Alabama rosters set for Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic
Rosters for the 33rd Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic were announced on Saturday, consisting of a dozen senior girls and boys selected by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association All-Star Committee from coaches’ nominations.
The game will be played on March 11 at the Pete Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.
Six girls and four boys from the all-star rosters will be playing in the 102nd AHSAA State Basketball Championships at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham beginning Monday.
The Alabama girls’ team will be coached by Kenny Hill of Guntersville High School and Katie Barton of Montgomery’s St. James High School. Hewitt-Trussville’s Tonya Hunter will serve as the girls’ team administrative coach.
The Alabama boys’ coaches are Rhett Harrelson of Enterprise High School and Darren Golson of Autaugaville. Dru Powell of Saraland High School is the administrative coach.
The six girls on the roster who will be playing for state championships are 6-foot-2 Kristen McMillan and 5-9 Reniya Kelly of two-time defending 7A champ Hoover; five-time defending champ Hazel Green’s Nyla Grace Collier; Hannah Jones of Prattville Christian, two-time defending 3A champ now playing in 4A; Sparkman’s Kennedy Langham; and Susan Moore’s Cali Smallwood.
Among the other standout players on the girls’ roster is guard Chloe Siegel of Deshler, who was the MVP of the Class 4A state tournament in 2022 after leading the Tigers to the championship. She finished her career at the Tuscumbia school as the national leader for career 3-point baskets made. Also on the team is Emily Vandergrift of Guntersville, who earned MVP honors in leading her team to the 2022 5A title. Neither of those defending champions made it back to Birmingham this year having lost in regional play.
The boys on the all-star roster who will be competing for a state title are Jaden Nixon of Autaugaville, Thomas Dowd of Dothan, Kerrington Kiel of Ramsay and John Broom of defending 4A champion Jacksonville.
Alabama’s girls won last year’s game over Mississippi 89-81 and the Alabama boys won 96-89. Alabama’s boys hold a 17-15 edge in the series and the Alabama girls have an 18-14 lead.
This year’s rosters:
2023 ALABAMA ALL-STAR ROSTERS
GIRLS
Player, School, Position, Height, College
Chloe Siegel, Deshler – SG – 5-7 – North Alabama
Olivia Vandergriff, Guntersville – G – 5-7 – Lipscomb
Nyla Grace Collier, Hazel Green – G – 5-9 – Montevallo
Audreonia Benson, Hewitt-Trussville – G – 5-7 – Central Arkansas
April Hooks, Hewitt-Trussville – G – 5-8 – Alabama State
Kristen McMillan, Hoover – PF – 6-1 – Central Arkansas
Reniya Kelly, Hoover – PG – 5-7 – North Carolina
Naomi Jones, Jackson – F/C – 6-3 – Alabama
Timya Thurman, Linden – C – 6-5 – Auburn
Hannah Jones, Prattville Christian – SF, 6-2 – Memphis
Kennedy Langham, Sparkman – G – 5-8 – Samford
Cali Smallwood, Susan Moore – G – 5-8 – Montevallo
BOYS
Player, School, Position, Height, College
Cameron Collins, Austin – G/F – 6-4 – Undecided
Jaden Nixon, Autaugaville – G – 6-3 – Undecided
Thomas Dowd, Dothan – SF – 6-8 – Troy
RJ Johnson, Grissom – PG – 6-4 – Alabama
Israel Miles, Grissom – G – 6-2 – Undecided
Jamari Arnold, Huntsville – PG – 5′10 – North Georgia
John Broom, Jacksonville – SG – 6-2 – South Alabama
Antonio Jackson, Blount – SG – 6-4 – Coastal Alabama CC
Alex Odam, Piedmont – PG – 6-3 – Jacksonville State
Kerrington Kiel, Ramsay – SF/F – 6-6 – Troy
Sam Wright, Spain Park – F/P – 6-10 – Undecided
Win Miller, Vestavia Hills – PG – 6-3 – Belmont