TSSAA names Mr. and Miss Basketball
MUFREESBORO — Three of Memphis’ top college basketball prospects for the Class of 2021 share a common title.
Mr. Basketball.
Juniors Kennedy Chandler of Briarcrest, Moussa Cisse of Lausanne and Johnathan Lawson of Wooddale received Mr. Basketball awards Tuesday night on the eve of the TSSAA’S girls basketball state tournament at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center.
All three are ranked among the state’s top five prospects for next year according to the 247Sports Composite. And all also rank inside the top 90 nationally.
The Mr. and Miss Basketball Award winners are selected by a statewide committee of sports writers based on their performance during the 2019-20 school year. Academics and character are also taken into consideration.
High school basketball coaches and media members nominate the finalists.
Chandler, who is the No. 2-ranked player in the state for next season and No. 15 nationally, claimed his second straight Division II-AA Mr. Basketball honor. It came three days after Briarcrest finished runner-up in the DII-AA state tournament.
“I really wanted to finish out a win in the state championship, but we came up short,” said Kennedy, who led the Saints to the 2019 DII-AA state title. “My goal now is to win two state championships and three Mr. Basketballs.”
Kennedy averaged 22.2 points and 4.3 assists this year.
Lawson, who won the Class AA award, is the second from his family to win a Mr. Basketball award. It comes a year after his brother Chandler Lawson was a finalist for the Class AA honor. Dedric Lawson won the 2015 Class AAA Mr. Basketball at Hamilton.
Lawson is the No. 5-ranked player in the state and ranked 88th nationally.
Cisse won the DII-A award in his first season playing in Tennessee. He averaged 18.7 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks. He is the eighth-ranked player for 2021. Cisse was not at the awards ceremony. The TSSAA announced he and his family had flown to France for a death in the family.
There were also three winners from Middle Tennessee.
Ensworth senior Dontavia Waggoner, a North Carolina State signee, won her second straight DII-AA Miss Basketball. Waggoner was also a finalist as a sophomore.
She averaged 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds to help lead the Lady Tigers to a second straight DII-AA championship.
“It’s the same experience hearing your name the second time,” Waggoner said. “You want to win it again.”
Trevecca signee Keeley Carter, a Macon County senior, claimed Class AA Miss Basketball. And Eagleville senior Ryley Mcclaran, a Freed-hardeman signee, won the Class A Mr. Basketball.
Carter is the first to win the award from Macon County. Mcclaran is the first Mr. Basketball winner from a Rutherford County school.
“I followed Mr. Basketball ever since I was a kid,” said Mcclaran, who averaged 29.3 points. “I always wanted to be one.”
2020 Mr. and Miss Basketball winners
Division II-A Miss Basketball Winner: Macey Lee, Trinity Christian
Finalists: Melaina Bone, Silverdale; Carrington Washburn, CPA
Division II-A Mr. Basketball Winner: Moussa Cisse, Lausanne Finalists: Alex Anderson, Tiptonrosemark; Dante Harris, Lakeway Christian
Division II-AA Miss Basketball Winner: Dontavia Waggoner, Ensworth
Finalists: Raegyn Conley, Baylor; Kaiya Wynn, Ensworth
Division II-AA Mr. Basketball Winner: Kennedy Chandler, Briarcrest
Finalists: B.J. Edwards, Knoxville Catholic; Chaz Lanier, Ensworth
Class A Miss Basketball
Winner:
Greenfield
Finalists: Tess Darby, Greenfield, Karly Weathers, Loretto
Class A Mr. Basketball
Winner: Ryley Mcclaran, Eagleville Finalists: Lucas King, Mckenzie; Dalton Marsh, Red Boiling Springs Class AA Miss Basketball
Winner: Keeley Carter, Macon County
Finalists: Reagan Hurst, Upperman; Khyla Wade-warren, Mcnairy Central Class AA Mr. Basketball
Winner: Johnathan Lawson, Wooddale
Finalists: Edward Lacey, Fulton; Tyrone Marshall, Pearl-cohn
Class AAA Miss Basketball Winner: Madison Hayes, East Hamilton
Finalists: Denae Fritz, Maryville; Alasia Hayes, Riverdale
Class AAA Mr. Basketball
Winner: Jacobi Wood, Cleveland Finalists: Joe Anderson, Maryville; Will Pruitt, Mt. Juliet
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