The SAC had so many closely contested matchups this season with many going down to the final buzzer. Even who would become conference champs was not clear until the very end of the season and that’s exactly what was expected in the SAC this year as it appeared wide open leaving the chance for so many teams to take the conference. The Wayne Generals and Coach Byron Pickens took advantage of that, winning their first outright conference title since 1976. Overall there was a lot of talent in the conference this season that deserves some recognition for their performances this season. Here is some of that talent in my All-SAC starting 5:
Guard: Jevon Lewis (Wayne, Junior)
The Generals quite possibly are in the middle of their best season in the past 30 years and Lewis is the main reason for that success. Both with his consistent scoring and facilitating and with the clutch gene that he showed against Homestead twice. Both at Homestead in the regular season which would lead to the Generals winning the SAC by him getting a layup in the closing seconds and in the sectional championship as he won the Generals their first title since 1994 at the buzzer. He averages 16.9 points and 6.3 assists a game along with 2 steals, clearly being one of the most impactful players in the state this season.
Guard: Will Jamison (Homestead, Junior)
Jamison’s scoring ability is just undeniable the mixture of his mid-range jump shot and his ability to attack the rim makes him so hard to defend. He averaged 17.9 points a game this season and even scored over 20 points ten different times this year. Jamison was also an impact player defensively as he averaged 1.7 steals a game and even had one double-digit steal game this season. With Jamison still having one more year to play his future and the Spartan’s future certainly is bright.
Forward: Tae Johnson (North Side, Junior)
The Legends faced many difficult challenges this season with multiple key pieces going down with injuries throughout the year. Tae Johnson was really why the Legends were still able to stay on track this year even through the setbacks. He really stepped up averaging 20.9 points a game this season and he did not just get it down scoring he also got 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.7 steals a game. Johnson certainly has some of the most star power in the area and rightfully so as he is a top player in both football and basketball.
Forward: Ajani Washington (Concordia, Junior)
The Cadets only lost two SAC games this season and they were by a combined 5 points meaning they were just within reach of the top of the conference. The main reason why they were up that high is because of Ajani Washington. He leads the Cadets in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and even blocks getting it down in so many different ways. He reached over 20 points four times this season including what was an incredible performance in a two-point win over North Side where he scored 29 points on 11/15 shooting from the field.
Forward: Jaxon Pardon (Carroll, Junior)
The Chargers were another example of a team being just within reach of the top of the conference as they went 6-3 in conference play with a one-point loss to Concordia and a two-point loss to Wayne in overtime. Jaxon Pardon was a key piece for the Chargers’ overall success this season as he scored over 16 points a game on 44% shooting from the field. Multiple times this season he showed his ability to just light it up such as when he scored 20 points in the first half against Homestead. He also made an impact in other ways as he got 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals a game.
And 5 players really aren’t enough so here are some honorable mentions that had outstanding seasons this year.
HM: Omarion Washington (South Side, Senior)
For a couple of seasons now Washington has seemed to be one of the more talented players in the conference making a big impact on both ends. He once again made an impact this year with over 15 points a game and around 5 rebounds a game. Probably the most memorable moment from Omarion this season did not even count as he threw down a 360 dunk after the buzzer in a win over Snider. Washington though had many great performances this season as he consistently was playing at a high level.
HM: Cadell Wallace (Luers, Junior)
Wallace is yet another great example of a true point guard in the SAC as he has that great ability to score but is also a facilitator. He averaged 14.3 points a game this year while also getting 3.9 assists. Defensively he also was a key piece getting 2.5 steals a game. Wallace scored over 20 points six times this year as he even had one 30-point game.
HM: Chase Barnes (Wayne, Sophomore)
The Generals being able to pair Jevon Lewis and Chase Barnes is what made them so hard to stop this season. Barnes is just an electric scorer that once he sees one fall can just start dropping them in and bury the other team. He averaged 14 points a game this season as a sophomore. He’s also the 6th non-senior on this list which certainly makes it fun to think about the future of SAC basketball. His ability to step up in big moments and in big games this year was just incredible for example, you just look towards what he just did in the sectional title game with 22 points as he helped the Generals move onto regionals.
