'Bam' headlines AP All-State Team, several locals included
High Point Christian's Edrice "Bam" Adebayo, East Lincoln's Sage Surratt and Charlotte Providence Day's Erin Whalen headlined the 2015-16 Associated Press all-state prep basketball teams for North Carolina.
They were picked on all 17 ballots from statewide sports writers in results released Wednesday for the 12-player men's team and 13-player women's team.
Adebayo, a 6-foot-10 senior and McDonald's All-American headed to Kentucky, is ranked in the top 15 nationally by both Scout and Rivals recruiting services. He made the men's team for a third straight season dating to his time at Pinetown Northside.
Surratt, a high-scoring junior guard, pulled off a two-sport all-state double after making the AP football team as a receiver in December.
And Whalen, a Vanderbilt recruit, helped her team win a seventh straight North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship.
In addition to Adebayo, Goldsboro Rosewood's Lexi Mercer and Charlotte Providence Day's Grant Williams were also repeat all-state picks. Mercer, an Elon recruit with more than 2,500 career points, made the women's team for the third straight year, while Williams made the men's team for the second straight year.
On the men's side, Durham Voyager Academy's Jay Huff, a Virginia recruit, had 15 votes after leading his team to the 1-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association state title, while Havelock's Kyran Bowman, Cary's Cory Gensler and North Mecklenburg's Davion Mintz had 14 votes.
Rounding out the men's team were: Apex's Ian Boyd, Concord Robinson's Lavar Batts Jr., Roxboro Community's Darius McGhee, Concord's Rechon "Leaky" Black and Fairmont's Alshaquan Williams.
For the women, Mercer and Raleigh Millbrook's Kai Crutchfield — who had the winning basket in the 4-A NCHSAA state final — each had 15 votes, followed by Morganton Freedom's Ariyana Williams (14 votes) after she led her team to an unbeaten season and the 3-A NCHSAA title.
Rounding out the women's team were: Northern Guilford's Elissa Cunane, South Robeson's A'Terria Quick, Durham Hillside's Elisia Grissett, East Bladen's Lacey Suggs, East Davidson's Bayley Plummer, Central Davidson's Jordan Chavis, Concord First Assembly's Zaria Wright, Canton Pisgah's Brooklyn Allen and Charlotte Berry's Ra'shika White. White and Allen tied for the final spot on the women's team.
Sports writers at AP member newspapers nominated players for all-state consideration, then voted for nominees to select the teams. The AP will release the prep basketball men's and women's coaches of the year for North Carolina on Thursday, followed by the players of the year Friday.
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