Terry Whisnant and Cierra Burdick are voted North Carolina basketball players of the year

There was no stopping Cherryville senior Terry Whisnant, who scored at least 20 points in all but one of his 30 games this season and finished with 950 points, the fourth-highest single-season total in state history.

His prodigious output was recognized by the state's sportswriters, who named the Florida State-bound guard the Associated Press Boys Player of the Year.

Whisnant averaged 31.7 points, and his 29 20-point games set a state record. He finished just 22 points behind state record-holder JamesOn Curry, who set the single-season mark as a junior at Eastern Alamance (Mebane) in 2002-03.

Whisnant's highlights included hitting 10 3-pointers in a 92-74 win over South Point (Belmont), setting the Gaston County scoring record with 42 points in the conference semifinals against North Lincoln (Denver), and tying a state record by scoring 40 points in three straight games.

He also averaged 7.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.9 steals for the Ironmen, who went 25-5 and advanced to the 1A state quarterfinals. But it was his scoring that made headlines. Whisnant finished his Cherryville career with 2,561 points, seventh all-time in the state and tops at his school. His father, who is also named Terry Whisnant, had also set the Cherryville scoring record.

"He's always kept me in the gym," Whisnant said of his father in the Shelby Star.

Whisnant was selected by 10 of 13 sportswriters from across the state. He was also named on 12 of 13 ballots for the AP all-state boys basketball team along with Forsyth Country Day (Lewisville) junior point guard Tyler Lewis, who has committed to N.C. State. Small forward Deuce Bello of Westchester Country Day (High Point), who is headed to Baylor, was next with 10 votes.

BEST ENDING TO A CAREER
Sportswriters love a good story, so it's no surprise who won the AP Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.
 
Huss (Gastonia) coach Ron Bray announced in January that this would be his last season after 42 years on the bench — and went on to win his first state championship as the Huskies beat South Central Pitt 63-62 in the 3A title game.

"I don't know if you could write a script to compare to that," Bray told the AP.

Bray, 65, missed three games earlier in the season because of pain in his back and leg. The AP reported that he will soon be getting back surgery to correct the pressure on his nerve.

The other coach to receive multiple coach of the year votes was Andrew Mitchell, who led North Rowan (Spencer) to the 1A championship in his first year at his alma mater. It was the third straight state final for Mitchell, who previously coached at Salisbury.

SIMMONS SETS CAREER REBOUNDING RECORD
While Whisnant was piling up points, Smoky Mountain senior Jackson Simmons was setting his own records on the glass. The Raleigh News & Observer reports that Simmons, who will walk on to UNC next season, set the state's career rebounding record with 1,544, surpassing the previous mark of 1,420 set by Jason Parker of West Charlotte from 1997-2000.

BUTLER SENIOR CIERRA BURDICK WINS GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Butler (Matthews) Cierra Burdick won her second straight AP Girls Basketball Player of the Year award, and this time she didn't even have to share it.

After splitting the award with Shannon Smith of Forestville (Gastonia) in 2010, Burdick was picked by nine of the 13 sportswriters this season. The Tennessee-bound forward averaged 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and four steals for the Bulldogs, who went 30-1 and were nationally ranked before they were upset by Mallard Creek (Charlotte) in the 4A quarterfinals.

Even in the loss, Burdick had 28 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks despite having strep throat. She is the first player to win consecutive AP Player of the Year awards since Amy Simpson of Morehead (Eden) did it in 1998-99.

Burdick was also the only unanimous all-state selection, boy or girl. Three girls were named on 12 of 13 ballots — Bishop McGuinness (Kernersville) guard Megan Buckland, South Central (Winterville) forward Danielle Butts, and East Bladen center Courtney Melvin.

Butts and Buckland will be going to UNC after winning state titles this season. South Central won in 3A as Butts had 16 points and 11 rebounds, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, while Bishop McGuinness won its sixth straight title in 1A as Buckland won her third straight MVP award.

Melvin took East Bladen to three straight state finals and recorded 2,527 points (eighth all-time in the state) in her career. She is headed to East Carolina.

The Coach of the Year award went to Jessica Bryan, who led 4A Southwest Guilford (High Point) to a 30-2 season and its first state title in 26 years.

Harold Gutmann covers the state of North Carolina for MaxPreps.com. He lives in Durham and can be reached at haroldgutmann@gmail.com.