The Clarksdale Press Register proudly presents the 2022 All-North Delta basketball team, the best players on the hardwood in this outstanding season.
In a season that has brought us buzzer-beaters, emerging stars and overachieving teams, selecting the All North Delta team became no small task.
The players were chosen based on their performances throughout the year, their leadership on the court, their value to their team’s success and the opinions of many, including local coaches. While naturally advocating for their own players, coaches also showed integrity by suggesting players and coaches from opposing teams as well.
The All-North Delta team is presented in alphabetical order.
Cameron Bell
Guard, Coahoma County
The great players become even better in March, when everything is on the line. That’s one reason why Cameron Bell is a great high school player. In the playoffs, with the season at stake, the Coahoma County Panthers faced Calhoun City on a Friday night in a heavily anticipated game. By halftime, Bell had personally outscored Calhoun City and launched his team to an insurmountable lead.
The star of the Panthers can do it all, nailing the outside shots or blowing by defenders off the dribble, seemingly whenever he chooses. Most of all, Bell does whatever it takes in the game to help his team defeat their opponent.
Not surprisingly, Bell was named to the 2022 North/South state all-star game by the Mississippi Association of Coaches.
Kevarious Jackson
Guard, Clarksdale
“He is one of the best and purest shooters I have ever coached,” said Clarksdale High School Head Basketball Coach Farrington Hill of his star guard.
Jackson has been a long-distance sniper for the Wildcats, nailing threes with regularity and posing a threat to defenses trying to play a zone to combat inside threats Korea McKay and Kelly Jones.
As the season progressed, so did the role of Jackson in the Wildcats’ offense. “We wanted to put the ball in his hands in every possession,” Farrington explained. “We moved him to the point guard position to make that happen. He adjusted well, because he has good court vision and is a good passer.”
According to Hill, there was another reason to move Jackson to point guard. “We wanted colleges to have game film of him playing the point,” Hill added. That might be his position at the next level, so we want to make our players more appealing to college coaches and also prepare them for the next level.”
Korea McKay
Forward, Clarksdale
“He’s an excellent player, but he also has a tremendous upside for the future,” Clarksdale High School Head Basketball Coach Farrington Hill said of his frontcourt star.
On a team loaded with elite athletes, McKay emerged as the low-post star in the Wildcats offense during the year. By season’s end, he routinely faced double-teams from their opponents, making it difficult to score the number of points he had previously notched. “It’s his own fault,” Hill laughed, “because he has become so effective that teams have to double-team him.”
While McKay is a strong defender and shot blocker, Hill believes another part of his game might mean the most for his future. “He is a natural “three” at the college level who can also post up defenders,” Hill said.
When asked how many positions McKay can defend, Hill was adamant with his answer. “He can absolutely defend positions one through four,” Hill added. “His versatility will make him a welcome addition to any college team.”
DJ Vassel
Forward, Lee Academy
Vassel is no stranger to all-star teams, having been named to the district and north-state teams already. In addition, he has been named to the MAIS state all-star game in Jackson on March 4.
Throughout his senior season, Vassel was the low-post threat on offense and the team’s inside-the-paint defender as well. Those roles arose from his status as the team’s largest player, but he is also blessed with the ball-handling and shooting abilities of a guard. Even during pre-game warm-ups, he routinely nails the outside jumpers.
Though a talented basketball player, Vassel’s grades and 32 score on the ACT have created options for full academic scholarships as well.
William Walker
Guard, Lee Academy
As Lee Academy made their run deep into the playoffs, William Walker was, as always, an outstanding scorer and dependable defender. As the tallest guard on the team, he played a role in creating favorable matchups on both ends of the court.
The Colts are known for their ferocious man-to-man defense, and Walker ability and size made him an important part of the team’s success, along with his scoring.
Walker’s ability to nail the threes, hit the mid-range jumper and drive to the bucket helped secure a spot on the All-North Delta team.
Walker and Vassel have another attribute in common, along with being teammates and talented basketball players. According to their coach, they are also outstanding people. "DJ Vassel and William Walker are very deserving of this honor,” explained Lee Academy Head Basketball Coach Mike Reans. “Both are not only excellent basketball players but good students and great people. They are team players and exhibit many leadership skills. It has been an absolute pleasure to coach them this year."
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