2010 Hoop Zone Banquet

The 10th annual WPDE Hoop Zone banquet makes it 20 banquets over the past ten years by our sports department. Both Mark and I are grateful to our management team for having the vision of putting the spotlight on our local athletes. It's a special night for kids from all across our community. To think that on the same day we were hosting our banquet we had two former All Hoop Zoners playing in the SEC Tournament (Brendan Knox of Auburn and South Carolina's Sam Muldrow) shows how we've got some talented players that have made it to our banquet year in and year out.

We seem to get a lot of feedback about the voting process. We are always more than happy to explain it.

Hags and I begin in January selecting the team. The roster has expanded from 12 player in year one to 20 boys and 20 girls in year number ten. We have 18 boys coaches, 18 girls coaches and the two WPDE Sports guys select #1, #2 and #3 for top players in the area. First place votes get 3 points, second place 2, and third place one point.

Hags physically collects the ballots over the phone and we compile them. We're pleased with the process as the coaches in our area know what the award is all about and do an excellent job of giving us a landscape of the talent in our area. Coaches can not vote for their own players which eliminates all the bias.


I got this question from Steven Green in Myrtle Beach:

honest question.. how does a player make all-state (julia crews, carolina forest), yet not even get a couple of votes?

First and foremost, Julia was an easy no-brainer lock to make our 20 player All-Hoop Zone team. We usually have a list of about 12-15 players that are in and then we take about 10 more and they are on the bubble so to speak and we make the tough choices to make the team.

The easiest answer to your question is that 10 of our 20 Girls on the 2010 All Hoop Zone team were All-State selections.

Jasmine Phillips and Khadijah Sessions are elite borderline McDonald's All-American talents that are getting recruited by the likes of ACC, SEC and many other major Division I schools. They belong on every ballot in my opinion. Jazz Green is a Division I commitment at the College of Charleston and Geneika Brantley avergaged a double-double and is a state champion. It's a very strong year for girls in our area.

That shouldn't take anything away from what Julia did. Like I said, she is a no-brainer lock to make our team and we're happy that we were able to honor her at the banquet.

Here are some game notes from the 2010 Hoop Zone Banquet. We enjoy looking back on the history of the banquet and the awards.

Hemingway's Quintin Brown and Myrtle Beach's Everett Golson joined an exclusve list of players honored as both All-Zone football players as well as members of the All-Hoop Zone team.

Two Sport All-Zoners
Jarod Gerald, Mullins
Tymere Zimmerman, Marlboro County
Syvelle Newton, Marlboro County
Andy Blondmonville, Myrtle Beach
Cliff Matthews, Cheraw
Jordan Lyles, Hartsville
Everett Golson, Myrtle Beach
Quintin Brown, Hemingway

Over 10 years, 30 of the 34 schools in our area have been a part of the Hoop Zone banquet. Four schools are still seeking their first post-season basketball honor:

East Clarendon, Lake View, Lamar and Waccamaw

Here are the schools with the most Hoop Zone invites over the years:

Schools with most All Hoop Zone Boys selections

1. Hemingway 14
1. Marlboro County 14
3. Myrtle Beach 13
3. Wilson 13
5. Socastee 11
6. Mullins 10

Schools with most All Hoop Zone Girls selections

1. Myrtle Beach 17
1. Wilson 17
3. Darlington 12
4. Timmonsville 8
4. Mullins 8
4. Andrews 8

Schools with most combined Hoop Zone selections

1. Myrtle Beach 30
1. Wilson 30
3. Hemingway 19
4. Marlboro County 18
4. Mullins 18
6. Darlington 17