Meet the 2023 AL.com All-Birmingham boys basketball team
Three Birmingham area boys teams played for basketball state championships this season with Hoover earning the Class 7A title while two more reached the Final Four.
Class 6A Mountain Brook and Class 3A Midfield earned spots in the title game before losing while Class 7A Spain Park and Class 5A Ramsay lost in semifinal action.
Players to the AL.com All-Birmingham basketball team were selected to first, second and third teams and honorable mention along with a Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year.
RELATED: All-Coastal boys team
RELATED: All-Coastal girls team
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RELATED: Girls class Player of the Year finalists
The All-Birmingham boys team is compiled through information from area coaches, AL.com staff insights and opinions of experts in the area. It includes players from Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Here are the 2023 selections:
THIRD TEAM
Midfield’s Demarreon Baldwin (2) during the area tournament against Tarrant at Midfield high school in Midfield, Ala., Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
DeMarreon Baldwin
School: Midfield
Height: 6-foot-4
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 15.1 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3 assists with 2.5 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 3A second-team all-state.
Mountain Brook’s Julius Clark blocks the shot of Buckhorn’s Austen Childress during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Julius Clark
School: Mountain Brook
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He was ASWA Class 6A second-team all-state.
Spain Park’s Zach Gray shoots during an AHSAA Class 7A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Zach Gray
School: Spain Park
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He was ASWA Class 7A third-team all-state.
Oak Mountain’s Matt Heiberger (23) controls the ball against Huntsville’s Eli Stapler (11) during regional play at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Matt Heiberger
School: Oak Mountain
Height: 6-foot-4
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists with 1.9 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 7A third-team all-state.
John Carroll’s Kalib Thomas brings the ball down court against Fairfield’s Darrian Jackson (2) during the area tournament at Fairfield high school in Fairfield, Ala., Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Kalib Thomas
School: John Carroll
Height: 6-foot-1
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He was ASWA Class 5A second-team all-state.
SECOND TEAM
Pinson Valley’s Terry Coner Jr. takes a fadeaway jumper with Buckhorn’s Carter Malires defending during a 6A regional final playoff game in Hanceville, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Terry Coner Jr.
School: Pinson Valley
Height: 6-foot
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2.7 assists with 2.5 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
Ramsay’s Jalen Jones (2) goes to the basket against Charles Henderson during an AHSAA 4A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Tues., Mar. 1, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Jalen Jones
School: Ramsay
Height: 5-foot-10
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists 4.7 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
Midfield’s Shannon Jones fights through a double team of Plainview’s Landon White and Plainview’s Levi Brown during an AHSAA Class 1A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Mar. 3, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Shannon Jones
School: Midfield
Height: 5-foot-11
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists with 4 steals a game. The four-year starter was ASWA Class 3A first-team all-state.
Ramsay’s Kerrington Kiel (4) looks to pass abasing Fairfield’s Demarcus Williams (0) during regionals at Wallace State in Hanceville, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Kerrington Kiel
School: Ramsay
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2 assists with 2.2 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 5A second-team all-state and played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game.
Huffman’s Peyton Wiggins (2) shoots against Mountain Brook’s Carson Romero (0) during regionals at Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Peyton Wiggins
School: Huffman
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 19.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 assists with 1.2 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 6A second-team all-state.
FIRST TEAM
Mountain Brook’s Ty Davis passes against Buckhorn’s Caleb Holt during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Ty Davis
School: Mountain Brook
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6 assists, converting 37 percent of 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
Hoover’s Salim London attacks the basket during an AHSAA Class 7A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Salim London
School: Hoover
Height: 6-foot-4
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists with 1.9 steals a game. He was named Class 7A state finals tournament MVP and was ASWA Class 7A second-team all-state.
Vestavia Hills’ Win Miller shoots a free throw during the second half of Game 2 of the 2022 Metro Tournament, featuring Cullman vs Vestavia Hills, at Homewood High School in Homewood, Ala., Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Win Miller
School: Vestavia Hills
Height: 6-foot-3
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 21.6 points, 4 rebounds and 3.2 assists and is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,011 points. He was ASWA Class 7A first-team all-state and will play for Belmont.
Wenonah’s Dasean Sellers looks for an opening in 2022 action. (File photo)
Dasean Sellers
School: Wenonah
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Senior
Position: Guard/Forward
The skinny: Averaged 20.6 points, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists with 3.4 blocks and 3.5 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 5A first-team all-state.
Pinson Valley’s Caleb White shoots a free throw during a 6A regional final playoff game in Hanceville, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Caleb White
School: Pinson Valley
Height: 5-foot-11
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 20.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with 1.9 steals a game. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Central-Phenix City’s Willie Townsend faces off against Hoover’s DeWayne Brown during an AHSAA Class 7A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
DeWayne Brown, Hoover
The 6-foot-9 center averaged 15 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game for the 31-4 Class 7A state champions. Brown shot 67 percent from the field was named to the state finals all-tournament team along with Class 7A first-team all-state.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Spain Park’s Sam Wright shots past Central-Phenix City’s Ty’ Jor Cooper during an AHSAA Class 7A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Sam Wright, Spain Park
The 6-foot-9 senior forward more than doubled his 2022 output, averaging 16.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the Class 7A Final Four Jaguars this season. Wright shot 53 percent from the field and 70 percent free throws and played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game. He was ASWA Class 7A first-team all-state.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Hoover coach Scott Ware argues with the refs during an AHSAA Class 7A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Scott Ware, Hoover
HONORABLE MENTION
Vestavia Hills’ Jackson Weaver (12) controls the ball against Hoover’s Noah Mcafee (10) at Hoover high school in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
J.J. Jeter, Bessemer Academy; Brandon Caldwell, Calera; Paul Lanzi, Chelsea; Avery Futch, Chelsea; Devon McKinnon, Clay-Chakville; Brayden Wilson, Coosa Valley; Josiah Jones, Fairfield; Josh Williams, Helena; Jaylen Carrington, Heritage Christian; Ray Rolley, Hewitt-Trussville; Reid Stodghill, Hewitt-Trussville; Micah Lampkin, Holy Family; Canon Armstead, Homewood; Jarett Fairley, Hoover; Jonathan Caicedo, Hoover; Brian Brown Jr., Huffman; Carson Huff, Indian Springs; Tanner Chandler, Mortimer Jordan; Kamari Hollis, Pelham; Aaron Tift, Pleasant Grove; Noah Reed, Shelby Co.; Carson Pringle, Thompson; Jackson Weaver, Vestavia Hills; Blake Allums, Vincent; Milton Jones, Wenonah.