Two of the city’s top scorers are among the state’s finalists for the TSSAA’s Mr. Basketball awards in their respective classifications. Grace Academy senior Brandon Herman is one of three finalists in Class A and McCallie sophomore Jordan Price was named to the Division II-AA list. No other players from the Chattanooga area made the finalist list for either Mr. or Miss Basketball.
The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards will be presented to the top boys’ and girls’ players in the state’s five classifications prior to the championship game awards for each class. The presentation of the Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards for Division II, Class A and Class AA will be given on Saturday, March 6 at Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University. The presentation of the Mr. Basketball Awards for Division I, Classes A, AA, and AAA will be given during the championship awards ceremony for each class on Saturday, March 20, at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
The 6-foot-1 Herman, who averages 27.4 points per game, is the school’s first finalist for the award. He is Grace’s career scoring leader with more than 2,300 points, is a McDonald’s All-American nominee and led the Golden Eagles to the District 5-A tournament championship Tuesday night. He is also the district’s regular-season and tournament MVP and a two-time all-state selection.
“It’s a great honor for the school and our program to have our first finalist,” Grace coach Jon Mattheiss said. “Brandon’s ability to score has been something you really can’t coach. It’s such a gift to have someone who can do the things offensively that he can do.”
The 6-foot-5 Price is in his first season at McCallie after transferring in from Georgia. He is averaging 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals per game and has helped the Blue Tornado reach the Division II-AA state quarterfinals, where they will host Memphis Briarcrest on Saturday.
“It speaks a lot for our program to have a kid recognized across the state. Especially as a sophomore,” McCallie coach Dan Wadley said. “The sky is definitely the limit for him but he has to keep working hard toward that next level.
“Considering he came from out of state and nobody knew much about him in Tennessee before he got here, it also says something about the type player he is that people already recognize his talent.”
TSSAA Mr. Basketball Finalists
Class A
Brandon Herman, Grace Baptist
Thomas Greer, West Carroll
Malcolm Smith, Clarksville Academy
Class AA
Kedren Johnson, Marshall County
Jalen Steele, Fulton
Lester Wilson, Carter
Class AAA
Joe Jackson, White Station
Casey Prather, Jackson North Side
Adonis Thomas, Melrose
Division II-A
John Ross Glover, University School of Jackson
Meiko Lyles, University School of Nashville
Dwight Tarwater, Knoxville Webb
Division II-AA
Frankie Bougher, Christian Brothers
Holden Mobley, MBA
Jordan Price, McCallie
Miss Basketball Finalists
Class A
Beth Hawn, Forrest
Molly Heady, Clarkrange
Laken Leonard, Jackson County
Class AA
Heather Butler, Gibson County
Chassidy Fussell, Obion County
Taylor Mills, Gibbs
Class AAA
Taylor Hall, Morristown-West
Jordyn Luffman, Lawrence County
Jasmine Newsome, Millington
Division II-A
Alexandria Black, Harding Academy
Alexandria Warfield, Davidson Academy
Derica Wyatt, Franklin Road Academy
Division II-AA
Paige Baechle, Pope John Paul II
Marie Carpenter, Ensworth
Taylor Reece, Brentwood Academy