 when former Brentwood Academy product Brendan Wright and Memphis Mitchell alum Thaddeus Young played on the Select team.
Questions? Comments? Contact Donovan at dstew4vu@yahoo.com.
