2017 MR. BASKETBALL WINNERS

[kwc]

2017 MR. BASKETBALL WINNERS
 

Division II-A Mr. Basketball
Chase Hayden, St. George’s

Division II-AA Mr. Basketball
Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy

Class A Mr. Basketball
Tyreke Key, Clay County

Class AA Mr. Basketball
Bo Hodges, Maplewood

Class AAA Mr. Basketball
Alex Lomax, Memphis East

 

 

2017 Mr. and Miss Basketball Winners

 

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Congrats to all of the young men listed above. These are prestigious awards. I want to give a special shout out to the two young men highlighted above who are from the Memphis area. You have done well.

 

I'd also like to put emphasis on one Mr. Alex Lomax, who has won his second Mr. Basketball award as a junior. Back to back. This is very rare ... especially to win it in two consecutive years in a row, while doing it in the largest classification the state has to offer, in only his junior season. Big kudos!

Edited March 8, 2017 by kwc

[UCSportsFan]

Brandon Wright won it 4 years in a row if i'm not mistaken at Brentwood Academy.  If you use that as an indicator of talent then Lomax should play on the "BIG" stage in the not so distant future. Where is he being recruited from?  I'm guessing all the usual suspects.... Kentucky, UT, Duke, Kansas?

[TonyG]

Brandon Wright won it 4 years in a row if i'm not mistaken at Brentwood Academy.  If you use that as an indicator of talent then Lomax should play on the "BIG" stage in the not so distant future. Where is he being recruited from?  I'm guessing all the usual suspects.... Kentucky, UT, Duke, Kansas?

His suitors hasn't reached that level of elitism yet. Garland is the one with those offers. I honestly don't know if i see Lomax getting those type of offers. Garland is the best recruit in the state. 

[Swipes]

I mean Lomax is a 4 star and rated as the 29 of in the nation for his class. He holds offer from Memphis, Florida, Cal, LSU, Ole Miss so not to shabby as a junior

[TonyG]

I mean Lomax is a 4 star and rated as the 29 of in the nation for his class. He holds offer from Memphis, Florida, Cal, LSU, Ole Miss so not to shabby as a junior

I dont know where you are looking but he's not rated in the top 100 on any recommended site as of now. I think he'll break it after the summer but idk if he'll ever be top tier good, which honestly means nothing bc you can excel anywhere and be a great player. But the PGs who are in the top tier have the size and are extremely more athletic than Lomax, except for Garland which speaks volume of how special you have to be as a player to be #1 in your position and class which 6'3-4 freaky athletic PGs right behind you. 

 

Correction: 247 has him as the #29 PG and #137 overall in 2018. It'll change he'll rise for sure bc Tyler Harris is rated #14 and #65 respectively and i think you rather have Lomax over Harris. 

Edited March 8, 2017 by TonyG

[TonyG]

I know alot of guys outside of Memphis aren't on the Mark Freeman bandwagon yet, but if the all memphis championship happens I think alot will see how good he is. He can manage a team as well as Alo and can shoot it similar to Harris. He's another 2018 PG in Memphis will high major offers. I say it over and over again its so many guys that aren't talked about as much due to so much talent in the area. If you take a Freeman or a Taelyr Gatlin to the East side of the state, he would be the talk of the area. 

[Shozen]

This is also Garland's second straight win as well right? All listed and who won are all very deserving!

[TonyG]

This is also Garland's second straight win as well right? All listed and who won are all very deserving!

All are great, deserving kids. 

[warmachine7954]

I know alot of guys outside of Memphis aren't on the Mark Freeman bandwagon yet, but if the all memphis championship happens I think alot will see how good he is. He can manage a team as well as Alo and can shoot it similar to Harris. He's another 2018 PG in Memphis will high major offers. I say it over and over again its so many guys that aren't talked about as much due to so much talent in the area. If you take a Freeman or a Taelyr Gatlin to the East side of the state, he would be the talk of the area.

[warmachine7954]

Mark Freeman is good, very good.Freeman gets overshadowed because of the players in his class. His size will prevent him from playing at a high major school but he is good.

 

Gatlin is good, very good. No one hears about him because he plays at, well... Brighton. He's a big, physical, guard with skill. Someone is going to get a steal with him.

[TonyG]

Mark Freeman is good, very good.Freeman gets overshadowed because of the players in his class. His size will prevent him from playing at a high major school but he is good.

 

Gatlin is good, very good. No one hears about him because he plays at, well... Brighton. He's a big, physical, guard with skill. Someone is going to get a steal with him.

 

Freeman and Harris are in the same boat as far as the size limiting them. Tyler can shoot better than any of them but Freeman is a great distributor. But he also has SEC schools in southwind's backyard weekly just like the others. And already hold offers from Florida, Bama, and Ole Miss. 

 

Gatlin is "good, very good" i agree. No one bash me please lol but the first time i saw him i thought he resembled a poor man's Derrick Rose on the highschool level. Am I saying he's Rose? NO. I'm just saying that's his playing style. Big 6'2-6'3 (true size) guard with a handle, can make a shot at all 3 levels, extremely quick and fast for his size, and unselfishly makes plays for others. I would read the box score daily and see players on his team getting 20 and 30 points with him having around 12 or 15 and know its because he opens the floor for them. You can make it from anywhere I agree, its just all about positioning, but i know for sure he's the only reason that team goes. Now im sure coach may get on her and big up his team (as a coach should) and say that he has a great group of talented guys and taelyr isn't the saviour, but we know the truth lol. Recruiting is honestly about being in the right place at the right time to get noticed. 

I'd put it this way, If he switched places with Freeman or Lomax etc he wouldnt be a the secret he is now, he'd be a top 100 player. If he switched with Lomax, East would still have the same success virtually and he'd be loved bc he's such a flashy big guard. But I don't think alot of kids could go to Brighton and do what he's doing. I'm a firm believer of positioning and it wouldn't shock me if he's overlooked and ends up at a Murray St, Missouri St, or SEMO or something like that and turns into a Cam Payne. He has that type of abililty. 

Also at one point and time he was on a AAU team with Freeman and Lomax, now thats a crowded back court. 

Yeah i know i'm long winded. 

[B52bomber3]

Don't forget back to back for Bo Hodges's as well . He is taking a team to the state tournament who basically if you take him off that team they don't even make it to the region tournament . This kid turned down big schools so he could play right away and possibly start next year at ETSU a team that just made it into the big dance . Like to see him get his team to the finals now .