By Robert Wilson
Kimani Hamilton is Batman on the Clinton boys basketball team. The son of former Mississippi High School Player of Year and Mississippi State and NBA forward Tang Hamilton, Kimani is rated as one of the top 25 small forwards in the country and has signed with MSU.
But Allen Hughes is Robin and deserves plenty of praise and attention from Clinton’s opponents.
The 6-foot-3 senior guard showed his value last week when he had a game-high 24 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds to lead defending MHSAA Class 6A state champion Clinton to a 64-55 victory over Madison Central in a Class 6A, Region 4 game at Clinton.
For his outstanding performance, Hughes has been named the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
Hughes – a member of the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Preseason Elite 11 team this season – is averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals for 10-5 Clinton.
“Allen’s performance against MC was really good,” said first-year Clinton coach Leonard Taylor, who was promoted from assistant when Robert Greene left to go to Tupelo High. “He came out aggressive and really attacked the basket, which got him going. Our guys fed off his energy that game and complimented his efforts. We played a great team game that night. Everyone’s effort was great, and we were clicking well with each other. Allen does so many things well that it gets overlooked, but him playing the way he plays makes things easier for Kimani to do what he does. They feed off each other so well, which gives us a great one-two punch. Kimani and Allen are good friends so that helps keeps any type of negative energy out of their heads. They both just want to win at the end of the day, and it doesn’t matter who’s in the spotlight. They just want us to be successful.”
Hughes averaged 14.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals and helped Clinton to a 21-1 record last season. He had a team-high 16 points in Clinton’s victory over two-time defending MHSAA Class 6A state champion Starkville in the 6A state title game. Hughes made the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson fourth team last season. He has been offered by Mississippi College and many Mississippi community colleges.
