Basketball all-region: 12 area players honored among regions' best

Of the 11 UIL schools in the Denton Record-Chronicle’s coverage area, 10 had at least one player selected to an all-region team, with six area players each honored on the boys and girls sides.

The recognition features a strong core of area players who brought home a combined seven most valuable player honors in their respective districts.

The Record-Chronicle runs through all of the honorees below.

Girls honorees

Starting on the girls side, Braswell’s Kennedy Evans led the way as the area’s lone Class 6A Region I selection.

Evans, an Oklahoma State pledge, helped lead the Lady Bengals to their sixth straight playoff berth in the program’s seventh year of existence. She earned a first-team all-district nod for her efforts in helping Braswell to a second-place finish in District 5-6A and first-round playoff win over Flower Mound.

A trio of District 7-5A’s top players were honored among Region I-5A’s best in Ryan’s Janiah Allen-Taylor and Argyle’s Gabby Campbell and Madi Lumsden.

Allen-Taylor and Lumsden shared 7-5A’s MVP honors after each posting standout seasons to lead their respective squads.

Allen-Taylor’s efforts helped the Lady Raiders notch their second straight playoff berth along with tying for second place in 7-5A. They posted 25 wins on the season and were ranked among the state’s top 25 5A squads for a few weeks during the campaign.

Lumsden, an Angelo State signee, led the Lady Eagles to the district championship in their first season at the 5A level before the team’s first Round 2 playoff exit since 2012. Campbell was named 7-5A’s Offensive MVP after helping Argyle to a 31-4 season that featured a 26-game win streak.

Rounding out the girls honorees, Krum’s Gracie Hunter and Sanger’s Lexi Martin were recognized among Region I-4A’s top 20 players.

Hunter, a junior, led Krum to its eighth straight playoff berth and a 25-win season in which it was District 8-4A’s undefeated champion. She also helped the Lady Cats post at least one postseason win for the third consecutive season before a tough Round 2 loss to Lubbock Estacado.

Martin wrapped up her standout career at Sanger with a strong senior season despite missing a portion of the year recovering from injury. She helped the Lady Indians win 28 games as they rolled to an unbeaten 7-4A title and first-round playoff win before a tough Round 2 defeat to Stephenville.

Boys

honorees

The lone 6A Region I honoree on the boys side, Guyer’s Jeremiah Green followed up an impressive freshman year with a strong sophomore campaign.

Green was named District 5-6A’s co-MVP after helping the Wildcats to a 20-plus win season and playoff berth. He and Guyer came close to pulling off a first-round upset of top-seeded Plano after entering as a fourth seed, but ultimately came up just short in a 53-48 defeat.

Staying in Denton ISD, Denton High’s MJ Thomas was the lone area selection in Region I-5A.

Thomas transferred into the school ahead of his senior season and wrapped up his standout high school career with a bang, averaging 16.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. He led the Broncos to a resurgent 19-win season after the program posted just three wins a season ago.

Aubrey’s Carter May and Krum’s Bryson Bird earned selections in Region II-4A and I-4A, respectively.

May, a Howard Payne commit, led the Chaparrals on their deepest playoff run in program history as they advanced to the regional semifinal round before falling to No. 2-ranked Dallas Carter. Aubrey had never previously made it past the second round of the playoffs and reached the 30-win mark amid a historic season.

Bird helped anchor the Bobcats down low as the young team rounded into form in time to win District 8-4A’s championship and two playoff games before falling to Wichita Falls Hirschi on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The junior is part of Krum’s strong returning core from a team with no seniors on the roster.

Rounding out the boys selections, a pair of District 10-3A’s best earned all-region honors in Ponder’s Tyler Long and Pilot Point’s Rowdy Robinson.

Long wrapped up his standout high school career by helping the Lions win an unbeaten 10-3A championship as they notched 32 victories on the season, none bigger than a playoff upset of No. 1-ranked Dallas Madison. Ponder’s season ended with a buzzer-beating, double-overtime loss to Hooks.

Robinson lit up the scoreboard once again for the Bearcats this season as he took home 10-3A’s co-Offensive Player of the Year award. The junior helped Pilot Point earn the district’s fourth and final playoff spot before they took a tough first-round loss to top-ranked Madison.