Now that the 2011-2012 high school basketball season is officially over, here are our selections for this year’s 2012 Arizona Preps’ Girl’s All-Arizona Team. This year’s selections were made by our basketball staff, and while it took some time in making these selections, we believe that these are the right selections for the honor.
These selections will be forwarded to college coaches, scouts and media across the country.
Here are our 2011-212 selections for boy’s high school basketball this season in the state of Arizona …
Shilpa Tummala 5-11 Senior Guard/Forward St. Mary's High School (Arizona Preps Player of the Year - Harvard Commit)
Tummala is coming off an amazing senior season, where she helped lead her St. Mary’s Knights to this year’s 2012 Division-I State Championship, after an impressive championship victory over a surging Hamilton HS team – 65-40. Tummala also helped lead the Knights to the Section-I Tournament Championship. While these accomplishments by the St. Mary’s team were very impressive, none was more impressive than the fact that the Knight were also regarded as the nation’s #1 ranked team all season long – winning this year’s national championship as well. The Knights were a perfect 30-0 on the season and also won this year’s prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions event in December. Tummala came up big in every game this season for the Knights and head coach Curtis Ekmark. While receiving more than 50 different scholarship offers for college, Tummala has chosen to play next season at Harvard University. Tummala also carries better than a 4.0 CUM GPA.
Felicia Foster 5-4 Senior Point Guard Peoria High School
The talented and gifted point guard prospect was her team's leading scorer this season on a team that finished with an impressive 30-5 overall record on the season. While her team would fall just short of winning this year's Division-II state championship, Foster would do her part - averaging 16.4 points, 5.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals per/game. Foster is a sure-fire talent from the point guard position and gets a lot done on the floor.
Katherine Hamilton 5-8 Junior Shooting Guard Dobson High School
Hamilton is the real deal and proved it this season, as she led her Mustangs to a 24-9 overall record on the season and to the Division-I state semi-finals, before falling at the hands of eventual state champion, St. Mary's HS. Hamilton poured in a team-high 14.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.9 steals per/game this season, and proved that she is among the state's very best junior prospects. A talented and very skilled shooting guard prospect.
Lillian Southwick 5-8 Senior Guard/Forward Thunderbird High School (Phoenix College Signee)
Southwick was among the state's best shooters of the basketball this season and led her team to a strong 23-9 overall record on the season. Southwick was among the state's leading scorers this season, averaging better than 20+ points per/game. While underrecruited as a college prospect, Southwick will first head to Phoenix College next season before moving on to a four-year college.
Arnecia Hawkins 5-9 Senior Shooting Guard Mesa Mountain View High School (Arizona State University Signee)
Hawkins is one of the state's most gifted and talented prospects. Hawkins led her Toros to the top of the Division-I rankings for the entire season, as her team finished with a very nice 29-3 overall record on the season and reached the Division-I semi-finals. Hawkins came up big for her team down the playoff stretch and averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 steals per/game this season. Hawkins will play collegiately for the Arizona State Sun Devils next season.
Simone Westbrook 5-10 Senior Shooting Guard Chandler High School (University of Arizona Signee)
Westbrook ended her strong high school career this season, after leading her Chandler HS team to a 22-7 overall record on the season and the quarterfinals of the Division-I state tournament, before falling to Mesa Mountain View. Westbrook, the younger sister of University of Minnesota high-scoring star guard Lawrence Westbrook, averaged big numbers this season for head coach Zon Thompson - pouring in 22.8 points, 3.9 assists, 7.6 rebounds and an amazing 5.5 steals per/game. Regarded as one of the top prospects in the country throughout her high school career, Westbrook has a very bright future ahead of herself, as she signed a division-I scholarship with the University of Arizona.
Julia Barcello 5-10 Sophomore Forward Seton Catholic High School
Barcello was the best player this season for a team that won it's third consecutive state championship, as Barcello led her Sentinels to this year's Division-II state championship. A mere sophomore on a team that will return the majority of it's core group next year, Barcello was the team's leading scorer and rebounder this season. Barcello is among the state's elite prospects in the 2014 class and has a promising future ahead of her.
Kiara Clark 5-11 Junior Forward Centennial High School
Clark turned in her best season of her high school playing career and was among the top individual scorers in the state this season - averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per/game. Clark has developed a great deal over the past year, and looks to be among the top 2013 prospects in Arizona now. The daughter of former MLB baseball star Tony Clark, Kiara is quickly making a name for herself in the state.
Courtney Ekmark 6-0 Sophomore Small Forward St. Mary's High School
Ekmark was a major ingredient to this year's undefeated, national and state champion St. Mary's Knights. Her ability to stretch the defense consistently, her tenacity on the floor, as well as her unselfish approach to the game made the Knights absolutely unbeatable this high school season. Ekmark is among the top overall prospects in the state and regarded as one of the top prospects in America's 2014 class. As the youngest player on this year's very dominant Knight's team, Ekmark proved that she is well beyond her years this season.
Lauren Evans 6-0 Senior Shooting Guard Hamilton High School (Virginia Tech Signee)
Evans is a complete guard prospect with a very fundamentally sound game. She was the driving force this season for a Hamilton HS ballclub that shocked the state and reached the Division-I state championship game, after finishing 27-7 on the season. Evans, the younger sister of University of Wisconsin star forward Ryan Evans, averaged 13.4 points, 3.9 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 steals per/game. Evans has decided to play her college basketball in the ACC next season, as she has signed a division-I scholarship with Virginia Tech.
CeCe Pearl 6-0 Senior Power Forward Peoria High School (Eastern Washington Signee)
Pearl helped lead her Peoria Panthers this season to a 30-5 overall record and a runner-up Division-II state championship finish. Pearl was one of the state's most effective low-post scorers this season, and averaged 13.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per/game on the season. Came up big for Peoria HS in their run for a state title. Signed a division-I scholarship with Eastern Washington University.
Jamee Swan 6-3 Senior Center Marana High School (University of Colorado Signee)
Swan is a big-time talent possessing very good size, athleticism and quickness. While her team struggled this season (14-11), Swan was absolutely terrific - averaging 20.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per/game. Swan has a big-time future ahead of her, as she is very athletic and can make plays that most her size cannot. After being regarded among the top individual prospects in the country, Swan has decided to further her playing career at the University of Colorado next season.