Six Alabama Mr. Basketball candidates to watch for this season
High school basketball officially tipped off last week as varsity teams began practicing across the state. Over the next few weeks, HoopSeen.com will preview the season ahead and look at some of the best teams and players the AHSAA has to offer.
With that being said, we will start our preseason coverage off with some Mr. Basketball discussion. The Mr. Basketball award is the most prestigious individual award the AHSAA has to offer. Our state has seen several future stars claim the award over the years, such as J.D. Davison, Trendon Watford, John Petty – all who won the award twice during their respective high school careers.
Following reigning Mr. Basketball winner Labaron Philon transferring to prep basketball powerhouse Link Year Prep (MO), the run of consecutive winners will end this season. This year’s race looks completely wide open, too.
In fact, I think you can make an argument for six candidates to win the award before the season begins. Here are six players to watch during the high school season, and I’d be willing to make a strong wager that one of the following players take home the coveted award following this year’s action…
Adair is one of the most prolific scorers in the country, as he’s coming off a junior campaign where he averaged 35 points and 5 assists per contest at Jeff Davis. To no one’s surprise, the senior is the overwhelming favorite to lead the state in scoring again this season. That’s one of many reasons why Adair will find himself on several preseason ballots. The talented guard also had a top-notch summer on the travel circuit, and he capped things off by winning South MVP of the Alabama North-South All-Star game. If you’re in the Montgomery area this winter, Adair is appointment viewing. Be sure to catch him in action.
It’s been a pretty nice calendar year of basketball for Brown. The 6-foot-9 big man won a state championship with Hoover and followed things up with a tremendous travel season with the Florida Rebels. Now, heading into his junior year, Brown is a priority prospect for many high-major programs around the country. The Buccaneers are expected to be one of the state’s best teams again, and the anchor down low has a big impact on that. If Brown helps lead Hoover to back-to-back 7A state titles, he’ll be a worthy name for Mr. Basketball come next February.
Mountain Brook is coming off a state championship appearance last year, where they fell to Buckhorn in the 6A finals. The Spartans will use that disappointment to fuel them this season, and I expect a big year from Davis, too. The future Creighton Blue Jay is one of the most unique guard prospects in the state. The 6-foot-5 guard is one of the most gifted passers in the South, but Mountain Brook will need him to carry the load on the scoring front this season. Luckily for the Spartans, Davis is more than capable of doing that.
Like Dewayne Brown, Harrison is another big man that has had a tremendous calendar year filled with development and improvement. In fact, Harrison was one of the most popular big men in the South this summer. He had an assortment of Ivy League, Missouri Valley, and A-10 level teams involved in his recruitment before committing to Samford. Huntsville should have one of the best teams in the state this season, and a lot of their success will depend on the 6-foot-9 big man. I think Harrison could have a big senior campaign and show the rest of the state how good he is. The Panthers will go as he does this season.
Hill introduced himself to the state in the grandest of ways last year during the AHSAA Final Four. The 6-foot-4 guard scored 69 points in two games for Central-Phenix City in Birmingham, where they ultimately lost the 7A state championship game to Hoover. Nevertheless, Hill is wired to score and will have every opportunity to make an encore performance this season. He’s one of the most naturally talented players we have in Alabama, so expect to hear his name in the Mr. Basketball conversations throughout the year.
Despite only being a sophomore, Holt is being lauded as one of the top players in the country, regardless of class. He played all of his freshman season under the microscope and helped lead Buckhorn to a 6A state championship. What could he do next? Well, during his playoff run last year, Holt received a lot of recognition as a potential Mr. Basketball candidate. I think it’s safe to say he’s a viable candidate this year and many eyes will be on him throughout the winter.
