Valley players invited to annual all-star game; former Valley star part of inaugural hall of fame class

WASILLA — A half-dozen Valley players will hit the floor and a Mat-Su legend will be honored as the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches hosts its sixth annual AABC Senior All-Star Games April 16 at Dimond High School in Anchorage.

Colony High’s Tyler Boyer and Anton Chamblee, Wasilla’s Kellie Lindeman and Leya DePriest, Houston’s Kimberly Quincy and Susitna Valley’s Austin Johnson are among the 89 seniors selected by the AABC to compete in the association’s four all-star games.

The association is also adding a new tradition to its all-star weekend. The organization has created the AABC Hall of Fame. The inaugural class includes former Colony High School star Jessica Moore and longtime Point Hope mentor Rex Rock Sr.

The addition of the hall of fame selections continue the evolution of the association all-star festivities, AABC president Dave Porter said after releasing the rosters Tuesday. Until now, Porter said, the biggest leap for the all-star games came with the expansion of two games to four last year.

During the first four years, the AABC hosted a pair of senior all-star games, with players from each of Alaska’s four classes taking the floor at once in a girls game and a boys game. While the AABC was excited to mix athletes in classes 1A through 4A, the association wanted to broaden the spotlight on Alaska talent.

“It gave us 40 more athletes, a lot more credence to the 1A and 2A,” Porter said.

Now, the AABC has four all-star games on one day at a single venue. There is a pair of 1A/2A contests, all-star games for both the girls and the boys. Two 3A/4A all-star games will follow. Coaches from across the state nominate seniors from their respective class for the all-star game. The AABC takes the list of nominees, and formally invites 24 players to participate in each game. The invited players for each game will be split by the AABC into two rosters for the contest.

Of all of the players invited, the AABC has 24 players suiting up for both the 3A/4A boys and 3A/4A girls games. There are 21 players who are confirmed for the 1A/2A boys game and 20 for the 1A/2A girls contest.

With the expansion, came a spike in attendance, Porter said.

“What’s neat, it was almost like two big crowds,” Porter said of the addition of the small-schools all-star games. “It was fun. Last year, the first year doing that, we were impressed. Dimond is not a small venue, and it was pretty packed.”

Porter said the AABC is also impressed with the level of talent that will be represented at the all-star games this year.

“These are by far some of the top players in the state,” Porter said.

The cast includes a handful of players who recently earned player of the year awards for their respective class. The list of MVPs slated to play in the all-star games includes West Anchorage’s Da’Zhon Wyche (4A boys), Homer’s Madison Akers (3A girls), Unalaska’s Ben Enlow (2A boys), Nikolaevsk’s Megan Hickman (1A girls) and Akiachiak’s Fritz Jackson.

Porter said among the association’s primary reasons for organizing the all-star games is creating another way to promote Alaska’s prep basketball talent. The association teamed with Dimond girls basketball head coach Jim Young, who hosts the annual Alaska Exposure Basketball Camp, which lures college coaches to Alaska to catch the talent from the 49th state. Since 2011, 40 girls basketball players who participated in the Exposure Camp committed to college programs. In addition to Southcentral Alaska schools such as Dimond, East, Service, Bartlett and Wasilla, athletes from schools such as Craig, Skagway, Juneau, Kenai, Barrow and Kotzebue have also earned opportunities. The camp coincides with the all-star weekend, giving the college coaches to see the Alaska players in different lights.

“The (college) coaches absolutely eat it up,” Porter said. “They get to see the kids in drill situations, watch them in practice, and turn around and watch them in a game situation. They get to see the whole package.”

Porter said Young’s model has worked so well for Alaska girls’ basketball players, Bartlett boys basketball head coach Steve Drussell is unveiling something similar for Alaska boys’ basketball players this year.

At least 15 college programs are expected to be represented during the all-star weekend to see the Alaska players. In addition to those on hand, Porter said a number of Division I coaches have called, expressing interest in watching the online stream of the all-star games.

Porter said the association is also excited to enshrine its first hall of fame class April 16. The AABC has long discussed the idea of creating its own hall of fame, and finally settled on inducting a single coach and player per year.

“We felt like a number of the other hall of fames are getting watered down,” Porter said. “Our big thing is it should be really tough to get into the hall of fame. Our feeling, it needs to be the elite of the elite.”

Porter said the association accepted nominations from its members and a board selected the first player and coach to be inducted. Both Moore and Rock were overwhelming favorites, Porter said.

Moore, a 2000 gradate of Colony High School, enjoyed a celebrated career at the high school, college and professional levels.

“I can’t think of a better representation. She’s done it all,” Porter said.

Moore was named Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year twice and led the Knights to a pair of 4A girls basketball state titles. She followed that with a historic college career at the University of Connecticut. At UConn, Moore helped the Huskies with three straight NCAA Division I national titles. She played in all 145 games in her college career, helped UConn posted a 132-13 record during that span.

