Palmetto State Players of the Year
The South Carolina State Finals will take place this coming weekend in Columbia at the Colonial Life Arena.
Prep Hoops takes a closer at the Palmetto State Players of the Year in each classification.
Class 1A Player of the Year : Darius Taylor (2019) Hemingway HS
Taylor averages 11.8 ppg and 7 assists for the Tigers. Taylor a point guard has the Tigers back in the State Championship Game this season for the 3rd straight season. The Tigers face Ridge Spring-Monetta on Saturday morning. Taylor recorded a 11 interceptions on the gridiron this season.
Class 2A Player of the Year : Juwan Gary (2019) Gray Collegiate
Gary averaged 21.2 ppg and 8.4 rebounds this season for the War Eagles. The War Eagles (24-4) will play the Carvers Bay Bears in the State Championship on Friday.
Class 3A Player of the Year : Jermaine Patterson (2018) Bluffton HS
Patterson ended his high school career in a opening round playoff loss at Manning HS. Patterson a Queens University (NC) (D2) recruit averaged 28.5 ppg this season for the Bobcats. Patterson will play in the Carolina’s All-Star Game on March 24, 2018 in Wilmington, NC. Patterson this past fall was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl for football but declined to play in it to concentrate on basketball.
Class 4A Player of the Year : Alex Caldwell (2018) Wilson HS (Florence) (pictured on front)
Caldwell a Southeast Missouri State signee has the Tigers in the State Championship Game vs Ridge View HS. Wilson started off his high school career at Richland Northeast HS before surfacing at Wilson HS as a junior. Caldwell a point guard averaged 22.1 ppg and 6 assists this season for the 21-3 Tigers. Caldwell will play in the Carolina’s All-Star Game in Wilmington, NC on March 24.
Class 5A Player of the Year : Jimmy Nichols (2018) Conway HS
Nichols a left-handed forward will play college basketball at Providence next fall. Nichols led the Tigers to the 3rd round of the state playoffs before falling to Blythewood. Nichols averaged 17 ppg and 10 rebounds this season and helped the Tigers win their first playoff game since 1994. Nichols is one of the 3 finalists for the Mr-Hoop-Zone Award in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand along with Alex Caldwell and Jalen Coit.
Nichols has been selected to play in the Carolina’s All-Star Game on March 24 in Wilmington, NC at Hoggard HS.