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Final View from the Big House
Lavel Johnson
It’s time to close the door on the 2023-2024 high school hoops season but before we do let’s take our annual review of the week of action that comprised the semifinals and finals of the MHSAA state basketball tournament.
As always our first order of business is to give the state championship teams their due. This year’s state champions were:
Class 7A: Boys: Germantown Girls: Tupelo
Class 6A: Boys: Ridgeland Girls; Callaway
Class 5A: Boys: Canton Girls: Pontotoc
Class 4A: Boys: Raymond Girls: Choctaw Central
Class 3A: Boys: Booneville Girls: Booneville
Class 2A: Boys: Bay Springs Girls: Ingomar
Class 1A: Boys: Coffeeville Girls: Biggersville
Congratulations to all. With a special congratulations going out to all the first time state champions: the Callaway girls and the Germantown, Ridgeland and Coffeeville boys, yes Coffeeville, 67 years ago doesn’t count.
Tournament Awards:
Best Game: 5A Girls semifinal-Canton 42 Laurel 40
This game a rematch of last year’s title tilt was exciting from start to finish, had great effort from both teams, a number of lead changes, some big scoring runs from each team and came down to a basket at the buzzer for the win, this is how playoff basketball is supposed to look.
Top Individual Performance: Stanford Spearman’s 37 points brings home the gold ball for Coffeeville. Spearman wasn’t going to be denied for the gold ball and he put up the top individual scoring performance of the semis and finals in the 1A championship game.
Play of the Tournament: Shamira Morton’s rebound and basket at the buzzer for the win in Canton’s 42-40 win over Laurel in the 5A semifinals. Similar to last year the top play is the winning basket of the top game. Morton saved the day for the Lady Tigers when she corralled the wayward shot, or was it a pass, and scored the game winner at the buzzer.
Upset of the Tournament: Holmes County 46 South Jones 32
South Jones rolled into the semifinals with a 30-2 record and ranked in the top ten of the state, but Holmes County Central jumped out front early and never let up as they rolled into the 5A finals.
Dunk of the Tournament: Canton’s Jayden Cration going to dunk town on Laurel.
Take your pick of any of the multiple throwdowns Cration had against the Golden Tornados. My favorite was when his teammate hit him as he cut across the lane underneath the hoop, behind the defense, he caught the ball in stride, took a step out from under the hoop on the other side and rose up and spun for a nasty one handed throw down.
Top fans award: Booneville Blue Devil fans
Every team had solid support throughout the semifinals and finals and there is no doubt that the crowd for the Canton vs Holmes County Central 5A championship game was one of those special nights, but for my money the fans from Booneville really come out and bring the energy. With both Booneville’s boys and girls playing the Blue Devil fans turn half the coliseum in to a wave of blue.
Boys State Tournament All-Tournament Team
Phil Nelson 6’15 G Ridgeland
42 points and 13 rebounds in two games
Mike Williams 6’2” Sr. G Germantown
42 points and 10 rebounds in two games
Kedrick Simmons 6’7” Sr. F Booneville
40 points and 15 rebounds in two games
Stanford Spearman 6’2” Sr. G Coffeeville
59 points and 10 rebounds in two games
37 points in 1A state championship game
Jadius Mccormick 6’5” Sr. F Bay Springs
40 points and 21 rebounds in two games
Sixth Man:
Ashton Manuel 5’10” Jr. G Ridgeland
41 points in two games
Girls State Tournament All-Tournament Team
Jahanna Wilson 5’3” Sr. G Callaway
41 points 11 rebounds in two games
Shamira Morton 6’2” Jr. F/C Canton
43 points 23 rebounds in two games
Akiah Prince 6’0” Sr. C Simmons
32 points 19 rebounds in one game
Mackenzie “Jade” Rucker 6’0” Sr. G Tupelo
22 points and 12 rebounds in 7A championship game
Macie Phifer 6’0” Sr. G Ingomar
30 points and 19 rebounds in two games
Sixth Lady
Jaylee Stafford 5’9” Jr. F Biggersville
29 points and 17 rebounds in two games
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