Dallas County’s Lee, Sylacauga’s Thomas
Named 2014 Mr. Basketball, Miss Basketball
William Lee of Dallas County and Shakayla Thomas of Sylacauga were named by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball, respectively, at Wednesday’s 2014 Player of the Year luncheon hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association.
Lee is the 30th Mr. Basketball since the inception of the ASWA’s annual award and Thomas is the 27th Miss Basketball. The Mr. Basketball award was started in 1985 while Miss Basketball began in 1988.
The two were among the 42 finalists who attended the luncheon at the Alabama Activity Center in Montgomery. Three girls and three boys in each classification were selected as finalists by the ASWA.
The 6-foot-9 Lee, a UAB signee, led Dallas County to the Class 4A championship this season. He averaged 22.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 9.2 blocks, 3.9 assists and 3.4 steals as a senior while helping the Coach Moore’s Hornets go 29-3. Lee scored 22 points with 13 rebounds and seven blocks in the title game, earning 4A state tourney MVP. He was also Alabama’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
Thomas, a Florida State signee, led Sylacauga (28-4) to the Class 5A championship game this past season. The 5-11 Thomas had 31 points with 15 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots in the title game loss to Wenonah after scoring 40 points in a semifinal victory over Brewer.
The senior forward averaged 33.1 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game this season. Her 2,643 career rebounds in six seasons is No. 1 all-time in AHSAA history while she ranks fourth in scoring with 4,242 career points.
Lee holds the national record for blocks in a game with 26 and has been credited with more than 1,000 blocks in his career. He was also named by the ASWA as the Class 4A Boys Player of the Year and headlines the ASWA Boys Super 5 All-State Team. Also named to the Super 5 were Justin Coleman of Wenonah, Lewis Sullivan of Hazel Green, Wesley Person, Jr., of Brantley and Giddy Potts of Athens.
Coleman was named Class 5A Player of the Year, Sullivan the Class 6A Player of the Year and Person the Class 1A Player of the Year. Other players of the year included Joshua Langford of Madison Academy (Class 3A) and Cobe Goosby of Elba (Class 2A) Also earning Player of the Year honors Wednesday were Joshua Langford of Madison Academy (Class 3A) and Cobe Goosby of Elba (Class 2A).
Thomas, who was also named Class 5A Player of the Year, was named to the ASWA Super 5 Girls’ All-State Team for the third straight year. Joining her are Morgan William of Class 6A state champion Shades Valley, Alexis Jennings of Sparkman, Leah Strain of Class 2A state champ Woodland and Destiney Elliott of Class 4A state titlist Oneonta.
Jennings was named Class 6A Player of the Year, Strain the Class 2A Player of the Year and Elliott the Class 4A Player of the Year.
Other players of the year included Sierra Jones of Madison Academy (Class 3A) and Anna Claire Noblit of Covenant Christian (Class 1A).
Thomas, also named Alabama’s Gatorade Player of the Year, was selected Class 5A Player of the Year for the third time while Elliott and Noblit are two-time player-of-the-year selections.
Leslie Claybrook, an assistant commissioner with the Southeastern Conference, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon. Claybrook was the 1989 Miss Basketball recipient as senior at St. James.
A complete list of the ASWA’s Mr. and Miss Basketball winners are listed below.
Alabama Sports Writers Association
Mr. Basketball/Miss Basketball Winners (1985-2014)
Mr. Basketball
2014 William Lee Dallas County
2013 De’Runnya Wilson Wenonah
2012 Craig Sword Carver-Montgomery
2011 Trevor Lacey Butler
2010 Trevor Lacey Butler
2009 Kerron Johnson Madison Academy
2008 JaMychal Green St. Jude
2007 Courtney Fortson Jeff Davis
2006 Stanley Robinson Huffman
2005 Richard Hendrix Athens
2004 Ronald Steele John Carroll
2003 Ronald Steele John Carroll
2002 Kennedy Winston Blount
2001 Chris White Grissom
2000 Gerald Wallace Childersburg
1999 Marvin Stone Grissom
1998 Sam Haginas UMS-Wright
1997 Anthony Williams Loachapoka
1996 Isaac Spencer Jeff Davis
1995 Brian Williams Jeff Davis
1994 Rod Willie Lee-Huntsville
1993 Howard Pride Butler
1992 Darryl Wilson South Lamar
1991 Victor Newman Houston Academy
1990 Cedric Moore Woodlawn
1989 Queintonia Higgins Fairhope
1988 Terrance Lewis Ramsay
1987 Bryant Lancaster Valley
1986 Larry Rembert Keith
1985 Vincent Robinson Bridgeport
Miss Basketball
2014 Shakayla Thomas Sylacauga
2013 Marqu’es Webb Hoover
2012 Jasmine Jones Bob Jones
2011 Hayden Hamby West Morgan
2010 Kaneisha Horn Ramsay
2009 Jala Harris Bob Jones
2008 Courtney Jones Midfield
2005 Whitney Boddie Florence
2007 Katherine Graham Ramsay
2006 Shanavia Dowdell Calera
2004 Starr Orr Speake
2003 Sidney Spencer Hoover
2002 Kate Mastin Boaz
2001 Donyel Wheeler Huffman
2000 Natasha Thomas Lawrence County
1999 Tasheika Morris Butler
1998 Gwen Jackson Eufaula
1997 April Nance Butler
1996 Nicole Carruth Sulligent
1995 Heather Mayes Fyffe
1994 Pam Duncan Carrollton
1993 Leah Monteith Cherokee County
1992 Yolanda Watkins Decatur
1991 Tonya Tice Hamilton
1990 Karen Killen Mars Hill Bible
1989 Leslie Claybrook St. James
1988 Jeaniece Slater Hartselle