The Herald releases its 2020-21 All-Area boys’ basketball teams, honorable mentions
One of the last games of the 2020-21 boys basketball season is still a bit of blur.
South Pointe — a blue blood football high school if there ever was one — didn’t have control of the 4A state championship game until the final minute. But then the leader of the scrappiest team in South Carolina took control in the game’s final sequence: Quan Peterson hit a floater, picked his defender’s pocket on the ensuing defensive possession and then converted an and-one layup — one that, all at once, gave South Pointe its first lead since the game’s first points.
And the Stallions didn’t trail again.
At last, the Rock Hill school — one largely (and incorrectly) considered one-dimensional since it opened in 2005 — had earned its first boys’ basketball state championship.
“We’ve always been in this situation,” Peterson said a few minutes after celebrating. “So we already knew how to handle it — how to take punches and come right back.”
In a year when resilience was currency, the South Pointe basketball team rose above its peers. And that, in part, is why The Herald’s sports department selected South Pointe head coach Melvin Watson as its All-Area Coach of the Year and Peterson as its All-Area Player of the Year.
Peterson, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and two steals per game this season. He led the team in scoring but didn’t bear the offensive burden alone. In fact, the All-Region and All-State selection was one of four players to average over nine points a game.
As for Watson? The former South Carolina basketball player and South Pointe head coach since 2011 engineered a surprising and special state championship run: The Stallions went 15-5 overall, testing their talents against some of the better teams in the Carolinas, including Victory Christian and Westminster Catawba. They only lost once after Christmas, and they managed to do so by proving tougher than their opponents in close games — including in their final one.
“We never gave up,” Watson said post-championship game. “I love my kids and how hard they play.”
Other teams besides South Pointe had exceptional seasons. And they’re represented in the rest of The Herald’s All-Area team selections.
See them below. Season stats were provided by the area schools.
All-Area boys basketball
Player of the Year: Quan Peterson, South Pointe
Coach of the Year: Melvin Watson, South Pointe
First team
AJ Thompson, Northwestern: The 5-foot-10 senior guard averaged 17.4 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals per game this season. The unquestioned Trojans leader, who was an All-State selection and 1,000-point scorer for his prep career, went 39% from beyond the 3-point line this year, 79% from the free throw line and 49% from the field.
Kory Davis, York Prep: The 6-foot junior point guard averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds this year. He helped lead the Patriots to a 19-5 overall record and a Region 4-2A title. Davis was also a valuable defensive player for York Prep: The All-State player drew 35 total charges and averaged 3.4 steals per game.
Quan Peterson, South Pointe.
O’Mazeon Tinsley, Lancaster: Tinsley (5-foot-9) averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game to help guide Lancaster to a season to remember: The Bruins went 10-3 and split the Region 3-4A title with South Pointe before falling to Greenville in the 4A state playoffs — and Tinsley, an All-State selection was a big reason why.
MJ Collins, Westminster Catawba: Collins, a 6-foot-3 guard who helped make Rock Hill’s Westminster Catawba a regional power this past season, averaged 21.7 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game. The junior — who has offers from Murray State, Presbyterian and Wofford — also ended the season shooting 44% from three and 91% from the free throw line.
Second team
Janyle Pittman, Lancaster: The 6-foot-2 senior small forward averaged a double-double in his senior season — 15 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Ca’Darrius Sowell, Andrew Jackson: Sowell, a 6-foot guard, averaged 18.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this year for a Volunteers team that went 10-6 overall and 6-4 in Region 4-2A. Sowell was also an All-State selection and the Region 4-2A Player of the Year.
DaShawn Johnson, Great Falls: The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 13.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. The senior, who was important to both his team’s region title this year and its state championship run last year, was also the Region 2-1A player of the year and an All-State selection.
Marcus Kell, Legion Collegiate: The 6-foot-8 junior guard averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game for the Lancers (11-7). He also was an All-Region selection.
JJ Hicklin, South Pointe: Hicklin, a 6-foot-3 forward who served as one of South Pointe’s interior scorers but could also shoot from deep, averaged 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He was also an all-region selection.
Honorable mentions
Tydriez Coleman, Great Falls: The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward averaged 13.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
DJ Barksdale, York Prep: The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 12.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He also took seven charges this season.
Kendall Davis, York Prep: The 5-foot-10 junior guard averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 steals a game. He was also among the team’s best defenders; he took a team-leading 39 charges this year. (And yes, he and Kory Davis on York Prep are twins.)
Waymond Jenerette, South Pointe: The 6-foot junior guard averaged 10 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks this season. The all-region selection is also a top wide receiver for the South Pointe football team.
O’Mega Blake, South Pointe: Blake, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, averaged 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season. The all-region selection came off the bench but was huge for South Pointe in the playoffs — particularly in the state title game, when he played well in Hicklin’s absence when Hicklin had to sit out early due to foul trouble. Blake is also a talented wide receiver and has signed to play football at USC.
Zy Brown, York: Brown did a little bit of everything for his team this year — scoring, bringing the ball up, defending the team’s best guard, anything. The 6-foot junior averaged 16 points, 3.5 rebounds, four assists, and three steals a game. York finished 5-10 on the season.
Grant Lovette, Catawba Ridge: Lovette led Catawba Ridge (7-8) in scoring at 13.7 points per game, shooting 54% from the field and 76% from the free throw line. The all-region selection and 6-foot guard also added 6.4 rebounds and two steals per game.
Kyle Nbeich, Fort Mill: You probably can’t pronounce his last name correctly on first glance, but his game largely speaks for itself: The 6-foot-3 junior and all-region selection — who was voted Region 3-5A newcomer of the year — averaged 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game for Fort Mill (9-7, 5-3 region) this season.
DJ Ealy, Andrew Jackson: The 6-foot senior was an All-Region 4-2A selection who averaged 13.2 points, 2.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Shane Blakeney, Legion Collegiate: The sophomore point guard, who can surprise you and play above the rim at times, was crucial to Legion’s improvement in its second year of existence this season. The 6-foot-3 junior and All-Region 4-2A selection averaged 13.2 points, four assists and five rebounds per game.
Donaven Brown, Rock Hill: The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 15 points and six assists per game for a Rock Hill team that went 7-9. He missed the last six games — which was most of the region season this year — due to an injury.
Luke Bracey, Rock Hill: His coach once referred to his 6-foot-6 forward as the “heart and soul of our team.” Bracey, also a talented defensive lineman for the school, averaged eight points and eight rebounds and took at least one charge in every game this year.
Drew Hardin, Indian Land: The 6-foot junior guard averaged 18.5 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds this past season. He was also an All-Region 3-4A selection. (Hardin also starts at safety for the Indian Land football team.)
Shamajay Poole, Clover: The 6-foot-1 senior All-Region 3-5A selection averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and helped his team to a playoff appearance in 2021.
Lawrence Bartee, Clover: The 6-foot-9 junior averaged 12.4 points (68% from the field), 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game this season.
AJ Hamrick, Westminster Catawba: The 6-foot-8 senior averaged 17.3 points, eight rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He’s committed to play basketball at Charleston Southern next year.
The girls basketball All-Area team will be released online Wednesday. The wrestling All-Area team will be announced Thursday.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 12:35 PM.
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