Meet the 2025 Birmingham News All-Region boys basketball team
Six boys basketball teams from the Birmingham area won to the final eight with one state champion and another finalist this season.
Hoover won its third straight Class 7A title, finishing 35-0, while Class 6A Pinson Valley fell in the title game. Class 5A Wenonah and Class 4A Fairfield each reached the state semifinals while Class 6A Clay-Chalkville and Class 5A Montevallo won to the regional final.
Players on The Birmingham News All-Region boys basketball team were selected to first, second, third teams and honorable mention along with a Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year.
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The team is compiled through information from area coaches, staff insights and opinions of experts in the area. It includes players from Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Below are the 2025 selections.
THIRD TEAM
Vestavia Hills’ Adam Barksdale works around Huntsville’s Josh Bowman for a shot and score during the AHSAA boys 7A regional semifinal playoff game in Jacksonville, Ala., Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | [email protected])Vasha Hunt
Adam Barksdale
School: Vestavia Hills
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 17.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists with 88 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 7A third-team all-state.
Tanner Chandler
School: Mortimer Jordan
Height: 6-foot-3
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 22 points (2,000-plus career), 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists with 45 steals and 60 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A third-team all-state.
Armonie Franklin
School: Midfield
Height: 5-foot-11
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and region-best 7.2 assists with 106 steals. He was ASWA Class 3A second-team all-state.
Drew Mears
School: Briarwood Christian
Height: 5-foot-9
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 19.4 points (1,551 career points program best), 3 rebounds and 3.6 assists with 65 steals and 83 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 5A second-team all-state.
Victor Odiari
School: Clay-Chalkville
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 18 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists with 76 steals and 78 made 3-pointers. He shot 63 percent from the field.
SECOND TEAM
Wenonah’s Brendon Davis soars in for a shot and a score during the Wenonah vs. Sylacauga AHSAA 5A boys basketball semifinal at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])Vasha Hunt
Brendon Davis
School: Wenonah
Height: 6-foot-4
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists with 80 steals and 89 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 5A first-team all-state.
Jarett Fairley
School: Hoover
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2 assists with 44 steals and 43 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 7A third-team all-state.
Braylon Patton
School: Hueytown
Height: 6-foot-1
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged region-best 27.2 points (1,871 career points program second-best all-time), 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists with region third-best 117 steals, region-best 324 field goals and 56 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A second-team all-state and participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic game.
Devon McKinnon
School: Clay-Chalkville
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists with 35 steals and 75 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A second-team all-state.
Jacobe Whitted
School: McAdory
Height: 6-foot-7
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 22.6 points (1,500-plus career), 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state and participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic game.
FIRST TEAM

Pinson Valley’s Austin Coner looks for an opening against Paul Bryant during the AHSAA Class 6A boys state championship at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Dennis Victory | [email protected])Dennis Victory
Austin Coner
School: Pinson Valley
Height: 6-foot
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 17.6 points (1,300-plus career), 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists (350-plus career) with 84 steals and 38 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state and class Player of the Year finalist.
Fairfield’s Milton Jones takes on a double-team during the Midfield at Fairfield boys high-school basketball game in Fairfield, Ala., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
(Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Milton Jones Jr.
School: Fairfield
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 19.4 points, region-best 11.6 rebounds with region third-best 69 blocks and 54 steals. He was ASWA Class 4A first-team all-state and class Player of the Year finalist.
Hoover’s Salim London gets loose for two at the first half buzzer during the AHSAA Class 7A boys state championship game at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])Vasha Hunt
Salim London
School: Hoover
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists with 74 steals and 48 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 7A first-team all-state and participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic game.
Huffman’s Peyton Wiggins shoots during the Huffman vs. Gadsden City AHSAA boys 6A regional semifinal playoff game in Jacksonville, Ala., Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | [email protected])Vasha Hunt
Peyton Wiggins
School: Huffman
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 18.5 points (2,000-plus career points program best), 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists with 53 made 3-pointers. He was ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
Ramsay’s Jayden Williams shoots against Hayden during the Ramsay vs. Hayden AHSAA boys 5A regional semifinal playoff game in Jacksonville, Ala., Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Will McLelland | preps.al.com)
Jayden Williams
School: Ramsay
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He was ASWA Class 5A first-team all-state, class Player of the Year finalist and participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic game.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hoover’s DeWayne Brown talks with coach Scott Ware during the AHSAA Class 7A boys state championship at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Dennis Victory | [email protected])Dennis Victory
DeWayne Brown, Hoover
The 6-foot-9 Tennessee signee earned region Player of the Year for the third straight year, averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds, adding 2.3 assists with region-best 84 blocks and 40 steals for the three-time Class 7A state champions, which finished 35-0 this season. Brown shot 68 percent from the field was named state finals MVP along with Class 7A first-team all-state, class Player of the Year finalist and earned MVP for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic game.
What coach Scott Ware said: “DeWayne Brown is a dream to coach. As a coach, if you were given a blank slate and told you could select the traits that you would want a player to possess, DeWayne would check the boxes on most of those traits. He works tirelessly on his game, he is a great communicator, his basketball IQ is off the charts, he is an elite rebounder that scores the ball with an outstanding shooting percentage and he is willing to be coached. At 6-9, he has great hands and feet with a feel for the game like a seasoned point guard. He plays with a group of talented players and never has anything but a selfless attitude. He could score more points, he could demand the ball more, but he would much rather see his team enjoy success over his own personal statistical goals.”
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Calera’s Kegan Johnson shoots a 3-pointer. (Submitted)Submitted
Kegan Johnson, Calera
Led the Eagles with 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game as a first-year starter at guard. The 6-foot-2 freshman was selected to the Class 6A, Area 5 team.
What coach George Drake said: “Kegan is a stellar producer at both ends of the floor, highly competitive and hard-working by nature. Awesome guy to coach, but even better person to be around.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Hoover coach Scott Ware talks with his team during a timeout in the AHSAA 7A boys basketball final at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Will McLelland | [email protected])Will McLelland
Scott Ware, Hoover
HONORABLE MENTION
Minor’s Carmelo Burroughs shoots with Huffman’s Kevon Walker incoming during the boys’ 6A sub-regional high school basketball game in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Carmelo Burroughs, Minor
Aiden Owens, Chelsea
Demarcus Williams, Fairfield
Kaleb Carson, Homewood
Dee Cutts, Montevallo
Dimitri Howard, Carver-Birmingham
Chase Lamey, Oak Mountain
Daeshaun Morrissette, Thompson
Trey Crawford, Gardendale
Joseph King, Helena
Latham Binkley, Homewood
Kevon Walker, Huffman
Darren McMeans, McAdory
Isaiah McClain, Minor
Trey Davis, Mountain Brook
Mac Couvillion, Mountain Brook
Jamarcus Thomas, Pinson Valley
Jay Green, Ramsay
Jeremy Chatman, Shades Valley
Buck Ross, Montevallo
Santez Pendleton, Wenonah
Ju’Maria Hamilton, Fairfield
Dylan Heald, Indian Springs
Aaron Adams-foot-Martin, Midfield
Skyler McCrimon, Vincent
Tavarus Robinson, Banks Academy
Jaylin Johnson, Banks Academy
Joshua Thompson, Bessemer Academy
Zeke Adams, Cornerstone