Two area basketball standouts honored by AP

Mount Tabor's Harris, McGuinness' Thompson are voted first-team all-state

Credit: Journal File Photo

C.J. Harris helped Mount Tabor win a state title this past season.

By: JournalNow Staff | JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
Published: March 26, 2009

C.J. Harris and Erinn Thompson -- ACC recruits who helped their teams win NCHSAA basketball championships -- were first-team selections yesterday on The Associated Press 2008-09 all-state teams.

Harris, a 6-3 guard from Mount Tabor, has signed with Wake Forest. He averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists and had 20 points and four assists in the Class 4-A state final as Mount Tabor defeated Fayetteville Sanford 60-55. Harris was the MVP of the title game and was second-team all-state last season.

Thompson, a 6-3 center, has signed with Virginia. She averaged 10 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, and McGuinness won its fourth consecutive Class 1-A title. She played sparingly in the title game, finishing with five points after breaking her wrist in the first quarter but returning in the fourth. She was first-team all-state and the AP's state player of the year last season.

Area players named to the second teams were Aaron Toomey of McGuinness and Anna Freeman of East Davidson.

Kinston's Reggie Bullock and West Charlotte's Christal Caldwell led the voting. Bullock was a first-team pick on 14 of 16 ballots and finished with 30 points, more than any other player. Caldwell had 28 points to lead the girls' voting for the second straight season. Players received two points for a first-team vote and one for a second-team vote.

Bullock, a 6-7 junior, averaged 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He has committed to North Carolina.

Also named to the boys first team were: seniors John Wall of Raleigh Word of God and Ryan Kelly of Raleigh Ravenscroft and junior J.T. Terrell of Burlington Cummings.

Joining Thompson and Caldwell on the girls first team were: seniors Keyrra Gillespie of Statesville and Asia Williams of Durham Hillside and junior Shannon Smith of Gastonia Forestview.

Wall, a point guard, is regarded by many as the No. 1 recruit in the country. Kelly, who averaged 25 points and is a McDonald's All-American, has signed with Duke. And Terrell, who averaged 31 points and six rebounds, has committed to Wake Forest.

On the girls team, Caldwell -- who has signed with Florida -- averaged 17 points to help West Charlotte win its first state title, and Gillespie, a Clemson signee, averaged 14 points and 10 assists to set the state's single-season and career assists record. Williams, a Wake Forest recruit, averaged 21 points, and Forestview's Smith averaged 26.3.

Toomey, a 6-1 guard, averaged 20 points, 8.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds to help the McGuinness boys win their first NCHSAA 1-A title and was the MVP of the title game after scoring 35 points. Also on the second team were: Southern Lee's Akeem Richmond, Charlotte United Faith's Ian Miller, Shelby's Eric Mayo and Arden Christ School's Mason Plumlee. Miller has committed to Florida State, and Plumlee has signed with Duke.

East Davidson's Freeman, a second-team pick for the second straight year, averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Also on the second team were: Williamston's Katie Paschal, Concord Cannon's Krista Gross, Reidsville's Eleisha Hairston and West Charlotte's Nikki Burton. Paschal has committed to East Carolina, Gross has signed with North Carolina, Hairston has signed with Elon, and Burton has signed with Louisville.