West Alabama Watchman All-County Boys Basketball Team

The West Alabama Watchman combed over details, statistics and overall impact of the boys who played varsity basketball in Marengo County in the 2012-2013 season. And after careful consideration of dozens of local players, The Watchman has assembled its first All-County Boys Basketball Team.

Players from all seven high school programs in Marengo County were taken into consideration. There are five players on the First Team and five players on the Second Team.

Additionally, as a unique feature of the first West Alabama Watchman All-County Boys Basketball Team, there are two players that are recognized with the designation of Next.

The Next designation speaks to the potential of young players who played big minutes and fell just shy of making the First Team or Second Team. In short, they are players that will undoubtedly be contending for Player of the Year honors in the near future. To qualify for the Next designation, players must have played varsity minutes during the 2012-2013 season and have been either a freshman grade level or below.

Read it. Agree with it. Debate about it. But, more than anything, pass along proper kudos to these 12 young men for making All-County.

First Team

• Cedric Cooks, John Essex, Jr. – A left-handed point guard with elite hops, Cooks propelled the Hornets offensively and defensively in 2012-2013. His ability to get to the basket and finish gave plenty of teams fits. Cooks also proved plenty capable of finding his shooters on the wing and his big men down low. In truth, Cooks would force his way into the starting lineup of any team in the county.

• Roderick Davis, Demopolis, Jr. – Davis proved the best pure shooter in the Tigers’ lineup in his second varsity season. He played a key role for head coach Rodney Jackson’s triumvirate backcourt rotation, often sharing ball-handling duties when he wasn’t in the off-guard position. Davis’ ability to score the ball was a key cog to a major turnaround for the Tigers this season.

•Shauka Reese, Linden, Sr. – Call him undersized, but Reese could absolutely light it up from the outside. That fact has been well known for three years now. But Reese propelled his team for stretches in 12-13, including an area tournament game against John Essex in which he connected shot 10-for-12 from beyond the arc and scored a career high 39 points.

• Tommy Wilson, Demopolis, Sr. – Wilson is probably the county’s most improved overall player. After missing half of his junior season, Wilson emerged in 12-13 ready for the mantle of team leader. The Tiger point guard was known to have solid handles and a good floor vision, but it was his scoring ability that surprised many during his senior campaign. Wilson showed himself a more-than-capable shooter from deep, a facet of his game that readily complemented his ability to get to the basket. He led a balanced scoring attack but proved eager to take the game over whenever it was necessary.

• Imoras Agee, Linden, Jr. – Agee hinted at his emergence two years ago. The swingman’s junior campaign served as his coming out party as he led the Patriots with 23 points per game to go along with seven rebounds and three steals a night. A strong shooter from beyond the arc, the real danger of Agee’s offensive game is when he decides to go to the basket. Virtually unstoppable.

Second Team

• Michael Moore, John Essex, Jr. – The silky smooth shooting guard helped Essex by spacing the floor and penetrating to the basket in 2012-2013. A volume scorer by nature, Moore’s offensive output generally snuck up on teams. Capable of taking over any game offensively, Moore also proved himself very adept at deferring to his teammates, helping the Essex offense to flow when it was at its best.

• Walter Hinton, A.L. Johnson, Sr. – At 6-4, 293, Hinton was unquestionably one of the most physically imposing big men in the county this season. But one rival coach called Hinton the best post player in the county. That’s high praise. And it is praise that is hard to argue with as Hinton utilized a nice array of post moves to go with his ability to dominate both the offensive and defensive glass.

• Cason Cook, Marengo Academy, Fr. – Cook stood head and shoulders above the competition this season…literally. A freshman for the Longhorns, Cook helped carry the MA junior high team through the state tournament. But he is on this list because he also started at center for the varsity, where averaged double-digit rebound numbers with what looked to be the greatest of ease. And, despite having already played an entire JV game prior to his varsity contests, Cook was the go-to player in the post for the MA varsity. Expect big things from Cook as his high school career goes on.

• Chris Rogers, Linden, Jr. – Rogers is easily the most polished big man in the county. When he is on his game, Rogers gets his 6-2, 250-pound frame to play a lot bigger. An adept free throw shooter, Rogers is among the best at absorbing contact, finishing a play and getting to the line to make the bonus shot count. His back-to-the-basket game has developed nicely to go along with his rebounding ability, making him a consistent double-double threat for the Patriots.

• Cortez Lewis, Demopolis, Jr. – Lewis possesses a very unorthodox game. He looks more like a small forward but often played the five spot for the Tigers. He could regularly post eight to 12 points a game and grab rebounds at a similar clip. But it is Lewis’ constant energy that separates him from his peers. He moves well without the ball and is constantly active on defense. That combination helped the Tigers to a 14-12 season, a considerable turnaround from the last several years.

Next

• Josh Moore, John Essex, Freshman – Moore might be listed as Next on our team, but his play in the area tournament shouted that his time is now. An all-tournament performer in the area bracket, Moore’s post game in his second season as a starter grew by leaps and bounds. He consistently posts double-digit rebound numbers. However, his offensive game has grown to allow him to utilize his natural knack for finding space in the post in a manner that almost allows him to hide from defenders. Once Moore is able to play with his back to the basket, he’ll be as good as there is in the paint.

• Dequan Charleston, Linden, 8th – This is the surprise name on the list because he did not step into varsity action until the conclusion of the junior varsity season. But Charleston stepped in ready to play. In a late season “garbage time” opportunity, Charleston drained a trio of threes in less than a minute to catch his teammates’ attention. The outburst apparently caught his coach’s attention as well. In the Patriots’ region championship contest, Charleston played big minutes, draining a clutch three late that gave his team a chance. Expect Charleston to bypass JV play next season if he continues his growth and leap into the Patriots’ starting lineup as a freshman.