All-State Basketball 2024
MADISON- Locals teams are well represented among the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Basketball Teams recently released at the completion of the 2023-2024 season. Bob Jones, Sparkman and Madison Academy each have players chosen among the elite from across Alabama.
Madison Academy played in Class 5A while both Bob Jones and Sparkman participated in Class 7A.
Here are the selections for 2024:
Class 7A- Girls:
Second Team All-State-
JaKyah Smith, Bob Jones, So., G, 5-10
Honorable Mention-
Janiyah Bone, Bob Jones, Sr., G, 5-8
Jamya Griffin, Sparkman, Sr., G, 5-10
Class 5A- Girls:
Honorable Mention-
Brooklyn Tucker, Madison Academy, Jr., G, 5-9
Class 5A- Boys:
Honorable Mention-
Michael Stanford, Madison Academy, So., F, 6-6
For Stanford, the only local player to make the All-State list in boys basketball, scored 10 points per game for the Mustangs as he hit 73-percent from the field and 79.5-percent from the foul line. He also grabbed eight rebounds per outing. Tom Berryman, head coach of the Mustangs, which posted a 25-7 season, said of Stanford, “He’s an elite rebounder and finisher around the basket. He really improved his back to the basket game this offseason as he became a consistent scoring threat for our team. Mike does a great job of defending both on the block and on the perimeter. He’s still jut scratching the surface of his development. We’re excited to see what the future holds for him.
In girls, sophomore Smith leads the way for the second straight year. “She’s a kid with incredible talent. She led us two years in a row in scoring and I know she will continue to grow her game on both ends of the court,” said Jazmine Carr head coach of Bob Jones which went 29-4 last season.
As a sophomore, Smith averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She had 19 block shots and 79 steals on the season.
Bone, who was selected to play in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game, scored 8.9 points per outing for the Lady Patriots while posting 5 blocks and 48 steals.
For Griffin, who played for head coach Jarvis Wilson, she scored 9.1 points per game for the Lady Senators. She shot 51-percent from the field, including 27.5-percent from the three-point line. She made 63-percent of her shots from the free throw line. For the season, Griffin had 142 rebounds, 91 assists, 49 steals and 10 blocked shots.
Just a junior for the Lady Mustangs of Madison Academy, Tucker is a do-everything type payer. Head coach Krista Baldwin said of Tucker, “She is our glue defensively and showed a lot of toughness when she was out with injuries. “We hated missing her for eight games, but even in those moments she impacted our team in a positive way.” The 5-9 Tucker suffered two ankle sprains and recent underwent surgery and is expected to make a complete recovery in time for this summer play.
In 18 games for the 14-12 Lady Mustangs, Tucker hit 38-percent of her field goals, including 34-percent from the three-point line and 72-percent from the foul line. She averaged 12.6 points per game along with 8.5 rebounds and defensively had 32 steals.
