9 Valley players to partcipate in senior all-star game

WASILLA — For the last five years, the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches has hosted its annual senior all-star game, a collaboration of the state’s top 12th graders on the hardwood. But this year, the AABC has stepped up its game.

Gone is the old format, which featured players from each of the state’s four classes on one court. This year, AABC has ushered in a new era of Alaska all-star basketball. Four games are planned, with separate contests for the ASAA 1A and 2A boys and girls, and 3A and 4A boys and girls.

“I’m excited about the 1A/2A. It’ll be exciting to watch those guys and girls play,” AABC president Dave Porter said. “It’s neat to bring in that many more kids.”

AABC is hosting four all-star games Saturday at Dimond High School in Anchorage. The 1A/2A girls game is slated for 2:30 p.m. and the boys game follows at 4:15. The 3A/4A girls game is at 6, and the boys game is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Slam dunk and three-point shooting contests are also planned.

Adding two games allowed AABC to nearly double participation. Forty-eight players competed last year, and 88 are on tap to play Saturday. Porter said by adding the 1A/2A games, the AABC hopes to better showcase the small-schools talent.

“Now they have their own stage,” Porter said. “(The 1A/2A players) who played in the all-star game in the past did awesome, but there probably wasn’t that many of them. They weren’t truly represented.”

The list of players in the 2015 all-star games includes five seniors who recently earned state player of the year honors for their respective class (Glennallen’s Ariana Dougall and Cameron Peters, Scammon Bay’s Angel Medina, Valdez’ Marian Wamsley and Anchorage Christian School’s Levi Auble), and 42 players who were named all-state by AABC.

Nine Valley players are slated to participate. Colony’s Graham Dinkel, and Wasilla’s Cameron Brown and Alex Baham were named to the 3A/4A boys team. Colony’s Ashley Turcotte, Faith Farris and Sarah Brumbaugh, and Wasilla’s Cassidy Edwards and Machia Toews will play for the 3A/4A girls team. Susitna Valley’s Dawson Matthews will be in the 1A/2A boys game.

AABC’s vision for the all-star event is to not only bring Alaska’s top senior talent together in the same event, Porter said, but to also provide a showcase for college coaches in scouts. The event has coincided with the Alaska Exposure Camp, hosted by longtime Dimond girls basketball coach Jim Young. Each year, several college women’s basketball coaches attend the camp to see the Alaskan talent. Those same coaches now attend the AABC all-star games, which are featured the same weekend. Porter said a similar clinic has been set up for the boys at Bartlett High.

“We’ll have a lot more college basketball coaches there than we ever have before,” Porter said.

Between Young’s exposure camp and the AABC all-star games, the events have led to an average of 10 to 15 Alaska seniors per year earning a spot on a college basketball roster.

“It’s neat watching college coaches fight over Alaska kids,” Porter said.

In addition to the games, Porter said AABC is excited about the number of athletes who have signed up for the event’s slam dunk and three-point shooting contests. AABC also expanded its event tournament program this year. The book, available for purchase at the games, features more than 80 pages and information about each player invited to participate.

AABC All-Star Game rosters

1A/2A Girls:

Jay-Jay Aguvluk, Wainright; Zabrina Byfuglien, Tri-Valley; Ariana Dougall, Glennallen; Eileen Ford, Hooper Bay; Ashleigh Hammon, CIA; Heather Kanuk, Nenana; Klina Kliach, Nikolaevsk; Tori Kruger, Lumen Christi; Jessica Kuzuguk, Shishmaref; Magdalene Lake, Hooper Bay; Ciara Lord, Yakutat; Tia Matchian, Chevak; Shiann Nanalook, Newhalen; Madison Orth, CIA; Gabrielle Titus, Minto; Reanna Tulin, Chevak; Alana Ulak, St. Mary’s; Theresa Wellington, Metlakatla; Kia Wiehl, Minto; Marie Yates, Craig.

3A/4A Girls:

Justine Anderson, Dimond; Sarah Brumbaugh, Colony; Dejha Canty, Dimond; Kiani Clemens, Seward; Zula Cole, South; Shalie Dahl, Petersburg; Marshala Eady, West; Cassidy Edwards, Wasilla; Faith Farris, Colony; Veronica Hursh, Valdez; Rohyn Huss, Dimond; Anna Ingraham, Chugiak; Haley Miller, Soldotna; Sarah Morris, Thunder Mountain; Allie Ostrander, Kenai; Jasmine Perea, Seward; Haley Ramsell, Soldotna; Sidney Riggs, Sitka; Donna Sabo, Barrow; Mikayla Shamburger, Grace; Darian Songe, Cordova; Raven Thibideaux, ACS; Machia Toews, Wasilla; Ashley Turcotte, Colony; Sabrina Ungaro, South; Elly Veazy, Hutchison; Marian Wamsley, Valdez.

1A/2A Boys:

JR Carpentero, Unalaska; Franklin Carroll, Ft. Yukon; Alex Gilbert, Sand Point; Adrian Gloko, Manokotak; Al Hale, Hooper Bay; Gage Ivanoff, Unalakleet; Miles King, Bristol Bay; Josh Marvin-Looney, Klawock; Dawson Matthews, Susitna Valley; Angel Medina, Scammon Bay; Corey Ningeulook, Shishmaref; Seth O’Leary, Seldovia; James Olin-Martin, Nenana; Cameron Peters, Glennallen; Brent Sampson, Glennallen; Ken Savo, Dillingham; Cole Schlagel, Dillingham; Michael Stickman, Nenana; Tony Takak, Aniguin.

3A/4A Boys:

Levi Auble, ACS; Alex Baham, Wasilla; Klay Baker, Nome; Michael Benson, Hutchison; Cameron Brown, Wasilla; Muhamad Cole, Dimond; Graham Dinkel, Colony; Antonio Dunbar, Barrow; Edwin Erickson, Monroe; Alex Gray, Nome; Taylor Hoffman, Bethel; Sheldon Hutt, Homer; Desmond Johnson, East; Bruce Jones, Juneau; Brayton Keith, East; Judah Manuel, Bartlett; Jalon McCullough, Monroe; Jaruby Nelson, Homer; Tyrell Peterson, West Valley; Skye Shipton, Mt. Edgecumbe; Eben Upton, Service; Brad Wacker, Service; Joseph Weltzin, Soldotna; Bobby Wilson, ACS.