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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After an incredible basketball season, it’s once again time to look back at all of the incredible moments along the way.

Shelby County once again proved to be one of the top basketball areas as Helena reached a historic first Final Four, Thompson made the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013, Chelsea and Oak Mountain make improbable runs to the Sweet 16 and many more teams gave their all night in and night out.

On each of those teams was a plethora of talent, making this year’s All-County team as competitive a race as it’s ever been. Nevertheless, the teams have arrived and it’s now time to honor the best players in the area for their hard work and great achievements.

 

First Team

Guard: Josh Williams, senior, Helena. Williams’ star-making year powered Helena to a historic first Final Four and established him as the county’s top player. The 2023-24 Shelby County Player of the Year and Class 6A All-State First Team selection finished with 18.7 points per game, averaged 7.3 rebounds per game as a 6-foot-3 guard and 3.0 assists per game. His clutch performances when it mattered most helped the Huskies reach new heights as he dropped 33 in the Sweet 16 against Benjamin Russell and 26 in the Elite Eight against McAdory.

Guard: Colben Landrew, sophomore, Thompson. After becoming a two-sport star in football last fall, Landrew lived up to his preseason hype on the hardwood and became one of the most reliable players on the Warriors. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists to earn a spot on the Class 7A All-State Second Team and showed up in clutch moments to help Thompson reach its first Elite Eight in over a decade.

Guard: Drew Mears, sophomore, Briarwood. It’s hard to imagine where the Lions would have been this year without Mears’ sharp-shooting. He won the county scoring title by a mile with 23.6 points per game, setting single-season school records for points with 708 and 3-pointers with 86 and averaging 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game all as a sophomore. Mears also earned a spot on the Class 6A All-State Third Team for his efforts.

Forward: TJ Lamar, senior, Spain Park. Lamar fueled the front court for the Jags during a strong regular season run, averaging 13.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He totaled 28 blocks and 45 steals on the season as he impacted the game on both ends of the floor in Spain Park’s 6-0 area regular season run.

Forward: Avery Futch, senior, Chelsea. Futch capped off his career by helping the Hornets capture the area title and reach the Sweet 16, and he played a massive role from start to finish. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game to take him to 1,081 points and 561 rebounds for his career and seal a spot on the 7A Northeast Region Team.

 

Second Team

Guard: Ja’Von Chism, senior, Montevallo. Chism closed his Bulldogs career with a dominant senior season, powering the Bulldogs to the top 10 of Class 4A and into sub-regionals. He led the county with 24 points per game, grabbed eight rebounds per game and dished out four assists per game while controlling the court for Montevallo.

Guard: Ian Johnigan, senior, Helena. Johnigan stepped up to become one of the key offensive pieces for Helena’s historic team, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 46% from the field, 37% from the free throw line and 82% on free throws to provide crucial points for the Huskies.

Guard: Joe Wimberly, senior, Pelham. Wimberly wasn’t just one of the best floor generals with the ball in his hands, but he was arguably the top defensive point guard in the county. He was far and away atop the county in steals with 129, nearly doubling the second-place total of 67. In addition, he averaged 12.5 points per game to get him to 2,205 points for his career, 4.5 assists per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Forward: Phoenix Maxwell, junior, Vincent. Maxwell was one of the main threats for the Jackets, averaging right at 10.0 points per game while also helping around the court with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game as well as 49 total steals. He made the Class 2A, Area 8 All-Tournament Team and will be one of the key pieces for Vincent going forward.

Center: Drew Davis, sophomore, Helena. The ever-reliable man in the middle for the Huskies averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, providing a post presence for Helena and another dimension to their playstyle throughout the season as just a sophomore.

 

Third Team

Guard: Skyler McCrimon, junior, Vincent. McCrimon was Vincent’s top scorer this season, averaging 15.0 points per game while also averaging 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, which helped earn him a spot on the Class 2A, Area 8 All-Area Team.

Guard: Korbin Long, senior, Spain Park. Injuries couldn’t stop Long from impacting the Jags in the 22 games he featured in. The Class 7A All-State Honorable Mention averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while totaling 58 steals on the year and playing a key role on both ends of the floor in his final season for Spain Park.

Guard: Grey Williams, senior, Oak Mountain. Williams spearheaded the Eagles in their run to another Sweet 16 as he averaged 12.5 points and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 34% from the field and 80% from the free throw line, closing out his career with 587 points.

Forward: Dynarian Long, senior, Pelham. Long played a key role down low for the Panthers throughout the season. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and earning 54 steals across the year, helping the Panthers go 22-10 and reach sub-regionals in his final season.

Center: Camari Keller, junior, Vincent. The 6-foot-6 junior was an imposing presence down low, averaging 8.0 rebounds in 24 games to lead the county in boards per game and totaling 59 blocks, also a county-high. He added 6.7 points per game and 38 steals to an impressive resume for his junior year.

 

Honorable Mention: Kevin Jasinski, Oak Mountain. Emanuel Johnson, Oak Mountain. Nick Richardson, Spain Park. Jay Green, Thompson. DaeShaun Morrissette, Thompson. Gavin Collett, Chelsea. Eli Stubbs, Briarwood. Tierren Thomas, Calera. Sam Tolbert, Pelham. Ryan Sipes, Shelby County. Deontaye Robertson, Vincent. Christen Whetstone, Chelsea. Aiden Owens, Chelsea. Garrett Witherington, Briarwood. Joseph King, Helena. Eli Lewis, Pelham.