By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor 

After a jam-packed season that lasted just shy of five months, the 2015-16 basketball season has finally drawn to a close. November does not seem like it was that long ago, yet here we are, looking down the barrel of spring with basketball season fading off in the background, where it will stay for another half-year or so. Basketball was good to Shelby County this year. There were eight teams that made an appearance in their respective classifications’ Sweet Sixteen, five more than a season ago, and the quality of competition was high across the board.

On an individual basis, there were a ton, and I mean a ton, of deserving players worthy of recognition this year. We have three full All-County teams as well as a host of honorable mention players, and arguments could have been made for any number of these kids to make First Team, Second Team or Third Team. We looked at a number of factors when making these lists, including – but not limited to – stats, number of games played, quality of opponents and how important each player was to the success of his team. This week we’re looking at the guys’ teams and next week we will take a look at the girls. So, without further ado, here are your 2015-16 boys basketball All-County teams.

 

First Team

Guard – Jamal Johnson, junior, Spain Park. 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game. Also averaged 1.4 steals and 1 block per game as well. Was responsible for running Spain Park’s high-octane offense. Shot just a hair under 50 percent from inside the three-point line on the season, and shot 38 percent from deep. Has been tabbed as a four-star recruit by multiple recruiting sites.

Guard – Tavarus Hall, junior, Montevallo. 16.5 points, 6 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game. Also averaged 2.2 steals and 1 block per game. Hall helped lead Montevallo to the 4A Sweet Sixteen, and shot 48 percent from the field on the year, including a 41 percent clip from three.

Forward – Payton Youngblood, senior, Oak Mountain. 11.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2 assists per game along with 1.6 blocks per game. Was the focal point of an Oak Mountain team that made a 7A Elite Eight appearance and routinely guarded team’s most dominant big men.

Forward – Alex Reese, junior, Pelham. 25.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Also averaged 2 blocks and 1 steal per game as well. Led Pelham to the school’s second-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance. Matchup nightmare that can stretch the floor and get to the rim. Shot 63 percent from the field on the year. Currently holds 12 Division I offers and is a four-star recruit on multiple recruiting sites. Co-Player of the Year.

Center – Austin Wiley, junior, Spain Park. 21.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocks per game. Led Spain Park to the 7A Final Four. The premier big man in the state of Alabama. Regularly saw double and triple teams throughout the year and still averaged nearly 22 and 12 a night while shooting 66 percent from the floor, the best shooting percentage in the county. Committed to Auburn, and has been ranked a five-star recruit by multiple recruiting sites. Co-Player of the Year.

 

Second Team

Guard – Aaron Washington, senior, Chelsea. 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals per game. Shot 221 threes, and made them at a 38 percent clip. Also shot just shy of 40 percent from the field on the year. Led Chelsea to the school’s second straight Sweet Sixteen. Set a Chelsea school record for points in a season, three-pointers made and attempted, three-point shooting percentage and free throw shooting percentage.

Guard – Quinterious Montgomery, senior, Shelby County. 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Montgomery was the engine that made Shelby County run. Athletic, quick off the dribble, fierce competitor. The Wildcats had a shallow bench, and could rarely afford to have Montgomery off the floor because of his ability to get to the rim and lock down perimeter shooters.

Forward – Justin Brown, senior, Spain Park. 12.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1 steal per game. Last season’s Co-Player of the Year transferred to Spain Park in the offseason and joined the Jaguars’ already-potent offense. As a result, Brown was not tasked with creating near as much offensively as he was during his junior year at Briarwood, and his numbers were not as strong. That being said, the athletic swingman was an integral cog for Spain Park, and the lefty shot the ball at a 60 percent clip inside the three-point line, while shooting 32 percent from deep.

Forward – Da’Shaunte (Te’) Smith, junior, Montevallo. 18.1 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game to go along with 1.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Smith, a relatively unknown college prospect, had another stellar season for Montevallo. Finished the year with a 50 percent shooting average from the field. At 6-foot-5 on a small Montevallo team, Smith routinely had to play out of position on defense and guard bigger opponents.

Center – EJ Datcher, senior, Vincent. 14.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game. Datcher was one of just four players in the county to average a double-double. The Mississippi State commit was coming off a knee injury he suffered as a junior, and led the Yellow Jackets to their ninth-consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance. Soft touch around the basket and a surprising touch from 12 feet. Connected on 58 percent of his shots.

 

 

Third Team

Guard – Will Stephenson, junior, Oak Mountain. 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game. Stephenson is an unassuming player with a constant motor. The junior Oak Mountain guard was in charge of running the Eagles’ offense, and rarely, if ever, made the wrong decision with the ball in his hands.

Guard – Justin Allison, sophomore, Pelham. 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Came on strong as a sophomore and complemented Reese nicely on the perimeter. Shot the ball at a 39 percent clip from deep and a 42 percent clip from the field overall.

Forward – Jon Brown, junior, Helena. 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game. Brown led Helena through a thrilling regular season that at one point included 13 straight wins. Capable of getting to the rim and knocking down an open shot, Brown was also the closest thing to a consistent, athletic post presence the Huskies had on a guard-dominant team.

Forward – Michael Freeman, senior, Thompson. 14.7 points, 6 rebounds per game. The main offensive weapon in the post for a Warriors team that lacked interior size.

Center – Thomas Collier, senior, Briarwood/David Watkins, senior, Shelby County. Both of these players deserve recognition here. Watkins has slightly better stats, as the Shelby County undersized big man finished the season averaging 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and it’s impossible to leave a guy who averaged a double-double off the All-County list. Collier, on the other hand, averaged 11 points and six rebounds to go along with 1.7 blocks per game as well. He shot the ball at a 64 percent clip, second-highest in the county, and was the unquestioned leader of the Lions this season.

 

 

Honorable Mentions

Undreaz Lilly, Montevallo. Yatil Gant, Calera. Wyatt Armstrong, Oak Mountain. Wesley King, Vincent. Paul Brown, Helena. Matt Marquet, Chelsea. Carson Donnelley, Briarwood. Drew Thomas, Thompson. Justin Stuckey, Helena. Gabe Haynes, Oak Mountain. OJ Williams, Calera. Brandon Green, Shelby County. Jeffrey Travis, Briarwood. Stephen Campbell, Vincent. Jaylen Harris, Helena.