BHC Best of the Best Basketball

[loujustice 10]

Congratulations to Colby Hunt of Abingdon & Roe of Marion for being named to the Bristol Herald Courier Best of the Best Basketball Team! Great job guys!

[tbgfan 856]

By Spencer Campbell

Bristol Herald Courier

 

Josh Smith's season appears to be flawless. But the best you'll get from him is "bittersweet."

 

Twin Valley's undersized power forward helped the Panthers to a 22-6 record, while compiling averages of 15.3 points and 12.3 rebounds. He barely tops 6-foot-1, but became Twin Valley's all-time leading rebounder (1,064) and eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau in only his third year playing varsity.

 

Under his stewardship, Twin Valley returned to the Virginia High School League Group A Division 1 final four in Richmond, Va., for the second straight year.

 

But for Smith, that's where perfection ended: with a 67-63 loss to Eastern Montgomery in the state semifinals.

 

"I wanted the seniors to have the dream year," Smith said. "All they've done for me in my life, I wanted to return the favor."

 

The seniors he's talking about are point guard Garrett Horne and shooting guard Hunter Simpson. Without the duo's 11.9 and 15.9 points, respectively, there's little chance that Smith and the Panthers would've reached the Virginia final four.

 

Horne and Simpson, perhaps more than any other factors, are why Smith is the Bristol Herald Courier's Player of the Year.

 

"It was tough," Smith said. "I would've given anything for them to win it all this year. Them two are the ones I was playing for."

 

But the two seniors' contributions to Smith's banner season go beyond scoring averages and statistics. The three have been playing ball together at the Buchanan Basketball Foundation since elementary school. Their chemistry was so finely cultivated through the years, says Smith, that the trio has a kind of telekinetic link on the court.

 

"You wouldn't even have to look at the other person," Smith said. "As soon as you'd turn around the ball would be right there because they knew what you were going to be doing."

 

Smith being Smith, however, refuses to acknowledge his own, singular contributions to the team's success. That doesn't stop coaches from lavishing that exact praise on him in double helpings.

 

"He's relentless. The best word I can use to describe him is relentless," Honaker coach Waylon Hart said. "He's undersized to play the position he does. Plus, he's a super kid with really good sportsmanship, I'd like to have him on my team."

 

"Josh is a very big part of what we do considering the fact that we built most of our offense around him," Twin Valley coach Brian Moore said. "He has the most heart and drive of any player I've ever seen....He's got a big heart."

 

That heart was broken after the Panthers lost in Richmond, but there are other, better memories he'll pull from this season.

 

Such as when Twin Valley downed Galax and ensured a return trip to state.

 

"Getting to see Hunter and Garrett and all the seniors, just laughing and everything, seeing everybody enjoying the moment, knowing we were going back to Richmond," Smith said. "That's what made it bittersweet."

-------------------------------------

Also on First Team

 

FORREST STUART, Appalachia, So.

Stuart kept family name alive, leading the Bulldogs to its first Region D, Div. 1 title since his father, Hobby, won a region championship in 1982. He averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4 steals.

 

JOSH MOORE, Virginia High, Sr.

With non-stop hustle, rentless rebounding and leadership, Moore guided the Bearcats to their first state tournament appearance in 13 years. First-year head coach Jason Stevens credited Moore with setting a positive tone for the Bearcats, from the first practice session. He averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds.

 

ANDREW ADKINS, Coeburn, Sr.

Adkins overcame a knee injury to continue his strong point production. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals. The school's all-time leading scorer, he finished his career with 2,037 points.

 

TRISTAN BOYSAW, Geo. Wythe, Jr.

Boysaw's all-around skills and unselfish play helped George Wythe sweep Hogoheegee District regular-season and tournament titles. He averaged 15 points, 5 steals, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

 

SECOND TEAM

 

Corey Young, Tennessee High, Sr.

Tihlee Anderson, Gate City, Sr.

Colby Hunt, Abingdon, Sr.

Otto Fletcher, Council, Sr.

Gavin Roe, Marion, Jr.

 

Life has many choices---eternity two

[tbgfan 856]

FIRST TEAM

 

DANIELLE MONTGOMERY, Tennesse High, Sr. (PLAYER OF THE YEAR)

 

ASHLEY BUCKHANNON, G. Wythe, Sr.

Showcasing a variety of skills, Buckhannon averaged 25.8 points, 6 steals and 4.5 assists, and she finished her career with 2,130 points. She is headed to NCAA Division 1 Radford University.

 

RA'SHELLE MILLER, J.I. Burton, So.

Miller led the Raiders to a 9-1 finish in the LPD, earning district and Region D player of the year honors and pushing Burton to the VHSL Group A, Div. 1 quarterfinals. She averaged 19.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.1 assists.

 

RACHEL ARTRIP, Honaker, So.

The sophomore led the Tigers in every statistical category except rebounding and needs only 60 points to get to 1,000 for her career. She averaged 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.2 blocks. But her value was never more apparent than in Honaker's VHSL quarterfinal loss to Floyd County, when Artrip's ankle injury ended Honaker's season.

 

CHELSEA CLUESMAN, Lee High, Sr.

Cluesman was the key player on a balanced team that earned the program's first state tournament berth since 2002. With key shots and defensive stops, Cluesman lifted the Generals to a landmark win over Radford in the Group A, Division 2 state quarterfinal. She averaged 12.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

 

SECOND TEAM

 

STEPHANIE CORNETT, Council, Sr.

KENDRA NUTTER, Northwood, Sr.

SAVANNAH PIPPIN, Virginia High, Jr.

LORREN EVANS, Castlewood, Sr.

KATHIE JO LESTER, Twin Valley, So.

 

 

Life has many choices---eternity two

[therealgame 10]

Its funny how the BHC always manages to put someone from Va High somewhere on the list

[81Snowbowl30 10]

Its funny how the BHC always manages to put someone from Va High somewhere on the list

 

 

It's just their opinion. They don't know half of what they think they know about area players, but they can look at stat sheets and pick from a limited personal experience watching the players in person. Learned a long time ago that it is nice to be on these lists, but it is just an opinion and not to be taken to heart. If you make the list..great, if you don't..whatever.

[vthokies331 10]

I don't understand how Tihlee Anderson is only second team. He is a better all-around player than any of those on the first team. He's a great closer when it is crunch time and also has better stats than any of them. It just doesn't make any sense. However, like you said they just don't know what they think they know. But even if they went only by stats then Anderson should be first team.