Moore continued with a nine-year career in the WNBA. She appeared in 223 games.

In 24 years at the helm of Point Hope boys basketball, Rock led the Harpooners to 566 wins, 24 trips to the state tournament, 18 region crowns and four state championships.

“There’s an icon,” Porter said of Rock.

Porter said the association not only takes into account what a player or coach did during their career, but what they continue to do to promote basketball. An example, Porter said, is the officials. A group of officials from the Valley association are donating their time to work the games.

“He continues to this day to give back,” Porter said. We’re fundamentally about promoting the game of basketball, promoting coaches, promoting players. Rex Rock embodies that.”

Porter said Alaska basketball faithful from across the state come together to help host an event of this caliber.

The association is also hosting an awards banquet and dinner for those involved, April 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Central Middle School in Anchorage. Games begin April 16 with the 1A/2A girls contest at 2:30 p.m. and the 1A/2A boys game at 4:15 p.m. The 3A/4A girls and boys games are at 6:15 p.m. and 8.

The hall of fame presentation is between the 1A/2A and 3A/4A games. Three-point competitions and a dunk contest are also planned for the day.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game rosters

3A/4A Boys:

Jake Swenson, South; Daon Jones, East; Kevin Goodwin, Barrow; Dazhon Wyche, West; Trevor Osbourne, Grace; Marquis White, East; Alec Canete-Hall, East; Tyler Boyer, Colony; Matt Standley, Ketchikan; Guy Bean, Juneau; Isaac Johnson, Ketchikan; Bobby Pate, Mt. Edgecumbe; Alex Anderson, South; Adam Kuhne, Bethel; Tevin Bayne, Sitka; Garrett Fitt, Kenai; Nathan Carstens, Nikiski; Anton Chamblee, Colony; Martese Blankenship, Delta; Daniel Hornbuckle, West Valley; Benitu Panaom, Bartlett; Josh Fosi, Dimond; Ronnie Jackson, Seward; Mason Merchant, Dimond. Coaches: Robert Casperson, Juneau; Reid Kornstad, Nikiski.

3A/4A Girls:

Romay Shayen, Galena; Madison Akers, Homer; Kayla Stafford, Homer; Mary Hogan, Grace; Senora Ahmasuk, Nome; Madison Felming, Valdez; Hailey Denkinger, Sitka; Angelica Telfair, Barrow; Miranda Eakin, Kotzebue; Katy Merioles, Valdez; Kimberly Quincy, Houston; Aurora Waclawski, Homer; Kellie Lindeman, Wasilla; Alexis Biggerstaff, Ketchikan; Eliah Anderson, Ketchikan; Leya DePriest, Wasilla; Jasmine Richard, East; Ava Thompkins, Thunder Mountain; Charley Edwardson, Ketchikan; Whitney Shapp, Dimond; Shemeah Jones, Dimond; Damaiya West, Bartlett; Courtney Kemble, Ketchikan; Hannah Russell. Coaches: Chade Felice, Homer; Jim Young, Dimond.

1A/2A Boys:

Ben Enlow, Unalaska; Jerome Ridao, Cordova; Andrew Oktollik, Point Hope; Blake Stokes, Wrangell; Cooper Jewell, Cordova; Austin Johnson, Susitna Valley; Ethan Johnson, Bristol Bay; Lethearen Jimmie Minto; Bryan Earnshaw, Unalaska; Matt Gerald, Wrangell; Fritz Jackson, Akiachak; Pat Brandt, Ninilchik; Byron Nicholai, Tooksook Bay; Zavier Ghormley, Metlekatla; Jonah Fefelov, Nikolaevsk; Aidan Philpot, Seldovia; Jerry Caroll, Fort Yukon; Quincy Williamson, Noorvik; Shandon Rivers, Scammon Bay; Justice Peter, Fort Yukon; Calem Collier, Seldovia. Coaches: Kent Russell, Unalaska; Nick Finley, Ninilchik.

1A/2A Girls:

Kai Nashoukpuk, Wainwright; Megan Hickman, Nikolaesvk; Denise Fernandez, Shishmaref; Olivia Turner, Seldovia; Krista Sinclair, Ninilchik; Johanna Estes, Lumen; Serafima Kalugiun, Nikolaevsk; Zhane Akeya, Savoonga; Taylene Jones, Buckland; Sarah Newlun, Yakutat; Raven Chafin, Klawock; Janie Jensen, Yakutat; Su Yoon, Unalaska; Magdalene Green, Hooper Bay; Ada Harvey, Unalakleet; Sydney Dray, Dillingham; Alanna Kochuten, Unalaska; Sally Paul, Maokutak ; Hannah Moorcroft, Bristol Bay; Jordan Finney, Ninilchik. Coaches: Dino Brock, Petersburg; Bea Klaich, Nikolaevsk.