2016 Boys Basketball Finalists

Noah Vandiver

On a deep Wildcat squad, Vandiver shined while helping his program to a conference title, a district title and a final four berth in Class 2. The versatile 6-foot-3 senior averaged 15.9 points (56 percent shooting) , 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while earning postseason honors in both the conference and the district.

Al Young

A star on the football field, Young was no less on the hardwood as he helped the Tigers to 20-6 season while garnering an MBCA Class 4 All-State selection and winning the Gibbs Award as the top boys player in the SEMO Conference. The 6-foot guard posted 21.7 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals.

Tyrone Alston

A 5-11 senior, Alston led the Tigers to their first district title in 12 years before falling to Whitfield in a wild sectional for the ages. Statistically, he paced Caruthersville with 20 points, 6 rebounds and a whopping eight assists.

Kason Lawrence

Lawrence was all-everything for the Bulldogs — state, conference and district. He was the Tri-County Conference Player of the year while averaging 20.1 points and 8 rebounds. The 6-5 post player shot 55 percent from the field as Gideon reached the Class 1 final four for the first time ever, finishing third.

Marcedus Leech

As just a freshman, Leech is already attracting attention from Division I colleges. He set a school record for 3-pointers in a season (85) and scored at least 30 points in a game three times en route to All-SEMO Conference and all-district honors. The 6-5 wing finished with 21.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals.

Willie Lucas

The 6-6 junior had 12 double-doubles on the year and exceeded 30 points on four occasions. He was an all-conference and all-district selection while averaging 21.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He shot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent at the charity stripe.

Jeffery Porter

A return Semoball awards finalist, Porter capped his Braves career by averaging 23.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3 steals. That do-it-all performance earned the 6-2 Porter an MBCA Class 2 All-State nod, as well as the title of Scott-Mississippi Conference Player of the Year.

Kyle Moore

The prolific 5-10 guard led Southeast Missouri with 30.7 points per game and an unbelievable 7 assists per contest, along with 6.7 boards and 2 steals. He shot 56 percent from the field and was named to the all-state, all-conference and all-district teams while finishing with more than 2,000 career points.

Fred Thatch

Thatch was the best player on one of the area’s standout teams, as the Bulldogs earned their way to the Class 4 final four, earning conference and district championships along the way. The 6-3 Thatch averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 steals per game while being named the MBCA Class 4 Player of the Year.

Dominique Dyes

The long-range sharpshooter was deadly from outside the arc, setting a program record for 3-pointers in a season (96) while finishing as Sikeston’s all-time career leader with 202 3s. He shot 40 percent from long distance and averaged 16 points and 4 assists for the Bulldogs. He earned all-conference and all-district honors.