Catholic junior point guard B.J. Edwards eyes his defender during a 54-47 win over Hamilton Heights on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (Photo: Tanner Walker/5Star Preps)
By JESSE SMITHEY
The TSSAA announced its finalists Thursday for the 2020-21 season Mr. and Miss Basketball awards.
This marks the 37th year that the Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards will be presented to Tennessee’s best high school basketball players. Finalists are selected by statewide voting from coaches and media, as well as a panel of sportswriters and media members.
Regular-season performance, overall player ability, academics and character are some of the criteria used to help select finalists and winners.
This year’s Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards will be presented to the top girls and boys in five classifications prior to each championship’s post-game awards presentations on March 6 (Division II), March 13 (Division I girls) and March 20 (Division I boys).
No player from the 5Star Preps coverage area (70 schools) has won a Mr. Basketball award since Wartburg’s Alex Fountain won the Class A award in 2013.
On the girls’ side, that same eight-year window has yielded three Miss Basketball winners from the 5SP footprint — Micah Scheetz of Webb won Division II-A Miss Basketball in 2014 and 2016, and Webb’s Casey Collier won the same award in 2019.
No Division I girls’ basketball player from this area has won a Miss Basketball trophy since McMinn Central’s Elizabeth Masengil in 2013.
Here’s a look at this year’s statewide finalists.
Division II-A Miss Basketball Finalists
Jordaynia Ivie, Lakeway Christian
Olivia Lee, Trinity Christian
Maggie Vick, Lakeway Christian
Division II-AA Miss Basketball Finalists
Jaloni Cambridge, Ensworth
Carmyn Harrison, Hutchison
Jaila Lee, Brentwood Academy
Class A Miss Basketball Finalists
Madison Hart, Gibson County
Kassie Monday, Clarkrange
Karly Weathers, Loretto
Class AA Miss Basketball Finalists
Jalynn Gregory, Macon County
Jada Harrison, Westview
Reagan Hurst, Upperman
Class AAA Miss Basketball Finalists
Denae Fritz, Maryville
Acacia Hayes, Riverdale
Tessa Miller, Stone Memorial
Division II-A Mr. Basketball Finalists
Alex Anderson, Tipton-Rosemark
Kameron Jones, ECS
Braeden Moore, CPA
Division II-AA Mr. Basketball Finalists
B. J. Edwards, Knoxville Catholic
Chandler Jackson, Christian Brothers
Trent McNair, Brentwood Academy
Class A Mr. Basketball Finalists
Trey Johnson, Cosby
Walter Peggs, Madison Academic
Grant Strong, Clay County
Class AA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Jakobi Gillespie, Greeneville
Trey Morrow, Scott
Toris Woods, Bolivar Central
Class AAA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Mason Miller, Houston
Matthew Schneider, Siegel
Grant Slatten, White County